Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-11-20


turing eff of incredulity on the other.
I like the positive faith of that sailor boy
that Captain Judkins of the steamship
Scotia picked up in q hurricane. $50
a1oft,' said Captain Judkins to his mate,
land look out for wrecks"
Before the mate had gone far up the
ratlines he shouted: "A wreckl x wreck!''
"Where away?' said Captain Judkins.
ssOff the port bow" was the answer.
Lifeboats were lowered, and 40 men vol
unteered to put out across the angry sea
for the wreck They came back with a
dozen shipwrecked, and among them a
boy of II years.
''Who are your said Captain Judkins.
The answer was: 81 am Scotch boy.
My father and mother are dead, and I
am on my way to America" 'What have
you here?'' said Captain Judkins as he
opened the boys jacket and took hold of
rope around the boys body cit is a
rope" said the boy ''But what is that
tied by this rope under your ar1n?'
s'That, sir, is my mothers Bible. She
told me never to lose that" ''Could you
not have saved something else?' ''Not
and saved that did you expect to go
DOWN. Eyes, sir, but I meant to take
my mothers Bible down with me-"
"Bravo!" said Captain Judkins. II will
take care of you"
That boy demonstrated certainty and
a confidence that I like. Just in proper
ton as you have few Ifs of incredulity
in your religion will you find il COM
Portable religion. Ny full and unques-
tioning faith in it is founded ON the fact
that it soothes and sustains in time of
trouble. do not believe that any man
who ever lived had more blessings and
prosperity than have received from God
and the world But I have had trouble
enough to allow me opportunity for find
ing out whether our religion is of any use
in such an eXigency. [ have had IA great
bereavements, to say nothing of lesser
bereavements, for [ was the youngest Of
large family. I have had as much per-
secution as comes to most people. / have
had all kinds of trial, except severe and
prolonged sickness, and | would have
been dead long ago but for the consola-
tory power of our religion.
Any religion will do in time Of pros
perity. Buddhism will do. Confucian-
ism will do. Theosophy will do. No
religion at all will do. But when the
world gets after you and defames your
best deeds, when bankruptcy takes the
place Of large dividends, when you fold
for the last sleep the still hands over the
still heart of your old father who has
been planning for your welfare all these
years, or you close the eyes of your
mother who has lived in your life, ever
since before you were born, removing
her spectacles because she will have clear
vision in the home to which she has
gone, or you give the last kiss to the
child reclining amid the flowers that
pile the casket and looking as natural
and lifelize as she ever did reclining in
the cradle, then the only religion worth
anything is the old fashioned religion of
the gospel Of Jesus Christ.
I would give more in such a crisis for
one of the promises expressed in half a
verse of the old book than for whole
library containing all the productions of
all the other religions of all the. ages.
The other religions are a sort of cocaine
to benumb and deaden the soul while be-
reavement and misfortune do their work,
but our religion is inspiration, illumina-
ton, imparadisation. 1t is mixture of
sunlight and halleluiah. Do not adul-
terate it with one drop OF the tincture of
incredulity
a SIGNIFICANT ''IF.''
Another Bible eff is the ''if'' of cter-
nal significance. Solomon gives us that
''if' twice in one sentence when he says,
eff thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for
thyself, but if thou soonest, thou alone
shalt bear it." Christ gives us that ''if''
when he says, ''If thou hadst known in
this thy day the things which belong unto
thy peace, but now they are hidden from
thine eyes" Paul gives us that eff
when he says, eff they shall enter into
my rest All those Ifs and score
more that I might recall put the whole
responsibility Of our salvation on our
selves. Christ's willingness to pardon
no eff about that. Christ's Willingness
to help-no ''if' about that. Realms of
glory awaiting the righteous-no elf
about that.
The only eff in all the case worth a
moments consideration is the ''if' that
attaches itself to the question as to
whether we will accept, whether we will
repent, whether we will believe, whether
we will rise forever. Is it not time that
we take our eternal future off that
swivel? Is it not time that we extirpate
that ''if, that miserable ''if,' that haz-
ardous 'sif?'' We would not allow this
uncertain eff to stay long in anything
else of Importance. Let some one say
In regard to a railroad bridge, II have
reasons for asking if that bridge is safe"
and you would not cross it. Let some
one say, 81 have reasons to ask if that
steamer is trustworthy" and you would
not take passage on it.
Let some one suggest in regard to
property that you are about to purchase,
81 have reason to ask if they can give a