The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-12-07
reptile. God abhors it with an all-consum.

I
ing adherence
Once more, take the suggestion of the
text and drive out the snail from your
soul. God has declared it unclean. 1t is
an animal to be found everywhere be.
| tween the coolest north and the hottest
south. There are l, 800 species of the snail.
They have no backbone and they are so
slow that their movement is almost impor-
ceptible. You see snail in one place 10.
day; go Tomorrow and you will find is
has advanced only few inches. 1t be.
comes en- emblem of that large class Of
Christian people who 60 to work with q
sowness and sluggishness that is wonder
full. They are stopped by every little OBJ
stac!e, because, like the snail, they have
no backbone. Others mount up on eagles
wings, but they 80 at snail's pace.
. child of God, arouse! We hnve
apotheoszed prudence and caution long
enough. Prudence is a beautiful grace,
but OF all the family of Christian graces l
like her the least, for she has been married
| so often TO laziness, sloth aud stupidity.
We have a million idlers in the Lords
vineyard who pride themselves on their
prudence. 'Be prudent" said the dis.
ciples of Christ, ''and stay away from
jerusalem" but He went. ''Be prudeut,n
said Paul's friends, land look out for what
you say to Felix" but he Numbered away
| until the rulers knees knocked together.
In the eyes of the world the most impru-
dent men that ever lived were Martin
Luther, and John Oldcastle, and
Wesley, and Knox. My opinion is that
the most imprudent and reckless thing is
to stand still. 1t is well to hear our COM
| mander's voice when he says HALT" hut
quite as important 10 hear it when he says
Forward" This gospel ship made to
pillow the sea at fifteen knots an hour, is
not making three. Sometimes it is most
prudent to ride your horse slowly and
pick out the way for his feet and not strike
him with the spurs, but when a band of
Sho'hone Indians are after you in full tilt
the most prudent thing for you to do is to
plunge in the rowels and put your horse
to a full run, shouting: go 'long!" until
the Rocky mountains echo it.
The foes of God are pursuing US. The
world, the flesh and the devil are after US,
and our wisest course is to go ahead at
swiftest speed. When the Church of God
gets to advancing too fast it will be time
enough 10 use caution. No need of putting
on the brakes while going up hill. Do not
let US sit down waiting for something ito
turn up" but go ahead in the name of God
and turn it up. The great danger to the
Church now is not sensation, but stagna-
ton. o that the Lord God would send a
host of aroused and consecrated men to
set the Church on fire and to turn the
world upside down. Let US go to work
and catch the last snail in our souls.
With divine vehemence let US stamp
its life out for my text declares:
These also shall be uncleau
TO you among the creeping things that
creep upon the earth, the chameleon aud
the snail" l have thus tried TO prejudice
these Christian men and women against
gloominess and Islander. and half-and-
half experiences, and changeableness, and
slo'h. Our opportunities for getting bet
ter are being rapidly swallowed up in the
remorseless past. This golden Sabbath is
about to drop out of the calendar. This
moment may we drive out all the unclean
things from our souls-the vnlture and the
bat, and the owl, and the chameleon. and
the snail, and in place thereof bring in
the Lamb of God. and the Dove of the
Spirit The case is urgent. Arouse. before
it be eternally too late! whatsoever thy
hand findeth to do, do IT,"