SIN UPON SIN
Step by step David tread the maze of tin.
STORY BY THE "HIGHWAY
AND BYWAY" PREACHER
(Cop)rlglit, 1SWT, hy thoAutlior, W.8. Kdson.J
Scripturo Authority: 2 Samuel
3i
;C27.
JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOC
SERMONETTE.
sinful indulgence in an icue r
hour made David a murderer.
Little did he think on that first
night of pleasure to what awful
depths his sin was to lead him.
But the pathway of sin leads
downward and ever farther and
farther away from God. One
wrong step is taken in the de
sire to gratify some unholy long
ing and then a dozen more
steps are found necessary in the
attempt to cover up the traces
of the sinful conduct.
The progressiveness of sin is
one of its most striking char
acteristics. No one starts out
with the purpose, or even ex
pectation, of becoming a mur
derer. The boy with his first
glass, or his first night out
in questionable companionship,
does not stop to think what the
full fruition of his first mis
step may be. The man who
takes his first fling at specula
tion docs not see himself an em
bezzler behind the bars, dis
grace and suffering brought
upon his innocent wife and chil
dren. He begins with the ex
pectation of winning and ac
quiring riches quickly. Perhaps
he does win and is tempted to
go in more heavily. He loses,
and then borrows that he may
speculate further to retrieve his
losses. Again he loses. He
must have money to pay the
loan. He betrays his trust and
takes the money he needs from
his employer, or from funds en
trusted to his care, expecting to
pay it back as soon as his luck
turns, as he says. And so it
goes on, step at a time, until
at last he is ruined beyond the
hope of recovery. And so it is
with any sinful course upon
which one may enter.
If it takes 40 lies to cover up
the first lie told, so is it with
other forms of 6in, it takes in
numerable wrongs to cover up
and hide the first wrong done.
But what folly for the soul to
think that it can cover and hide
its sin. "Be sure your sin will
find you out," is the solemn
warning of Scripture.
And again God's Word de
clares that "he that covereth his
sins shall not prosper."
What utter folly then f- the
human heart to go blindly on in
sin, thinking that it can deceive
God and man. Some day all the
sinful conduct wilt be revealed
in all its awfulness.
The power to resist sin is
weakened the farther one goes
on in his sinful course. In
Proverbs 5:22 the sins are
likened unto cords that bind
one.
There comes to mind the
story of Gulliver in the land of
the Lilliputs. The tiny crea
tures bound the great giant
with their frail, filmy threads,
which he might have blown
away with a breath, but which
in the aggregate formed a strong
cord which covered him like a
web and rendered him power
less to resist the attacks of his
little enemies. So is it with sin.
Let us remember, also, that
however much we may deceive
the world, we cannot deceive
God. "My sins are not hid from
thee," exclaims the psalmist.
Neither more are yours and
mine.
oocoooooooooooooooooo
THE STORY.
WITH llorce determination David
sealed the letter ho had been In
scribing on the roll of parchment be
fore him, and turning sharply upon
the man standing near, ho said:
"Deliver thin Into the hand of Joab,
captain of tho hosts of Israel. Delay
not."
There was harshness almost of en
mity In the voice of the king as he
spolco, so much In contrast to tho fa
miliar, patronizing manner In which
he had groetcd him on the day before
that Uriah started visibly. Ho hesi
tated as ho placed tho parchment
within tho folds of his robe, and the
king, in ovldent, Irritation, said,
sharply:
"That Is all!"
With soldierly dignity and preci
sion Uriah bowed low and strode
from tho apartment without a word.
lie had wondered at tho strange In
tercet nnd solicitude which the king
had manifested in him since his com
ing In answer to tho summons several
days before, and now he wonderCd
even moro at the savageness and Burli
ness so plainly manifest toward him.
Hut ho was glad to be off and away,
and ho soon forgot the matter In
his eagerness to ho back In tho thick
of tho fight against tho stronghold of
Rabbah.
The king, on the other hand, sat
silent and nlono, his face distorted
and beclouded by the evil passions
that flamed within.
'There was no other way," ho ex
claimed under his breath. "Had ho
not been so Infernally obstinate all
would have been well, and now nil
will be well, anyway, I hazard."
That had been an awful night for
him. No sleep had come to still the
rage or quiet the fears which filled
his heart. But amidst all the con
dieting emotions which surged Hko
the restless sea back and forth with
in his heart there was the one settled
purpose to cover up nnd hide the
sin which had come to blacken and
scar his life.
