The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-02-02
II Saturday
Serlnonette.

'Let us not, therefore, judge one
another any more; but judge this
rather, that no man put stumbling
block, or an occasion TO fall in his
brothers. way" Romans, 14:13.
Thinking of my friend X and of
what he says of the way in which he
was shunted from the straight way,
have come, by association of ideas,
TO think of the men who did the
Shunting. And for them, and for all
in their class, | bring this brave,
charitable message OF Paul, Let
every one of us read it, We all need
il. For we are all in danger of doing
lust what il decrieS. We may not
mean TO do it. No! There's my
friend, McC. He is the gentlest Of
gentlemen. He is the humblest of
Christians. But he has a backbone
(he'S Scotch Irish and he has offend
cd men. He did not so much make
them angry, you understand. He
simply made them think less of the
religion of Christ. And, blessed,
genial-hearted fellow, he never knew
H. And suspect that the men who
left the open switch for X never
knew it. So the very best inten-
toned Of us need 10 read this Paul
int message.
Others so palpably offend that they
certainly need it, or, even, still Shar-
per rebuke. There, for example,
was old S. who used TO do loan and
mortgage business, He attended
every class meeting and prayer meet
ing He sat on the front seat. He
could say "Aymain" in a voice that
sent the shiverS over you. And he
"devoured widows houses And
he caused. men 10 stumble and be Of
Tended at the kingdom of God.
Young L. just married, bought a
house from 5 on the inStallment plan.
Hard days came. Panic was abroad.
+ was hard hit. He made every eff
fort TO keep the little roof above
wife aud babies. But old S. never
relaxed his rigidity till he had
squeezed F out at dead loss. Then
+. with hardly clothes enough 10
seem respectable, dropped his church
membership, not for want of clothes
10 seem respectable, but because old
S, the kin.flint, was a pillar" in
that church. +. wasn't right. But
he was fearfully natural. Then, there
was Elder Y. He was q model of
piety, propriety and regularity. He
was the one elder certain 10 be out al
evening service. Young Brown, an
ingenious, earnest, though quiet
Christian youth, helped TO take the
evening collections. Suddenly
Brown quit coming TO church
Whyl Nobody could find out
Even his pastor could not penetrate
the secret till, one day, he said &c
Brown: THE honor of Christ de
mands that you be candid in thi'
matter" Then Brown said: well
YOU know that | used 10 take thu
collection in the section where Eide
Y has his pew, noticed that ever!
evening he went through the motion
OF putting on the plate contribution
when he never gave penny.
made me sick at heart 10 see a maj
of his prominence and profession &C
lie in the face of the whole con
gregation whom he was set TO lead
Ii was too much like Ananias. An
| | Just quit. Brown was wrong, toe
But he was fearfully natural. MI
Moody tells of n blind man whom h
found carrying 4 lantern at nigh
Asking why he, blind man, shout
carry a light, Moody got the ihumin'
tinp replV. Il carry il TO keen folk
from stumbling over me" O,1et I
carry the light high 10 keep folk
from stumbling over us.