The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-02-17

last degree, and echoing 70 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
a 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 factory came out
on the Lords side. but two of them, over
come by the jeers of their comrades, went
back and joired the scoifers. 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
lyon 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 flthiness; 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 mei
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 ill used. l was i'll
humored, hateful and hating. What has
religion done for me2 Thank God | am
not afraid to put it to you. Am | not
happier man than | WASP Am / not bet
ter workman and "a kinder companion?
Would once have put up with what
now bear from you? | 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 a score against me?
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 infidelity has done for Henry
and George.
Out of this audience | could gather a
thousand men and women who could tell
you as thrilling story as that as to what
religion has done for them. Yea, if times
of persecution should come as of old, and
they may cone, there are a thousand here
who would for Christ's sake as cheerfully
walk into the furnace of fire as though it
were an arbor of thyme and honeysuckle,
and face the lions as 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 a
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: Fat, q friendsl Drink, o belovedP
Here is a crown, wear it. Here is a scepter,
sway it. Here is a throne. mount it. This
is your hour. improve it,