The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-12-17
TEST OF FRIENDSHIP
Rev. DR.. fa!mago Points lt Out
In His Sermon.
The Eloquent Divine shows Hsw
We May Distinguish the True
From the Falss-A
Friend Defined.

| the preacher defines the qualities oi
friendship and points out the tes,
whereby We may distinguish the true
from the false. The text Is III John
IA. Greet the friends by name"
Etymology is the historian Of Ian.
guags. 1t Is the huge wardrobe In
which are hung up the verbal gar.
ments, ancient and modern, with which
Thought has been and is accustomed to
clothe herself. 1t is the International
and interracial laboratory in which
one alphabet is seen 10 a more or less
extent to be in harmony with all other
slphabets, the same as the study of
biology proves that the physical struc.
lures Of all living creatures. both ami
NAL and vegetable, have been evolved
primarily from the same plan Thus
we find that as social styles in dress
change So the verbal -armrntS for one
thought are sometimes discarded, and
new thoughts are found ,o be wearing
the caStolr verbal clothes of other
thoughts.
The ancient word barbarian" had
an entirely diderCnt significance from
its meaning in the present day. When
l say 10 you. "llc is Il barbarian" you
Immediately picture Il savage. a brutal
cannibal, black skinned roamcr of the
African forest or a Malay murderer.
who would as willingly cut out your
l>'art aS hawk might plunge his
crooked hcak into the ritals of a dove
or helpless fawn. But when Paul
wrote in his epistle To the Romans, Il
am IA debtor both TO the Greeks and 10
the barbarians," he meant he was a
debtor 10 those who were not living
under CUsar'S jurisdiction. He used
thr word barbarian in the same sense
rs the Chinese now use il. Among
tie Chinese writes the photographer
"onc who is not Chinaman and cs-
pcrtally European or an American. is
commonly spoken Of as western bar
h1rlan. The ancient word wit" was
originally derived from the old Saxon
very ''witan." which meant ito know"
In ancient language "a wit meant "a
knower,' one verscd in knowledge, an
erudite man. The modern word wit"
signifies a humorous entertainer, a
funny man. The ancient word
heather" meant one who lived outside
the intellectual cities. The modern
word heather" is now applied to a
person ignorant of the gospel. The
Spanish word 'caballero" originally
meant "a man who travelled on horse
back" The modern word "caballero"
means "a gentleman" The Spanish
word ''peon" originally meant ''one
who goes on foot" The modern word
''peon" means "a peasant" Now. the
simple fact is, in modern Spain many
a gentleman goes on foot and many a
peasant rides
Thus we also find that the word
friends Of NY text has an entirely
different meaning from what the casual
reader might at first suppose. The
modern word friend" in popular dis
course means an acquaintance. one
with whom We can socially pass
pleasant hour. one who Is upon our
calling list, one who invites US 10 his
home as We may invite him TO our
daughters wedding party for his COM
pany. But il ancient times the Bib
lical word friend had Il deeper. ho-
ler meaning. Ii meant one who in the
truest and purest sense had his life
wrapped up in our life. As John Wes-
ley gave the definition. 1t meant one
who was bound 10 US by self sacrifice
and the blood relation of the utoniug
cross II meant Christian brother.
The modern definition OF the word
friend If as different from the Bib
lcal as Il wolf travelling around in
Sleeps clothing is at heart different
from lamb. The friendship of most
men III these days" wrote John Spen-
cor lis like some plants in the water
which have broad leaves on the surface
OF the water, but scarce any root al
all; like drums and trumpets and en-
signs III battle. which make u noise and
show, but act nothing" Therefore,
y man and woman, in this sermon |
would try 10 describe for you who are
your true friends and also show YOU
whether you are true friends 10 others.
From among the scores and hundreds
OF your acquaintances ! would single
out few noble spirits whose love you
ought 10 cultivate and whose affections
you should treasure in the holy Of ho-
lies OF your most innermost heart
The true friend, in the first place. il
always the one who loves the Lord his
Cod with all his heart and soul and
mind before he tries to love his brother
as himself. He is the one who would
translate into his own life in d spiritual
sense the oft quoted advice which Po-
tonius gave to his departing son La.
ertes ITO thine own self be true, and
II must follow as the night the day
thou canst not then be false TO any
man"
A true earthly friend must, in the
arst place, be a true friend TO his Heav-
emily Friend as was Isaac Newton. He
50 impressed every one with whom he