The Iola register., 1890-05-16

tainty is one OF unrest. Sometimes
doubt my immortality, and look upor
the death bed as the closing scene, after
which there is nothing. What shall
do that have not done?" Ahi skep
ticism is dark and doleful land. Let
me say that this Bible is either true Oh
false. If it be false, we are as well of
as you; If it be true, then which of us is
safer?
Let me also ask whether your trouble
has not been that you confounded
Christianity with the inconsistent char
acter of some who profess it? You are
lawyer. In your profession there are
mean and dishonest men. Is that any
thing against the law? You are doc
tor There are unskilled and contempti-
BILE men in your profession. Is that any
thing against medicine? You are amer
chant. There are thieves and defraud-
ers in your business. Is that any thing
against merchandise? Behold, then,
the unfairness of charging upon Chris
tianity the wickedness of its disciples.
We admit some of the charges against
those who profess religion. Some of the
most gigantic swindles of the day have
been carried on by members of the
church.
There are men standing in the front
rank in 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 60 in and sit at the
communion. Having concluded the sac
rament they get up, wipe the wine
from their lips, go out and take up their
sins where they left off. To serve the
devil is their regular work; to serve God
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 speci-
men of religion than you have to take
the twisted iron and split timbers that
lie on the beach at Coney Island as
specimen of an American ship. 1t is
time that we draw line between re-
ligion and the frailties of those who pro-
fess it.
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 think, upon the whole, that its in
fiuence has been beneficent? / come to
you with both hands extended toward
you. In one hand / have the Bible, and
in the other have nothing. This Bible
in one hand L will surrender for ever
just as soon as in my other hand you can
put book that is better.
All your good resolutions heretofore
have been torn to tatters by explosion
of temper. Now, there is no harm in
getting mad if you only get mad at sin.
You need to saddle and bride those hot
breathed passions and with them ride
down injustice and wrong. There are
a thousand things in the world that we
ought to be mad at. There is no harm
in getting red hot if you only bring to
the forge that which needs hammering.
A man who has no power of righteous
Indignation is an imbecile. But be sure
it is a righteous indignation and not a
petulancy that blurs and unravels and
depletes the soul. .f.
Again: There may be some of you
who, in the attempt after Christian
life, will have to run against powerful
passions and appetites. Perhaps it is
disposition to anger that you have to
contend against; and perhaps, while in
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 that he
said to mean customer: II can not
swear at you myself, for I am member
of the church, but if you will go down
stairs my partner in business will swear
at you" BE-.
There is large class of persons in
mid life who have still in them appe-
tites that were aroused in early man.
hood, at time when they prided them
selves on being a ''little fast, )" high
livers, free and easy" ''hail fellows
well met" They are now paying, in
compound interest, for troubles they
collected twenty years ago. Some of
you are trying to escape, and you will
yet very narrowly, ''as with the skin of
your teeth" God and your own soul
only know what the struggle is Omnip-
otent grace has pulled out many soul
that was deeper in the mire than you
are. They line the beach of Heaven
the multitude whom God has rescued
from the thral of suicidal habits. If
you this day turn your back on the
wrong and start anew God will help you.
If, with all the influences favorable
for right life, men make so many mis-
takes. how much harder it is when, for
instance, some appetite thrusts its iron
grapple into the roots of the tongue and
pulls man down with hands of destruc-
ton! If, under such circumstances, he
break away there will be no sport in the
undertaking, no holiday enjoyment, but
a struggle in which the wrestlers move
from side to side, and bend and twist
and watch for an opportunity to get in a
heavier stroke, until with one final eff
fort, in which the muscles are diStended
and the veins stand out, and the blood
starts, the swarthy habit falls under the
knee of the victim-escaped at last as
with the skin of his teeth"
The ship Emma, bound from Gotten
burg to Harwich, was sailing on, when
the man on the lookout saw something
that he pronounced vessel bottom up.
There was something on it that looked
like sea gull, but was afterward found
to be waving handkerchief. In the
small boat the crew pushed out to the
wreck and found that it was capsized
vessel and that three men had been dig
ging their way out through the bottom
of the ship. When the vessel capsized
they had no means of escape. The Cap
tain took his penknife and dug away
through the planksuntil his knife broke.
Then an old nail was found with which |
they attempted to scrape their way out