The Washington herald., 1921-08-15

iveuess. The truth 10 he 10 mot |
an attractive man. There Is moth
Ing Fascinating nor winsome about
him.. We look on his face and hear
his confession. not because it IL
pleasing. but because IL Is 50 true.
The confession he made was hbso-
iutely fitting. There was nothing
insincere nor untrue about IL. And
mark you, the same confession
might be made by you and by my
self and /by countless millions Of
bur brothers.
The FIRST fact that IL brought out
about this ancient ,crimisal Is ina.
he made an early success OF wrong
doing. Listen to whss he says:
.Threescote ana ten kings, having
their thumbs and their great toes
cut of. gathered their meat under
my. table.
This man was warrior. He
believed In the god Of force. He
believed in the might OF SELFISH
ness. His religion was: Every fell
low for himself. To this creed he
pinned his faith. Under its banner
he fought. and he fought success-
fully. At the beginning no man
seemed able to stand before him.
The whole country trembled In, his
presence in terror and in dread. An
invincible man was he.
Now, early and easily-won sue
cess Is always dangerous II Is dan
gerous even in q laudsble under
taking. The young fellow into
whose open mouth the luscious
plums Of life fall the hrst time he
shakes the tree stands in -
very precarious position. / was
thinking in the process of the
preparation Of this sermon OF
the outstandingly bright young
fellows that I knew in school and
| college. In Webb School was o
young fellow who was in the class
Just ahead of my own. He was
SO extremely brilliant that no other
boy in the class was even an also
ran" From Webb School he went
TO Yale. And there he sparkled and
| scintiilated just as he had at Bell
Buckle. But from the great unit
versity he went into utter oblivion.
He has never been heard from since.
His early success wrecked him.
But II early success In a iaudab;s
undertaking is dangerous, early
success In sin Is infinitely more
dangerous. Happy are the feet that
are pierced with thorn the mo.
ment they wander out of the path
Of righteousness and honor. Happy
the hand that IL stung by the adder
the hrst time II is ever stretched
forth to lay hold on the unciean
thing. Happy the eyes that are
| blinded by tears the first time they
4 tAa ,~la0fv thu nnhntv
Happy the tongue that is blistereu
with an. agony Of hot clpders the
hrst time IL ever tastes the draugh'
Of iniouity.
| A few years ago, down in Nash
vile. there vas . man who made q
small stake by gambling in cotton
futures. It seemed to madden him
He went in for the business heaV.
lily, He soon lost all he had gained
A little later he lost all he had
He had . wealthy partner. He in
duced the cashier Of the bank q
let him have their joint capital. snt
he lost that. And he never stoppet
till he found himself IN the stripel
OF q prison, wrecked by an earl!
success in wrongdoing.
The Story Of Many.
That was also the story Of Adoni
beck. II is the story Of counties
others. II Is the story Of Napoieo,
Bonaparte. He worshIpped the go
Of selhshness, Of ambition, TIL n,
came to believe that there was n,
other God. His faith was trust Il
power.t He declared that God wa
on the side OF the strongest bat
talions, and that faith was tn
wreck Of him. The Kaiser wor
shipped at the same altar. His 90
Of selfshness prospereo MIN for
. little while, only to steal his crow
and to blscken his name and I
: break his heart. and to set hir
: wood saving in q foreign countr
at the end of the day.
! Now, the name OF Adoni-bexe
was one to make nations trembl
for a while. King after king los
:. his crown to him. King after kin
, was carried to his iordly palace
. to be manned and Inundated an
Z made to pick crumbs like a hungr
. dog from under his table. hav
, no doubt that the few In that do
. who believed In the reality OF Go
| u
J. success OF this man. The pious a.
;. often disturbed by the success {
a sin. Just the other night q woma
0 was speaking TO me OF her godl
!, father who had died q tragic dealt
And she was thinking Of the nun
berless sinners who seemed to die
: prosperity and in peace. You r.
]. member how during the war whe
the Germans were winning victor
: after victory some Of US woul
question in our hearts what Go
q was doing.
e A. He Had Done.
: Well. I suppose some SO due'
= toned teen. But there came . tin
: when they ceased 10 question. Or
day this living terror. this uncol
quered king went forth 10 gain Al
other victory. His chances SCENE
h just as good rs they had ever bee
!. But somehow everything wei
l. against him. His men fell abo'
Is him till ten thousand were slain.
q himself was deserted. He flees {,
= his life. But he is captured. Al
Is when they find him he has be.
o carried to the house Of his CD
q. queror. And broken and maine
Is he is waiting for death. ....a.
d Let us draw near now and he
g. NE confession Of this man. Let hi
IT tell US now what his god sas dol
= for him. Let US listen TO what
= has to say. Il his a Joyous confe
4, --u