Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-09-21

Christianity for such miserable vi
dict us these men have rendered,
themselves not having been abls
agree. -
But my subject shall no longer be de-
fensive, it must be aggressive. 1 must
show you that instead Of Christianity
falling back, it is on the march, and
that the coming religion Of the world
is to be the religion Of the Lord Jesus
Christ ten thousand times intensified.
1t is to take possession of everything
of all laws. I'LL manners. all customs,
all cities ill nations. 1t is going to be
so mighty us compared with what it
has been, so much more mighty that it
will seem like il new religion.
l adopt this theory because Christi
anity has gone on straight ahead, not
withstanding all the bombardment, anu
infidclty has not destroyed 4 church,
or crippled minister, or rooted out
one verse of the Bible, and now their
ammunition seems to be pretty much
exhausted. They can not get anything
new against Christianity, and If Chris
tianity has gone under the lombard
ment of centuries and still continues to
advance, may we not conclude that as
the powder and shot Of the other side
seem to be exhausted, Christianity is
going on with more rapid stride?
You must have noticed if you have
talked on these great themes, that they
are finding out that while science is
grand in secular directions they can
not give any comfort to a soul in
F, trouble,
Talking with men on steamboats, and
/ in rail-cars, 1 find they are coming back
to the comfort of the Gospel They say:
"Somehow human science don't COM
fort me when 1 have any trouble, and
I must try something else;" and they
are trying the Gospel. Take your sci
cntitic consolation to that mother who
has just lost her child. Apply the doc
trine of the survival Of the tittest;'
tell her that her child died because its
life was not worth as much as the life
of one that lived. Try that, if you
dare. Go to that dying man with your
transcendental phrascology, and tell
him he ought to have confidence in the
great ito be-" and the everlasting
now" and the eternal what is it?'
and 60 on with your consolation and
see if he is comforted.
Go to that woman who has lost her
tt1lu lS1A AACl ~ was a. S7SoAoSoAN"A
necessity that that man passed out Of
existence just as the megatherium dis
appeared in order to make room for q
higher style Of creation. and go on with
your consolation and tell her that there
is possibility that 1OO0O,000 years
from now we ourselves may be geologi-
cal specimens on the geological shelf,
pctritied specimens Of the extinct hui
man race! And after you have got all
through with your consolation if the
poor afflicted soul is not utterly crazed
will send out the plaincst Christian
from my church. and with one-half
hour Of prayer and the reading of
Scripture promises, the tears will be
stayed, and the consolation and the JOY
in that house will be like the cainness
Of an Indian summer sunset. There
will be glory flooding the house from
floor to cupola. Oh! people are finding
out themselves-and they all have
troublcs-thcy find that philosophy and
science do not help them when there
is a dead babe in the house. They are
coming back to our glorious old-fash-
toned 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 ir
this day put their thumbs in their yes
and sWagger about the streets and
stores, talking about the glorious nine
teenth century, about it's light being
sufficient without any Bible. and with
out any Christ. and without any God.
The time is cOming-we may not live
to see it, but should not be surprised
if 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 hallelujah chorus
unto him who was and is and shall be
evermore. Oh, come over to the ma
jority-come under the banners Of
Emanuel
Vernon was the son of an English
squire. He was brought up in great
elegance. There was a man working
on the place by the name Of Ralph.
Vernon used to often talk with Ralph.
lege and came back with his mind full
lege and came back with his mind full
OF skepticism. He talked his skepti-
cism to Ralph the workman. After
awhile Vernon went from home again,
was gone for years, came back, and
among the first questions when getting
home was, "Where is Ralph? OH
said the father, Ralph is in prison
waiting for the day of execution" Yer
non fastened to see Ralph Ralph, look
ing through the wicket of the prison.
said, Vernon, how good you are to
come and see me! am glad to see
you. I hardly expected you would
come and see me. don't blame You;
| don't blame anybody; I only blame
myself; but Vernon, I want YOU to
promise me one thing. Will your"
Vernon replied, Il will" Il want you
to promise me never to talk skepticism
in the presence Of anybody. You see
it might do them harm. When Won
used to say there was nothing in the
Bible, and it didn't make any difference
how we lived, we would come out han
py at the last, somehow it had a had
influence upon me, and I went from
bad to worse until am here, and 7
must die for my crimes" BY almost
superhuman effort tine sentence was
changed, and he was to be TRANSPORTED
to another country for life. The shin