The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-11-28
SUNDAY SERVICES
At PRESBYTERIAN

The services in the First PreSbyter-
Ian church were made attractive yes
terday by the musical selections that
were given. In the evening the ser
mon was preceded by musical pro
gram.
Speaking upon "The Treacherous
Guides of Life" in the concluding ser
mon of the series, Rev. Carver said,
in part:
Amid the debris OF the ruined tenn
pie of Diana at Ephesus there was
discovered bronze tablet inscribed
to the name of AgathocleS, a mer.
chairman OF Rhodes, and the tablet
tells that it was erected to him be-
cause when Ephesus was i'll the power
OF a syndicate Of spectators who had
forced the price Of food to starva-
JIon price for the poor, Agathocles
arrived with three ships laden with
900 measures Of wheat. lie re-
fused TO enter the corner in food
and by offering and selling his grain
at fair price broke the combine. He
was pagan, We suppose, but he
could teach many Christians some
thing about unselfishness. In some
way he had conquered the temptation
which proved the ruin of Achan. and
Ananias and Sapphira, Selfish incho-
ationS, or just plain everyday sell
fishness. is one of the most preva-
lent, binding and deadly of the
"Treacherous Guides of Life Jesus
Christ asks us to make God first in
life. and we have always thought that
one great reason why he did so was
because any other person. or anything
else placed first in any life tends to
dwarf and belittle life. The will is
soon so impaired that that which was
placed first by choice becomes tlrSt
by inability to turn easily from 1t.
Thus the goal develops into tyranical
power. Have you read F1nlays His
tory of the Byzantine Empire" 1t is
more fascinating than a novel. In II.
as in Glbbon. we read Of the Greek
emperor, Isaac II, who was the very
personification of sellishness He
could not bear TO hear his victorious
general praised. so that none might
detract from himself, he appointed
his blind brotheT-in-law supreme In
command. who charged the wrong
part OF the field. and he and his
army were captured Isaac had blind
ed him purposely by abacipation.
powerful freight was brought close
TO his eyes, not close enough 10 mar
them. but near enough to dry up the
oDtic humorS. Now il seems lmpoS-
sible that any one would be so in
Sanely selfish of hearing his own self
alone praised Or II would seem so,
did not you see so many so selfish in
-, ,Slt
dren. who are nearer to them than
were Isaac's subjects, of luNuries, Of
comforts and even OF the necessities
OF life that money might be spent
upon their intemperate desires. Or
il we did not see young men and
women so selfish in pleasure that TO
crafty self they formed habits, weak
ened their wills and impaired their
nerve power until they were subjects
of stronger power than their own
self viii. Selfish desire was the al
Turing gateway by which they entered
so fettered an enclosure. The most
important consideration should ever
be given to the right balancing of the
VIII If overdeveloped we have the
supreme ego-the viii developed un-
til 1t is the oyeTmastering part OF our
life and we lose our real freedom by
there being too much will, and its
helpful purpose is thwaTted as when
we have too much temper in steel or,
in medicine. too much Of a tonic Is
! worse than none Still more pathetic
is the result OF a course of life which
degenerates all the steady Will I'M
pulse. Most prevalent Is this latter
case Is the sure process OF any In
! temperance. We read that profanity
is the western besettinG sin. but when
We study psychology we learn why
the prOfane person is cruel and OBJ
scene. When you hear one swear tu'
riously while he miStreats OF beats
| the poor dumb brute that has faith
| fully served him you may wonder
why he curses so il is because cruel
| ty and profanity have a common
psychological effect In the ganglion
cells Of the brain and that ] believe
| Is one reason why God made 1t as
much sin to profane or curse as he
did To Kill or commit adultery. They
arc all kindred sins as lar as tho
brain effect il concerned, Jt may be
that one Of you. my hearers tonight
Is profme and yet neither cruel nor