The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-12

boldly walk your streets. clothed in beautiful raiments, with Dewitchfng smile. whited sepuchresi fair and beautiful without, but within, full of rottenness. and putrefaction ana dead mems bones. which iorseketn the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death
 'If ws would be spiritually healthy we. must live in climates spiritually healthful We must keep. away from the lowlands where the atmosphere is charged with impurities: we must shun the marshy bogs where the miasma of sin and wickedness Turk everywhere. and the serpents of satan hold out their glittering allurements and seek to drag us down with them into the slime of filth and depravity. But rather get out upon the highlands of right living and healthful association; go upon the mountain top of faith in God and love for our fellows, where the skies are bright and blue above us, and the at- mosphere Is pure and bracing.
 T gladly turn from the side of evil influences, and must suggest briefly few of those which are good
 If evil books suggest evil thoughts, and evil, thoughts tend to evil living. with equal force we may say that pure books suggest pure thoughts and pure thoughts tend to pure and holy living. Every book that is sound in doctrine, chaste in purpose, and pure in tone, Is uplifting. and we may easily find them on every hand; but towering above them all is the inspired Word, the window through which the light of Gods eter- nal truth is shed.' swherewithal shall . young man cleanse his way7 By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.'
 Not only should our thoughts be passively good. but they should be viz orously applied. for there is no, truer saying than that when the brain be- dowed with intellect, and with the power to reason, I believe God win hold us as accountable for an indolent brain as for lazy body. Take men of equal mental endowment and we may easily discern those who have put into force the power of reason, from the man of idle brain and wasted opportunities. Away back in the ages, there was conceived in the mind of God system of worlds, and pressing this thought into action. into space he threw out the sun, moon. and stars and planets. Darkness was transformed into light, system came out of confusion. and chaos was changed into form and beau ty. And into all space, and into all matter He infused a latent power. He made these pregnant with a latent force susceptible to- the will of man. Human thought. sanctioned by Di- vinity. has garnered these forces. has throttled the dangerous clements of nature. and used them to the improve ment of human conditions, and to the AR x~l@ A~A cry success achieved. every true vic- tory won, and every aspiration attain ed is the result of vigorous thought consistently applied. Not idle dream ing but healthy. vigorous thought shapes the system of commerce and of governments sways the sceptre of na- tions. and rules the world.
 Time will not permit me to speak of the hallowed influence of home, and of mother, and of sister and of sweet- heart and of wife. There is no earthly purifies the heart as the atmosphere of Cody home. or the influence of a pure and lovely woman.
 Tt broadens the mind. 1t stirs the heart, and lifts us up to higher
 thoughts and loftier aspirations, in
 memory. to live as 1t were in the pres
 ence of those. who by flxedness of pur- pose, and noble achievement have carved their names high up in the an- nals of fame. To sit at the feet of g. Paul; to learn grandeur of character
 in the presence of Gladstone: to have the fire of patriotism burn within us under the matchless eloduence of g. Henry. or a Webster: to hear the call of country and follow the leadership of Washington. or abide in the pres ence of a pure and dauntIess Lee.
 Some years subsequent to his ser vices for our people, you will remem-
 Der Lafayette returned on a visit to this country. and that he was met with intense enthusiasm and great throngs surrounded him wherever he went. By deeds of valor and unself1sh devotion to principle he had become enshrined in
 the hearts of America; for liberty's cause he had given up home and for tune and native land; he had unsheath- ed his sword and raised his strong right arm in defense of human free dom; he had been ready if need be to lay down his life for human deliver
 ance, and the world applauded the pat riot, and heroes, and statesmen and the great mass of a nations freemen sought to pay him Homage. and felt 1t an honor to keep his company.
 But, ah, young gentlemen. there is one greater, far greater, than Lafay- cite; greater than Washington, or Lee. or Grant or Jackson! a champion of every right; hero in every struggle: conduerer in every conflict; chief war rior in every combat; whom God, the Omnipotent Father, the great Jehovah of heaven and earth, delights to take into His close embrace and fondly call Beloved Son. Not only was he ready. was he willing. but he did lay down his life for human redemption; he was led q captive that we might have that lib- erty wherewith we are free indeed.
 Incarnation of majesty and meek ness-of greatness and gracei And yet from this high estate he comes to nor tals such as we; he knocks at the doors of our hearts and our homes, and pleads admittance there. He begs to come in that he may abide with us. that he may share our joys and our sorrows-be the partner of our suc- cesses and our failures.
 For all that is inspiring in thought. uplifting in influence, ennobling ID character. I point you to him who Is the perfect frfend-the ideal compan- ion, the immaculate Christ, a Savior, a