Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-18
Christian Endeavor Hour

deavor.
Christian Endeavor Hour
Conducted by Grace Livingston HillLuts.
For Sunday, Nay 10, 1907.
Topic: Little Faults That Spoil Our Lives -
ONION meeting with the Juniors-) Song Of
Take up the foxes. the little foxes that spoil the
vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
The Lesson.
II remember that when I was shown q
little fox it was with the greatest Diff
Guilty that I could persuade myself that
the little, the very little creature. not larger
than a kitten, playing with deft football
and kindly intelligent eye about its cage.
really was the destructive spoiler repre-
scented. 1t so happened, however. that the
keeper of the gardens where it was on COM
ing around to arrange its crib, made q dis
covery that satisfied me Of the character.
OF no character, of the very little deceiver
before me. Lifting up the floor straw, he
discovered the deep burrowed hole that
went right beneath the separating wall OF
the adjoining den-a tigers den; and with
a start examining it, the keeper found that
another hour Of secret working would
have overthrown the wall. and let loose
the fierce beast Of prey. The whole had
been done within few hours. Those lit
tle,' grayish-white feet, licked pure and
clean Of all betraying soil, and that little
sharp nose. SO innocent and pitlui lookns,
might have been the issue. I remember
well how, as the Uttered. concealing straw
was raised, the consciously guilty little
hypocrite skunk back with dropped brush
into the corner."-GrOsart
A little sin can frequently steal in where
q big one would not be permitted. II IS
through little impure jokes and evil stories
and so-ealled ARTISTIC" pictures that I'M
purity often steals into hearts where, In
Its open, worst forms 1t would be turned
from in horror. 1t is through brandy drops
social drinks that intemperance gets Its
firmest hold upon most of its victims. Anger
can find easier access to the heart than
murder, but it is through anger that MUIR
der finally enters. 1t Is the little sins that
make way for the larger ones.
Sturgeon used to tell how ne was rioing
along on a railway train at high rate OF
speed, when suddenly just few miles from
his destination the train came 10 nal.,
and from there had to crawl along at a pace
a man might have walked. Upon inquiry
It was found that the reason OF this was
the loss of q tiny screw not larger than
mans finger, and the loss OF It rendered one
side of the engine useless. Sometimes the
loss of the temper of one man in the churcn
cripples the whole working force OF the
church for time. There are no really
little SINS" for every little tning IN .h J.
The value Of a diamond will be greatly
lessened If q flaw Is discovered in 1t. The
value of a life is greatly lessened by mar
in the character For instance, the earnest
Christian who has the gift of speaking in
public and whose smile wins many
to Christ may undo all the good work he
has done by uttering hard criticism OF
some other Christian in the presence OF
those he wishes to win: or by losing his
temper toward a fellow Christian; or even
by SO little a thing as observation-disclosures
which may cause him to pass his newly won
friend without recognizing him In the street,
so causing a misunderstanding. Little
things have constantly to be watched over
and prayed about. We are apt to take the
injunction Watch and pray as given with
regard to great sins, which indeed lie IN
wait to drag every one to destruction; but
we forget the little foxes" that spoil the
tender grapes Of all the lovely graces that
grow upon the vine OF our character. 1t ID
the little sins, after all, that need our daily
watching and care. And when We find our
selves plying and blaming the man who Is
q hopeless drunkard, and who has brought
his family to sorrow and misery through his
sin, let us rather look into our own lives
and see II there are not some little, unno-
ticed, excused sins there that in the end
are making as much havoc as the sin of
the poor drunkard. You, fer instance, lose
your temper at home with your children or
your family many times week. You speak
words that you know are wrong, you wear
about an expression SO disagreeable much
Of the time that were some valued stranger
acquaintance to come near you you would
at once unconSciously change 1t. And yet
the people to whom you are habitually dis
agreeable are your nearest and dearest.
You know that God has given you a natural
influence ever them greater than over any
one else, and you are simply making 1t
NV a actions
they always forgive you and love you and
smoothe over your faults and excuse them,
as you do theirs sometimes, but why should
you allow yourself to consider this fault
day or one week you could wipe out that
fault of yours entirely. Would your friends
not notice and feel the difference? Would
you not have twice the influence over them
for good? Would your character not shine
more crystal clear before God? Then why
are you content to excuse yourself from
these little acts of carlessness? 1t is the
little unnoticed sins that are undermining
all the great good you might do in this
world.
Peter did not deny his Master on grand
premeditated occasion. 1t was when sud-
denly assailed by a small person with a
small taunt that his needles lips bottled out
the contemplate falsehood. Look out for
sudden temptations of Satan to commit
small SINS They will be the little leaks to
sink thes hip, the little foxes that spoil the
vine OF your Christian character. Look out
for the first neglects of your closet under
the pressure of business or of personal ia
tigue. Religious declension begins at the
neglected cioset."-Dr. Theodore CuyIer.
II will account no sin little, since the least
works out the death Of the soul It Is all
one whether be drowned In the ebb, on the
shore or in the midst of the sea."-Bishop
Hall.
Applied Truth.
''Dr. Guinness told me that at one time all
the water was shut out Of their house in
Derbyshire. hTey couldn't understand what
had happened and they went down to
search for the cause They went to the
water works and 1t wasn't there. AZ last
they took up the joint between the house
and the main and found a toad there. The
house could not receiYa the water from the