Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-03-09
that he threw up his belief in the good

that he threw mp his belief in tho good
ness of God.
Others have gone into skepticism
from anatural persistence in asking the
reason why. They have been fearfully
stabbed Of the interrogation point. There
are so many things they cannot get ex-
planned They cannot understand the
Trinity OF how God can be sovereign
and yet man free agent Neither can
]. They say. II don't understand why
q good God should have let sin come
into the world" Neither do /. You
say. why was that child started in life
with such disadvantages. while others
have all physical and mental equip
ment?" i cannot tell. They 60 out of
church ON Easter morning and say,
That doctrine Of the resurrection con-
founded me" So it is TO mo n mystery
beyond unravelment understand all
the processes by which men get into the
dark. l know them all. have travelled
with burning feet that blistered way.
The first word which most children
learn to utter is, Papa. or Mamma, !"
but think the first word / ever uttered
was. Why" / know what il is 10
have hundred midnights pour their
darkness into one hour. Such men are
not 10 DO scoffed, but helped. Turn your
back upon drowning man when you
have the rope with which to pull him
ashore, and let that woman in tho third
story Of n house perish in the flames
when you have ladder with which to
help her out and help her down, rather
than turn your back scoffingly on u
skeptic whose soul is in more peril than
the bodies OF those other endangered
ones possibly can be. Oh. skepticism is
dark land. There are men in this
house who would give thousand worlds
IL they possessed them to get back to the
placid faith of their fathers and moth
ers, and IL is our place 20 help them,
and we may help them, never through
their heads, but always through their
hearts These skeptics. when brought
to Jesus, will DO nightly effective. far
more so than those who never examined
the evidences Of Christianity.
Thomas Chalmers was once skeptic.
Robert Hall skeptic. Robert Newton
skeptic, