The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-08-03

by ono who has reJected the Cnristiah
religion. II says: ~ am old enough to
know that tho joys and pleasures Of life
are eyanescent and to realize the fact
that il must DO comfortable In old age
TO believe in something relative to the
future and to have faith In some sys'
tenn that proposes to save am free to
confess that would be happier II
could exercise the simple and beautiful
faith that is possessed by many whom
know. am not willingly out of the
church or out Of the faith. My state OF
uncertainty is one Of unrest Sometimes
l doubt my Immortality and look upon
the deathbed as the closing scene, after
which there is nothing. What shall !
do that have not done2" All, skepti-
cism is dark and doleful landl Let
me say that this Bible is either true or
false. II it be false, we are as well off
as you; il it be true, then which of us
Is safer?
Line Drawn.
Let me also ask whether your trouble
has not been that you COMPOUNDED Chris
tianity with the inconsistent character
of some who profess it. You are law
yer In your profession there are mean
and dishonest men. Is that anything
against tho lawp You are doctor.
There arc unskilled and contemplate
men in your profession. Is that any
thing against medicine? You are mer-
chant. There are thieves and defrauders
in your business. Is that anything
against merchandise? Behold, then, the
unfairness of charging upon Christiani-
ty the wickedness of its disciples.
We admit some Of the charges against
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
IS without good collateral security.
They leave their business dishonesties
in the vestibule of the church as they
20 in and sit at the communion. Hav-
ing concluded the sacrament, they get
up, wipe the wine from their lips, go
out and take up their sins where they
let off. To serve the devil is their regu-
lar work; to serve God, sort of play
spell. With a Sunday sponge they ex-
pect to wipe off from their business slate
all the past week Inconsistencies You
have no more right to take such a mans
life as specimen of religion than you
have to take the twisted irons and split
timbers that lie on the beach at Coney
Island as specimen Of an American
ship. 1t is time that we drew line be-
tween religion and the frailties Of those
who profess it.
Hindrances to Piety.
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
very serious mood, you hear of some
thing that makes you feel that you must
swear or die know of a Christian
man who was once so exasperated that
he said to q mean customer, II cannot
swear at you myself, for l am mem
Der of the church, but if you will go
down stairs my partner i'll business VIII
swear at you" All your good resolu-
lions heretofore have been torn to tat
tiers 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 thousand things in
| L o,,frht RI 40 M o1 at
There is no harm in getting redhot il
you only bring TO the forge that which
needs hammerin-. A man who has ne
power of righteous indignation is an i'm
beetle. But be sure it is righteous in
dignation and not petulancy thai
blurs and unravels and depletes the soul
There is large class Of persons il
midlife who have still in them appe
tites that were aroused in early man
hood, at time when they prided them
selves OH being little fast, " "higl
livers, " free and easy" "hail fellow
| we'll met" They are now paying il
, compound interest for troubles they col
) lected 20 years ago. Some of you arr
, trying to escape, and you will, yet yer.
narrowly, '.as with the skin of you
. teeth" God and your own soul onl.
t know what the struggle is Omnipoten
$ grace has pulled out many soul tina
. was deeper in the mire than you are
t They line the beach of heaven, the mul
D titude whom God has rescued from tn
l thrall of suicidal habits. If you this da
S turn your back on the wrong and star
Q anew, God will help you. Oh, the weak
Q ness of human helpl Men will sympa
q thize for awhile and then turn you of
4 If you ask or their pardon, they vii
: give it and lay they will try you again
but, falling away again under the powe
t of template Il, they cast you off forever
It But God fngives seventy times seve
- yea, seven hundred. times - ye'
Q though this be the ten thousandth til
he is NOR, ernest, more sympathetic
O more helpt this last time than whe
l. you took yo;,' first misstep.
. If, with all the influences favnrab
q for u dght life, men make so many mi
! takes, how much harder it is when, Il
- instance, some appetite thrusts its ire
4 grapple into.the roots Of the tongue al
i pulls a man down with hands of d
;. structionl If under such Circumstance
a he break away, there will be no spo
a in the undertaking, no holiday enjo
h ment, but struggle in which the wre
. tiers move from side to side and BEL
!. and twist and watch for an opportuni
- to get in heavier stroke until Wi
!, enc final effort in which the muscl
N are distended, and the veins stand on
and the blood starts, the swarthy hal
falls under the knee of the victor--e
II capped at last as with the skin of t
8. teeth.
I'd In the last day it will be found th
Hugh Latimer and John Knox al
h Huss and Ridley were not the create
IN martyrs, but Christian men who we
to up incorrupt from the contaminatio
4, and perplexities of Wall street, Wat
tie street, Pearl street, Broad street, Sta
It. street, Third street, Lombard street a