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THE NORTH GEORGIAN (SUCCESSOR TO THE NORTH GEORGIA BAPTIBT.) Entered t the postofflce at Cum Bins, Ga., as second class matter. Make a noise like a? 5 0111, con tends the Boston Post, and the world will give you a smiling face. A New York judge has sent a chauffeur to jail for killing a man. If this sort of thing keeps on, laments the Rochester Post-Express, automo bilists will soon have no rights the public is bound to respect. Seeking the unattainable, mourns the New Yovk Presß, is for a man to try to find a corner in the house for some undisturbed reading without it having to be dusted ten minutes after be begins. Prophesies the Chicago Inter- Ocean: "We shall have a great and comprehensive waterway system when we reach the point of resolution to go on with the enterprise, and thus make It, in the broad sense, a non-partisan national work.’ Referring to the American fleet the Troy Times says: What a record these splendid vessels and their offi cers and men will have made in their 42, miles of travel! Not a serious accident yet, good feeling among the nations stimulated and proper respect for Uncle Sam increased. In this fast age we Bhould be care ful to condense all our writings—-let ters, briefs, wills, manuscripts of plays, prose, poetry, etc. Only 10 per cent of the stuff that we write these days is read, Insists the New York Press. And white paper is going high er. Why waste it, and why waste time? An old style fellow, now in his eighties, wrote a six-page letter to a friend and had the courtesy to add this postscript: "Excuse me for mak ing this letter so long, but I really have not the time to make it shorter.” Almost every state legislature, north and south, east and west, has had a scheme of highway improve ment before it this year; the most ambitious schemes of waterway and highway improvement are those of the Empire state, boasts the New York Mail. Railroad managers have abandoned their old attitude of indif ference or tacit opposition to inland waterways and improved highways, and are agitating in the agricultural ctatos in behalf of scientific road making. The use of slag, of molasses refuse and of various tar preparations as a road foundation or binder is be ing tested here and in other lands, and today an international congress will meet in Paris, with 24 countries represented, to discuss means for the preservation of the highway. The rap id spread of automobile traffic has made such a conference urgent, for the plain lesson of this traffic is that our roads must be made much better or they will get much worse. The public schools receive from time to time more or less criticism, which is doubtless on occasions de served, but, contends the Boston Transcript, is quite as frequently be stowed because they are public insti tutions and therefore considered fair game by those who help to support them. But President Eliot’s tribute to them at the reunion of the English high graduates last night is testimony on as high authority as the country affords, not only that they do good work but among the secondary schools the best work. Of course there are exceptions to all rules, but his report ed statement that "the boys who do the best work at college come from the public schools,” seems to be un equivocal. Next in order he rates the endowed schools, and last the private schools, and this, he declares, "is a very encouraging result for democ;a cy.” He has formed this opinion in college examination tests not only at entrance but subsequently, and more convincing testimony it would be im possible to obtain. It is the duty of the public schools to keep striving for improvement, but it is gratifying to learn that they already stand in the forefront of our educational system. THE PULPIT. A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY P.EV. W. T BEST. Theme: Well Doing. Text: "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.” —Gen., 4:7. The farmer and the shephed both brought an offering unto the Lord. We look at Cain’s offering and we Bay, the Lord will c jrtainly bless Cain. What a costly offering he is presenting and how much hard work it must have taken to get It ready. Early and late has he worked through the long summer days. In the sweat of his face he has plowed, and har rowed, and sown, and cultivated, and now Providence has blessed him with a bountiful harvest. Look at the choice vegetables and the delicious fruits that go to make up his offer ing! Surely the blessing Is his. Abel selected a lamb from his flock without spot or blemish; he cuts its throat; see the blood gush out! How cruel! God will certainly reject Abel, But God had respect unto Abel and his offering, but unto Cain and his offering he had not respect; Why? Had he not worked hard and faith fully? Hadn’t he acknowledged di vine Providence? Yes, all this is true, but his heart was not right. His offering was one of self-righteousness and good works. Abel came In God’s way, not by