The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-08-09

| excursion today. The water is full o.
fish; tho wind is in the right direction;
tho gospel net is strong. o thou who
didst help Simon aud Andrew to li,h,
show us today how TO cast tue net Gu
the right H!dc OF the ship!
| Some OF 5Cu IN coming to God will
have to run against skeptical notions. 1t
is useless for people 10 ray sharp aud
cutting things to thCse who reject the
| Christian religion. l cannot say such
t! in.s BY VIII It process oi temptation
or trial or betrayal YOU have como to
your present state | know not. TT ere
are two gates to your Dnturc-the gate
OF the head ard Tie cato Of the hear.
The gate tf lpur head is locked with
| bol's and bars that an archanCcl could
not break, but the gate of your heart
swings easilY on lis hings. If assaulted
your body with weapons, you would
meet me with wcnpoGf, and it would be
sword stroke, for sword stroke,
and wound for wound, aud
rlood for blood, but il l come and knock
Mt the door Of you house you open it aud
give me the best sCat IA your parlor. If
| should come at y,n today with m nr
gument, you would answer me with an
argument; if with sarcasm, you would
answer mo with sarcasm, blow for blow.
stroke for stroke, but when l come and
knock at the door Of your heart you open
it aud say, "C0me in, nv brother, and
tell mo all you know about Chris. and
heaven"
Listen TO two or tErte queetiNns: Are
you as happy as you used to he when
you believed in the truth Of Tic Christian
religior? Would you ks to havo your
children travel on ID the road in which
you are travelling? You had relative
who professed to be u Christian aud
was thrOughly consistent, living and dy-
ing in tho faith OF the gospel. Would
you not like TO live tho same quiet life
and die tho same peaceful dealt. Iro-
ceived letter sent me by one who has
rejected the Christian religion. 1t says,
am old enough to know that the Joys
and pleasures of lite are eVanesCenL, and
to realizo the fact that il must be COM
Portable in old age to believe III some.
thing relative to tho future aud TO have a
faith in some system that proposes TO
save. l am free to confess tnat l would
be happier if could exercise The simple
aud beautiful faith that ls possessed by
many whom l know. | am not willing
ly out Of the church or out OF The faith
NV state Of uncertainty is one Of unrest
Sometimes [ doubt my Immortality and
look upon the deathbed as The closing
scene. after which there is nothing
What shall do that / have not done?'
Ah, ekeptiClslu is n dark and dolelul
Let me say TINT this Bible is other true
or false. lfit be false, wa are as vel
of as you. If il be true, then which O
ua is safer?
Let me also ask whether your trouble
has not been that you cOnfouudcd Chris
tianltv with the inconsistent characlo,
of some who profess 1t. You are law
yer. In your profession there are mear
aud dishonest men. Is that anything
against Tho law? You are u doctor
There are unskilled and contemplate
men in your profession. Is that any.
thing against medicine? You are II m or
chant. Thore nre thievea and leiraud
ers in your business. Is that anything
against merchandise? BsholA, then, the
un(airness OF charging upon Christianity
the Wickedness Of It's diaciples! We adj.
nit some Of the charges against those
who profess religion. Some OF tho most
gigantic swndles of the present day havo
been carried OH by members OF the
who would not be tru3ted for $5 without
good collateral security. They leave
their business dishonosties in the vesti-
bule OF the church rs they 90 in and sit
nj tho communion. Having concluded
tho sacrament, they get up, wipe the
wine from their lips, 20 out and take up
their sins whero they lett OIL To serve
the devil is their regular work; TO serve
God, sort of play spell. With Sun
day sponge they expect to wipe of from
their business slate all tho past weeks
Inconsistencies. You have no moro
right to tnke such mans life as speci.
mon OF religion than you have to take
the twisted irons and split tlmbers that
lie on the beach at ConeY Island as n
specimen Of an American ship. 1t is
time that we drew line between re.
liglon and the frailties of those who pro
fess it.
Again, there may be some OF you who
in the attempt after Christian life will
have to run against powerful passions
and appetites. Perhaps is is q disposi.
ton to anger that you have TO contend
against, and perhaps, while in very SO
rlous mood, you hear of something that
makes you feel that you must swear or
die. know of a Christian man who
was once so exasperated that he said TO
n mean.customer 81 cannot swear at you
myself, for am member of the church
but if you will 60 down stairs 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 ls no harm in
getting mad ifyou 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 a
thousand things in the world that we
ought to be mad at. There ls no harm
in getting redhot if you only bring 10 the
forge that which needs hammerlng. A
man who has no power Of righteousness
indignation is nm imbecile. But be sure
it is q righteous indignation and not a
petulancy that blurs and unravels and
depletes the soul.
There is q large class of persons in
midlite who have still in them appetltes
that were aroused in early manhood, at
n xxrI, n, l.