Oxford Democrat., 1906-12-25
Johns Letter.

Human nature remains precisely the
same as In the day when the serpent be-
guiled innocency into the sin of dis
Obedience; but It would require no
great waste OF brain-tissue to prove that
the last man Adam has brought the
world back full Sabbath days journey
on the road that leads direct to the Para
disc OF Purity that the first man Adam
lost through transgression of the law.
IN. B. We don't spell 1t thru
Nature has not improved. The old
serpent has the same powers OF beguile-
ment that It has ever had; and the
white robes of innocency will gather
stains as readily as in the days when
Eve and her spouse were young and
green. Yes, although the world drags
chain, 1t is plodding along at snail's
pace straight over the Delectable Mount
aims into q kingdom ruled by love. 1t
were strange indeed had not the world
progressed somewhat, within the past
forty centuries.
If we have been credibly informed,
once on time a certain preacher OF
righteousness named Noah, mot strictly
revival preacher, as no revival attend
cd his preaching) and few OF his folks
were the only ones In all the earth, who
laid any special claims to piety, but now
you cannot throw stone at camp
meeting crowd without hitting a person
who towers head, neck and shoulders
above Noah, religiously. Noah took
his bitters and toppled from his base
occasionally. "The least In the king.
dom of Heaven Is greater than he."
o yes, there has been gain evidently,
| in numbers and quality; had there not
been we might as we'll 60 a-fishing up
Black Brook.
Ever read the "Antiquity of the
Jews"? 1t ts both interesting and profit
able to trace the heart wanderings, the
| Joys and the sorrows, the prosperity and
the adversely Of that peculiar people
through all the varied scenes that three
thousand years present. 1t is not a
popularity to that people alone belong
ing, that, when they bowed the knee tc
other gods than the One only, living anc
true, the same degree of prosperity did
not attend them as when they paid theil
Wa to Israsl's God. Other nations, In
other ages of the world, find, and have
found, the same law in operation, and
our nation is not exempt. We cannot
rise superior to the gods we worship.
We never could discover that the wor
ship of Aaron's golden calf was an ele
waiting piece of religious gymnastics
The golden calf figures quite prominent
" in our devotional exercises to-day, ant
some of the attendant results OF that de
votion are-little tricks of the trade
picayune meanness in low places
irregularities and discrepancies" IL
high places-pilfering and pocket pick
ing in dark places. Hasting to be ricl
leadeth astray. At present our land Il
full of clamor and unrest.
Once, long ago, the Christ quelled th'
menace of the sea and bade the waves b.
still, and they obeyed. When our peo
pie shall grow weary of burrowing in th'
earth, and shall lift up their heads ant
listen to the voice. then, and not til
then, will grateful stiffness steal ovel
our social and political Galilee. Ther
will our peace be as river, and ou
prosperity be assured, for the founda
tion will be sure, built up from the bot
tom, founded on the rock-all else il
sinking sand.
And that good time is coming, boys
but it might not be advisable to holt
your breath till it does come.