Democratic messenger., 1894-08-04
Highest of all in Leavenng Power-Latest S Report
Re-! g! BBski9s Bsxsssz
ABSOLUTELY PURE

not break. but the gate of your heart
swings easily on its hinges. If assault
cd your body with weapons. you would
meet me with weapons. and it would
be sword stroke for sword stroke. and
wound for wound, and blood for blood.
but if come and knock at the door of
your house You open il and give me
the best seat i'll your parlor. If should
come at you today with an argument,
you would answer me with an argu-
ment; if with sarcasm. you would an
swer me with sarcasm, blow for blow,
stroke for stroke. but when 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 rs You used to be when
you believed i'll the truth of the Chris
tian religion: Would you like TO have
your children travel on in the road in
which you are now travelling? You had
n relative who professed to be a Chris
tian and was thoroughly consistent, liv-
ing and dying in the faith Of the gos-
pei. Would you not like TO live the
same quiet life and die the same peace
full death: l received letter sent me
by one who has rejected the Christian
religion. II says: Il am old enough to
know that the joys and pleasures of life
are evanescent and to realize the fact
that il must be comfortable in old age
TO believe in something relative to the
future and to have faith in some sys-
TEN that proposes to save. am free to
confess that would be happier if
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
I doubt my immortality and look upon
the deathbcd rs the closing scene, after
which there is nothing. What shall
do that i have not done?" All. skepti
cism is dark and doleful land. Let
me say that this Bible is either true or
false. II il be false, we are rs well off
as you: if il be true. then which of us
is safer?
Line Drawn.
Let me also ask whether your trouble
has not been that you confounded Chris
tianity with the inconsistent character
of some who profess il. You are law
yer. In your profession there are mean
and dishonest men. Is that anything
against the law? You ere o doctor.
There are unskilled and contemplate
men in your profession. Is that any
thing against medicine? You are a 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 OH by members
of the church. There are men in the
churches who would not be trusted for
$5 without good collateral security.
They leave their business dishonestiGs
in the vestibule of the church as they
go in and sit ut 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 Sunday sponge they ex-
pect to wipe Off from their business slate
all the past weeks Inconsistencies. You
have no more right to take such mans
life rs a specimen of religion than you
have to take the twisted irons and split
timbers that lie OH the beach at Coney
Island rs a 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 n 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 a mean customer, II cannot
swear at you myself. for l am men,
ber of the church. but if you will go
down stairs my partner in business will
swear at you" All your good resolu-
tions 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 breathcd passions. and
with them ride down injustice and
wrong There are thousand things in
the world that we ought to be mad at.
There is no harm in getting redhot If
you only bring to the forge that which
needs hammering. A man who has no
power of righteous indignation is an i'm
beetle. But be sure it is righteous in
dignation and not a petulancy that
blurs and unravels and depletes the soul.
There is n large class Of persons in
midlife who have still in them appe-
titcs that were aroused in early man.
hood, at time when they prided them
selves on being little fast. thigh
livers. free and easy. hail fellows
well met They are now paying in
compound interest for troubles they col
lected go years ago. Some Of you are
trying to escape. and You will, yet very
narrowly. las with the skin of your
teeth" God and your own soul only
know what the struggle is Omnipotent
grace has pulled out many n soul that
was deeper in the mire than you are.
They line the beach of heaven, the mul-
titude whom God has rescued from the
thrall of suicidal habits. II you this day
turn your back on the wrong and start
anew, God will help you. oh, tho weak
ness of human help! Men will sympa-
thize for awhile and then turn you off.
II you ask for their pardon. they will
give it and say they will try you again;
but, falling away again under the power
of temptation. they cast you off forever.
But God forgives seventy times seven
yea. seven hundred times - yea.
though this be the ten thousandth time