Semi-weekly herald. [volume] (Durango, Colo.) 1907-1917, 1910-07-04

body as it Is true In nature. God does
not make exceptions. 1t applies to
every man. to every woman. to every
boy and every girl.
There are men on our streets, dying
by inches. with heart almost ready
to stop, with body decayed and flll-
ed with corruption because ten or
twenty years ago they gave trust
deed to their bodies to the devil and
now he Is foreclosing Some OF these
days they will die and while It will
not be carved on their headstone 1t
might with truth be written, Here
harvested my wild oats"
Nor does it stop here. but the damn
Ing effects of sin are carried over into
the lives of the innocent children and
they are cursed by the forgiven sin
OF the parent. A weakened will, an
impaired body. a tendency to passion
or appetite; these are the inheritance
that curses and blasts generations to
come
1t Is possible that a life after years
IL
possible TO be forgiven after one has
gone to the very edge of the precipice.
1t is all possible. though not probable,
as sin tends to harden, yet we re-
joice in the grace of God that makes
1t possible, but though restored and
forgiven and saved there is Infinite
loss.
What. then, are some OF the ele-
ments in our patrimony that can not
be restored when wasted?
Gods plan for your life included a
noble, upright, helpful character. Not
all can be great in the world, not all
can be rich In this worlds goods. but
all can be great all rich and helpful
In nobility of soul. Now, character is
what God sees us to be and It is not
the growth of a day. The Bible and
Psychology unite In saying that we bo-
come what we are In character by the
gradual development of our thoughts
into actions; our actions into habits
and our habits into character. "As
man thinketh In his heart so Is he"
Is the Bible declaration When once
the brain paths have been worn deep
not even divine grace obllterates them
all. Shall we liken our characters to
building? Every thought becomes a
brick and every act becomes n course
ana our habits rear the walls; and II,
at last. when building days are over
and we yield ourselves to God. when
our building comes under the inspec-
ton of the Divine Architect, and He
condemns 1t, we ourselves may be
saved as by fire. but our building
the life we lived-must suffer loss.
That which we might have had In
eternity is lost. We may enter into
the fathers house; but the chance to
be man, the chance to win In life's
battle. the opportunity for character
Is gone forever.
Granted that after years the prodIgal
returns, the return does not restore
the wasted years. Even God does not
restore them. We pass this way but
once. No opportunity is given to re-
l~rN-~N o's o''Pc' W RiuCh luOTH OF
plant flower. to lift the fallen, to
speak the cheering word, to point a
heart to God and give hope for bet.
ter things. There is SO much to do
II we would and so little time In which
to do 1t for few live to be old. that IL
we have any kindness to do or any
appreciative word to say we must act
quickly. So II we have lived for our.
self. for ourself and none beside. As
III Jesus had never lived and Jesus
had never died; II, like the priest and
'evite we have met our brother man
In distress and passed by on the other
side, then when our eyes grow dim
IN death come to realization OF our
opportunities and responsibilities, God
may accept the ashes of wasted life
but the years are gone. The message
you might have given will never reach
the ears they might have reached; the
hearts that needed the help you might
have given will go unhelped.
Again granted that after misspent
years the improbable occurs and the
prodigal docs return, the patrimony
or an Influence for good is gone. In.
fluence radIates from early life and
this makes life meaningful. And the
awful thing about an influence for
evil when once 1t has gone forth can
not be recalled. but goes on and ON
to the very shores OF eternity.
Many a man whose lives today are
an inspiration because of the heroic
fight they have made but ten or TWEEN.
ty years OF their lives they were
breathing out contagion and blight
which however much they would, they
cannot recall. Not only does 1t live
during life but long after all that is
mortal has been gathered into Gods
acre the lifes influence lives. yes,
long after the words that loving hearts
have caused to be carved ON the gran
lite that marks the last resting place,
has faded, God can see and measure
the influence that was breathed forth
in life. This makes a wasted life a