works, not by self-right eousness, but by the blood. “Without the shedding of blood there is no re mission of sin,” for “it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” God taught our first parents this great lesson when He slew the animals to get coats of skin to clothe them. Abel had faith in God, and coming in God’s way, he believed God would receive him. so God testi fied to his gifts that he was right eous. When Cain saw that Abel wrie ac cepted he was wroth, and his coun tenance fell. “And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth; and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.” What a warn ing this! As if the Lord had said. “Cain I am no respector of persons; If you do right I will bless you just as willingly as I did Abel; but if you don’t do right, why, then, sin like a wild beast of prey is crouched at your heart's door, and is only wait ing for a good opportunity to leap upon you.” Instead of heeding God’s warning, Cain watched for an oppor tunity, and as soon as it presented Itself, he rose up against his brother and slew him. “And wherefore slew he him, because his own works were evil and his brother’s righteous.” Here are two young men both en gaged In good occupations and with equal privileges. One made a suc cess of life, the other a failure. Up to the time of our text, if we look at Cain from the standpoint of this world, we would say he had done well; but It was he that did it. God’s word says, “by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” “Salva tion is not of works, lest any man should boast.” Cain lived long enough to make a mark in the world; but Instead of making a mark in the world, God had to put a mark on him lest the world should kill him. Even to this day he is despised as the first murderer. Abel’s life was short compared with that of Cain, yet It was long enough to be successful; and he is honored more to-day than ever before. Jesus Christ said, "Blessed are the meek; blessed are the pure in heart; blessed are, blessed are.” Here we are distinctly told that It is not what a man has, not yet what he does, that obtains for him God’s blessings; but what he is. Sol omon said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of It are the issues of life.” Well-doing is dependent on well-being. I. The first step in well-doing is to give one's heart to God. If a man does not do well in this respect what is the result? He may have ever so good an opinion of him self, all his ways may be clean in his own eyes, he may think he is better than anybody else; but God says his heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things, his throat is an open sepulchre, the poison of asps is under his lips, his mouth full of cursing, his feet swift to shed inno cent blood, destruction and misery are in his ways, no fear of God be fore his eyes. How can he escape the damnation of hell? What worse error is there than to suppose a man can do well with a wrong heart? We make an awful mistake if we suppose that religion is simply for the church and Sunday school. The farmer needs it to run his farm. The merchant to run his store. It is needed by every individ ual that expects to make a success of life. But remember that when a man’s heart is right with God he is just in a position to do well; the doing is still before him. Salvation is in three parts, an act. a work, a state. A man repents of his sins, accepts Christ by faith and salvation is to him an act of God's free grace whereby he is saved. But how many there are that suppose that this is all. there Is to salvation. The fact that a man was saved five years ago is no proof that he is saved to-day, or that he will be finally saved. From the day of a man’s conversion until the day of his death salvation is a work and he must “work it out,” or be forever lost. After death salvation is a state. 11. The second step in well-doing Is to take the Bible as one’s guide. It is doubtful whether there would be such a country in the world as the United States of America, were it not for the longings of Christopher Col umbus to spread the knowledge of this book. To it we owe the Immor talization of the Mayflower and the sublimity of Plymouth Rock. The command rolled from bow to stern on the grand old Puritan vessel. “Pull down that sail, let not an oar touch the water, this is the Sabbath Day!” When the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Newburyport, they put down the old Bible and said, “We are going tc build a nation on this Book.” It supported George Washington, the father of this country, and purchased for us our freedom. It made Daniel Webster the Biblical Concordance of the United States Senate and Patrick Henry and James Otis, like unto the Hebrew prophets, and now if you wish to understand one of the great est events in our history, look at this picture. It is that of a Kentucky youth, his arms are tired after chop ping all day, yet he sits up till the midnight hour, and as the snow-wet logs crackle