To hide that sin had MCined like
a simple and easy thing at drst, but
as his every plan had been baf
fied It made him almost mad with
impatience and a bitter hatred sprang
up against tho man whom ho had so
grievously wronged. At first ho had
only felt good-natured contempt for
him, and It was with rather a feeling
of condescension on his part that ho
had dealt with him at all. But David
was too high-minded a man, and had
too clear a conception of right and
wrong not to be conscious way down
deep in his heart that he had com
mitted a grievous sin, nnd yet there
was present tho stubborn purpose
to justify and palliate his offense. He
took refuge behind his kingly pre
rogatives and power, and found com
fort In the thought that tho kings of
other nations did even worse things
than he had done.
And yet, notwithstanding this feel
ing which he tried to encourage,
namely, that the king could do no
wrong, he did not want his sin to be
come known, and determined from
the first that it should not. Thus he
was led to send for Uriah, and when
his plans miscarried, as we have said,
It threw him into a rage of fear and
anger. Tho very loyally and faith
fulness which Uriah displayed toward
him and the nation served to intensi
fy and aggravate his vexation of
spirit, and on that last night, as
we have said, no sleep came to re
lievo the stress o mind and body.
And then had come a new fear to
vex him. Could It bo that Uriah's
refusal to return homo was due to the
fact that he had some suspicion as
to the true state of affairs? All night
long the question had rankled in his
bosom, and a dark resolve began to
form Itself within.
Uriah must be put out of the way.
When tho thought first dashed
across his mind like an evil message
from the king of darkness, he trem
bled as an aspen and turned from it
with sickening dread, but each time
as he came face to face with the al
ternative of exposure and disgrace,
he entertained more willingly the evil
thought, and at last found himself
planning how it might be carried out.
At first David thought to pay big
money to some base fellow who would
secretly fall upon Uriah and take his
life, but even in the fear and confu
sion of his mind he quickly saw tho
dangers attending such a course.
What then was he to do? How could
he accomplish his purpose? The
seeming impossibilities in the way
served to intensify the evil purpose
of his heart.
Ah, how often tho better impulses
came! How repeatedly the inner con
science spoke against doing such evil
thing, and each time there came back
the challenge from his fear-stricken
heart, "but your sin and tho exposure
which is certain to follow."
And then came the irrevocable de
cision to take this other stop In the
course of sin, In order that the first
sin might bo covered up. And was
there no thought or fear that the eye
of God saw and knew? Yea, there
came the fleeting remembrance and
then tho cloud of sin in which tho
heart was enveloped settled down
again, and David, steeling his heart
against God and tho better prompt
ings, plunged on In his evil course.
No. Uriah must die.
The decision had been made, tho
message written and even now Uriah
was bearing his death warrant to
Joab. Anxious days followed, but
David know that Joab would not fall
him.
It was not many days after this
that tidings enmo of a disastrous de
feat to tho army of Israel. Tho bat
tle had been pressed to tho very walls
of the stronghold of Rabbah, and
many of tho Israelites had fallen. It
was sad news to tho nation, and
(here was mourning in many a house
hold, hut David, who received the tid
ings from tho Hps of Joab's messen
ger, cared not for this thing, whoi;
tho messenger added:
"And Uriah, the Hlttite, Is deao,
also."
RHEUMATISM RECIPE
PREPARE SIMPLE HOME-MADE
MIXTURE YOURSELF.
Buy the Ingredients from Any Drug
gist In Your Town and Shako
Them In a Bottle to
Mix This.
A well-known authority on Rheu
matism gives tho readers of a largo
New York dally paper tho following
valuable, yet slmplo and harmless
prescription, which any ono can easily
prepare at homo:
Fluid Extract Dandelion, ono-half
ounce; compound Kargon, ono ounco;
Compound Syrup Sarsaparllla, threo
ounces.
Mix by shaking well In a bottle, and
take a teaspoonftil after each meal
and at bedtime.
He slates that tho ingredients can
be obtained from any good proscrip
tion pharmacy at small cost, and, be
ing a vegetablo extraction, aro harm
less to take.
This pleasant mixture, If taken reg
ularly for n few days, Is said to over
come almost any enso of Rheumatism.
Tho pain and swelling, if any, dimin
ishes with each doso, until permanent
results nro obtained, and without in
juring the stomach. While thero aro
many so-called Rheumatism remedies,
patent medicines, etc., some of which
do glvo relief, few really give perma
nent results, and tho abovo will, no
doubt, be greatly appreciated by many
sufferers hero at this time.
Inquiry at tho drug stores of oven
tho small towns elicits tho Information
that these drugs aro harmless and can
be bought separately, or tho druggists
will mix the prescription if asked to.
GIVING HIM A CHANCE.
Surely Time for Hubby to Do a Live
ly Sidestep.
