M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-03-30
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LAY SERMONS---NO. I.
"GO ys into all the world, and preach" Mark IS
Justify.
BIZ SOLOMON SIMPLE.

bi oOLOMON SIMPLE.
"Go ye into all the world, and preach" Mark IS
is.
To be sure will! Nothing could suit
me better. | am fond of being on tn e
popular side, like others of my profes.
sion; and you, o We SINNERS, belonging
as you do to the democracy of num-
bers," are ten times as strong as all the
combined hosts Of the church put to
gether. Besides, you are about the only
ones who really stand in need of my
services--and about the only people un.
der heaven who can be benefited by
them. For religious people in these
days, like certain old fogies of eighteen
hunded years ago, imagine that no good
thing can possibly come out of Nazar.
eth, and therefore refuses to give heed
to my gentle expostulatlons, and much
needed reproois. But you, O ye bells.
are always willing to hear the truth
because yon are neither afraid, nor
asha med of it; and having "no religion
to boast Of" aud being tied up to no
creed, and probably to nothing else
you are disposed to "p'ove all things,
ard hold fast to that which is good" if
you can fad out what it is.
A philosophical rascal, on being sen.
fenced TO State Prison for life. comfort
ed himself with the conclusion that
mankind are divided into only two Great t
cIasSes-viz; those who are in and those
who are out, and that he belonged TO
the former. The same sublime princi.
Pile; by triAing latitude of interpreta.
ton, may suit our case exactly. For
the Inhabitants Of the world, by mutu-
al consent, and without any visible com
pu!sion. are divided into Two classes
those in The church, and those out of
the chnrch-and both classes are admir-
ably pleased with their respective stu.
ations; the church because they are out
OF the world and the world because they
are out of the church.
But, my beloved fellow sinners, ! re-
oice that am with you, and that can
freely speak TO you, face 10 face. AS
that distinguished member Of our church
PETER PINDAR, SAID, in his afTectionate e
ode to the devil,
Your ways are all so wondrous winning,
And folks so very fond Of SHINING.
cannot do GIthout YOU"
And in the present discourse, shall en-.
deavor more fully to set in order before
you a few of the many reasons for GOV.
aling the honors of voluntary marty.
dom. in your behalf.
In the first place, you are ten times
more wicked than you have any right 10
be! Think, o fellow sinners, of your
awful and ridiculous situation! AS you
have been told, over and over again
"line upon line, precept upon precept,
here little, and there"--a great deal
you are all totally depraved, to begin
with "incapable of thinking good
thought, or doing good action" That
would be bad enough, in all conscience
and yet, with all your gospel privile
ges, and all your natural and afti6c
fears of perdition, and all the hopes you
have INDUCED of being able TO turn a
shor; corner snd cheat the devil out d
his dues, you have been continually
growing worse and worse! Your reli
gious teachers have convinced you o
your outrageous unworthiness, and that
has made you outrageously unworthy
For this reason long TO identify my in
terests with yours; for if we, in stat,
of nature are so bad, what must be the
condition of those who by grace hav,
been rendered SO enlightened and goot
; as to be justly held accountable 70
their faith, and their practices! We
beloved, have the advantage Of SUCH
OF those TO whom much is given, mucl
will be required; but We have nothing
to be thankful for, and much depiavity
which satan would be ashamed of; an,
which is good for nothing under heav
en-, but to exonerate us from all respon
sibiIity.
Secondly: | rejoice o people Of th,
world! that am numbered with The
transgressUrs, because, we have hither'
! W dNOlusu many oil the SINS anu iollles
committed by the church. We are tied
up to no creed; have no stereotyped ar
ticles of faith; have no occasion to boas
Of our humility; and no fancied superb
Ority to be poud of. Our charity. if ",
have any, is as wide as the universe
aud our minds are as free as the blanc
zepnyrs of summers morning. II W,
are sinners above all others we have the
honesty to confess it-while our great
est fault is an excessive libsral;ty. Gu
off from all hopes Of salvation BY grace
our only refuge is in good words, clea
consciences and decent behavior. w,
are doubtless in the broad road tha
Ieadelh to destruction; but it is our con
ISOLATION TO know that nearly all th
clever fellows are our worthy compan
ions.
And yet. fellow sinners. although, b,
some accident, we are not half as bad a
the creeds Of the church have represent
, ed US 20 be, there is great room foI i'm