The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-11-19


Mr.. Beecher meant that every years
work was preparation for the fol.
lowing years work. Every act of our
present day is dependent In more ways
than one upon the actions of our past.
When a woman peeks out Of her win
dow to see the furniture van unload
her new neighbor's furniture and then
refuses to call upon that neighbor and
extend to her the rightful social respect
of the neighborhood, she is schooling
herself to refuse to extend welcom-
ing hand to her humble sister when
she enters her church.
Furthermore, my brother, remember
that discourtesy toward others almost
invariably has reactionary effect. The
person who complains most about
the rudeness of others is generally the
one who himself is rudest of all.
Small essential the next: The absti-
nence from all appearance of evil. The
taking care of your life's actions so
that they may never be false lights
Turing your neighborS and friends upon
the fatal rocks of sin. The refusal to
eat meat, if by the eating you may
cause your brother to offend All
things may be lawful, but all things
are not eXpedient," was the substance
Of the Pauline injunction to the Co
rinthian church. ITO seem" may some
times be almost as great Il sin as TO
be-" Mark you this: No man can af-
ford in any way 10 have his influence
cast upon the wrong side of any moral
question. Nearly all our great religious
teachers have recognized this truth.
We must abstain from all appearance
Of evil on account of our influence over
others, We must abstain from all ap-
pearance of evil ON account also of
the reactionary evil influence upon our
selves. One of the greatest bulwarks
against sin is the God implanted desire
TO be thought well of by your neigh
bors. A man, on account of principle
ought to be ready, if necessary, to defy
the scorn and the sneer and the op-
probrium and the persecution and the
Misrepresentation and the ridicule Of
the human race. But every man may
desire that his neighbors and friends
think well of him; that they should re-
gard his name as the synonym Of hon
esty and truth and probity and recti-
tude. And when any man comes to
the dangerous condition in which he
does not care what his neighbors think
about him; when he Intentionally and
recklessly stirs up hornets nest Of
needless criticism when he tauntingly
boasts that it does not matter what 9th.
ers may say, as long as he is not doing
wrong, then that mans feet are tread
ing the soft quicksands of temptation
and walking along the narrow edge Of
the precipice Of death.
My sister, be careful about the char
acter Of your associates. My brother,
you who are an officer or member Of
the Christian church, would not at
tend the theater again. You may say
you saw nothing wrong. You may say
you need the relaxation. But you can
find that relaxation in some other way.
You cannot afford the risk.
Small essential the last: The inexo-
rable duty of keeping an engagement.
The necessity of doing what you prom
Use to do. If you say to friend, 81
will meet you at such and-such a place,
at such and such time" you should
be there. You should be there just as
certainly as you would be down at the
ships dock on time when it is about to
sail for Europe, and when you have
purchased a 500 berth for the pas
sage If you cannot be on time, ac-
cOrding to promise, for your engage
mcnt then you should notify the per-
son with whom you have the appoint
mont. But the great trouble with
many people is that they have no NOR
al sense Of the duty of keeping an en-
gagement unless they wish to do so.
They will promise anything, Ike dis
honest politician just before an elec-
tion, and like the same dishonest poll
tician after election they will forget
MI their promises if it suits their con
vcnisnce TO forget. The result is that
the mans character and religious life
will be eaten out by these little fail
urcS and sins, just rs one little worm
can tunnel its way into the heart of a
great oak and eat out its heart until at
last the monarch of the forest will
have its backbone snapped by the on
rushing winds.
1t is the foxes, the little foxes, that
most often spoil the tender vines, not
the elephantine monsters. Once in
awhile, however, the heavy foot of an
eastern camel might crush them or
the paw of a leopard might rip them
apart when the midnight prowler,
chased by the dogs, Is rushing away
after having robbed the sheepfold, but
this is rare occurrence. 1t is the lit
tie faults, the careless and thoughtless
neglgences, which do the most frequent
mischief. 1t is the little weeds that
destroy the gardens and with their
bayonet thrusts of thorns stab the
flowers to death, not the mighty
growths of the cedars Of Lebanon or
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