| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: as he ordereth! For, even as thou sayest, the things that are
impossible with men, are possible with him. But for myself,
thanks to thine unsurpassable speech, I renounce the vanity of
things present, and am resolved to withdraw from them altogether,
and to spend the rest of my life with thee, lest, by means of
these transitory and fleeting things, I lose the enjoyment of the
eternal and incorruptible."
The elder answered him, "This do, and thou shalt be like unto a
youth of great understanding of whom I have heard tell, that was
born of rich and distinguished parents. For him his father
sought in marriage the exceeding fair young daughter of a man of
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Copy-Cat & Other Stories by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: "Why don't you walk the way you always do?"
she queried.
"Uncle Dan'l can't see jest straight, somehow,"
replied the old man; "guess it's because it's rather
warm."
It was in truth a day of terror because of the heat.
It was one of those days which break records, which
live in men's memories as great catastrophes, which
furnish head-lines for newspapers, and are alluded
to with shudders at past sufferings. It was one of
those days which seem to forecast the Dreadful
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Common Sense by Thomas Paine: of which Class, regardless of Party Censure, is the AUTHOR.
P.S. The Publication of this new Edition hath been delayed,
with a View of taking notice (had it been necessary)
of any Attempt to refute the Doctrine of Independance:
As no Answer hath yet appeared, it is now presumed that none will,
the Time needful for getting such a Performance ready for the Public
being considerably past.
Who the Author of this Production is, is wholly unnecessary to the Public,
as the Object for Attention is the DOCTRINE ITSELF, not the MAN. Yet it may
not be unnecessary to say, That he is unconnected with any Party, and under no
sort of Influence public or private, but the influence of reason and principle.
 Common Sense |