Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-05-05

thing relative to the future, and to |
have faith in some system that pro
poses 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. L
am not willingly out of the church or
out of the faith. My state OF uncer-
taintv is one of unrest. Sometimes
doubt my Immortality, and look upon
the deathbed as the closing scene, after
which there is nothing What shall [
do that have not done?"
All! skepticism is dark and doleful
land Let me say that this Bible Is
either true or false. If it be false, we
are as well off as you; if it be true,
then which of us is safer?
Let me also ask whether your trou-
BILE has not been that you confounded
Christianity with the inconsistent
character of some who profess it. You
are lawyer. In your profession there
are mean and dishonest men. Is that
anything against the law? You are
doctor. There are unskilled and con-
temptible men in your profession. Is
that anything against medicine? You
are merchant There are thieves and
defrauders in your business. Is that
anything against merchandise? Be
hold, then, the unfairness of charging
upon Christianity the wlckedness OF
it's disciples We admit some of the
| charges against those who profess re-
ligion.
Some of the most gigantic swindles
of the present day have been carried
| on by members of the church. There
are men standing in the front rank III
the churches who would not be trusted
for five dollars without good collateral
security. They leave their business
dishonesties in the vestibule OF the
church as they go in and sit at the
communion. Having concluded the
sacrament, they get up, wipe the VINE
from their lips, go out and take up
their sins where they left Oft. 10
serve the devil is their regular work !;
to serve God, a sort Of play spell.
With a Sunday sponge they expect TO
wipe off from their business slate all
the past weeks inconsistencies. You
have no more right to take such
mans life as a specimen of religion
than YOU have to take the twisted irons
and split timbers that lie on the beach
at Coney Island as a specimen OF an
American ship. It is time that we
draw line between religion and the
frailties of those who profess 1t.
THE BIBLE IS THE BEST BOOK.
Do you not feel that the Bible, take
it all in all. is about the best book that
the world has ever seen? Do you know
any book that has as much in it? do
YOU not think, upon the whole, that
it's influence has been benefcent? /
come to you with both hands extended
toward you. In one hand [ have the
Bible, and in the other [ have moth
inc. This Bible in one hand [ will sur
render forever Just as soon as in my
other hand you can put book that Is
better. Today 1 invite you back into
the good old religion of your fathers
to the God whom they worshiped, tc
the Bible they read, to the promises Oh
which they leaned, to the cross Oh
which they hung their eternal expec
, tations You have not been happy {
dav since you swung off; you vii
not be happy a minute until you swing
back.
Again: There may be some of yol
who, in the attempt after Christian
life, will have to run against powerful
passions and appetites. Perhaps 1t
a DISPOSITION to anger that you have t.
, contend against, and perhaps, while II
a very serious mood, you hear of some
thing that makes you feel that you
must swear or die. | know Christian
, man who was once SO eXasperated tina
he said to a mean customer, Il canno
. swear at YOU myself, for am mem
, Der of the church; but if you go down
, stairs my partner in business vii
t swear at you" All your good resolu
t tons heretofore have been torn to tat
} tiers by explosion of temper Nov
t there is no harm in getting mad If you
r only get mad at sin. You need t.
bride and saddle those hot breathe'
passions, and with them ride down IN
n Justice and wrong. There are thou
e sand things III the world that we Ough
S to be mad at. There is no harm i
e getting red hot if you only bring t
d the forge that which needs hammer
e ing. A man who has no power c
e righteous Indignation is an lmbecut
a But be sure it is a righteous indlgnf
L ton, and not a petulancy that blul
Y and unravels and depletes the soul.
|, There is large class of persons 1
r, midlife who have still in them app
? tites that were aroused in early MAJ
1t hood. at a time when they pride
u themselves on being '1ittle fast
e "high livers," ''free and easy" ''ha
?, fellows we'll met" They are now pa.
d ing. in compound interest, for troubl
p they collected twenty years ago. Son
it of you are trying to escape, and ye
C. will-yet very narrowly, as with Il
skin of your teeth F." God and yol
10 own soul only know what the strugg
d is. Omnipotent grace has pulled O
re many a soul that was deeper in Il
E. mire than you are. They line Il
1T | beach of heaven-the multitude who
ct God has rescued from the thrau
e. suicidal habits. If you this day tu
he your back on the wrong and sta
ct anew God will help you. Oh, t
is weakness of human help! Men w
h, sympathize for awhile and then tu
lie you off If you ask for their pard(
h. they will give it and say they will
It you again; but, falling away aga
OF under the power of temptation, tn
X cast you off forever But God fe
be gives seventy times seven; yea, sew
he hundred times; yea, though this
is the ten thousandth time. He is me
81 earnest, more sympathetic, more he
h. full this last time than when you to
hit your first misstep.
If, with all the influences favoral
i'll for right life, men make SO ma
nc mistakes, how much harder is it whe
nd for instance, some appetite thrusts
he iron grapple into the roots OF
oh tongue, and pulls a man down W
ia hands of destruction! If, under 81
me circumstances, he break away, tn
OF. will be no sport in the undertake.
re; no holiday enjoyment, but a strug
Of in which the wrestlers move from S
cd hand o,,1 twist and wal