Norwich bulletin., 1916-11-07

that is always the danger There is a temptation to indulge in things that seem not so very bad and that do not appear to lead l. to sonseansnces that while the stream. is coursing on down towards destruction.
 How much better it would be to avoid the evil; to omit the wild oat sowing period: to learn that it Is a miserable fallacy that it is necessary to know sin in order to appreciate goodness.
 Paul said: 'T bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus" How much
 better that than to bear on the soul the marks of sin-scars that will never heal.
 There was man who told me that
 years ago he had fooiishly allowed
 himself to be one of a party to see
 ParisAto sec the underworld of Paris
 And he saw it. But he said he would
 he could ob1iterate that night from his
 memory. He committed no overt sin
 that night, but he dragged his soul
 through the mire and allowed his soul
 to sec things that will stain his mem
 ory to the end of life. It wasn't fair.
 Had he known, he would not have
 done it. He thought he was entitled
 to know what was going on in order
 that he might raise his voice against
 1t. But he learned only one thing that night, and that was that one cannot
 afford to lead ones soul up to such a it's calm pure eyes on the terrible de- bauchery of sin. The guilty memory of it will haunt him to his dying day. The whole thing is summed up in an ingenious and impressive illustration that I once heard D. l.. Moody give. He had a heart to heart talk with his hired man out on the farm. The re- suit of that conference was the very penitent confession of the hired man that in moment of anger he had scattered thistle seed all over the field where the wheat by and by would come to it's maturity. will you, can you forgive me, MT. Moody?" "Oh yes: I can and will; and since you arc so penitent I will assure you here and l now that you need not worry further about those thist1es. I freely forgive and our friendship will continue just the same. But, John, when the reap
 ing time comes and you shall put ir your sickle to gather the wheat you must also gather the thistles that were | scattered by your own hand"
 That IS the whole principle in a nutshell. The young man that as- sun1es that he must SOW his wild oats does not always stop to consider that there Is a reaping time for wild oats as well as for the real grain of good l character
 I can see him now, a man whom knew. He was att Inanhood's prime when I was a mere boy. And such ar l opportunity he had enjoyed. So many l had made to him noble appeals. Bu' | he turned to his own way; and his | own way was dark and full of evil | Finally, after he made shipwreck O. l his own life and the lives of some l others-others that would have become | pure minded women had it rot beer for him-after all this years of it, h, ] was rescued and brought into tn, church of Christ
 | He is still living, an old man with l saved soul but with a broken bod! 1 and a broken heart, too, as he sit.
 among the shadows of remorse ant sees che ghosts of the past--the facei | of innocent girls whom he ruined. H, | was a great believer in the doctrine O 1 the freedom of young manhood. Witt 1 a lavish hand he scattered his will 1 oats. How he laughed as he sowed 1 But now he is all bowed and he is S, l sorry that enc cannot keep back tn | tears of pity. He is reaping now ant how the sharp points of the things h 1 is reaping prick his very soul. He i reapipg, reaping. And by and by tn
 grim reaper Death will gather him ii and the transaction will be closed an, I he will be called upon to give an ac count of the deeds done in the body l whatsoever man soweth, that shal he also reap" Thanks be unto God it is possible to sow good seed an | reap a good harvest unto eternal life