St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-03-12

man gets down be-
IN ] J J !
IL low the surface.
t,Msss His all-searching
,93 lVessyM Q!NBR. eye penetrates to
VaEA|EI ,SWNNW the hidden recesses
VT'i!;S.iA\&V OF the heart and He
Tx MAFA knows man as he
E.IlN'\EN is and not as he ap-
pears. Man is gov
eu almost wholly In his opinion and
umate OF others by externalities. but
.od never. for the inner condition of
.ns neart Is Of Infinitely more concern
70 him than the occasional outward ex-
plesslon in the life of that which is
witnin the heart. For this reason.
jesus, Who knew what was In man. y
denounced the scribes and Pharisees.
ana called them whited sepulchers.
outwarday to the eyes of men they were
Intensely religious and devout, faith
luiiy observing the rites and cere-
MONIES land carefully yielding obedience
10 the letter of the law, but as Jesus
looked within He saw the true condi-
pon and ikened it toa moldering, putri-
flying mass Of dead mems bones. He ac-
cused them Of being careful to cleanse
ene outside OF the cup and platter, while
tne inside was full of uncleanness.
Wnen Jesus came He brought men face
70 race with their real selves. He
startled and convicted by declaring and
showing that the sins of the heart were
more real and more terrible than the
sins OF the outward conduct. The muir
derer was not only he who put forth his
hand and actually took human life, but
he who was angry with his brother.
The adulterer was not only he who
actually INDUCED the lust of the flesh,
but he who even looked upon woman
to lust after her, for in SO doing he had
committed adultery with her already
In his heart The thief was not only he
who took that which belonged to an
other, but he who in his heart coveted
anothers possession, for he who is a
thief in thought and heart needs only
the opportunity to make him such in
very deed.
THANK God there are forces and con-
i ditions operative among men which
prevent full realization in the OUT
ward conduct of the sins of the heart.
Why am not a murderer before the
law, condemned and shut behind the
prison bars? Not because have never
been angry with my fellow man. Well
do I remember when boy of about
fifteen striking my older brother with
heavy stick which l held in my hand
at the time and telling him to the
ground Had 1t been an ak or knife
which my hand held I should have
struck Just the same, for was beside
myself with anger and Cid not realize
what was doing. As 1t was, my broth
er was only severely bruised, but he
might have been killed as far as the
anger which filled my heart was con-
cerned. In Gods sight was murder
er, for all the conditions of heart were
favorable to the commitment Of muir
der. Why am not thief in the eyes OF
the law and wearing the prison garb?
Is It because no desire ever was felt In
my heart to take that which did not be-
long to me? Or is it not rather that
wholesome fear OF the law has kept my
hands and feet from going in the way OF
dishonor? Or is it not because the
favorable opportunity has never come
to me to steal? Why am not guilty
moral, leper breaking the laws OF God
and man and violating the sanctity OF
the home? Is it because no impure de-
sire has ever stained my heart and made
1t guilty before God? Or il it not rather
that fear of the consequences OF sinful
Indulgence or the lack Of favorable OPP
portunity has kept me from the out
yard commission of the awful crime?
All. He Who searcheth the hearts OF
men and knoweth every thought and de-
ARE at the heart knows that not once
hut many, many times the inner atti-
tuda and condition Of the heart have
heen favorable to the commitments OF
tina outward sim As far as the desire
and will to do the wrong are concerned
q has been committed in the heart. l
might be able to go before the human
judiciary and be proved innocent OF
murder, or theft, or adultery or other
crime. hut could 60 before God Who
aaarcheth the heart and e,cape so cas-
ilv9 who would be as willing to sub
NIT their hearts to the scrutiny OF their
eriands. AZ they are their lives? All.
how we hide and cover up within the
lark recesses of our hearts things which
~ Al, the world we would not have re-
yealed to our friends, and yet we must
that the Lord seeth 1t all, He
tnoveth it all, and it is with Him we
h.va - deal, 1t Is to Him we must give
: Anal accounting.
~ Is a question then of the heart rath-
~ than that Of the life. Christ lays
e-sat stress upon the condition of the
sa.-t .for out Of the heart come forth
ev;l thoughts, murders, adulteries,
,ornications, thefts. false witness, rail-
;nesn He struck at the root OF things.
70 tha source is pure the stream must be
a,,ra and II the heart is pure the life
. r he pure In the words OF Solomon:
}. !. he a mani thinketh in his heart,
- q he" And so Jesus struck deep at
tha root Of the matter. He sought to
S ~. the source, knowing that it would
p s.-n nnrity along all the channels OF
-. re came with His message of Eye
H. ~ ~ horn again." because a new
Let vas essential to a changed life.
~ r a;a not bring new wine to be put in
-. -, hotties. nor did he try to put q piece
- raw cloth into an old garment. He
" 80. ~ better than to try to begin on the
100 ~ and work in. He knew that He