The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-11-22

H
Capt Judkins, Of the steamship Scotia,
picked up in hurricane. go aloft!' =
said Capt JudlSins to his mate.
and look ont for wrecks" Before
the mate had gon, far up the
ratlines he shouted: "A wreck!
wreckp' where away?" said Capt.
Judkins. ''Off the port bow" was the
/ answer Lifeboats were lowered and
forty men volunteered put out across
( the angry sea for the wreck. They
came back with dozen shipwrecked,
and among them boy Of twelve years.
"Who are you?" said Capt. Judkins.
The answer was: 81 am a Scotch boy.
My father and mother are dead and
4 am on my way to America" What
have you hereP" said Capt. Judkins,
as he opened the boys jacket and took
hold Of n rope around tho boys
body 1T is rope" said the boy.
"But what is that tied by this rope
under your arm?" THAT, sir, Is my
mothers Bible. She told me never to
lose that" Gould You not have saved
something else?" mot and saved
that" ibid you expect to go down"'
ayes, sir, but / meant to take my |
mothers Bible down with me-"
"Bravor' said Capt. Judkins, II will
take care Of YOU" That boy demon
strated a certainty and confidence
I that like. just in proportion as you
have few "ifs' of incredulity in your
religion, will you find comfortable
religion. My full and unquestioning
faith in It Is founded on the fact that
IL soothes and sustains In time or
trouble. do not believe that any man
who ever lived had more blessings and
prosperity than have received from
God and the world. But have had
trouble enough TO allow me oppor-
tunity for finding out whether our re-
ligion is Of any use in such exigency.
have had fourteen great bereave-
ments, to say nothing OF lesser be-
reavements, for was the youngest oil
a large family. l have had as much
persecution as comes to most people. l
have had all kinds Of trial, except Sc
we're and prolonged sickness, and
would have been dead long ago, but
for the consolatory power Of religion.
ANY religion will do in time OF pros
perity. Buddhism will do. Confucian7
ism will do. Theosophy will do. No
| religion at all will do. But when the
} world gets after you and defames your
I best deeds, when bankruptcy takes the
? place OF large dividends, when you fold
for the last sleep the still hands over
I the still heart Of your old father who
I has been planning for your welfare all
I these years, or you close the eyes OF
your mother who has lived in your life,
D ever since before you were born, re-
r moving her spectacles because she will
2 have clear vision in the home to which
S she has gone, or you give the last kiss
q 70 the child reclining amid the flowers
n that pile the casket and looking as nat
!, ural and life-like as she ever did re-
Q clining in the cradle, then the only
{" religion worth anything is the old
h fashioned religion Of the Gospel OF Je-
v sus Christ. would give more In such
g crisis for one Of the promises ex-
t pressed in half verse of the old Book
l, than for whole library containing all
II the productions Of all the other reli-
Is pions of all the ages. The other reli-
a gions are sort of cocaine to benumo
,e and deaden the soul while bereave-
h ment and misfortune do their work.
n but our religion is inspiration, illumi'
" nation, emparadisation. 1t is a mix
II ture OF sunlight and hallelujah. Dc
not adulterate IL with one drop OF the
m tincture Of incredulity.
Z. Another Bible 'if," is the IF" Of
Al eternal significance. Solomon gives Us
,t that 'if' twice in one sentence, wher
" he saws: "If thou be wise, thou shall
r be wise for thyself; but, II thou scorn
a. est, thou alone shalt bear it." Chris
,t Rives us that "if'' when he says; VI
1t thou hadst known in this thy day, thu
d, things which belong unto thy peace
Il but they are hidden from thine eyes
l. Paul gives us that 'if' when he says
n "If they shall enter into my rest" Al
ie those ''ifs' and score more that
n might recall put the whole responsi
I'd bility of our salvation on ourselves
ps Christ's willingness TO pardon: No 'if'
10 about that. Christs willingness to help
re No 'if' about that. Realms of glor.
of awaiting the righteous: No ''if' abou
at that The only 'if' in the whole cas-
of worth n moments consideration is tn
ne "ifr that attaches itself TO tn
SO question as 70 whether we will &C
of cent whether we will repent, whethe
w we will believe, whether we will ris
Nv forever. Is IL not time that we TAX
as our eternal future off that swivel? !
of Il not time that we extirpate tha
~ 'if," that miserable 'if," that hazard
be ous 'if?' We would not allow thi
th uncertain 'if' TO stay long in any
en- thing else Of Importance. Let some
d. one say in regard 10 railroad bridge
lr- 'T hnve reasons for asking II tina
vn bridge Is safe" and you would nc
Is cross II. Let someone say, II hav
X reasons 10 ask II that steamer Is trust
IL worthy" and you would not TAX
at passage on IL. Let someone suggest !
at regard TO property that you ar
d. about 10 purchase, II have reason
or ask II they can give good title" an
he. you would not pay dollar down unit
of Won had some slsillful real estate Law
- yer examine the title. But l allowe
an for years Of my lifetime and some {
yn You have allowed for years Of you
of lifetime an ''if' 10 stand tossing u
at and down questions Of eternal destiny
1t o, decide, Perhaps your arrival her
he to-day may decide. Stranger thing
n than that have put TO fight foreve