Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-13

COIfaX, Oelng pFOIcSSIOuHi nun ana
not a business man, was innocently
caught In the trap. He did not intend
to do any wrong. lie thought the bust.
ness enterprise Of building a transcon-
tinentai railroad worthy ono. He
thought the value Of his good namc
worth the price offered. But when
the scoundrelly promoters Of this COM
pany had flched the money out Of the
pockets of the American people and
decamped the accumulated wrath of
the people az a hurricane broke over
Schuyler Colfax's head. and lie was
driven into political oblivion. Now"
said my father to me. never risk
your good name. Never he drawn into
any financial enterprise in the out.
come Of which you cannot as an honest
man face the world with clean hands,"
Thus I say to you: Never risk your
good name Never risk It by evil as
sociates. Never risk 1t In shady finan.
cial transactions the full story Of
which you are not willing to tell the
world. he cautious. Be cautious of
your name for yourself. BE lovingly
cautious Of your good name for your
dear ones. he lovingly cautious of
your good name for the good you can
do your fellow men. Avoid that which
is high. Run no dangerous risks.
But we must not limit our theme
here. Be prayerfully cautious about
your faith In God and your relationship
to God. Be careful thnt you never do
anything to endanger that deep. ear
nest gospel faith In Jesus Christ which
you learned at your Christian mothers
knee. he careful that you never 60
with those men and women who are
accustomed to cast slur upon the
cross or to Joke about the divinity Of
Jesus Christ. Be careful also that you
never read book which will In any
way sap your religious vitality. know
some people like to make the foolish
boast that they are strOngmnded
enough not to fear contact with evil
associates or evil books. Thomas JET
ferson In his old age wrote beautiful
letter to John Adams. 1t went some
thing like this: II thank you for the
book You have just sent have made
1t the rule of my life for the last fifty
years never to be afraid to read any
kind of book, and I shall study this
one with pleasure" But. though that
sentence may seem to be very brave
statement, / believe It Ia very foolish
one to make. There arc books--evii
books-which you and should shun.
They are infidel companions you and l
should fear. You have no more right
to run any useless risks about your
faith in God by perusing bad books or
by associating with blasphemous and
sneering infdcl companions than you
have TO risk your physical life or good
name by that (which Is high"
Let not the legendary course Of the
old saint be your course. Perhaps you
have read about the temptation of st.
Anthony e. Alexandria. Born TO great
wealth and social position. he gave
away all and clothed himself in monks
gurb and went 10 dwell In hermit's
cell in order to purify his life for
Christ Then Satan came to tempt
him with his hirelings Satan filed
his table with the costlicst Of wines
and viands and said. monk. eat and
drink and make merry with me-" But
Anthony turned his face to the wall
and prayed to God to give him strength
to resist the temptations of the flesh
Then Satan incarnated his devils in the
bodies Of the most beautiful OF wan
tons, who came to the cell and said
Come and love me-" Then Satan mr.
g,led with the hermit against the ex-
istence Of a Christ and why he should
yield 10 temptation until in great ag-
ony of mind and body st. Anthony
swoOned dead away. The hermits
cnine and found him thus and took
him away. But no sooner did ST. An
thony open his eyes than he said !:
Take me back. Take me back to my
| cell" And when they took him back
and left him there alone and he again
saw the Satanic tempter St. Anthony
cried out, saying: Aha. thou arch
fend! Didst thou think had fed? So
here ! am again. I, Anthony. to defy
thee! challenge oil thy malice.
spit ON thee. have come back to
W.
though there is not the best Of gospel
teaching in that legend.
The Way to Resist.
The Bible says, Resist the devil, and
be will flee away from YOU" But the
same chapter also says. Draw nigh to
God. and ne will draw nigh to YOU"
And one Of the easiest ways we can
draw nigh to God Is to run away from
temptation Just as fast as we can. Our
faith In God Ia not always like pure
gold 1t is more often like clear.
beautiful. hawless diamond. Bring
your diamond too near the hot flames
Of the chemists retort, and you change
1t into black. lusteriess charcoal. It Is
not like running stream Of water.
clear as crystal. which when you plunge
your finger beneath the surface and
draw 1t out there . left no hole. but a
clear, running smooth surfaced stream.
1t is like a beautiful vase which when
once shattered will always show the
scars. No man ever strengthened his
gospel faith by reading bad hook. No
man walks closer to Christ because he
goes hand In hand with blasphemous,
evil companion. Run no useless or
dangerous risks In reference to your
relationship with Jesus Christ. Avoid
that (which IL high"