The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-10-24


beings from Central Asia. The gentleman
knew it from the fact that the mysterious
being left his pocket handkerchief, embroid-
cred with his name and Asiatic residence.
The most wonderful achievement OF the
theOsophists is that they keep out of the
insane asylum. They prove the truth of
the statement that no religion ever an
nounced was so absurd but it gained dis
ciples. Societies in the United States
and England and other lands have been
established for the PRONUNCIATION of theO-
sophy. Instead of needing the revelation
of a Bible, you can have these spirits from
Il cave in Central Asia to tell you AL you
ought to know, and after you leave this
life you may become prima donna or Il
robin or 4 gaZelle or a sot or Il prize fighter
or a HerOd or JeZebel. and so be enabled
to have great variety of experience, rOta-
ting through the universe, now rising, now
falling, now shot out in Il straight line,
and now describing a paraboa, and on and
on. anu Up and up. and down and down,
and round and round. Don't you see? Now
mat theosophlc lifeboat has been launched
1T proposes to take you off the rough sea
OF doubt into everlasting quietude How
DO you like that lifeboat? NV opinion
is you had better initiate the mariners of
my text. and cut off the ropes of that boat
and let her fall off.
A an il1eboat tempting us to enter is
mace mp OF many p!anks of good works If
IS really beautiful boat-alms giving.
practical sympathieS for human suffering
righteous words and righteous deeds. /
must admit | like the looks of the nrow
ana OF the roW-locks and of the paddles
anu 81 .ne steering gear and of many who
are thinking to trust themselves on hor
benches. But the trouble about that life
BOAT Is. 1t leaks. l never knew n man vet
eood enough to earn heaven by his virtues
or SenerositIes. If there be one person
mere present on this blessed Sabbath all of
hly Inn
OF whose actions have always been right.
ana al OF whose words have always been
rlgnt. let him stand up, or if already stand
ing let him lift his hand, and | will know
that ne lies: Paul had it about right when
ne ne S Salh; 10y the deeds Of the law shall
no 1ieSh living be justified" David had it
about right when he said "There is none
mat doeth good. no not one" The Old
Book had it about right when it said: "An
nave slnned and come short of the glory of
God' Let q man get off that little steam
er called ''The Maid of the Mist" which
sails up to the foot of Niagara falls. and
then climb to the top of the falls on the
descending floods, for he can do it easier
than any man ever Will be able to climb
to heaven by his good works If your
thoughts have always been exactly right,
and your words exactly right and your
deeds always exactly right. you can go up
To the gate OF heaven, and You need not
even knock for admittance. but open it
yourself, and push the angels out of your
way. and go up and take one of the front
seats, But you would be so unlike any one
else that has gone up from this world that
you would be 4 curiosity in heaven, and
more fit for Il heavenly museum than for
place where the inhabitants could look at
you free of charge. No. sir. | admire your
good works, and that lifeboat You are think
ing of thrnSting in is handsomcr than any
yawl or pnnace or yach; or cutter that
ever sped out Of boathouSc or hoiSted
sail for race. But she leaks. Trust
your soul in that, and you will 90 to the
bottom. She leaks. SO initiate the mari
ners Of the text. and with a cutlasS strike
the ropes of the boat and let her fall off.
Another lifeboat is Christian lnconsis-
tences. The planks of this boat are com
posed of the split planks OF ShlpWrecks.
That prov is made out of hypocrisy from
the life of a man who prote&Sed one thing
and really was another. One oar of this
lfeboat was the falSehood Of Il church
member, and the ether oar WAS the wicked
ness of some minister OF the gospel, whose
iniquites were not for It long while found
out Not one plank from the oak OF Gods
eternal truth i'll all that llteboat. All me
blanks by universal admission, are decayed
and crumbng and fallen apart and rotten
and ready to sink We'll, WELL" You say.
NO one will want to get into that hieboat,
Oh, my friend, you are mistaken. mat IS
the most popular lifeboat ever constructed.
Is
launched. Millions OF people want to ger
into it. They jostIe each other to get the
hest >eat in the boat. You could not keep
them back though you stood ut me gun,
wales with Il club as on our snip bfeece
in a hurricane and the steerage passengers
wore determined to come up on deck, where
they would have been washed oil, ana
the officers stood at the top OF the stars
clubbing them back. Even 10y such vo-
Ience as that you could not keep people
from jumping into the most popular NE
boat, made of church member incoilsis-
tencieS. In times or revival wien sili!leis
flock into the inquiry room, the most OF
them are kept from deciding anSht ne
caus,. they know so many Christians VINO
are bad The inquiry room becomes a
worlds fair for exhibition OF all the frall-
ties of church members, so that IL you
believe all is there told you, you would De
afraid to enter Il church lest you get your
pockets pcked or get knocked down. This
is the way they talk: Il was cheated out
Of $500 by Il leader of Il Bible class.
Sunday school teacher goSsiped about me
and did her best TO destroy my good name.
Il had partner in business VINO SWanpeu
orr business concern by his trickery, and
then rolled up his eyes in Friday night
Drawer meeting us though he We're looking
for Eliiah's chariot to make Il second TRIP
and take up another passenger. B'll what Il
cracked and Watcr-o%ged and gaping seam
ed lifeboat the responsiveness OF oihefS.
Put me on Il shnGl- moi-Atlantic and leave
me there rather than in such Il yaWl of
spiritual confidence. God forbid that |
should get aboard il. and lest some OF You
make the mistake Of getting INTO 1t, L 90
as the mariners did on tliat Mediterranean
shin when the sailors We're about to get
into the unsafe feboat of the text and
lose their lives i'll that way. Then the
soldiers cut off the ropes OF the boat, ana
let her fall off.
WELL says some one, this subject is
very discourse ing, for we must have Il
lifeboat il We are ever to get ashore, and
YOU have already condemned three All,
it is because | want to persuade you to take
the only safe lifcuoat. | will not allow you
to be deceived and get on the wild waves
and then capSiZc or sink. Thank God, there
is Il lifebcat that will take YOU ashore i'll
s;fcty as sure as God is God and heaven
is heaven The keel and ribs of this boat
are made out Of Il tree that was set up
Oh Il bluff back OF Jerusalem Il good many
years ago. Both Of the oars are made out
of the same tree. The planks OF it were
hammered together by the hammers Of
executonerS. who thought they We're only
killing a Christ but we're really pounding
together an escape for all inlperilcd souls
for all ages 1t is an old boat. but good
as new though it has been carrying pas
snngcrs from sinking ships to firm shores
for ACES and has never lost II passenger.
These old Christians begin to smile be-
cause it is dawing upon them what | mean.