Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-05-09


death! have letter, sent me by one who
has rejected the Christian religion. 1t says:
i am old enough to know that the toys
ana pleasures of life are evanescent and to
realize the fact that it must be comfortable
N old age to believe in something relative
to the future, and to have faith in some
system that proposes to save. | am free to
confess that | would be happier if ] could
exercise the simple and beautiful faith that
Is possessed by many whom know. | am
not willingly out of the church or out of
the faith. Ny state of uncertainty IS one
OF unrest. Sometimes | doubt my immor.
tality and look upon the death bed as the
closing srpnc, utter which there Is nothing.
What shall | do that | have not done"
Alb! Skepticism is a dark and dolcful land
Let me say that this Bible is either true or
false. Ii it he false, we are as well off as
you; if it be true, then which of us is saferF
Let me also ask whether your trouble has
not been shat you COMPOUNDED Christianity
with the inconsistent character of some
who profess it, You are a lawyer In your
profession there are mean and dishonest
men. Is chat anything against the law? You
are doctor There are unskilled and con.
tenptlhlc mcn in your profession Is that
c0l thing against mCGicineH You are ner.
craut There are thieves and defrauders
III your business. Is that anything against
merchandise Behold, then, the unfair.
ness of charging upon Christianity the
Wickedness of its Disciples We admit some
Of che charges against those who profess re.
-igion. Some of { he most gigantic swindles
Of the present day have been carried on by
molnbers OF the church. There are men
standing in the front rank in the churches
who would not he trusted for five dollars
without good collateral security. They
leave their business dishOnCstics in the
Ngsti5ule OF the church Is obey go in and
sit at the communion. Having concluded
the Sa"ramott, they get mp. wipe The wine
from thCir lips, go cut, and take up their
sins where they lett OF. TO serve the devil
Is their regular work, to serve God sort
OF play spell. with a sunday sponge they
expect to wipe OF from their hueircss slate
all the past weeks Inconsistencies You
have no more right TO take such mans
life as Il specimen OF religion than you have
to take the twisted irons and sDli, tinbers
that lie on the beach at Concy Island as IA
specimen OF at American ship 1t is time
that we draw line between religion and
the frallties OF those Who profess ii.
THE BIBLE
10 YOU not feel that the Bible. take it
all in all, * about the best hook that the
world has ever seen: Do vou know any
book hat has rs much in it. Do vou not
think, upon the whole, that il, influence
has been hencfcont: COME - YOU With
both hands eytcnd,d toward You. In one
band have the lihlo. and in the other |
have nothing This Bible in one hand |
will surrender forever lust as soon ns in
my other hand You can Dut book that is
better. Today invite Won back into the
good old fashioned religion of vour fathers
to the God whom they v,orshippd. to tEe
Bible they read. 40 the PROMISES on wbi,',
they leaned. to the cross ON which they
hung their eternal eXpectations You have
not been haupv Il day since Won sv-un,, off.
Won will not be happv a minute until Won
swing back
Again: There may he some of YOU who,
il the attempt after d Christian life, viii
have to run against powerful passions and
appetitts. Perhaps it is a disposition to
anger that you have to cun,rnd against;
and perhaps, while in very serious mood,
you hear Of something that mikes YOU fe,l
that You must swear or die. | know a
Christian man who was once so eXasDnratoi
that he said to n mean customer. ~ con-