Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-08

whole downward career Sto1id and phIeg-
matte natures going astray do not go so
far, but natures like mine, sanguine, in
tense, emotional, optimistic, social to the
last degree, and echoing to all the heights
and depths of mirth, if they get off track,
they go with one wild leap to hell. AS to
the restraining power of this religion upon
mercurial temperament, testify. This
is not abstraction or something gotten
from books. | speak of what know. Go
out and ask all who have tried this re-
ligion and ask them how it works.
Three young men in a factory came out
on the Lords side, but two of them, over
come by the jeers of their comrades, went
back and joined the scoffers. The one held
on to his Christian hope and one day when
they pressed him hard, and were telling
how much infdelity had done for the
world, and that Christianity had done
nothing, the prosecuted Christian turned
upon them, and pointing to Henry and
George, who had for little while followed
Christ and then turned back, he said;
"You have tried your principles on them,
and know what they have done for them.
When they tried to serve Christ they were
civil, good tempered, kind husbands and
fathers, They were cheerful, industrious
and ready to oblige What have you made
them? Look and see. They are cast
down and cross; their mouths are full of
cursing and filthiness; they are drunk
every week; their children half clothed,
their wives broken hearted, their homes
wretched That is what your principles
have done. Now have tried Christ and
his religion, and what has it done for me9
You know well what used to be. There
was none of you that could drink so much,
swear so desperately and fight so mastery.
| had no money and nobody would trust
me. My wife was i'll used, was i'll
humored, hateful and hating. What has
religion done for me? Thank God am
not afraid to put it to you. Am | not a
happier man than was? Am not bet
ter workman and a kinder companion?
Would once have put up with what |
now bear from your | could beat any of
you as easily now as ever. Why don't |?
Do you ever hear foul word from my
mouth? Do you catch me at a public
house? Has anybody IA score against me9
Go and ask my neighbors if am not al
tered for the better Go and ask my wife,
Let my house bear witness God be praised,
here is what Christianity has done for me;
there is what infdeIty has done for Henry
anu ueOTSe
Out of this audience | could gather a
thousand men and women who could tell
you as thrilling "A story as that as to what
religion has done for them. Yea, if times
of persecution should come as of old, and
they may come, there are Thousand here
who would for Chrst's sake as cheerfully
walk into the furnace of fire as though it
were an arbor of thyme and honeysuckle,
and face the lions rs though they were
lambs frisking on the hillside, and wade
down into the deep waters which are to
submerge them as happily as ever at Mar
ragansett beach they took the surf at
summer bathing.
Come up and join those on the way to a
palace. What an absurd thing for king
to be eating grass. Instead of living on
the poor fodder that the world affords,
come up and sit among the princes of God
at the royal banquet and hear the bands
play: Eat, o friendsl Drink, o belovedW
Here is a crown, wear it. Here is a scepter,
sway it. Here is a throne, mount it. This
is your hour, improve it.