Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-04-23

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are dishonest | can he dishonest too
That is the way Mr.. So-and-so was
supposed TO have had his financial
start in life. But. of course. as he Is
81 rich and generous with his money
the church and the world are ready to
overlook this sin of his youth" A
great temporal success is held by some
Ia atone for the sinful means by which
that success is won.
Emptiness of Temporal Success.
Think not this illustration purely i'm
aginary. | am speaking about one OF
whom Dame Rumor is telling this
story at this moment. And yet, my
brother. as | relate this incident.
want yen To answer this question.
Does God ever allow us To make any
successes true in his sight. nj the ex-
pense OF our Christian integrity" Will
he forgive us our past sins because we
bring To him our gold and silver and
precious jewels that have been stolen
from the Golfers of anothers treasure
vaults: What is worth having is worth
paying for: but we always pay too high
for our temporal successes when we
pay for them with the coin of deceit
AMI dishonesty and theft and with
gold smeltcd 10y unlawful and immoral
fires. "A good name is rather TO be
chosen than great riches" That means,
though you pile upon one side of your
scales all the gold buried under thou
sand hills. and all the securities that
make the money markets fawn ut your
feet. and all the diamonds taken from
Il Golcon'la mine. and yet put upon the
other side of that moral scale one dis
honest act by which those riches were
won. in the sight of God and Christian
men you have paid for your wealth at
too high a price. You have paid for
them ut the expense Of your Christian
integrity.
But there is still another very foolish
sacrifice many men and women make
for temporal successes Of life. That is
the respect and love which all good
men and women should feel toward
their fellow men. Ii Is one thing TO be
careful shout our Christian integrity.
that others may think well OF us But
Ii IN another and more important
thing that we do not foolishly sacrifice
our Christian integrity. lest we lose
our respect and love for our neigh
bOrs.
a Thought illustrated.
What do | mean by this statement?
Let me illustrate my thought. My
father. in an address on the Bright
Side of Things" began in this wise:
This world always appears to man
in exactly the same colors as are the
cOlOred glasses through which he looks
II he uses green glasses. it is a stupid
world: il red glasses. a martial world:
II yellow glasses. jaundiced world:
hut il crystal glasses. the same bright
glorious world In which the birds sing
and the brooks gurgle. and the young
people and the old people love: the
same bright glorious world as God
made it, What. again." you ask. lis
the meaning of this:" Why. simply
that If you are dishonest in your ac-
lions. you will think all other people
are dishonest: il you are mean. you
will think others are mean. II you
are dcccitful. you will he looking only
for bad motives in others. But II you
are pure and good. and true and low
ing. you will intuitively begin TO seek
only what is good and true and loving
in others. Therefore. my brother. when
the dishonest man seeks temporal
success nj the expense of Christian in
tegrity he is always doing 1t ut the
expense of his respect for his neigh
bors. As bad man. he always feels
as though he was surrounded by bad
men: while. on the other hand. IL
true man absolutely refuses To win
temporal success. unless he himself
remains good and true and pure. he is
always rich in his earthly associates
Why: Because good man always
feels that he is surrounded by good
neighbOrS
The Price Too High.
II must he an awful sensation for n
man who has sacrificed his Christian
integrity To feel that he always has To
live in the city Of Dishonesty" upon
the boulevard of Deceit" II must he
son who comes in touch with you il
prompted Ia seek your friendship with
sinister desire Isoncc read of
hcartrcnding scene. Duri IL the bonn
barimcnt of Charleston. = C.. a young
girl in one Of the principal mansions
of that fair city of the sout was stand
ing with her soldier lover before the
marriage altar Just as the chaplain
was about TO pronounce the twain one.
there sounded a ringing of a shell. II
burst into the room. and the young
bride dropped dead at the feet of her
lover. oh. that death was horrible.
terrific, That was :; tragedy. But the
scene of horror which met the young
bri,legroom's eyes that night is not so
horrible 10 me as must he the taunting
~ agoniZinG feelings of u bad man who
thinks that every marriage altar Is
built upon the hard rock of selfishness.
that all friendly greetings are merely
the fawning words uttered by hypoc-
risy. that every one with whom we
walk is trying 10 overreach us as we
are trying To nvcrreach him. God pity
tho man who has Inst his Christian in