The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-09-29

Aoter OF every man who will not give 1t
up. You will find msny doctors Of d.
vintty and pillars Of the church, who
are able to drink their wine, that will
stand their groundi and no command Of
God. no requirement. Of benevolence, no
desire to save souls, no pity for bleeding
humanity, will move such persons, until
you can form a public sentiments so
powerful as to force them tn 1t, on
penalty OF loss Of reputation. For they
love the praise OF men.
And It Ia aquery now in MP mind,
matter of solemn and anxious doubt,
whether in the present low state Of
piety and decline of revivals Of religion.
in the church, a public sentiment can
be formed, so powerful as 10 do this IF
not we shall be driven back. The
temperance Reformation, like q dam OF
sand, will be swept away, the floodgates
will be opened again, and the world
will go reeling-down 20 he'll. And yet
thousands CT professors of religion, who
want to enjoy public respees and at the
same time 10Y themselves in their own
way, are crying out as II they were in
distress at the ultraism ca the timas,
IS. They are often opposed to men,
and measures, and things, while they
are unpopular and subject TO repsoach,
and when they become popular, fall in
with them.
Let an individual go through the
churches In any section, and wake
them up to revival Of religion, and
while he Is little known. these perso ns
are not backward TO speak against him.
Bull let him go on and gain Influence,
and they will fall in and com mend him,
and profess to be his warmess friends.
IL was just SO with tesus Christ Before
10 d6o r Il
popularity. Mulsitudes would follow
Him, as He went through the streets.
and cry, "Hosapna, Hosanna!" But OBJ
serve they never would follow Him On
atom farther than His popularity fol-
lowed Him. AS soon as He WAS arrested
as Criminal, they all turned round and
began TO cry, 'Crroify Him, cru,ify
Him"
This class 81 persons, as they set with
the tide one way, when q man Is re-
preached, 80 they will set with the tide
the other wsy when hs becomes TO he
honored. There Ia only one exception
And that Is, when they have become so
far committed to the position, thar
they cannot como around without dis
| grace. Aad than they will be slent
until another opportunity comes up fIr
letting out the burning GIes that arc
ranking within them.
Very often revival in o church
when 1t first begins, is Opposed by Ger
tain membeys OF the church. They do
not like to have such things carried on,
they are afraid there is too much amin al
Excitement, and She like. But the
work goes on; and by-snd-by they &C en-
to fsll in and go with the multitude.
| at length the revival Ia over, and the
church grows cold again, and before
long you will find this class of persons
renewing their opposition to the work,
and as the church declines they press
their opposition, and perhaps, in the
end, induce the church i.self to take
ground against the very revival which
they had so muoh enjoyed. This ia the
very way in which individuals have
acted in regard to REVEALS in this coun.
try. There are many such cases. They
were awed by public sentiment and
made TO bow down to the revival, while
1t was in its power, but by-and by, as
the revival declines, they begin to
let out the opposition that is in their
| hearts, and which WAS suppressed for q
! time because the revival WAS popular.
1t has been just 80 in egard to the
cause of missions. in degree, and II
anything should turn up unfavorable
| to missions, so as'to break the present
| power OF public sentiment in their favor,
you would find plenty of these fair
weather supporters turning to the op-
| position.
49, II any measure is proposed to
promote religion they are very sensi-
two and scrupulous not to have any,
thing done that ia unpopular.
II they live in the city, they ask what
i will the other churches think OF such q
| measure? And II 1t ia likely TO bring
reproach on their church or on their
| minister, in view OF the ungodly, or in
view OF the other churches, they are
distressed about 1t. No matter how
much good IL will do, or how many souls
1t will save. they do not want anything
done to injure the respec liability Of
their church
90. This class OF persons never aim
at forming public sentiment in favor
of perfect goodness.
The true friends OF God and man are
always aiming at forming public senti-
ment, and correcting public sentiment,
on all points where IL ia wrong. They
are set, with all their hearts, TO search
out all the evils in the world, and 20 re-
form the world, and drive out iniquity
from the earth. The other GLASS are
always following public sentiment az It
10, and feeling after the course OF the
tide. to 60 that way, shrinking back
from anything that goes in the face OF
public sentiment. And they are ready
TO brand as imprudent. or rash. any
man or anything that goes to stem the
tide Of public sentiment and turn 10 the
other way.
1. 1t is easy for persons to take credit
for their sins, and make themselves
believe certain things are acts of piety,
which are in fact only acts OF hypocrisy.
They do the things that outwardly
pertain to piety. and they give them