Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-10-16


gown and ritual the Presbyterians
have their starch and elegance, and
the Baptists have their water, but the
Methodists have nothing at all if
they dot have their religion,
Nov, brethren, I'm going to talk
abont my ideal church. / don't ex-
pect to see it in my day, but it's a
coming and I'm going to do what
/ can to help it along.
"The philanthropic people of Nash
vile never did anything so grand for
the cause of Christianity as when
they determined to buy this place
and dedicate it to God. / expect
thousands of souls to be born to God
between these old walls.
"The kind of religion we want is
that which will, go down and hunt
up the poor miserable wretches who
have got below common humanity.
"Listen here. Nine-tenths of the
grand characters in the church are
from the common classes. What
good are these old colonies and
majors and generals worth tC the
church? 1t takes them all their time
to fight the devel off themselves and
they can't do anything for other
folks.
''There are some men-the name
of one OF them is Tom Ryman-who
are worth more to the church than
all the colonies and judges and gen,
erals in this town.
"Now, to you men who get drunk.
Don't say that getting drunk is be-
ing Overtaken in fault. Jugs and
demijohns have no legs and cannot
run after you.
"That's why am a:prohibitionist.
am no more to blame for being a
prohibitionist than 1 am for being a
Christian. can't be Christian
without being probibitionist.
'If being a prohibftionist is trea-
son to the Democraticic party, then
Pm most arrant traitor. If any
Democratic paper or politician can
assail me because / am against the
greatest curse that ever cursed a
home or broke wOman's heart, then
let him raise the black flag and let's
us fight it to the death.
"Some people who join the church
never can take step towards heaven
unless two brothers get under his
arms and be crutches for him. And
you'll never get there, my brother,
unless you get there as crutch for
somebody.
zone of the best and purest and
most respected and most loved
women I ever knew spent two or
three evenings each week among
dissolute women of the city, trying
to get the poor wretches to go to the
home she had prepared for them,
that there souls might be saved.
"Thank God for the help we can be
to each other. One of these reporters
told me that he heard young lawyer
say that he has lived in Nashville
five years and not a man, woman or
child has ever said a word to him
about being Christian. Brethren,
is that right? Let's stand by one
another. Let us say, IF man goes
to hell from here he was not in my
reach I tell you, there is not a soul
out of hell that my heart does not
yearn over.
81 want to say to any lost, ruined
man here to-day, there are arms that
can and will sustain you if you'll
only ask God for help. Put your
trust in God.
"A man is just as strong as the
thing he commits himself to do. I'll
l start across the Atlantic in a paper
box Pm sure to go down as soon as
the box gets wet. But if / get in
splendid Cunard line steamer | have
all the power of that massive vessel
to support me. AS long as | trust in
God am just as strong as He is.
Won't you try to be as strong as
Cod ~,