Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-05-26

way among the shattered walls Of the
captured city. 1t was one net for
Achan with sword and spear and shield
TO fight his way into that doomed cap
ital, swarming with enemies, but II
was another act, after the battle was
won. for this brave soldier to arise at
night and crawl past the sentinels and
begin to examine the spotls which were
not his and by right never could be
his. 1t is one act, and cornnendable
act, for young physician at the call
of duty to go down to the place Of evil
resort In large city to help some suf
fercr Frustrated by physical infirmity.
1t is another act. and a very danger
Gus act, for young man or n young
woman actuated merely by an idle Gu
riosity, to Join a Summing party to
look upon vice and gloat over it as a
spectacle. Sometimes temptations come
to man in the ordinary walks of life,
but In nearly every case, as with
Achan. temptations to sin most sue.
cessfully assail man when that man
is idling in place where he has no
business to be.
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 diatrtbe!
How he exults over the spectacle of
the shepherd boy who conquered Co
Hath and climbed to the throne of
Israel, yielding to his infatuation for
a womanI Yes, yes" he says, linen
are all alike: the best of men are vile
ct 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 to be trusted"
why David sinned.
Is that your idea of men? Then. my
brother and stshsr you have not read
human nature Alright. All men are hot
bad. But all men will be bad if they
do not stick scrupulousiy to the work
God has given them to do. The reason
David sinned was not because he look
ed upon ''Bathsheba the wife Of Uriah,
the Hittite." The reason David sinned
was because. like Achar among the
Jericho SPOTS, he was idling at home
instead of being with his armS. In
the first verse Of the eleventh chapter
Of III Samuel we read the secret Of
the whole sinful story: And it came
to pass after the year was expired, at
the time when kings go forth to battle
that David sent Joab." That sentence
means simply this; When the time of
military campaign came-the time
when David ought 10 have taken the
field and led or his own troops to bat
tle--he sent a substitute and stayed at
home. The beginning of his danger
was not il looking at Bathsheba who
was the wife Of Uriah. the Hittite, but
in being, like Achan, among the Jericho
spoils, in place where he had no
right to be
My brother when God calls you to do
work he Will always give you
strength to resist the sinful tempta-
tons incident to that work. But when
you go to a place where you have no
right to 60 you are liable to expert
erce that lust of the eye which may be
the beginning of long succession Of
other sins.
YounG man. beware Of the tempta-
ton to absent yourself from the post
! of duty. Beware. when Sabbath day
comes around. if your minister does not
| i,,f Of "
say you are tired. You may say you
will stay az home and read the Bible
ard have your devotiOns in your room.
! but beware. In coming TO a large city,
do not let your new made friends en-
tiCc you into saloon, just to look at
/ the beautiful pictures upon the walls.
and the expensive mosaics on the
floors, and the gorgeous rugs and the
| fine set banquets iE the gambling halls.
/ 1t is doubtful whether the step some
/ cities hevS taken Of ordering the re
moval OF screens from the doors and
the lifting OF curtains from the win
dowa OF saloons on Sundays has not
| its disadvantages. 1t enables the po
| Nceman TO see whether business Is be
/ ing done ir the prohibited bours. and
is SC far ar advantage. but it makes
conspicuous the decorations and at
tructiOns OF those places. and so tends
10 allure pAssersby to visit them when
| they ara open. Sin so often begins III
ths looking on temptation that the
safest course for every one is to avoid
the spectacle of it as far rs possible.
Achan's First Step.
Achan's EYE step" in the next place
was followed by his "covetous step!'
We say that the sin OF covetousness is
only Gus step beyond the first sin. Blu
lie second step Of Achan5 sin is ever
more dangerous than the first stage
The ous may be the bare. repulSivt
branch, with IT. go frozen and con
gcalse by the frosts of winter. TIL.
other may b the spring blossoms
growing upon tbas branch when thu
spsiag haS plsssd The silver trumpet Of
the resurrection 70 natures lip. The
9lst o. She eye is nearly always accom-
panied 3y hssfta ton and timfdity. Yol
can see that fear in the flushsd cheel
Of too yeunS man who stands upon tn
street ans0A0 debating within himsel
Sosther or ne ne will enter the plGc,
Of s9.l resort to which his dissipatct
frisIds are psrsuadinG him. When tn
mind haS taken the second step an'
desire h aroused, the hideous deforn
in ~ SiN d!sappeaes and longing see