The Jericho Road
By W. Bion Adkins
Quiet Hour Thoughts.
Genuine love and sympathy are what wins the hearts of our fellows.
A Christian ought always to wake up in the morning in a good humor.
Remember that sorrow and pain soften the heart and sweeten the temper.
The young man who sees no beauty in a flower will make a mean husband.
If you love young people’s work you will prove it by laboring and sacrificing for it.
Begin active work in your society at once, and do not fail to see that each one has something to do.
The fact that God gives any consideration to mere mites of humanity scattered about the surface of this little world of ours is conclusive proof of His infinity.
What a blessing it is that we can not always do what we wish to do, or have everything our own way.
Many words are no more an indication of depth of feeling and heart than are boiling bubbles in a frying pan.
There are some people who would scorn to keep bad company, but who think the worst kind of thoughts by the hour.
Do not wait for somebody else to put your society on the roll of honor. If you want a thing well done, do it yourself.
If the very hairs of our head are numbered, then why should we not consult the Father in regard to all our temporal affairs?
How the heart of God must yearn for the record of lives devoted to humanity. He asks no higher service of man than this.
The truly great man is that one who is satisfied if he is doing to the utmost limit of his capacity the thing which he has at hand.
God would never make the mistake of helping any young man or young woman who did not make every possible effort to help himself.
Do not make the mistake of thinking you are the biggest man in your society. Bigger men than you have died and have not been missed after forty-eight hours.
The girl who is caught by gold-headed canes, carried by heads with no brains on the inside and only pasted hair on the outside, has a pitiable future before her.
No pain, no privation, no sacrifice endured for Christ is a loss, but is rather a gain. Christ will not forget those who suffered for Him when He comes to make up His jewels.
Sunday manners are just like Sunday clothes; everybody can tell that you put them on for the occasion only, and know that you are not used to wearing them through the week.
The devil led the Prodigal Son away from a good home into the gay society of the world, and amused him with the pleasures of sin till he got him down, then he fed him on husks. That is the way he works.
A good many church members do not like to have it known how much they give for missions. They remind us of the man who said, when asked about the amount he gave, “What I give is nothing to nobody.”
The reason why some people do not want the preacher to preach on personal sins, is because they are afraid he might say something against them.
When we see a man going to get water at his neighbor’s well, we naturally suppose his own is dry. So when we see a Christian seeking the pleasures of the world, we suppose he no longer finds pleasure in religion.
To know which way a stream of water is flowing, you must not look at the little eddy, but at the main current, and to know which way a life is tending, you must not look at a single act, but at the whole trend of the life.
Satan likes to discourage people, to hinder them in the performance of their Christian duties, but remember that Christ has said, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Go steadily forward in the line of duty and success will crown your efforts.
The light of a candle can not be seen very far in the light of a noon-day sun, but at night it may be seen for a long distance and may be a guiding star to some poor wanderer. And so, God sometimes darkens our way that we may shine.
The man who prays for the conversion of the heathen, and then spends a great deal more for tobacco than he gives to missions, is certainly not very consistent in his praying and giving.
Thomas Hood once wrote to his wife: “I never was anything, dearest, till I knew you; and I have been a better, happier, and more prosperous man ever since. Lay by that truth in lavender, sweetest, and remind me of it when I fail.”
“I believe one reason why such numerous instances of erudition occur among the lower ranks is, that with the same powers of mind the poor student is limited to a narrower circle for indulging his passion for books, and must necessarily make himself master of the few he possesses before he can acquire more."–Walter Scott.
Christians should not forget that God uses human agency in the work of salvation. The only reason that there are not more saved, is because the people of God do not put themselves at his disposal for the work. The Lord wants all to be saved, but they will not be saved until the people of God are willing to let the Lord use them to bring the lost unto Himself.
Deceit and falsehood, whatever conveniences they may for a time promise or produce, are, in the sum of life, obstacles to happiness. Those who profit by the cheat distrust the deceiver; and the act by which kindness was sought puts an end to confidence.
The judges of the election can not tell the difference, when they are counting the votes, between the one cast by the minister of the gospel and the one cast by the saloon-keeper, when it has been cast for the same party. Vote for principle rather than for party.
“Let every man,” said Sydney Smith, “be occupied in the highest employment of which his nature is capable, and die with the consciousness that he has done his best.” If the highest employment is not to be found in our avocations, let us seek it in our leisure.
Beware of anger of the tongue; control the tongue. Beware of anger of the mind; control the mind. Practice virtue with thy tongue and with thy mind. By reflection, by restraint and control, a wise man can make himself an island which no floods can overwhelm. He who conquers himself is greater than he who in battle conquers a thousand men. He who is tolerant with the intolerant, mild with the fault-finders, and free from passion with the passionate, him I call indeed a wise man.
Brothers, keep posted in what your lodge is doing; knowing who is sick; inquire if there is not some widow in need of help; some poor orphan that should be clothed and provided with a home and sent to school. Remember that the widow was your brother’s wife, and the children your brother’s. Be a brother to the widow, and a kind uncle to your brother’s children. There is plenty of work for you, and you agreed to do it. Cheer up the care-worn traveler on his pilgrimage–help the weak and weary, the lonely and sad ones. Time is passing by, and we have none too much of it in which to do our work. Remember that if we expect to complete our labor, now is the time; soon all will be over with us, and then all that we shall leave behind, by which to be remembered, will be the good or evil we have done. If we have done good it will be emblazoned on many hearts, and our names will be spoken of with reverence and love; but if we have done evil, our names will be blotted out of the memory of the good and true, and we despised.
“How is’t the sons of men are sad,
Oppressed with grief and care?
How is’t that some of this world’s goods,
Have such a scanty share?
Why should the orphan’s piercing cry,
Assail so oft our ear,
And thousands find the world to be
All desolate and drear?
“We do not solve the mystery
Of woes, the lot of man,
But in the lodge we all unite
To do the good we can.
’Tis there we learn the pleasing task
To soothe the troubled breast,
To educate the orphan child,
And succor the distressed.
“Our motto–Friendship, Love and Truth–
These e’er shall be our guide,
Our aim shall be, of misery
To stop the running tide.”
We ask not what’s a brother’s faith,
What country gave him birth;
But open the door to every creed
And nation of the earth.
Hail, Charity! Odd-Fellows all
Bow down before thy shrine;
They raise no altar, make no vow,
That is not wholly thine.
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