The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-07


at them day after day, night after night,
suit He knew that he had not taken one
farlhing from that bank, but somehow, for
some reason inscrutable then, the ac-
counts wouldn't balance. The time rolled
on, and the morning. OF the day when the
books should pass under the inspection Of
the other officers arrived, and he felt him
self in awful peril, conscious Of his own IN
tegrity, but unable to prove that integity.
That morning he went to the bank early,
and he knelt down before God and told
the whole story OF his mental anguish, and
he said: 30 Lord, / have done right; |
have preserved my integrity, but here
am about TO DO overthrow unless Thou
should como TO my rescue. Lord, deliver
me-" And for one hour he continued the
prayer before God and then he rose and
went to an old blotter he had forgot
ten NIL about lie opened IL, and
there lay a sheet OF figures which he
only needed TO add 10 another line OF fig
ures some line OF figures he had forgot
ten, and knew not where he had laid
thcm-and the accounts were balanced,
and the Lord delivered him. You are an
infidel ii you do not believe II. The Lord
delivered him. God answered his prayer
as He will answer your prayer. o, man OF
business, in every crisis when you come
TO Him. Now, II this be 80, then am
persuaded, az you are, OF the fact that the
vast majority OF Christians do not fully
test the value Of their religion. They arc
like farmer in California, with 1900
acres OF good wheat land, and culturing
only quarter OF nm acre. Why do you
not go forth and make the religion OF
Jesus Christ practical affair every day OF
your business lilo and all this year, begin
Mug now. and tomorrow morning putting
into practical effect this holy religion and
demonstrating in your life that Goodness
is profitable hero rs well MS hereafter?
How can you get along without this re.
ligion? ls your physical health NO good
you do not want this divine tonic7 Is your
mind so clear, so vast, 30 comprehensive
that you do not want this divine inspia.
ton? Is your worldly business so thor
oughly established that you have no use
for that religion which has been the help
and delivomnce Of tens Of thousands u
men in crises Of worldly trouble? And II
what have said this morning is true,
then you see what a fatal blunder il is
when man adjourns 10 lie's expiration
the uses ol religion. A man who postpones
religion Ia sixty years OF age gets religion
fifty years too late. lie may get into the
Kingdom OF God by final repentance, but
what can compensate him for whole life
time unalleyiatcd aud uncontrolled? You
want religion today in the training Of that
child. You viii want religion tomorrow
in dealing with that Western customer.
You wanted religion yesterday in curbing
your temper In your arm strong
enough TO beat your way through
the hoods7 Can YOU without be.
ing ancased in the mail Of Gods eternal
help 20 forth amid the assault OF hells
sharp-shoOiers? eau you walk alone across
these crumbiing graves and amid these
gaping earthquakes? Can YOU, water
logged and mas,-shiyercd, outlive the gale2
Oh. how many there have been who, post
| pOning the religion oi Jesus Christ, have
| plunged into mistakes they never could
correct although they lived eighty years
after, and like serpents crushed under cart
wheels, dragging their maulod bodies un.
der the rocks TO die; 10 these men have
fallen under the wheel OF awful calamity.
crushed here, destroyed forever, while
vast multitude Of others have taken the
religion OF Jesus Christ into everyday
| lie, and iint IN practical business affairs,
aud secondly, on the throne Of heavenly
| triumph, have illustrated, while angels
looked on and a universe approved, the
! glorious proof that "Godlincss il profitable
unto all things, having the promise OF the
life which now il rs we'll ~ OF that which
/ Is 10 COME