The Globe-republican., 1894-08-10


for blood; but If come and knock II
the door Of your house, You open it, and
give me the best seat in your parlor. Il
should come at you to-day with an
argument, you would answer me with
an argument; if with sarcasm, you
would answer me with sarcasm; blow
for blow, stroke for stroke; but when
I come and knock at the door of your
heart, you open it and say: Come in.
my brother, and tell me all you know
about Christ and Heaven"
Listen to two or three questions:
Are you as happy as you used to be
when you believed in the truth of the
Christian religion? Would you like to
have your children travel on in the
road in which you are now travelling?
You had relative who professed to be
Christian, and was thoroughly con-
sistent, living and dying in the faith
of the gospel Would you not like to
live the same quiet life, and die the
same peaceful death? All, skepticism
is dark and doleful land. Let me say
that this Bible is either true or false.
If it be false, we are as well of as you;
if it be true, then which of us is
safer?
Let me also ask whether your trouble
has not been that you have COMPOUNDED
Christianity with the inconsistent char
acter of some who profess it. You are
a lawyer. In your profession there are
mean and dishonest men. Is that any,
thing against the law? You are doc
tor. There are unskilled and con-
temptible men in your profession. Is
that anything against medicine? You
are a merchant. There are thieves and
defrauders in your business. Is that
anything against merchandise? Be-
hold, then, the unfairness of charging
upon Christianity the wickedness of its
disciples. We admit some of the
charges against those who profess re-
ligion. 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 S. without
good collateral security. They leave
their business dishonesties in the ves-
tibule of the church as they go in and
sit at the communion. Having con-
cluded the sacrament. they get up,
wipe the wine from their lips, go out,
and take up their sins where they left
off. 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 inconsistencies. 1t is
time that VIC drew line between re-
ligion and the frailties of those who
profess it.
Do you not feel that the Bible, take
it all in all, is about the best book that
the world has ever seen? Do you
know any book that has as much in it?
Do you not think, upon the whole, that
its influence has been benefcent? l
come to you with both hands extended
toward you. In one hand have the
Bible, and in the other have nothing.
This Bible in one hand l will surrender
forever just as soon as in my other
hand ysu can put a book that is better.
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
against; and perhaps, while
in very serious mood. you hear of
that makes you feel that
you must swear or die. know of a
Christian man who was once SO exas-
perated that he said to a mean Gus
toner, II cannot swear at you myself,
for am a member of the church; but,
if you will go down stairs my partner
in business will swear at YOU" All
your good resolutions heretofore have
been torn to tatters by explosions of
Now, there is no harm in get
ting mad if you only get mad at sin.
You need to bride and saddle these
passions, and with them
ride down injustice and wrong. There
are thousand things in the world that
we ought to get 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 righteous Indignation is an
imbecile. But be sure it is a righteous
and not a petulancy that
blurs, and unravels, and depletes the
soul.
There is large class of persons in
mid-life 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," free and easy" hail
fellows we'll met" They are now pay
ing in compound interest for troubles
they collected twenty years ago. Some
OF you are trying to escape, and you
will-yet very narrowly, ''as with the
skin of your teeth" God and your own
soul only know what the struggle is.
grace has pulled out
many a soul that was deeper in the
mire than you are. They line the
beach of Heaven-the multitude
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.
If. with all the influence favorable
for a right life. men make so many
Lorr, v,nroh ho e -.