Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-12-01

| LUO lubd OI tu6 NcIUtl VI thO
| Scriptures and adopt the Idea that they wore
| all generally supervised by the Lord. Sec
ond, surrender the idea that they we're ali
generally supervised by the Lord and adopt
| the theory that they were not all, but partly,
| supervised by the Lord. Third, believe that
they are the gradual evolution Of the. ages,
and men wrote according to the wisdom OF
the times in which they lived. Fourth, be-
| lieve that the Bible Is bad book and not
only unworthy of crsdence but perncious
! and debasing and cruel.
| Only four steps from the stout faith In
which the martyrs died to the blatant car
feature Of Christianity as the greatest sham
| of the centuries. But tho door to ill that
| precipitation and horror is made out of an
| lit The mother Of unrests In the minds Of
| Christian people and to those who regard
sacred things is the ''jf'' Of incredibly. In
1879. in Scotland, saw letter which had
| been written many years ago by Thomas
| CARLYLE to Thomas Chalmers. Carlyle at the
| time OF writing the letter was young man.
| The letter was not to he published until after
the death of Carlyle His death having taken
| place, the letter ought 10 be published.
1t was letter in which Thomas Carlyle
expresses the fortunes OF his own mind while
relaxing his faith in Christianity, while at
| the same time expresses his admiration for
DR.. Chalmers, and in which Carlyle wishes
| that he had the same faith that the great
| Scotch minister evidently exercised Nothing
| that Thomas Carlyle ever wrote in "Sartor
Resartus," or the French Revolution, or
his "Life of Cromwell" or his immortal
Essays" had in it more wondrous power
than that letter which bewailed his own
| doubts and extolIel the strong faith OF
another.
made an exact copy OF that letter, with
| the understanding that it should not be pub
| lished until after the death Of Thomas
| Carlyle, but returning to my hotel in Edin-
| burgh felt uneasy lest somehow that letter
| should get out of my possession and be pub
lished before its time. So took 1t back to
the person by whose permission | had
| copied it. All reasons for its privacy having
vanished, wish it might be published.
Perhaps this sermon, finding its way into
Scottish home, may suggest its printing,
for that letter shows more nightly than any
thing Ihave ever reed the difference between
the ~ know" OF Paul, and the III know OF
| Job. and the 81 know of Thomas Chalmers,
and the III know" OF all those who hold with
! a firm grip the gospel on the ono hand, and
| the uffffooring, bestorming and torturing
'if of incredulity on the other. l like the
| positive faith of that sailor boy that Captain
Judkins of the steamship Scotia picked up In
a hurricane "Go aloft" said Captain Jud-
kins to his mate, "and look out for wrecks.
Before the mate had gone far up-the rat
| lines he shouted: "a wreck wreck J!
"Where away ~ said Captain Judkins, ION
| the port bow" was the answer. LtfeDoats
were lowered, and forty men volunteered TO
put out across the angry sea for the wreck.
| They came back with dozen shipwrecked,
| and among them boy of twelve years.
''Who are your said Captain Judkins.
The answer was II am a Scotch boy. My
father and mother are dead, and I am on my
way to America ''What have you hereI
said Captain Judkins as he opened the boys
jacket and took hold of rope around the
''But what is that tied by this rope under
your arm2" ''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
20 DOWN." eyes, sir, but meant to take
my mothers Bible down with me-" "Bravo y
said Captain Ju1kins. II will take care OF
you"
That boy demonstrated certainty and
confidence that l like. Just in proportion
as you have few "ifs'' OF increduity in your
religion will you find it comfortable re-
hgion. NY full and unquestioned faith In 1t
is founded on the fact that it sooths and sus-
tains in time of trouble. l do not believe
that apy man who ever lived had more bless
ngs and prosperity than l have received
from God and the world. But L nave nad
trouble enough to allow me opportunity Tor
finding out whether our religion is OF any
use in such exigency. / have had fourteen
great bereavements to say nothing OF lesser
bereayements, for 1 was the younger OF
large family. 1 have had as much persecp-
ton as comes to most people [ have had
| all kinds of trial, except severe and pro-
longed sickness, and would have been dead
long ago but for the consolatory power OIL
our religion. 81
Anv religion will do in time Of prosperity.
Buddhism will do. Confuciantsm VIII 40:
Theosophy will do. No religion at all Will
do. But when the world gets after you ana
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
| wears. or YOU close the eyes OF your motner,
who has lived In your life ever since before
YOU we're born, removing her spectacles be-
cause she will have clear vision in the nome
to which she has gone, or you give the last
kiss to the child reclining amid the mowers
that pile the casket and looking as natural
and lifelike as she ever did reclining in the
cradle. then the only religion worth anything
is the old fashion religion OF the gospel OF
Jesus Christ.
7 would give more in such crisis for one
of the promises expressed in half verse Oh
the old book than for whole library con-
tanning all the productions OF all the other
religions of all the ages. The otherrehgions
are n sort of cocaine to benumb and deaden
The soul while bereavement and misfortune
do their work, but our religion is lnsplra-
ton. illumination, imparadisatlon. II Is a
mixture of sunlight and h:llelujah: DO not
odnIterate it with one drop of the tincture OF
incredulity. .,
Another Bible "iT' is the "lf' OF eternal
sioniacance. Solomon gives us that ''t
twice in one sentence when he says, III tnou
be wise. thou shalt be wise for tpyseli, Out IL
thou soonest thou alone snau pear ~ IT,,
Christ gives us that ''if'' when ne say, -
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 ''if' when he says, eff they shall enter
into nv rest" All these Ifs" and q score
more that might recall put the whole re-
sponslblity of our salvation on ourselves
Chriot's willingness to pardon no III aDou'
that. Realms of glory awaiting tho right
eous-no off about that.
The only DIP in all the case worth mo
ment's consideration is the ''it" that attaches
itself to the question as TO wnetnea .h we VIZ VIZ
accept, whether we will repent, whether We
will believe, whether we will rise forever
it not time that we take our eternal future
off that swivel? Is it not time that we ex
tirpate that off," that miserable IN tina
hazardous 'if?" We would not allow tins
uncertain "if' to stay long in anything els
OF importance. Let some one say In regar'
to a railroad bridge, II have reasons Tor ask
ing If that bridge is safe, and you wouiu NJ
cross it. Let some one say, 81 have reasons
to ask if that steamer Is trustworthy, an'
YOU would not take passage on it.