The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1906-10-11
SCOTLAND N. G, THURSDAY, H. 1906.
| SATURDAY
NIGHT TALKS
By r. e. Dawson Rutland Vt.
ASLEEP ON GUARD.
Oct. IA. '06-(Matt. 25:1-13.)

| For a soldier to fall asleep on
sentry duty is death. No matter
what the circumstances, no matter
| Quences. The fact that his comrades
were at the mercy Of the enemy dur
ing his slumbers, leaves the sentinel
without excuse. The risk Is too great
| to be overlooked.
There are many situations where a
| moments slumber may mean the de-
| struction of human life, and the
| ruin of property. The pilot, steering
| his vessel through stormy seas, or
| guiding 1t into a tortuous harboy.
The engineer, rushing through the
midnight. Hand on throttle, eyes
| piercing the darkness, noting every
signal light, dragging behind him
the wealth, the beauty, the intelh-
gence of hundred communities
| must not allow his eyelids to close an
instant, lest he should not catch the
warning signal, and with the crash
| of a collision plunge nation into
mourning. The police wearily pac
ing his beat, the nurse, worn out
wita watching by the bedside Of suf-
fering, the artisan, who through
single nod may ruin the work Of
months, all recognize the law that
eternal vigilance, sleepless endeavor
is the price they pay for commenda-
ton. The pages Of history are filled
with the records of disaster, the ex-
PLANTATION of which is,--asleep on
guard.
The founder of Christianity rec
, ognized the weakness of humanity,
and over and over he punctuated
his discourses with the timely warn
ing-Watch. In one of his most
striking parallels he dwelt upon the
sad results of careless ease, by tell
Ing the story of the watchers, every
one of whom, on the post Of duty.
slumbered and slept. To the ordi-
nary observer the conduct of all OF
them was reprehensible. Because
they were waiting longer than they
anticipated, they all took their ease.
allowed their lamps to grow dim,
dozed off into peaceful slumber. The
only difference was that when they
were aroused from sleep by the
trumpet of warning, five OF them had
had oil enough in reserve to make
their lamps blaze up, while their five
companions were obliged TO wall in
sorrow. "Our lamps are gone QUIT"
The fact Is, sleep begets sleep.
One person who alone would keep
awake, when all around him are
doing, yawn!ng, settling themselves
for a quiet nap, in spite Of himself
feels the presence of the drowsy
god, and gradually yields to the So
porific influence. l imagine that If
Peter, in the Garden Of Gethsemane,
had fully realized his Masters words
''Tarry We here and watch with me-"
he would have fought off somnolence
as vigorously as he later struck with
his sword to defend his Lord.
What a lot of trouble the sleepy
heads manage to make! The bride
groom in the parable lost half his
retinue because the foolish virgins
were asleep when he was ready for
them.
Like Peter at the gate of Geth-
semane they are always cutting
somebody. Many hard worked pas
tor is obliged to go about patching
up the ears of people which have
been cut Off by church members who
are only half awake. 1t is a pretty
serious problem whether such sleep
ers on earth will ever become pillars
In heaven. They certainly are the
pillows, not the pillars of the church
militant. About all the attraction
; e. -, t. <ho&
It is place where "the weary are at
rest" They remind us of the last
words of a shiftless one who in the
last hour said:
Dear friends, am going
Where washing amt done, nor
churning, nor sewing.
Yes, everything there will be Just to
our wishes,
For where they don't eat, there's no
washing of dishes.
I'll be where loud anthems will ever
be ringing.
But having no voice. I'll get rid of
the singing.
Don't mourn for me now, nor mourn
for me never.
For Pm going to do nothing for ever
and ever.
What Is true of the church is true
also of the nation. 1t IS while men
sleep that the enemies of good gov
ernment get in their work Many q
| well-begun reform has come to
naught because the ardor Of the ad
vocates has cooled off and the SEN
tinels on guard. have "all slumbered
and slept" 1t is not enough to be-
gin a good work, 1t must be carried
to completion. To get people to Join
the virgins Is comparatively easy.
TO secure those who will keep awake
after they Join is quite another
thing.
1t is monotonous TO wait. People
like to have something going on.
Many a soldier would prefer a fight
| to picket duty. There Is inspiration
in the roar of guns, In the fiutter Of
banners, in the tramp of feet, in the
huzzas Of victory. But to shoulder
musket and tramp back and forth,
| back and forth, on a well beaten
path, while all the world seems
sleeping that is the hour that tests
the soldiers quality. If he Is shirk
he will fall asleep, II he is true
soldier he will be as faithful under
the silent stars as though the eyes
of the world were on him What
!