Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-04-20

thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall"
Effects of Evil InduIgences.
Evil indulgences should not be derid-
ed. They dull the moral sensibilities.
Their sinful effects cannot be seen so
much in the wasting away of the moral
tissues, as Bright's disease might
wreck the kidneys or tuberculosis might
eat away the lungs. But evil indul-
gences have a hardening or dulling
effect, as cirrhosis hardens the liver or
as paresis affects the cell tissues of the
brain. 1t is said that when mans
right side is benumbed through the eff
feet of a paralytic stroke the doctor
can take pin and drive it into his
limb and the patient is oblivious to the
sense of pain. So when human being
is suffering under the paralyZing eff
feet of sin he loses his moral sensibili-
ties. What appeared to him once as
wrong now appears to be right, and
what was once right now does not ap-
pear to have any special significance in
his life.
The gradual dulling or the paralyzing
Of the moral sensibilities by the touch
Of sin may be seen In the life Of coun-
try boy who has come to live in our
large cities. When that young man
| left home, he was as pure as his sister
or his mother. He had delicate, spir-
| itual touch. He could distinguish
right from wrong as readily as a
| trained artists eye can tell the har-
mony Of colors or a musicians ear can
be shocked at the slightest discord.
| But after awhile that young man al
lows himself to be led into question
able enjoyments. When he first saw
enchanting sin. a fiery blush mantled
his cheek. But after awhile his per-
pulsive to him; he begins to believe
that the theater may have a beneficial
| influence. He can argue for it with
clear eye and a steady heartbeat. Aft
er awhile be can go and with absolute
~ no quahhs or upbraidings Of con-
science can sit and listen to the vilest
of talks which are being uttered upon
the stage; sit there with a young girl
by his side who is no more ashamed Of
what she sees and hears than is her
masculine escort The fact that the
young man is able to argue with you
and that he sees no wrong in watching
sinful play proves beyond doubt
that he has cirrhOsiS of the soul, a
hardening Of the moral sensibilities, an
inability to spiritually distinguish right
from wrong. What color blindness is
| r-ho Ia
able to distinguish warning signals
alongside the railroad track spiritual
color blindness is to the sinful soul.
After awhile by the touch of sin the
sinner loses his capacity to distinguish
right from wrong and, like the eyeless
ground mole, is unable to tell the
brightness of midnoon from the dark.
ness of midnight.
Hardening the Moral Sensibilities.
l have seen, more than once. this
hardening of the moral sensibilities by
sin. Within a few blocks of my ole
Chicago home there was sinful place
where most of the victims caught were
young boys of fifteen or sixteen year!
of age That evil place, thank God
has since been closed. In the Windows
of that poolroom were hung up grea
number of lewd pictures. Again ant
again l have seen young men come III
to that place for the first time. Whel
they would do it, they would stagge
back as though stunned. Then the.
would look around the street as though
they were thieves about to rob house
Then at those lewd pictures in tn
windows they would look again, witt
CLASSY eye and flushed face. But aft
erward those same boys, who at frs
! We're ashamed to look, would becom
, bold faced and vile tongued. The,
would stand around that corner, smok
t ing filthy cigarettes and insulting youn
) girls as they would pass by. Within
! the walls of my own church | hav
l seen this paralyzing of the moral sci
sibilities by sin. l have seen q ma
2 who once led a noble woman to til
: marriage altar not only sacrifice hin
self, but sell his own child into sin, fo
D the qualification of quenching a DRUM
e ards thirst. My brother and sistc1
i with such examples before you of tn
t metamorphosing power of sin. can 70
s afford to run the risk of scofing at sin
: Are you not afraid that. as in Gree
e palace, you may be changed into til
e form of a human brute? Are you ne
|: afraid that by the touch of sin you
Y conscience may become so hardene
/ that you shall have no moral sensibil
e ties left?
= Evil temptations should not be d.
# rided. The depths of human miser
e into which they can fling their victim
l. this side of the grave are unfathom:
e BILE. 1t is upon the dark side of the r.
r. suits Of sin l would speak. The tro1
e BILE with many of our so called Chri
3. tan teachers is that we put halo owe
q sin. We picture temptation as a Gre
e ture of beauty seated upon a silv'
:. cloud lined with gold. She holds in OF
lr | hand mack nf IN rdS and in fhQ 9th,