The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-09-25
Lazy Religion.

we nave plenty OF stale, lnSlpId,
lethargic, half-and-half religious
life. The church needs more ca
loric. The stove must have the
damper open, and the CRATE shaken;
and the dull heap of darkness must
become a bright illumination. We
need more earnestness in the mat
ter of prayer. In childhood we be-
gin with "Now, lay me down to
sleep, and we learn the Lords pray
er, and then, in after-life, we get
few formulas Of prayer, and go on
with the same thing year by year,
as though we did not have every
day new sins to sconfess and new
blessing for which to thank God.
What is prayer? A doctor in the
army said he was going over bat
tle-feld after a great conflict. He
had but few medicines, and there
we're enough men wounded to occu-
py twenty or thirty surgeons. He
could only attend to a small part of
the wounded. It was doleful, he
said, to hear the cries of the wound
ed men. One cried out: "This ar
terry is bleeding me to death, doctor
-won't you bind it upP' And
some one else cried: doctor, can't
you give me an anodyne to sooth
this pain?' Hundred of voices
crying out all cover the battlefield.
Ah, that was prayer! We are
wounded from the crown of the
head to the sole of our feet-hurt
with wounds that will be sure, death
unless we have the divine surgeon
come to our relief. Are we holding
up these gashes of soul before
Christ, our Divine Physician? Are
we anxious for Him to come? That
is prayer, and anything short of
it is no prayer at all. We saw in
one of English journals a picture of
the destruction of the Northfeet
some time ago. You know how
that vessel was anchored because of
the rough sea-not venturing out
very far. The afternoon went by,
the evening came down, and in the
darkness, a steamer crashed into
the Northfeet and she sank. Amid
the excitement they got out ofthe
lifebOats; but the most Of the pas
sengers perished, three hundred 60
ing down to watery grave. But a
few got into the boats. We saw a
picture representing a boat shov-
ing off, begging that they would
take him in the boat. o. it was a
distressing picture. We could al
most hear that man. cry out:
"Let me in! won't be heavy! II
can't die! 1 don't want to die here
Let me in!' All, that was the pray
er of dying soul for life. And if
we could realize the position we oc-
cupy before God, going down IN
our sin and wretchedness, while the
gospel lifeboat without is pulling
away with two oars and two wound
ed hands for the beach. we would,
from the depths of our anguish
stricken soul offer. up a prayer to
God for mercy and pardon and life.
Further, we want more earnestness
in the matter Of christian work. A
brother comes into a prayer meet
ing, and he stands up to speak a
word for Christ? How tremulous
he isl He says: 81 wonder if the
people will hear meT' His heart is
thoroughly enlisted, He lwonders
who will criticise him. He wonders
If such and such a person is pres
ent. Before he begins to speak for
Christ, he looks all around, TO be
sure such an one is not in the room.
How he trembles! After a while
ne gets through, and he wonders
he has made any mistakes,
and he goes awfy asking his friend,
'How did 1 do tonight? Did l
get along well, or did [ make a
Dalk?" He is not in earnest. There
s another young man beside him.
What does he care for rhetoric?
He says; "Here are people that I
must meet before the throne of God,
and 1 have but three minutes to
ak to them. 1 don't care what
people say. 1t is between God and
ny soul, and their soul" A Sab
1ath-school teacher sits down be-
ore her class. She is not in earn
,st; she has no appreciation of the
great work to which.. she is called.
She thinks it is fine thing to be a
Sabbath-school teacher. She comes
n, and says to her class: "Fine
lay" Then she arranges her ap !
)arel; then she gives an extra twist
o the curl, and looks at the appa-
el of all the. children in the class.
\ minister of the gospel comes on
he Sabbath-day into the ante-room
# the room of the church. He is
lot in earnest. He has just hap
'ened to get into the ministry.
lie says: 81 wonder what the news Z
'apers will say to-day? 1 wonder
low many critics there will be
n church to-day? 1 wonder if that
harp-looklng man that sat before :
ne last Sabbath, looking at me
trough those spectacles, will be
here to-day? / wonder if my hair
) parted straight 1 wonder how
ny craVat is tied? wonder if my r
hoes have the right polish2 I won
er il that gesture made while 4
go is gracefulY' The Sabbath
oes by, and the people disperse to
heir homes; no Saving impress i
ion is made, the Sabbath is dead
nd will live again until the resur-
ection. Mean while, there is
hole race overheard. How few :
ands are stretched out to lift men
ut of the food; how few prayers
fered; how few earnest importu-
tiles; how little earnest Christian
-ork. We do not know how this
lits your case, we know it suits
lr own. whatsoever thy hand
ndeth TO do, do it with thy might; q