Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-01-22
DREW LESSON
FROM THE LIFE
OF FRANKLIN.
Rev. W. C. SnOdgrass Preached
an Eloquent Sermon in Simp-
son M. {. Church.
WAS PRIVATE AFTER |2SIX LESSONS LEARNED.
The 2OOth Anniversary of the
Birth of Franklin Called Forth
the Glowing Tribute.

Benjamin Franklin's life and char
acter constituted the spring from
which Rev. w. C. Snodgrass. d. D.,
drew six clear, sparkling lessons last
night for the ediiication and uplifting
of the minds of large congregation
in Simpson NJ. Il. church Each of
the lessons was sermon within it
self, helpful and pregnant with mean
ing.
These lessons were, in order:
The lesson of the text (from Prov
erbs) "The Wise Shall Inherit
Glory"
youthful Precocity is not neces-
sarily fatal to success later in life"
Before talent, wisdom, character
and industry all other things give
way"
"Usefulness."
"The books a young man reads
have much to do with shaping his
character"
"The importance of a religious
foundation"
FranISIin's Early Life.
DR.. Snodgrass first gave a resume
of Franklins life, touching upon the
most important facts. He remarked
peculiar interest for local people
from the fact that Franklin's son
lived here and Franklin himself
visited in one of the local historical
structures still standing.
DR.. Snodgrass followed Franklin's s
career from his birth on January II,
1906, (according to the calendar of
that time the date was January 60
the fifteenth child and tenth son in a
family of seventeen.
The subject of the text, "The Wise
Shall Inherit Glory" was touched
upon to some extent and then DR..
Snodgrass asserted that precocity in
youth is not necessarily fatal to sue
cess in later years of life. At the
age of nineteen he had won the pat
ronage of the governor of the prov
! ince and was by him sent to England
to purchase a complete printing out
| ft and at twenty-one he issued a
pamphlet which revolutionized the
currency of the nation. All through
his wonderful life he maintained his
wisdom and talent until, in the twi-
light of his life, he was one of the
members of the convention which
drafted the constitution, which even
thinkers of today declare to be the
most marvellous document everStruck
off by the genius of man at one
stroke. Dr. Snodgrass cited the poet
William Cullen Bryant as another ex-
ample of this, for he wrote "Thana-
topsis" when but eighteen and yet
his entire life was great and. when
and old man, wrote his masterpiece.
The Third Lesson.
Regarding the third lesson, DR..
Snodgrass proved eloquently that be-
fore talent, wisdom, character and
industry all else gives way. We are
born with what talent and wisdom
we have and we cannot be otherwise,
he said. but industry and character
can be attained. Any man can cure
himself of laziness and can build up
a good character. In the latter con-
uection DR.. Snodgrass drew fine
line between character and reputa-
ton, what people say about a person.
The lesson of usefulness was shown
by Franklin. who was not only wise
thinker and speaker and diplomat
and politician, but also discovered
that lightning and electricity are
identical. invented the Franklin
form of stove. organized firefghting
body and evolved the principle of fire
insurance.
Books We Read.
That the books we read have much
to do with moulding our character
Dr.. Snodgrass firmly believes. Frank
lin read books which boys of today
would call dry" but they shaped his
character to good ends. Had Frank
lin, when boy, read the trashy lit
erature which many boys read now,
Dr. Snodgrass declared he does not
believe that he would have become
he man he did. Dr.. Snodgrass
especially decried the cheap, sensa-
tional literature which is filling our
reformatories, prisons and asylums
today and which drives many fellows
TO premature deaths. He also spoke
of his adherence for some of the big
sensational newspapers which are
published.
The importance of a religious
foundation is great, Dr.. SnodgraSS
said Franklin was not q member OF
any church, but he was essentially 4
God-fearing man, and so expressed
himself before the governing body OF
the province when he rose to support
a motion that attention be given tc
religion and the Bible in that body'S
| proceedings.
DR.. Snodgrass' sermon through
out was an impressive effort ano
showed how the meanings of each ol
! the lessons drawn from Franklin
! character were factors in making
Franklin the man he was.
|