Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-05-28

tShmcnt. i'm the end IL incurs the right
eous Judgment of God.
The Lust Of the Eye.
The first stage in Achan's fatal course
was what the apostle describes as the
lust of the eye" Achan's curiosity was
excited. He wanted To see the wonder
full treasures which were Ia he conse-
Grated Ia the Lord. His first step in
the downward path which ended i'm his
destruction was taken when he rose
from among his sleeping comrades. and.
slipping past the guards. he wen,led his
way among the shattered walls of the
captured city. IL was one act for
AclIan with sword and spear and shield
Ia fight his WAY into that doomed cap
ital. swarninG with enemies. but 1t
WAS another act. after the battle was
won. for this brave soldier TO arise at
night and crawl past the scntinels and
begin 10 examine the spells which were
not his and by right never could be
his IL is one act. and a commcnda BILE
act. for young physician ut the call
of duty 10 20 down to the place of evil
resort in a large city TO help some suf
fcrcr Frustrated by physical infirmity
Ii is another act. and very danger
Gus act. for II young man or n young
woman. actuated merely 10y an idle GU
riosity. TO join Summing party TO
look upon vice and gloat over il as a
spectacle. Sometimes temptations come
TO man in the ordinary walks of life.
but in nearly every case. as with
Achan. temptations 10 sin most sue
ccssfully assail a man when that man
is idling in place where he has no
business TO he.
Let me illustrate my thought from
an old scene in the Bible. How often
has the downfall of David been the
subject of the pessimist's diatribe,
How he cXults over the spectacle of
the shepherd boy who conquered Co
Hath and climbed TO the throne of
Israel. yielding To- his infatuation for
woman. Yes. yes" he says. men
are all alike: the best OF men are vile
ut heart. Here is the sweet psalmist
of Israel. the perfect specimen of noble
manhood. the man after Gods own
heart. so cnSlaved by his guilty pas
sion for another mans wife that he
Stays the husband TO get possession of
her. No man is 10 be trusted
why David Sinned.
Is that your idea of men: Then. my
brother and sister. you have not read
human nature Alright All men are not
bad. But all men will be bad if they
do not stick scrupulously To the work
God has given them 10 do. The reason
David sinncd was not because he look
ell upon "Bathshcba. the wife of Uriah.
the liittite." The reason David sinned
WAS because. like Achan among the
Jericho spoils. he was idling at home
instead of being with his army. In
the first verse of the eleventh chapter
of III Samuel we read the secret of
the whole sinful story: And il came
To pass after the year WAS expired. mt
the time when kings go forth 10 battle.
that David sent .Ioab." That sentence
means simply this: When the time of
military campaign camc-tlc time
when David ought To have taken the
field and led on his own troops To bat.
tle-hc sent II substitute and stayed at
home. The beginning of his danger
was not in looking nj Batlisheba. who
was the wifi" of Uriah. the IIittitc. but
in being. like .Achan. among the Jericho
spells. In u place where lie had no
right To- bc.
My iioihcr. when ,;od calls You To do
n work. he will always give you
strength To resist the sinful tcmpta-
tions incident To that work hut when
you 80 10 u place where you have no
right Ia go. you are liable To- expert
cncc that lust of the eye which may he
the beginning of n long succession of
other sins.
Young man. beware Of The tcmpta-
ton 10 absent Yourself from the post
Of duty. Beware when Sabbath day
comes around. if Your minister does not
see yam in the house of God You may
say you are tired. You may say You
will stLy ~ homc and read the Bible
and have your devoiiuns in Your room
but h"W:lre. III comm. 10 Il large citN.
do not let your new made friends en-
tice yon into II saloon. just 10 look ut
the beautiful pictures upon the walls.
and the expensive mosaics on the
floors. and the gorgeous rugs and the
fine set han,lucts i'm the gambling halls.
II is doubtful whether tie step some
cities have taken of ordering the re-
moval of screens from the doors and
the lifting of curtains from the win
dows of saloons on Sundays has not
its disadvantages. II enables the po
liccnian Ia seq whether business is be
ing done in the prohibited hours. ana
is so far an advantage. Int il makes
the decorations AMI at
fractions of those places. and so tends
to allure passersby Ia visit them when
they are open. Sin so often begins i'm
the looking ON temptation that the
safest course for every one is Ia avoid
the spectacle of il as far as possible.
Achan's First Step.
Achan's ''ey" step in the next place.
was followed by his ''covctou> step"
We say that the sin of covcioliSncSS is
only one step beyond the first sin. Hut