Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-08-31
AASATURDAY
G% NIGHT
(! \ SERMONS
BY
= MxSANuElW .puRyEln
The DEVILS HIGHWAY.

Text. There Is way that seemeth right
to q man. but the end thereof are the
ways OF death PROV. xvi y.
lie has wrong guide. has the trans
gressor 4 bad employer whose wages
are poor and are paid In shame and
suffering The devils road is crooked
Straight men avoid IT, Years ago New
York city police established crooks
dead line" AZ Fulton street. South OF
lhat line are the diamond district. many
Of the great banks and Wall street. \
crook" venturing across that line was
promptly "pInched." not for any par
ticular crime. but on general princi-
Piles. because he was man who was
not straight" In geometry straight
line Is the shortest distance between
two points. A crooked life deviates
from the straight line Of moral sim
plicity and directncss. 4 liar II Il
crook because he has left the straight
path OF truth. The railroads problem
is strangely human: II seeks straight
line-thc more curves II eliminates the
more II prospers. Its maps show
this. You can always tell what rail.
road has issued map when you see
the name OF the road that goes straight
across the page. II is not true map.
but is perhaps diagram Of the rail-
roads ideal, some day 10 be realized.
There IS no right way 10 do wrong
thing No pavement IS smooth to a
lame man. Where man says he will
win by hook or crook he usually wins
by crook. From that day you can be-
Gin to see his finish. He's struck the
way that seems right. but he'll land at
the souls morgue.
"onee to Every Man and Nation
81 am the way" says Christ That's
the shortest and straightest road From
the farthest fringe Of its empire Rome
started its roads with its eye upon the
city by the yellow Tiher. The Appian
way was 365 miles long. twentyfour
feet wide. with a footpath on either
side. No man was ever lost on the
Appian way. Point the direction and
the traveller was sure OF the way.
Thou wilt show me the path OF life"
says the Psalmist. See puzzled per
sons standing at country crossroads
which way is right? In "PilgrIm's
Progress" Christian comes 10 the hill
Difficulty There are three ways-one
straight and narrow over the hill; two
others. named Death and Destruction,
go around the hill. His companions
took them. fell into dark places and
were seen no more.
There have been men who have come
10 the fork In life and have stood look
Ing which way TO 90. One. the son Of
congregational minister. a co-founder
Of Princeton his grandfather the great
Jonathan Edwards Brilliant. educat-
ell. three times receiving the prcsi-
dental nomination. Oh the last receiv-
ing the same vote as Thomas Jeffer-
son and becoming vice president Of
the United States. one night in New
England he stood NJ his souls cross
roads aud decided 70 cut away from
the path Of his fathers. He lived his
life. killed Alexander Hamilton. led n
rebellion against the United States and
went 20 his grave In shame aud ignom-
my. Another young New Englander
came to that parting Of the way one
night under the stars in his fathers
orchard He decided The God Of my
father and mother shall be my God.
lie became the sixth president Of the
United States