The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-02-10


you do it. If your work Is that OF
then God will help you, as
He helped Simon when he dragged
Gennesaret If your work is drawing
water, then he will help you, as when
He talked at the well-curb to the Sa-
marian woman. If you are engaged
in the custom-hou He will lead you,
as He led Matthew sitting at the re-
ceipt of customs A religion that is not
good in one place is not worth any
thing in another place. The man who
has only days wages in his pocket as
certainly needs the guidance OF re-
ligion as he who rattles the keys of
bank, and could abscond with one hum
bred thousand hard dollars.
There are those prominent in the
churches who seem to be on public oc-
casions very devout, who do not put the
principles of Christ's religion into prac-
tice They are the most memorable OF
creditors. They are the most grasping
of dealers. They are known as
sharpers on the street They fleece
every sheep they can catch. A coun-
try merchant comes in to buy spring
or fall goods. and he gets into the
store of one of these professed Chris
tian men who have really no grace in
their hearts, and he is completely swim.
died. He is so overcome that he can
not get out of town during the week.
He stays in town over Sunday, goes
into some church to get Christian con-
ISOLATION, when, what is his amazement
to find that the very man who hands him
the poor-box in the church is the one
who relieved him of his money. But
never mind; the deacon has his black
coat on now. He looks solemn,
and goes home talking about
''the blessed sermon" If the wheat
in the churches should be put into
hopper, the first turn OF the crank
would make the chaff fly, I tell you.
Some of these men are great sticklers
for Gospel preaching. They say: 'You
stand there in bands and surplice and
gown and preach-preach like an angel,
and we will stand out there and attend
to business. Don't mix things. Don't
get business and religion in the same
bucket. You attend to your matters
and we will attend to ours" They do
not know that God sees every cheat
that they have practiced in the last six
years: that He can look through the iron
wall of their fire. proof safe: that He has
counted every dishonest dollar they
have in their pocket, and that day oi
Judgment will come. These inconsist-
ent Christian men will sit on the Sab
bath night in the house of God, singing
at the close of the services, Rock Of
Ages Cleft for Me-" and then, when the
benediction is pronounced, shut the
pew door, and say, as they go out
Goodbye, religion. I'll be back next
Sunday"
think that the Church of God anG
the Sabbath are only an armory where
we are to get weapons. When wal
comes, if a man wants to fight for his
country, he does not go to Troy Oh
Springfield to do battling, but he goes
there for swords and muskets. lool,
| upon Vic VI Slll lou anu OiiC 20 "
bath day and only the place and time
where and when we are to get armed
for Christian conflict; but the battle
field is on Monday, Tuesday, Wednes
day, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
"St Martin 81 and "Lenox," and ''OlC
Hundred" do not amount to any thing
unless they sing all the week. A ser
mon is useless unless we can take i
with us behind the pillow and the coun
ter The Sabbath day is worthless if i
last only twenty-four hours.
There are many Christians who say
1--WE are willing to serve God, but w,
do not want to do it in these spheres
about which we are talking; and i
seems so insipid and monotonous. |
we had some great occasion, if we hat
lived in the time of Luther, if we hac
been Paurs travelling companion, if W,
could serve God on great scale, W,
would do it; hut we CAM in this every
day life" admit that great deal o
the romance and knight.errantry of lif
have disappeared before the advanc
of this pract ical age. The ancien
temples Of Rouen have been changes
into the store-house and smithies
The residences of poets and prince
have been turned into brokers' shops
The classic mansion of Ashland ha
been cut up into walking-sticks. TIL
groves where the poets said the god
dwelt have been carted out for fire
wood.
The muses. that we read about hav
disappeared before the emigrant's a
and the trapper's gun, and that man VIII
is waiting for life bewitched of wor
ders will never find it There is, how
ever, field for endurance and grea
achievements, but it is in every-da
life. There are Alps to scale, there ar
Tablespoons to swim, there are YES I
brave; but they are all around lis nov
This is the hardest kind of martyrdor
to bear. 1t took grace to lea
Latimer and Ridley through the fire tr
umphantly when their armed enemie
and their friends were looking on; br
it requires more grace now to brin
men through persecution, when nobod
is looking on. l could show you in thi
city a woman who has had rheumatisr
for twenty years, who has endure
more suffering and exhausted NOR
grace than would have made twent
martyrs pass triumphantly through til
fire. If you are rot faithful to an i;
significant position in life, you woul
not be faithful in a grand mission.
yoa can not stand the bite of a midg,
how could you endure the breath of
basilisS?
Do not think that any work God give