The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-04-27
False Religion.

Last Sabbath evening at the Baptist
church at this place Rev. w. Z. Cornwell
preached~a discourse from the following
text:
For he bed is shorter than that a man can
stretch himself in it; and the covering mar
rover than that he can wrap himself in it,
Isaiah xviii, 20.
The people alluded to by the prophet
Isaiah, Mr.. Cornwell said, were noted for
their Incidence and stupidity, and the time
was drawing near when their trust in idle
ness wonld be of no avail. This language
of the prophet has a practical application
to our own times and suggests this theme
false religion. There is no true comfort
in the hopes or expectations of an ~ungodly
man. The scriptures declare that the
hopes of the ungodly man shall perish.
Few men honestly believe that they will
ever go to perdition. They believe there
is a Heaven and a hell, and in order to be
prepared for Heaven they must repent of
their sins and believe in the Son of God.
They themselves know they are not fit for
Heaven, but hope something will come
which will eventually be the means of
bringing them to a saving repentance and
cause them to exercise faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. They think when their sick
hess COulES III W i DC a pipiOISEi ~ dh0
they can then send for a minister or Chris
tian friend, through whose prayers they
hope to be saved. Such hopes and expect
ations are without foundation. There
must be something to base their hopes and
expectations upon. II is useless for a
young man to expect to secure an educa-
ton if he has no disposition to study. If
the farmer who wants to reap next July a
bountiful harvest of wheat had deferred
sowing until the second week in May there
would be nothing to base his expectations
upon. 1t Is sheer folly for the young man
who will not heir a dollar to expect to live
in wealth and luxury while he is determin-
ed to live a life of idleness. In a religious
sense the man who is living a life of care
lessness and sin has nothing to base the
expectations that he will finally reach
Heaven. Many men say II know | am not
what | ought to be, but don't expect to die
as | am now living. expect to be a true
man after awhile" And those men con-
tinue on in their rebellious life. An in
temperate man has nothing to base tie
hope of reformation on so long as he is con-
tinuing a life of intemperance. The gamb-
Ter has no sure hope of leaving off
gambling when he is continually at the
gambling table.
by living a lie OF heglect OF dut} thefo
is nothing to base TIE hope of reformation
or salvation upon. Then to the uneon-
verted let me say the probabilities are
your souls will be lost. There is no soul
rest or time comfort in a belief on doc
trine which Is not founded upon the word
of God.
Again, somo persons say Il would be a
Christian, but there are SO many i%nconsis-
tent professors of religion that / do not
want to be numbered with them" Mr..
Cornwell advised all such persons who
know what Christianity is to set before the
world a Christian example. This matter
Of religion. he said, is between ourselves
and our God. Because any protesting
Christian has done wrong does not
relieve MS in the least. The man who
fails to place his hopes upon Christ and
depends upon his own righteousness Will
find he has deceived himself when he
stands before the eternal bar of God.