The Alaska citizen., 1917-01-15

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 RESTORING THE SOUL.
 lie resroreth my soul; lie leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake. Psalm 23:3.
 Why do we need a restoration of the soul? WAY cant We Just be converted from evil ways and then go serenely on without periods of re- freshing and restorations? Just read the life of David and you will under, stand why he wrote these words. Read your own life. if you will, and you will find abundant need of re turning from the frequent backslid- ings of the daily experience. Where is the man who follows in the path that he knows is just and right? Where is the man who in his quiet moments, those moments when he k alone. will acknowledge that ev without sin? Therefore he needs restoration; he needs returning to the path where he left it, that he may continue in the upward way. Life is an eternal struggle to keep away from the meshes of indiffer ence, from the moments of thought lessness. from the periods of reCk- lessness when the soul would be in danger of gross injury. Never in the history of the world has there been on earth so many devils "as angels of light" as there now are. and the number will increase until these emissaries of the pit will seek their slimy home.
 i. The most fruitful source of de clension is a neglect of the Word of God in private devotion. Cut off food from the sheep and they die; deprive them of water and they cannot live. Death comes from the lack of constant restoration. Zachari- ah tells his people to keep the golden pipes open that lead from the olive trees to the candlesticks that the lamps may ever burn. We know this and yet we permit other things to cloy our minds and hearts until We are sick to everything good that as a waterfowl The morning prayer is cold or neglected; the day is be- gun with words, nasty words to be soon regretted; and this is the reason for the need of restoration Arti- ficial religions will not restore long, for life can be restored only from life. Jesus is life.
 2. Non-confession of sin is another form of decline. We sin and as Adam and Eve we hide in the bushes away from God. What happy hour it is when God "in the cool of the | day" can come forth to find us, and restore us to Himself. Communion stills the rapids of anger No man can go deep into sin who starts the 1 day with an hour spent with God We too frequently go along in the happy experiences q life joyous in the victories We have won with scarcely thought of Him to whom we should render thanks; but just let misfortune overtake us and We blame the Lord for the whole thing; but a moments reflection would reveal our foolish and wayward hearts.
 3. The constant flutter of society | is weakening to the soul. The soul 1 cannot thrive on trifling talk, inane l conversation, banter, ridicule and the | empty literature of the age. In
 this we lose the fine edge, the holy temper of the soul. When you take butterfly in the hands and gently press, ever so gently press the wings with your fingers you will find that ! the points of the fingers are stained from the contact. The butterfly is i a beautiful thing, but it can also i leave stain. A cellar long neglect ed becomes the place of spider webs laid as traps that the spider may catch it's prey. This is the | spiders bushes and he attends to | it so well that he makes a good | living, but at the expense of many a life. So there are lurking about you butterflies to stain your soul and spiders to feed upon your life; be- ware or you will be the victim.
 4. Neglect of some known con- mand will sooner or later pull down the strongest of the spiritually strong
 You have felt tugging at your 1 heart to perform some christian duty i you are neglecting, but your experi- enca has been like the fish that