The Alaska citizen., 1915-04-12
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THE TREES OF GOD. Psalm 1.


 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners. nor sittcth in the seat Of the scorn- yl."
 It might occur to some that this sentence Is mere matter of opin- ion. Opinion is free and cannot raise itself above the line of dis cussion. But the appeal here is to life, to fact. 10 law, to actual cir cumstances and conditions. Try as one may he cannot deny law and fact. The patient burning with fev- CT could scarcely say he was feel ing fine The child crying with freezing fingers could scarcely say 1t was warm and comfortable The Christian rejoicing in the grace of God could scarcely say he would feel the same serving the devil, The first Psalm is truth, and every man has moments when he can prove 1t fact. So is all Scripture. There are no opinions in the Bible.
 Everything that is theological in the Bible is first scientific, histori- cal. actual. truth. The law of the Lord" i3 a thing men have watched so long and closely that they know 1t Is law, actual and irrevocable. When the Book of Proverbs says: Wine is a moCker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.' it is not a record of some mans opinion, con- fact "A foolish son is a grief to his father. and bitterness to her that bare him. and thousands hold up their hands in testimony.
 Men have denied that the weather was cold and their friends have brayed the storm to find them frog en to death. The man who walks in the counsel of the ungodly soon finds himself standing in the way of sinners. and later sitting in the seat of the scornful. Is there a man who loves the darkness, serves the devil and pants for hell, who could deny that, deny the first verse of the first Psalm?
 We are unable 10 tell what they feel who have gone over the brink into their own place" except as the rich man" tormented in the flames said: have five brethren send to them; keep them out of this place, save them if it be pos sble, l have wasted my life with riotous living. hinder my children from following my example. You don't need to read the Bible to know such fact; read the history of hu- done? He is no friend of good men.
 Any one who could indulge a sheer at the Bible is a bad man. We can imagine men having great intellec- tual or literary differences reverent- ly closing the Book and remaining dumb but sitting in the seat of the scornful with those who sheer brands him bad at heart, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.' He may pay one hundred cents on the dollar and bear an honest name, but if he can sheer at the Book that is the cor nerstone of the home and all that is best in life, he is dangerous fellow. No reference is made to the honest doubter, for light will dawn to him. but to those who sheer and scorn at the Book that CT. girl to live a pure life, or young man to be clean. The drunk ard and harlot may repent but little hope is held out to the man who sins against the Holy Ghost.
 The blessed man not only avoids and abandons this negative life. but he lives, truly lives in the law of the Lord Men grow strong who have positive sustenance. It is not enough to shut bad book, but a good one must be taken up. It is not enough to cease scorning there must be praise.
 When patient needs a quantity of blood the doctor does not sum- mon sickly man, but one of pro nounced health. Good blood like good books builds up. It is not enough to give up the Spirits of drunkenness but to be filled with the Spirit of God. If you would de- stroy humanity, destroy all things that make for health in nation. Take the Bible out of the school. the home and the heart, and you have destroyed in the proportion in which you have succeeded in the task.
 It is not enough to recite large portions of the Bible, a photograph can do that, and better perhaps: if God had wanted human phono- graphs he would have left the heart and conscience out of men. and that is just the task of the devil.