Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-02-29

unusual for two shells 10 strike the
same place. But want To tell you that
when Satan aims his guns for bonn
barlment he has been hitting Us III the
same way for the last twenty years
And. Just as "A przeiighler can keep
tapping an adversary Ia the saule place
over the heart until he saps away his
antagonists strength 50 Satan can
keep hattering at the old wounds Of
our former sins aud open them Ia their
weakened condition until at last We
fall before his blows rs helpless as the
trembling fawn before the plunge Of
jungle tiger. Beware OF that Old sin
o man. II you start It again IN its bleed.
ing IN all probability YOU will never
close IL up. Beware.
| have heard my father again and
again tell this tragic story In his
Philadelphia church he had an elder
he dearly loved. Tie elder Was
Scotchman who stood about SIX feet
two and was magniiiceutly proper
toned. He was noblemun IN brain
and in heart He was one Of those
great, big. lovable fellows who hold
you with IL grip of steel This man.
then nearly sixty years Of age, had
been disSipated In his youth lie had
once been druukard Bur for forty
years of his life he had lived Il pure
true. consistent Christian life But
one day. under hot summer sun, he
became dizzy with suustrohe lie
stepped into nearby drugstore for
help. The druggist, not knowing his
Old weakness, gave him a glass OF
liquor That one glass revived the old
passion He started forth from that
drug store to the nearest saloon Tie
drank until he was drunk. He drank
himself into the gutter And IN six
months lie drank himself into the
grave. Beware, o man, OF that old
sin
When | was boy | heard John 4.
Cough talking along the same line.
There he stood before me. IN old gray
haired man. | suppose he had per
sundcd more people to sign tile ten
perance pledge than any man who has
ever lived. lie was not only leader
OF men. but the leader Of leaders In The
temperance reform. And yet that
man. who for forty years had been
pleading the temperance cause. said.
MAN. il you have once been drunk
ard never dare trust yourself with
this sin II has been nearly half n
century since the old passion. 10y the
1 grace Of God. lost It's hold on me. But
the Old passion is still there Il is
manaclcd aud kennelcd, but il Is There.
F, | would no more touch a glass of liquor
than would dare take dagger ana
drive II In my heart, ! would no more
dare touch a piece OF branded mncc
pie than | would dare touch Il lighted
match to II sunpowder magazine. 1t IS
there The old slumbcring passion IS
/ there ready TO be awakened al n
word" And yet some people suppose
| that because they have been resisting
sin ten twenty. forty. nifty wears the
/ old forces OF sin are dead. Beware. q
man. The relapse of sin Is always
more dangerous than the first condi-
ton. The passion is still there II IS
there In your sinful heart.
| When We Are Not Afraid.
1t Is when we are not afraid Of sin
that the dangers of sin become -four
| fold. Travellers tell us that the wolves
of Mexico have strange way Of
catching the wild horses These horses
have the speed of the wind. i Is III
most impossible for a single cowboy 70
| catch one. The cowboys when they
wish to run them down have relays Of
pursuers First one set OF cowboys
Will chase the horses then another re-
Law will take up the run; then another
and another, until at last the horses are
caught by the lasso. BUT II is only
when they are completely tired that
they are caught: therefore 1t would be
| impossible for the wolves 10 catch
them unless they used strategy for the
wolves flight is not as swift as the
horses.
This Is the way the wolves Kill the
Wild horses OF the Mexican plains,
First couple OF wolves come out OF
| the woods and begin 70 play together
like two kittens. They gambol about
/ each other and run backward and for
ward Then the herd Of horses lift
their startled heads and get ready TO
stampede. But the wolves seem 70 be
So playful that the horses, after watch
Ing them awhile. forget their fears and
continue to Craze. Then the wolves in
their playing come nearer and nearer.
while other wolves slowly and stealthlly
creep after them. Then suddenly the
enemies surround the herd and make
one plunge. and the horses are strug.
Cling with the fangs OF the relentless
foes grlpped In their Threats. In u
similar way our old sins cunningly at
tack us. They play about us aud keep
playing around us. and they look 50
harmless, and we feel so strong But
suddenly they make a plunge. and the
old wounds are reopened. and we are
helpless In the grasp OF the monsters
OF sin. Beware of that relapse into
sin. Behold. thou art made whole.
Sin no more lest a worse thing come