The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-26

SUIT circumstances, always taking their
color OF religious belief from the man they
are talking to. They 90 to one place, and
are first-late Unitarians. Jesus was a
good man, but nothing more" They 90
to Princeton, and they are Trintarans, al.
most willing TO die for the divinity of
Jesus. Among the Universalists they re-
fuse the idea OF future punishment; and,
going among those of opposite belief an
nounce that there is hell, with gusto
that makes you think they are glad OF it.
Drive out that unclean chameleon from
your soul. Do not be ever changing the
color of your faith. My friends, liberal
Christianity, falsely so.called, believes
in nothing. God is anything you
want TO make Him. The Bible
is to be believed in so far as you
like it. Heaven grand mixing up Of
Neros and Pauls. The man who dies by
suicide in his right mind in 1883 beating
into glory by ten years the Christian man
who dies Christian death in 1898, the
suicide proving himself wiser than the
Christian. Oh, my friends, let us try to
believe in something. An infde was
called to the bedside OF his daughter The
daughter said: "Father, which shall |
believe, you or mother. Mother took the
religion of Christ, and died in It's embrace.
You say that religion is humbug. Now,
l am going TO die, aud / am very much
perplexed; shall | believe you or take the
belief of my molher?" The father said
Choose for Yourself" She said: "No,
am too weak TO choose for myself want
you TO choose for me-" "Well said the
father, after much hesitation and en-
barrassment, MARY, / think you had
better take the religion OF your mother"
The time will come when we shall have 70
believe something. We cannot afford TO
be on the fence in religion. Truth and
error are set opposite 20 each other. The
one is infinitely right and the other in
finitely wrong. In the judgment day we
must give an account Of what we believed
as well rs for what we acted The differ
cnce between believing truth and behev.
ing error Is the difference between para
disc and pcrdition. beg you, in the
light OF the Bible, and on your knees be-
fore God, TO form your religious opinion
and then stuck TO II, though business com.
panions scott and wits caricaturc, and the
air cracklcs with the fires Of martyrdom.
Surely truths in behalf OF which Christ
died, and the angels OF God troopcd forth,
and the whole universe is marshaled, are
worth living for and worth dying for
Amidst the most unclean things is this
ever changing chameleon OF religious
theory. Away with the reptilel God
abhors It with an all-consuming abhor-
renee.
Once more-take the suggestion OF the
text, and drive out the snail from your soul.
God has declared II unclean. Il is an
animal tobe found everywhere between the
h.
are 800 species OF the snail. They have
no backbone aud they are 80 slow that
their movement Is almost imporccptiblc.
You see a snail in one place today; % to-
morrow and you will find IL has advanced
only a few inches II becomes an emblem
Of that large class Of Christian people who
90 to work with a slowness and sluggish
ness that is wonderful. They are stopped
by every little obstacle, because, like the
snail, they have no backbone. Others
mount up on eagle wings, but they 40 at a
snails pace.
o child Of God. aroused We have
apOtheoiyel Prudence and Caution long
enough. Prudence Is beautiful grace, but
OF all the family OF Christian grRccs like
her the least, for she has been married 10
often 10 lazincss, Sloth aud Stupidity. We
have q million idlcn I'm the Lords vino
yard who pride themselves on their pru-
dencc. "llo prudent" said the disciples
10 Christ, 'and stay away from Jefusa.
lem" but he went. "Hc prudent" said
Paul's friends, land look out Tor what YOU
say 10 Felix" but lac thundercdawav until
the rulers knees knocked together In the
eyes OF the world, the most imprudent men
that ever lived were Martin Luther, aud
John OldcastlC, aud Wesley and Knox. My
opinion is that the most impIudcnt and
reckless thing II 20 stand still. II Is well
90 hear our Commanders voice when lie
says Halt" but quite M important 10
hear II whom lie saws Forward" This
Gospel ship, made 10 pillow the sea at
fifteen knots an hour, is not making three.
Sometimes Il Is most prudent 10 ride
your horses slowly aud pick out the
way for his feet, aud not strike him with
the spun; but when band Of Shoshonc
Indians are after you In full tilt, the most
prudent thing for you 10 10 IN 10 plunge In
the rowels andput your horse 20 full run,
shouting, Go long" until the Rocky
Mountains echo H. The foes oi God are
pursuing Us. Tie world, the lcsh and the
dew u arc after us. and our wiscst course Is
90 20 ahead ut swiitcst speed.
When the Church oil God gets = a..
yancing too fast, Il will be- time enough 10
use caution. No need Of putting on the
brakes while going up hill. DO not let ~
III down waiting for something 10 turn
up" but 10 ahead in ihc name Of God, md
turn Il mp. The great danger 10 tho Church
now h not sensation, but stagnatiOn. Oh
that the Lord God would scnl host Of
aroused aud consocralcd men 10 sct the
Church on ilrc, aud ~ turn the world up.
side down. Let NJ 20 10 work aud catch
thc last snail IN our souls. With Divine
vchcmonce let az stamp ~ life out; for my
text declares These also shall be un.
clean 10 you among the creeping things
that creep upon thc earth. the chameleon
and the snail" ihavc thus tricd 10 prrju-
dice these Christian men and women
against gloomincss, md SANDER and half
nud.hall experiences. and changcablonca,
and sloth. Our opportunities Tor getting
better are being rapidly swallowed up in
the rcmonclcF past. This golden Sabbath
Is about 10 drop ont 81 the calendar. This
moment may We drive ont oil the unclcan
things FROM our souls tho yulturc, aud
the lat, and tie owl. and the chameleon,
and the snail. aud in place thereof bring
In the Lamb Of God. aud the Dove Of the
Spirit The case Is urgent Afousol be-
fore 10 boz Cicullly too laicl Whatsoever
Thy hand lndolh 30 do, do itl"
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THE rDiTOnB.