The Penn's Grove record., 1909-02-12
Ananias Suicides of To-day

The international Sunday School les
son last Sunday was of special public
interest because it told the story OF
Ananias and Sapphira (Read Acts AL;
s., 49, The Golden Text was, "Lying
Lips are an abomination to Jehovah;
but they that deal truly are His de.
light"
President Roosevelt has made Ana
MAS famous to-day. Being a success
sor to George Washington, of course,
he can not tell a lie, notwithstanding
his numerous Inconsistencies, slip OF
memory and bold denials of facts and
denunciations of others when he wishes
to pull himself out of a political hole.
Everybody lies but Roosevelt" has
become a proverbial saying at Wash
ington and all who deny what he says
are meHDers Othe@ 'Ananias Club"
n Illustration of President Roose-
yelt's mendacity to browbeat a U. S.
Senator who disagfees with him ON a
\ political policy is on the fourth page of
this paper.
Ananias was mo ordinary" man of
his day or the Bible would not have
contained his record. 1t is not record
ed that he knew anything about "cab-
bage-head" theology, 0 is it recorded
that the possessions he sold cost those
who paid for them over $4,000, and that
he reported to the church only $4,000.
Peter was at the head of the first
Church which first tried communionism.
It is not recorded that Ananias
told Peter that he was impetious
and had denied his Lord and Mas
ter. Peter was a more solid rock to
base a church on than many other
stones and bolders. He had a most
discern mind to see fraud and when he
said; "Ananias, why hath Satan filled
thy heart to lie and to keep back part
of the price," Ananias fell dead.
The modern Ananiases do not fall
dead, but Robert J. Burdett, the noted
humorous lecturer who entertained
several audiences in Salem thirty years
ago, and later became a Baptist preach
er tells how they die. He says;
do I believe Ananias and Sapphira
were really struck dead by lying? Oh,
yes, l surely do. 1t is not an uncom-
mon method of suicide to this day. l
know men who have killed themselves
simply by lying. Killed their credit at
bank and store, SO dead that it would
take years to resurrect it, and then
they have to go to a new town, where
no one knew them to accomplish the
miracle. Killed their standing in the
community. Killed the value of their
testimony w under oath. Killed
their commonplace statements even
about the most commonplace facts.
Killed their reputation for ~veracity un-
der any circumstances. And when
that is done the man takes up his abode
among the dead. The town liar
stands for absolutely nothing in the
common unity. An established and
recognized habit of lying kills all a
mans good qualities. Kills them by
poison. AS dry rot eats the heart out
of a great strong looking timber. And
the saddest thing about it is the man
doesn't know he's dead for SO long af-
ter the neighbors have buried him.
1.-THE dear, sweet, white Truth.
What a tower of strength and a strong
hold of comfort a truthful man or
woman is to the community-one whom
you al absolutely trust-always, under
all circumstances. And a truthful boy
Of girl-the very face is beautiful with
truth. And to be able to accept their
yes or mo- without a question of
hesitation. When the time comes that
we can absolutely trust each other.
with no fear OF evasion, trickery OF
double meaning, we shall know that
the millennium has been hear for several
years"