Mrs. Wilson's husband was often
obliged to go to Now York on busi
ness, and frequently did not reach his
homo until tho arrival of the midnight
train. Mrs. Wilson had been in tho
habit of sleeping peacefully at these
times without fear, but a number of
burglaries in the neighborhood during
one of her husband's trips to Now
York had disturbed her calm.
On tho night of his return Mr. Wil
son was stealing carefully up the
front stairs, as was his wont on such
occasions, so that his wife would not
be wakened, when ho heard her voice,
high and strained:
"I don't know whether you aro my
husband or a burglar," camo the ex
cited tones, "but I am going to bo on
tho safe side and shoot, so if you aro
Henry you'd bettor get out of the
way." Youth's Companion.
BABY WASTED TO SKELETON.
n Torments with Terrible Sores on
Face and Body Tore at Flesh
Cured by Cuticura.
"My llttlo son, when about a year
and a half old began to have sores
come out on his face. They began to
como on his arms, then on other parts
of his body, and then ono camo on his
chest, worse than tho others. At tho
end of about a year and a half of suf
fering ho grew so bad I had to tio his
hands in cloths at night to keep him
from scratching the sores and tearing
the flesh. He got to be a mere skele
ton and was hardly able to walk. I
sent to tho drug store and got a cako
of Cuticura Soap and a box of Cuticura
Ointment, and at tho end of about two
months the sores were all well. He
has never had any sores of any kind
since, and only for tho Cuticura Rem
edies my precious child would have
died from those terrible sores. I used
only ono cake of Soap and about threo
boxes of Ointment. Mrs. Egbert Shel
don, R. F. D. No. 1, Woodville, Conn.,
April 22, 1905."
Wagner as a Curative Agent.
Vernon Leo has told somewhere tho
Btory of the marvelous effects of Wag
ner on a headache. Ono does, after a
time, succumb to what Is a kind of
hypnotism; the sound seems almost to
clear ihe air, or at least to lull ono
into a kind of dream In which only tho
sense of hearing exists.
Important to Mothers.
Ez&mlno carefully every hottlo of OASTOTtIA,
n uafo and tmro remedy for Infants nnd children,
ami ceo inai it
Bears tho
Signature of
n Ueo lpor Over .'JO YcurH.
Tho Kind You Uitvo Always Bought.
Mo6t Unhealthy Work.
According to a German physician,
Dr. Horn, miners ago so rapidly bo
causo of their unhygienic surround
ings that thoy present all tho aspects
of senllo decay at tho ago of 50, be
yond which few are ablo to ply their
vocation.
UTHAM
S7?
A Break In the Ceremony.
Llttlo Tom was two years old and
talking beforo his proud pnrontB took
him to ho christened . Though limit
ed, Ills vocnbulary Included ono or
two choice words picked up from Ills
father. Of course, ho looked Hko a
perfect llttlo cherub on tho eventful
day, with his wldo blue eyes and shin
ing curls and mother had got him up
in great, shapo for tho ceremony. At
tho most impressive point Tom turn
ed to his father and exclaimed in ag
gravated tones: "Why, damn it, ho
wot my head!"
Deafness Cannot Be Cured
by local applications, as they cannot roach the ll
oncd portion of tho car. Thero Is only ono wny to
euro ilcnfnoBf ,aml that li by constitutions! rcmedtee.
DoRfncM In canned by nn lnfliuneil condition of tha
mucous lining of tho Kiutnclilim Tube. When thU
tube Is Intlnmcd you lmvo a rumbling sound or Im
perfect hearing, And when It Is entirely closed, Deaf
ncM Is tho result, nnd uiiIohs tlio lutUmmatlou can be
taken out nnd thin tube restored to It normal condi
tion, hearing will bo destroyed forotort nine cases
out of ten aro caused by Catarrh, which Is nothing
but nn Inflamed condition of tho mucous surfaces.
Wo will give Onn Hundred Dollars for any caso of
Deafness (caused by catarrh) that cannot be cured
by Hall's Catarrh Curo. Bond for circulars, frae.
V. ,T. C1IKNKV & CO., Toledo, 0.
Boldly nriipplsts.V.'le.
Take lull's Family VI lis for constipation.
Thoso ills which fato determines,
man must bear. Theocritus.
Hides, Pelts and Wool.
To cot full value, Hhip to the old reliable
N. W. Hide & FurCo., MiuucupoliH, Minn.
Ono wlso counsel is hotter than tho
strength of many. Euripides.
Lewis' Finale Hinder straight fic. Many
HinokerH prefer them to 10c cignrH. Your
dealer or LcwIb' Factory, Peoria, 111.
Sorrow is an evil with many foot.
Posidippus.
