Evening journal., 1914-03-14
Christian EnleaVor
Topic for sunday, March Is, 1914,
Well-Stored Memories.
Cor. Is; to 10.

Memory is a storehouse which has
many doors Every day thoughts
are taken into Il, some of which go
out again in a short time, while
others are left to be called for later.
The one in charge OF a storehOuse
cannot be certain just how long goods
will remain with him. nor to what
use they will be put when they are
taken out SO It is with our memories.
Thoughts go into our minds, some
soon pass out again, while others are
placed in their certain place, ready
to be put TO use when memory calls
for them.
A storehouse that did not protect
its goods would not be one of much
security If goods OF an infiammable
nature were received. OF Of such q
nature as to lessen the value or Do
stroy other goods, then the business
Of that concern would soon be Of very
little account. Yet how often does
that very thing happen with our
minds. We throw open all the doors
TO receive whatever thoughts and int
Dressions may happen to enter and
what a motley collection we receive.
Who can say just what ones arc 70
pass out shortly after they enter or
just what ones the memory will take
charge of to add TO its store? VIII
Il be the good, the bad, or the worth
less trash that can be called neither
the enc nor the other? The doors
of our mind should be guarded by a
sentinel to see that only worthwhile
material IS received, otherwise. in the
day when memory is called on, the
bad and the worthless material viii
either have destroyed the good, or
made Il of little or no account
Memory has nothing else on which
to work, but what we take into our
minds The story is told Of a man
in India who once took down a book
from a shelf, and as he did he felt
sharp sting in his finger as If a
pin had pricked him. He thought
nothing OF It until his finger began
to swell. Then he discovered that he
had been bitten by a serpent II is
very easy to FIJI the mind with the
poison of serpents that is hidden IN
books, so that memory is gradually
poisoned and judgment is obscured.
SO many books of this character arc
written today. which arc very inter
esting reading. but which in the heart
Of them have subtle posons which
find lodgment in our memories and
which may be just enough to weaken
some noble aspiration or ideal
On the other hand. if we should so
guard the mind that memory could
receive nothing but what is worth
while. then. when memory is called
upon, we need not be ashamed of
what it shows us
Whatever the kind of a memory
that we have allowed to grow, there
is bound to be some effect felt in our
lives IN Proverbs we read "as he
thinketh in his heart, so is he The
thoughts stored away in memory arc
not passive, but intensely active
They are alive and work beneath thu
I threshold of our consciousness and
I in their own good time pop up into
consciousness and lead US captive az
their viii. What the memory has re-
tanned becomes the thoughts OF ouI
hearts and they. i'm turn. lead e
deeds. So memory plays a most i'm
portant part IN the making of char
acter
A noble character is the goal TO-
ward which most OF us are striving
and as memory plays such part II
its making. we should give every at
tention to the thoughts that we per
nit TO enter our minds Let us I'll
our minds with great thoughts. maxi
close acquaintance with the grea
minds Of the past through literature
treasure up the sayings Of the world
leaders, and above all, study the bool
whose message L the most elevat
ing, the most suficing for every need
the Bible, AS they are assimilatei
by the memory they viii unconsci
ously affect our lives and help u
to live noble and in favor with Co
and man
proee Committee