on the hearth and blaze up the chimney, he reads from this grand old Book, the Book, that in after years made him a leader, whose administration subdued a rebellion of eight million people, and the emanci pator whose pen struck the shackles from the limbs of four million slaves, neither in this country nor elsewnere in the world shall ever dies the mem ory of Abraham Lincoln. I heard Rev. John Mavity say one time that in his younger years he used to preach that if a man had a right heart every thing else he did would be right; but, said he, “of late years, I have concluded that a mgn needs not only a right heart but a right head.” There is some truth in this statement. Isaiah tell3 us, we must “learn to do well.” Paul says. “Study to show thyself approved of God.” While I would say to every young man and woman, you ought to have the very best education possible, I would also say, let the Bible be to you the Book of Books. Nearly all the great men of the past owe their greatness to this Book. It is almost impossible to name any rule by which men have succeeded in life that has not its foundation in the Bible. The Book of Proverbs is especially full of such rules. John Quincy Adams made the Bible his constant companion. Amos Law rence, the millionaire merchant of Boston, had inscribed on his pocket book, the text, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” No wonder he gave thousands of dollars to the cause of Christ. But what about the men who reject the Bible? Why, sin lieth at their door. The superstitious life of Byron, or the dying words of Voltaire will prove this statement. 111. The third btep in well-doing Is to be honest. Your Book, the Bible, says, “Thou shalt not steal," or in other words be honest. 1. Be honesi '*'*■Qrod You have accfc - '* * t as your Saviour, and tak;L ~ , as your guide: the Book tells you is ex * pected of each one of His followers, and He tells you just the work what He wants you personally to do. Have you met both these requirements? 2. Be honest with yourself. You have a soul to save and a body to care for. You will be rewarded ac cording to your works. 3. Be honest with your fellow- man. A man would steal a dollar on the same principle that he would steal a pin. Watch the little things; a gnat choked Pope Adrian; a nail turned a ship out of its course; a fly by walking from tree to tree revealed to the onlooker that, the supposed dis tant landscape was only a picture. Said a wholesale merchant to a customer, as he pointed to one of his clerks: “That young man, sir, is my banker, he handles every cent of money that passes through the store. He could cheat me out of thousands of dollars every year if he wanted to, but I am not afraid to trust him, he has proven himself to be strictly hon est.” Said a merchant to one of his clerks: “Why didn’t that lady buy •those goods?” “Because, sir, she wanted Middlesex cloth. “Why did you not show her the next pile, and call them Middlesex?” “Because, sir, they were not Middlesex.” “Well, said the merchant, if you are as par ticular as all that you will never do for me.” “Very well,” said the young man, “if I have to lie to keep my po sition I will lose it.” When Abraham Lincoln had charge of Orfuts’ country store, he walked two miles to give a lady sit cents that he had overcharged her by mistake. Another time he made a mistake and sold a quarter of a pound of tea for a half pound. As soon as he discov ered his error he could not rest till it was made right. After he was ad mitted to the bar it was said of him that he would never defend a person whom he believed to be in the wrong, even if they offered him a large amount of money to do so. He undertook the Paterson trial, believing the man accused of murder to bo innocent; but when the trial was half through he changed his mind and dropped the case, refusing pav for his services. When the time came in our history as a nation that the people began to distrust the corrupt politicians who were governing in the interests of slavery, the only hope of saving the ship of state was to place an honest man in the Presidential chair. Hon est Abe Lincoln was the man selected. From a spiritual point of view we are debtors to all men, let us try and pay this debt, not only by our lives but by giving our substance to the cause of Christ throughout the world. IV. The next step in well-doing is to be men and women of Tact, Push and Principle. Upon these three qualities depend the success of every man or woman from a business point of view. Sam uel Budgett, the great English mer chant, attributed his success to them. 1 Tact —Tact is nothing more nor'less than the use of common sense, and it is so common that very few people possess as much of it a cultured people often speak of the farmer as the “hayseed from the country. some of them, when they visit the farmer show themselves t° be ae ' ficient in this quality of tact Said one young man to his farmer friend. “What kind of a bird do you call that?” “A goose,” was the reply, u. I see; you keep that to get gooseber rles with.” A young lady from the city of Ottawa asked a friend of mine which of his cows gave the butter milk. Every one who has heard or read Dr. Price’s address to young peo ple will remember his apt illustration, “Tabby, why don’t you get up? 2. Push. —Many people have tact enough to succeed, If they only had push enough to go with it. They can sell a book, or a bill of goods, but it takes them so long to do so, that there is no profit In It. Many of the victories in the world’s his tory have been won by men while yet young in years. David, Luther, Alex ander and the world’s Redeemer Himself are illustrations of this truth. 