The Red Cloud chief., 1890-05-09

usu . rcIattve who pfOfesscd To be q
Christian, and was thoroughly consist.
ont, living and dying In the faith Of the
Gospel. Would you not like 10 live the
same quiet life and die the same peace.
ful death? have . letter sent mo by
who has rrjected the Christian re-.
liRion. II says: II I'm old enough 10
know that the joys and pleasures Of life
are ~evsnescent. and to realize that u
must b comfortable In old or 70 be.
lieve In something relative IA the fu.
ture, and 10 have . faith In some system
that proposes To savc. am free to cor.
Tess that ] would be happier II I could
exercise tho simple and beautiful faith
that In possessc by many whom ! know.
] am not willingly out " the church or
out Of the faith. My state OF uncer-
tainty IL n ~ unrest. Sometimes I
doubt my immortality, and look upon
tho death bed ~ tho closing scene. after
which there Is nothing. What shall I
do that ] have not donc?" An. skrp.
ticism Is q dark and dolcful land. Let
me say that this Bible Is either true or
false. II - bc false. wa arr a. we'll on
rs you; II u be true. then which Of US IL
safer?
Lct me- lso AJAX whether your trouble
has not been that you COMPOUNDED
Christianity with the inconsistent char.
acter of some who profess II? You are
u lawyer. In your profession there are
mean and dishonest g Il That any
thing against the law? You are a doc.
tor. There are unskilled and contempti.
bic mon In your profession. Il that n
thing against medicine? You are "a mer-
chant. There are thieves and defraud.
"rs In your business. Is that any thing
against merchandise? behold. then,
the unfairncss Of charging upon Chris.
tianity the wickedncss Of Its disciples.
We admit some Of the charges against
those who profess religion. Some Of the
most gigantic swindles Of the day have
carried ON by members Of tho
church.
Their are men standing In the front
rank In the churches who would not be
trusted for five dollars without good
security They leave their
business d~ishoncstics in the vestibule Of
til" church ~ they go In and sit at the
Having concluded the sac.
ramcnt, they get up. wipe the wine
from their lips, 20 out and take M their
sins where they left on. To serve the
devil Ia their regular work: ~ serve God
u sort Of play spell. With % Sunday
sponge they expect To wipe on from
their business slate all the past weeks
Inconsistencies. You have no more
right tn take such o mans life rs a spcci.
men OF religion than you have to take
the twisted iron and split timbcrs that
lilo on the beach NJ Coney Island ~ d
specimen Of an American ship. IL Is
that we draw " line between re-.
ligion and tho frailtics Of those who pro.
fcss IL.
DO you not feel that tho Bible, take
II all In all, u about the hest book that
the world has eve seen? 10 you know
nny book that has ~ much In IL? DO
You think. upon the wholc. that It's In
hucncc he's been benehcent? come 10
you with both hands extended toward
you. In n hand ! have the Bible. and
In the other ] have nothing. This Bible
In n hand ! will surrender for ever
just ~ soon ~ In my other hand you can
put II book that Ia better.
Again: There may 10 some Of you
who, In the attempt after q Christian
life. will have tn run against powerful
passions and appctitcs. Perhaps u liz %
disposition Ia 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 u Christian man
who WAS once 50 cxaspcratcd that he
said Ia u can customers: ~ can not
swear at you myself. for ! am a member
Of the church, but II you will go down
stairs my partner in business will swear
At YOU"
There IL u large class NJ persons In
mid life who have still In them appe.
tit"s that were aroused In early man
hood, at . time when they pridcd them.
solves IN l~ing q "littlc fast" 'high
ltvers," free and easy" hail fellows
we'll met" They are now paying, in
compound interest, for troubles they
collected twenty years ago. Some oi
you are trying to escape, and you will
yet very narrowly. ''as with the skin of
your teeth" tod and your own soul
only know what tho struggle IL Omnip-
Otcnt grace has pulled out many . soul
that WAS deeper In the mire than YOU
are They line tho bcach of Heaven
tho multitude whom God has rescued
from the thrall OF suicidal habits. II
You this day turf your hack ON the
wrong and start anew tod will help you.
II, with all the influences favorable
FOR . right life, men make ~ many mis-.
takes how much harder IL IL when. Tor
instance, some appetite thrustS its iron
grapple into tho roots Of the tongue and
pulls = man down with hands Of dcstruc.
tion' H. under such circumstances he
break away there will 10 no sport In the
undertaking. No holiday enjoyment but
. struggle In which the wrcstlcrs move
frnm aldo Y side. and bead and twist
and watch for On opportunity " get In .
heavier stroke. until with one final cf-
fort, In which the muscles ARE distcndcd
and the vcins stand out and the blood
starts, the swarthy habit falls under the
knee of the victim -r~raprd Ut last ~
with tho skin 81 his teeth"
The ship Emms, bouad FROM Gotten