The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-30

8MA4S
die the same peaceful death? I re-
ceived letter. sent me by one who
has rejected the Christian religion It
says: II am old enough to know that
the joys and pleasures Of life are
evanescent, and 10 realize the fact
that it must be comforts BILE in old age
to believe in something relative 90 the
future, and to have faith in some
system that proposes to save am
free to confess that I would be hap
pier If / could exercise the sim pie and
beautiful faith that IL possessed by
many whom know. am not will
ingly out OF the church or out of the
faith. My state Of uncertainty is one
of unrest Sometimes I doubt my
Immortality, and look upon the death
bed as the closing scene. after which
there is nothing. What shall I do
that I have not done?'' Ahl see pticiam
is q dark and do1efu1 land Let ne
say that this Bible is either true or
false II it be false. we are 40 well Off
as you; If it be true, then which OF rs
is safer2
Let me also ask whether your
trouble has not been that you con-
founded Christianity with the incon-
sistent character OF some who profess
it. You are lawyer. In your pro-
fession there are mean men and dis
honest men Is that anything against
the law? You are doctor There
are unskilled and contemplate men
in your profession Is that anything
against medicine? You aresa merch-
ant There are thieves and defraud-
ers in your business. Is that any thing
against merchandise Behold, then,
the unfairness of charging upon
Christianity the wiclxedness of its dis
ciples. We admit some of the charges
againat those who profess religion.
Some of the most gigantic swindles
of the present day have been carried
on by members Of the church. There
are men in the churches who would
not be trusted for Eve dollars without
good collateral security. They leave
their business dishonesties in the vesti-
bule of the church as they 60 in and
sit at the communion Having con-
cluded the sa crament. they get mp.
wipe the wine from their lips,
go out and take up their sins
where they left of. To serve
the devil is their regular work; to
serve God sort of play spell With
a Sunday sponge they expect to wipe
off from their business slate all the
past weeks inconsisten n ies. You have
no more right TO take such q mans
life . specimen of religion than you
have to take the twisted irons and
split tim bers that lie on the beach at
Coney island as a specimen of an
American ship. 1t is time that we
drew line between religion and the
frailties Of those who profess it
To-day I invite you back into the
good old-fashioned religion OF your
fathers-to the God whom they vvor-
SHIPPED, to the Bible they read, to the
promises on which they leaned, to
the cross ON which they hung their
eternal expectations You have not
been happy a day since you swung off;
you will not be happy q minute until
you swing back
Again: There may be some Of you
who, in the attempt after Christian
life, will have to run against powerful
passions and appetites. Perhaps it is
a disposition to anger that you have to
contend against; and perhaps. while
in a very serious mood, you hear of
something that makes you feel that
you must swear or ole. 1 know of a
Christian man who was once so exas-
perated that he said to a mean Gus
TONER Il can not swear at you my
self, for / am a member of the church:
but if you will go downstairs my part
ner in business will swear at you
All your good resolutions heretofore
have been torn to tatters by explosions
of temper. Now there is no harm in
getting mad if you only get mad at
sin You need to bride and saddle
these hot breathed passions, and with
them ride down injustice and wrong.
There are q thousand things ia the
world that we ought to be mad at.
There is no harm in getting red hot if
you only bring to the forge that
which needs hammering. A man who
has no power of rig hteous indignation
is an imbecile. But be sure it is a
righteous indignation, and not a
petulancy that blurs. and unravels.
and depletes the soul
There is a large class of persons in
midlife who have still in them appe-
tites that were aroused in early man
hood. at a time when they prided
themselves on being a little fast
high livers' . ssfree and easy" hail
fellows well met" They are now
paying in compound interest for
troubles they collected twenty years
ago Some of You are trying to es-
cape. and you will-yet very narrowly.
as with the skin of your teeth" God
and your own soul only know what
the struggle is Omnipotent grace
has pulled out many q soul that was
deeper in the mire than you are. They
line the beach of heaven-the multi
tude whom God has rescued from the
thrall Of suicidal habits. If you this
day turn your back on the wrong, and
start anew, God will help you Oh,
the weakness of human he1pI Men
will sympathize for a while and then
riff L. 1-mrum