3. —Principle.—Tact and push would be a detriment to a man if ne were without principle. An employer promised a clerk higher wages if he would treat the customers now and then to a glass, in order the he might sell them a bill of goods. The young man replied: “I thank God there is a poorhouse in my native town, and I will go there and die before I shall do such dirty work.” That was Principle. Nicholas Biddle, the first president of the United States Banx, requested his employes at one time to work on Sunday. One young man lost his position rather than do so. That was Principle. When President Lincoln was re nominated for the Presidency it be came necessary to call for 500,000 re cruits to reinforce the men at the front. His friends everywhere ad vised him not to issue the order as it would endanger his re-election. He went personally before the congres sional military committee where a similar attempt was made. With the fire cf indignation flashing in his eyes he replied: “It is not necessary for me to be re-elected, but It Is neces sary for the soldiers at the front to be reinforced by 500,000 men, and 1 shall call for them; and if I go down under the act, I will go down like the Cumberland, with rny colors flying.” O, for more men and women of tact, push and principle. V. The fifth step in well doing is to be a man or woman of faith. When Thomas A. Edison first con ceived the idea of the phonograph, he said: “I can make it.” During nine long years he never lost faith, though at times it seemed utterly impossible for him to succeed. And so it has been with nearly all of his great in ventions; through faith he has plodded on night and day, sometimes forgetting to eat or sleep, yet ever confident that he was going to suc ceed. The whole history of our country has been largely one of faith. From the day that Columbus crossed the Atlantic to the present day, near ly every great move has appeared un reasonable from a worldly standpoint, but has been undertaken through faith. And what shall I now say, for the time would fail me to tell of Gid eon, and of Barak, and of Jephthae, and of the wonderful things they have accomplished through faith. The man or woman who lacks this quality of faith is of all persons most miserable, yea. sin lies at their door and wreaks vengeance upon them. They don’t enjoy their meals because they cannot trust the cook. The rail way Conductor is liable to run the train off the track, so what is the good of traveling? The very earth itself is liable to open up at any mo ment and swallow them, and as for the Bibit, it says, “He that doubteth is damned.” VI. Be men and women of cour age. Perhaps there was never a time when we had so many examples of courage as we have to-day. When the ports of Europe closed against the Asiatic Squadron there was nothing left but to go to Manila. Many of our people feared the re sults. But Ensign Dewey was a man of courage. By the forts, over the mines and into the harbor he sailed. The Spanish fleet was destroyed, many of the forts captured and finally Manila taken. Hobson was no less courageous when he sunk the Merrimac in the very centre of the enemies’ fire. The Plattsburgh boys while storm ing the hills of Santiago sung in the very hottest of the battle: “ ’Tis the star spangled banner, Oh! long may it wave, O’er the land of the free And the home of the brave!” "We need more young people to-day who are not afarid of the fiery fur nace, or the den of lions; young peo ple who shall go out and meet Go liath in the name of the God of Is rael. VII. The last quality I shall name is Perseverance. Perseverance is the “long pull, strong pull, and pull altogether” on “the home stretch.” President Lincoln said of General Grant, “He is not easily excited, and he has the grip of a bull dog. When he once gets his teeth in, nothing can shake him off.” Jacob said to the angel, “I will not let thee go unless thou dost bless me.” The unjust judge said. “Though I fear not God. nor regard man, yet be cause this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” The King dom of God suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Bruce made several unsuc ii attempts to possess his king cessful a While seeking con & Joe„ to a chattered harn i . He flung himself down in low despair, A&tASSSSP* there, ‘l’ll