578 



JUVENILE GLEANINGS. 



Sept. 



selves to Satan. Such things are heard of 

 now only in old traditions ; but I liave 

 thought there was a world of truth in it. It 

 is not an easy thing to break away from 

 strong drink, and there is some sort of rea- 

 son why it is hard to break awav. The 

 same applies to the use of tobacco, although 

 it seems a little hard to show why young 

 men should commence in the first place. 

 But, why should anybody swear? During 

 all these years that Ihave employed boys, I 

 have seen some who started quietly and 

 honestly, and with great promise, but who 

 finally learned to swear. Why should it ever 

 happen V I have watched their decision, 

 and have noted the state of mind leading to 

 it. I liave noted their attitude before they 

 ever uttered an oath or took God's name in 

 vain. The transition from a meek and 

 humble spirit to that of swearing was much 

 like the case I have mentioned of the young 

 man in the cornfield. It was a gradual 

 receiving and giving way to bad impulses. 



God has implanted in the human heart 

 what we term reason ; or, we might say, 

 wisdom or judgment. There are certain 

 things we know are right, and there are 

 things we know are wrong, or, at least, seem 

 so to one accustomed to self-control aud of 

 mature years. The child, or even the young 

 man, may have mistaken notions or ideas; but 

 when the judgment is matured, every intelli- 

 gent human being is capable of having cor- 

 rect opinions on almost all questions. There 

 seems to be a kind of instinct that m'ompts 

 in the right direction — something that tells 

 us when we have done wisely and well, and 

 something that also tells to the contrary. 



Within the past few years I have been 

 questioning myself, or seeking and asking 

 the best wisdom and judgment of mi/self 

 (if you will excuse siich an expression), of 

 what is probably correct or right in regard 

 to certain problems. One of these problems 

 is the future existence of humanity. Well, 

 friends. I presume you are well aware that 

 the Bible tells ns very little in regard to this 

 future existence ; but it is asserted plainly 

 and unmistakably that there is such a future 

 state of existence. Well, now, a sort of in- 

 stinct tells me the same, and I think it 

 would also tell me the same if I had no 

 knowledge of the Bible at all. This in- 

 stinct, or conviction (which is, perhaps, a 

 better word), does not say what that exis- 

 tence shall be; but, like "the Jjible.it says 

 very plainly there is something beyond this 

 life. This conviction is strong and clear 

 when I am striving to do right, and labor- 

 ing for the good of humanity and for the 

 saving of souls ; but when worldly cares 

 throw me off the track, and make me forget 

 the highest call I know in life, or God's call 

 if you choose, this conviction seems faintest. 

 I presume you have all had similar feelings. 

 " If any man will do his will, he sliall know 

 of the doctrine." When I am doing God's 

 will, the conviction is strong and clear, and 

 I have no doubts. When I am violating his 

 commands in thought or deed, doubts gen- 

 erallv come up, and this conviction of the 

 future state seems dark and uncertain. 

 Well, many times of late the question has 

 come up, as one after another W9,s taken of 



those I knew intimately. Is this one or that 

 one saved ? Of course, these questions rest 

 with God alone, and we have hardly a right 

 to discuss them, unless it be in some way 

 that will be for our own good, or warning to 

 us. I have known men who were suddenly 

 stricken with death while in the midst of in- 

 temperate habits. This conviction I have 

 been speaking of would indicate to me that 

 such a one could not well hope to receive 

 God's promise. Another who is taken away 

 while intentlv occupied with worldlv mat- 

 ters, almost forgetting God. I shonld fear 

 would be among the lost. Men have some- 

 times died in a fit of anger, and T have 

 thought that, if their general lives had been 

 lives of humility and obedience toward God, 

 this act might be forgiven. I have also 

 thought that God muiht. under some circum- 

 stances, pardon a suicide, though I confess, 

 that perhaps my feelings are prejudiced 

 where the departed person was an inti- 

 mate friend of mine. In considering these 

 things I have wondered what kind of a sin 

 would be most unpardonable in God's s'ght. 

 You know the Biljle speaks of an unpardon- 

 able sin. Well, the result of my deliberation 

 on this matter has been that the most griev- 

 ous sin that a human being can commit in 

 the sight of God is to curse his Maker. Sins 

 against your fellow-men are bad enough, but 

 they are not to be compared with sins against 

 God. Sins against your own self are bad 

 enonarh, and for one to take his own life 

 would seem about as great a crime in God's 

 sight as it were possible for a human being 

 to meditate on; but, my friends, taking 

 God's holy name in vain, I am ready to be- 

 lieve, is worse than this. It is true, in the 

 former case the sinner can not repent, be- 

 cause he has, by his own act, cut off all op- 

 portunity for repentance, while the sin of 

 taking God's name in vain may be repented of. 



We come into this world to do good or 

 evil. How many times do we read in the 

 Old Testament.'' And he did evil in the sight 

 oftheLord"'! Soitisnow. Weare all doing 

 right in the sight of God, or we are doing 

 evil; at least, every human being proposes to 

 do good or to do evil; and there is no one act 

 in this world thatseemsto so plainly indicate 

 that a boy or man has made a deliberate pur- 

 pose of doing evil, as when we hear him 

 uttering oaths. If there is such a thing as 

 selling one's self to Satan. I should take it for 

 granted that one who deliberately curses God 

 wishes to announce it to the whole universe 

 that he has sold himself to Satan. 



Last winter I met a middle-aged man in 

 our county jail, who was in there for selling 

 whisky. Several saloon-keepers were there, 

 and I asked each one of them singly if he 

 had ever made a profession of religion. This 

 man replied that he had, "and I talked the 

 matter all over with him. He told me in 

 sadness that the best hours he had ever 

 known M^as when he was a consistent mem- 

 ber of the Methodist Church, and it was only 

 one short year before that he stood among 

 his neighbors and friends, and declared to 

 them his purpose of serving the Lord. Soon 

 after, he was induced to buy the village hotel, 

 and in it was a bar. He niade money by his 

 liquor trade ; but as the money caipe, his re- 



