The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-10-17

strictly honest. ana the CHRISTIAN ~
lows himself to be influenced by suci
declaration. and q low standard comes
to rule In the life. Christians. who
would consider II dishonest to chea
their neighbor out Of i've cents. con
slider they have done wise and com
mendable and right thing when they
cheat the railway out Of fare 1t hal
earned. Christians, who know that
lie IL an abomination In the sight Of
the Lord and Is the stepping stone II
other evil doing, believe or try to be-
lieve that the white lie. as 1t II called
white with the leprosy OF sin. per-
haps). IL admissible and right at times
| And all this is an indication, a sad In
dication,. of the growth Of lower stan
dards.
THE child's copy book furnishes us
i an illustration here which Is point
cd and emphatic. The first word writ
ten under the perfect copy furnished
at the head Of the column 10 excellent
and very like the perfect original. but
as the child proceeds with its task and
uses as a pattern that which 1t has but
previously written. the last effort ut
the bottom OF the page is sadly unlike
the perfect copy from which the start
was made. Unconsciously that child
has departed step by step from the
well-formed letters of the copy until
II is startled at last when 1t lifts its
eyes from the word at the bottom of
the column and sees how unlike 1t is to
that at the top. The irregularities
which crept into the first transcription
and which we're hardly perceptible
have been intensified until the altera-
ton has become decided and striking.
So It is with principles. rules and GUS
toms. and even laws. Man has been
busy for good many years cutting his
forms of rules of conduct and govern
ment from the patterns which the pre-
ceding generation has furnished. until
principles and conditions have come 10
prevail which would not have been con-
ceived Of or tolerated years ago. Take
the present attitude towards divorce
and many of the laws relating there
to, as an illustration. Take the scien-
tific nonsense met with on every hand
collaborating. the rearing
and control OF children. and the life
and atmosphere of the home. Take
the Sunday question-Sunday thea
tiers; Sunday newspapers with their
humor. and their sensa-
tional features, which deaden the rell-
gious sense of the adults and blast
the budding germs Of piety In the
Sunday sports and outings.
Take the spirit which largely rules in
legislative bodies, and in the commercial
and industrial worlds, one must admit
that here has been a departure from hrst
principles.
A ND in the second place Christians are
n fretted into the doing of evil when
they adopt questionable means In dealing
with or combating evil. They reason
that you must meet the enemy on his
own ground and with his own weapons
IL you would conquer. They lose sight
of the fact that God is planning the bat
tie, and that carnal weapons in the hands
Of the Christian are dishonoring to God
and dangerous TO himself. Even though
they seem to succeed for the time. ulti-
mately they will react and strike back
after the manner of the boomerang
Gods warning: Fret not myself In
any wise to do evil" is forgotten when
evil assails, and the chafing spirit
plunges into the conflict regardless Of
Christian dignity or the principles Of
When the enemy resorts
to sharp double dealing. attempt is made
to retaliate in kind. Trickery calls forth
trickery. But the Christian never yet
won a permanent and enduring advan-
tage or victory through conduct or
methods which were contrary to Gods
standards of righteousness and truth.
Often the individual Christian, often re-
ligious bodies. come face to face with the
te mptation of securing an advantage by
a course which will not stand the search
ing glance of God or secure His APP
proval. Human wisdom and reasoning
would declare that II was the right course
TO pursue DeCdust VI thC uuVdhsoSc ~
would secure, but departure from the
pathway OF strict integrity or righteous
ness brings its penalty.
THE Christian can always afford to
| wait on God II 1t is the will of God
that the object sought or desired is to be
attained, then II will come in due time
by methods and means which are alike
upright and honorable. Jacob did not
have to lie to secure the birthright and
the blessings which accompanied 1t. II
was his by right of purchase and in full
fillment of the promise and purpose
of God. He secured the blessing and
birthright by questionable means be-
cause he would not wait upon God tc
bring His purposes to pass; but see the
train of evils, difficulties and troubles
which followed Jacob all his life until
his SONS in turn lied to him and nearly
broke his heart in the case OF Joseph
David knew that II did not pay to dc
evil. even to obtain great advantage
Twice did he let his enemy Saul go safely
out of his hand when seemingly provi-
dentially the king was placed In his
.-~..,.~ N "a xvhou he u1i0ht have reasoned