give it all U P> ca, “ be ' “Now just at tljat moment a spider ' sflken cobweb clew. . king in the midst of his thinking Sapped to see what the spider would do. “ ’Tv,-as a long way up to the ceiling dome, its cobweb home, King Bruce could not divine. “It soon began to cling and crawl Straight up with strong endeavor, But down it came, with a skipping sprawl, As near to the ground as ever. Nine times the spider tried to reach its cobweb home, but every time it seemed to fall still lower. “ ‘Sure,’ cried the king, ‘that foolish thing Will ’strive no more to climb, When it toils so hard to reach and cling, And tumbles every time. “But up the insect went once more, Ah me, 'tis an anxious minute, He’s only a foot from his cobweb door, Oh, say, will he lose or win it. “Steadily, steadily, inch by inch, Higher and higher he got, And a bold little run at the very last pinch, Put him into his native spot. “ ‘Bravo, bravo!’ the king cried out, ‘All honor to those who try; The spider up there defied despair He conquered, and why shouldn t I? ’/‘.nd Bruce of Scotland braced his mind, And gossips tell the tale, That he tried once more as lie tned beiorc. And that time he did not tail. “Pay goodly heed, all you who read. And beware of saying. 1 can t ’Tis a cowardly word and apt to lead To idlness, folly and want. I am now going to make a state ment that I do not want anyone to misunderstand. I would not havo you think for a moment that I don t believe that Christ is our example in all things, but Paul said follow me even as I follow Christ. I am now going to hold up before the young people two persons who accepted Christ as their Saviour, His Word as their guide, and on the qualities named made a success of life. Let me first speak to the young men. . . t England has given to the world some of the greatest men in all branches of learning. To-day we place in the front ranks William Ewart Gladstone. He was born of wealthy parents and with royal blood in his veins. Instead of becoming dissipated as many a young man in such circumstances would have done, or instead of depending upon his so cial standing, he took the course that I have already laid out in this sermon and by so doing “he being dead yet Rupjilrpth ** Asa Christian he said. “Christ is the hope of my poor wayward life.” He never missed service on Sunday when well enough to attend. Asa student he was graduated with high honors from Oxford, at the age of twenty. His library contained twenty-four thousand volumes. He is the author of a number of very im portant works; several of them are on the Bible. He was one of the greatest orators and statesmen of his time. To be familiar with his life is to know Eng land’s history for a period of sixty years. Before the young women I would hold up as the embodiment of the principles I have referred to in this address, one of the greatest reform ers that has ever blessed our coun try. When her funeral car drew slowly into the city of Chicago, as many as 30,000 people turned out midst falling snow and sleet to take the last look at one of their greatest benefactors, Frances Elizabeth Wil lard. They came from the North, South, East and West to pay their last tribute of respect. A wreath of flowers was sent by a young lady who had met Miss Willard but once. She was then on the correspondence staff of a city paper, and had been sent to interview Miss Willard, who was sick at the hotel and unable to fill her appointments. Miss Willard was seated in an easy chair, but when she saw tho young lady’s pale and ema ciated face she said,“Dearie, you have this chair, you look so tired.” The young lady said, “I never forgot those words. She was the only per son that had spoken a kind word to me since I said farewell to mother and the dear ones at home.” Miss Willard was true to Christ, denying herself every pleasure or comfort that she might fill the posi tion to which He had called her. Her influence is giving to the youth of this land a portion of knowledge that cannot fail to prove beneficial to them. Her honesty as well as her patriot ism may be seen in the fact that dur ing her visit to England, when strained political relations existed be tween England and this country, she said. “I am first a Christian, then I am a Saxon, then I am an American, and when I get home to heaven, I ex pect to register from Evanston.” Her tact, push, principle,- faith, courage and perseverance may be seen in the great organization known to-day throughout the world as “The Wom an’s Christian Temperance Union.”" An army of heroic women who are battling for God and home and na tive land. i In conclusion, let me say. life is to each one of us a great battle, and we must either win or lose it. Which shall it be? Let us take unto our selves the whole armor of God, fight the good fight of faith, and endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. The Captain of our salva tion has never lost a battle. Advice may be too expensive a gift even for Plutocrats.