Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-09-13

May the creature impress the Creator%
Are not all these facts encouraging tc
every Christian and every philanthropistI
Besides that, the rising generation are
being saturated with gospel truth as nc
other generation by this international
series of Sunday school lessons. Formerly
the children were expected only to nibblt
at the little infantile Scripture stories
but now they are taken from Genesis tc
Revelation. the strongest minds of the
tountry explaining the lessons to the
Teachers, and the teachers explaining
them to The classes, and we are going tC
have in this country Q, 600, coo youth fore.
stalled for Christianity. Hear It'll Hear
it'll
Besides that, you must have noticed, il
you have talked on these great themes
that they are finding out that while
science is grand in secular directions
worldly philosophy grand in secular di.
rections, they cannot give any comfort
to a soul in trouble.
COMFORT IN THE GOSPEL.
Talking with men on steamboats, and
in rail cars, find they are coming back
to the comfort of the gospel. They say,
Somehow human science doesn't COM
fort me when have any trouble, and
must try something else" And they
are trying the gospel.
Take your scientific consolation to that
mother who has just lost her child. Ap.
ply the doctrine of the Survival of the
Gtkosk TtaI1 la, that ha~ ol,slI alol l..
cause its lifewas not worth as much as
the life of one that lived. Try that II
you dare. Go to that dying man with
your transoendental phraseology and tell
him he ought to nave confidence in the
great "to be" and the everlasting ''now," 4"
and the eternal "what is itp' and go on
with your consolation and see If he is
comforted.
Go to that woman who has lost her
husband and tell her it was a geological
necessity that that man passed out of ex-
istence, just as the megatherium disap-
peared in order 10 make room for a
higher style of creation, and go on with
your consolation and tell her that there
is possibility that 10000, 900 years from
now we ourselves may be geological
specimens on the geological shelf, petri-
fed specimens of the extinct human
race.
And after you have got all through
with your consolation. If the poor af.
fiicted soul is not utterly crazed, will
send out the ,plainest Christian from my
church, and with one half hour of pray
er and the reading of Scripture promises
the tears will be staid, and the conso-
lation and the joy in that house will be
like the calmness Of an Indian summer
sunset. There will be glory flooding
the house from floor to cupola Oh, peo-
pie are finding out themselves--and they
all have ,troubles--they find that philoso-
ply and science do not help them when
there is dead babe in the house. They
are coming back to our glorious old fash
ioned sympathetic religion.
Oh, young man, do not be-ashamed to
be found on the side of the Bible. Do
not join those young men who in this
day put their thumb in their vest and
swagger about the street and the stores
talking about the glorious nineteenth
century, about It's light being sufficient
without any Bible and without any
Christ and without any God. The time
is coming-we may not live 10 see It,,
but should not bo surprised IL we did
see it--when this whole country is to be
one great church, the forests the aisles,
the Allegheny and the Rocky mountains
the pillars, the chain of inland lakes the
baptistries, and the worship the hallelu-
iah chorus TO him who was and is and
shall be everinore. Oh, come over TO
the maiority--come under the banner of
Emanuel.
Vernon was the son Of an English
squire. He was brought up in great
elegance. There was man working on
the place of the name Of Ralph. Vernon
used TO often talk with Ralph. After
awhile Vernon went of to college and
came back with his mind full of skepti-
cism. He talked his skepticism TO Ralph,
the workman. After awhile Vernon
went from home again. was gone for
years, came back. and among his first
questions when getting home was,
dWhere is RalphY' "ohP said the IA
ther, Ralph is in prison waiting for the
day of execution"
Vernon hastened 10 see Ralph. Ralph,
looking through the wicket OF the pris
ON, said: Vernon. how good You are TO
come and see mel am glad to see you.
hardly expected you would come and
see me. | don't blame you; | don't
blame anybody; only blame myself but.
Vernon. want you TO promise me ore
thing. Will Your Vernon replied. II
will" II want you 10 promise me never
to talk skeptcism in the presence Of any
body. You see II might do them harm.
When you used to say there was nothing
in the Bible, and IL didn't make any diff
ference how we lived, we would come
out happy at the last, somehow it had
bad influence upon me, and / went from
bad 10 worse until ! am here. and must
die for my crimes"
BY almost superhuman effort the sen
tence was changed, and he was to be
transported 10 another country for life.
The ship going there was wrecked ON
Van Diemsn's Land. Among those who
perished was Ralph, the victim Of Yer
mons Akeptcism. Vernon tells the story
today with tears and a broken heart. but