BACKACHE AND
DESPONDENCY
Arc both sj'mptoms of organic de
rangement, and nature's warning to
women of a trouble which will soon
er or later declare itself.
How of ten do we hear women say,
"It seems as though my hack would
break." Yet they continue to drag
along and suffer with aches in tho
small of the hack, pain low down in
the side, dragging sensations, nerv
ousness and no ambition.
They do not realize that the hack
Is the mam-spring of woman's organ
ism and quickly indicates by aching
a diseased condition of the feminine organs or kidnoys, and that aches
and pains will continue until the causo is removed.
Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound
mado from native roots and herbs has been for many years tho most
successful remedy in such cases. No other medicine hits such a record
of cures of feminine ills.
Miss LcnaNagel, of 117 Morgan St., Buffalo, N. Y., writer. '"I was
complete' worn out nnd on tho verge of nervous prostration. My back
ached all tho time. I had dreadful periods of pain, was subject to fits
of crying and extreme nervousness, and was always weak and tired.
Lydia 10. 1'inkham'H Vegetable Compound completely cured me."
Lydia 10. Pinkhnm's Vegetable Compound cures Female Complaints,
such as Itackaehu. Falling and Displacements, and all Organic Diseases.
Dissolves and expels Tumors at an early stage. It strengthens and
tones the Stomach. Cures Headache and Indigestion tiutl invigorates
the whole feminine system.
Mrs. Pinkham's Standing Invitation to Women
Women suffering from any form of female weakness aro invited to
write Mrs, i'lnkham, Lynn, Mass.
W. L. DOUGLAS
$3.00 & $3.50 SHOES
ft0PSHOE8 FOR EVERY MEMBER OF aft
THE FAMILY, AT ALL PRIOE8. "
mSfiVW Dougtmm doom not ntmkm mell
, B9gWftl imorm Man'm $3 93. BU mhoem
.than mny othmr manufacturer.
THE REASON W. L. Douglas hIioch aro worn by inoro neoplo
In nil walks of llfo than any other mako, is hocauso of tholr
nxcolleiit stylo, oasy-llttiiig, anil superior wearing qualities.
Tho selection of tho loathors ami other materials for each part
of tho shoo, and overy detail of tho making Is looked after hy
tho most coinplotoorganlzatlon of superintendents, foremnnand
nklllcd shoemakers, who receive tho highest wages paid in tho
Bhoo Industry, and whoso workmanship cannot le excelled.
M If I could take you Into my largo fnotorles at Ilroekton.Mnss.,
nnd show you how carefully W.L. Douglas shoes aro made, you
would then understand why thoy hold their shape, fit hotter,
wear longer and aro of creator value than any othor mako.
MPOmnd SS.OO Gilt Edoa Shomm cannot bm emuatled at mny met
ULU'iuuiV 1 mo genuine have W. li. Douglas name and price stamped on hottonf. Take
jSo Sultstltiito. Ask your dealer for W. Jj. Douglas shoes. If ho cannot supply you, send
direct to factory. Shoes sent every whoro by mall. Catalog froo. W.L.DougUs. Brockton. Mas
Power
Behind
25 ounces for 25 cents
A real power that raises and sustains the
dough with absolute certainty. No
failures. A cake made with K C
OUNCES
cannot fall.
We insist upon refunding your
money if a trial docs not
convince you.
FADELESS riVRS
Ho is a wlso man who doosn't lot
his business lnterforo with his pleaa
uro at all times.
Lewis' Single Binder straight So cigar
mnde of rich, mellow tobacco. Your deal
er or Lewis' Factory, I'eoria, 111.
To a gontlemnn ovory woman Is m
lady in right of hor box. Ilulwor.
PARKCft'ft
HAIR BALSAM
ICIsanMi and trtsutlfle tht hair.
llTomotM a Initirlint s-mlti.
m
I Mayer Tails) to Bestoro Orsty
JCnrss scalp HlmMt hair UUIml
t)c, and 1 1,00 t nnifjliu
VIRGINIA FARMS c
MOtrood.rlRhVlr.
(iniiviurmMtiuo)
icalthy cllmnto.
T - w ,n rgo crops.
Hapny farmers. Miierncround ui. Caiuliwun f rnn.
II. T. W ATKINS H CO., HI I K. Aliilu St., Hlchiuond, Vtt,
"JSSWSSf Thompson's Eye Water
W. N. U., LINCOLN, NO. 42, 1907.
MIS5 LENA NAGEL
Jlcr advico is free.
ine
the Dough!
SSTMnaV"VVi-aaaaaasB
Wawmaar9& w
JMmaW
BAKING
POWDER
Jaques MIfj. Co.
Chicago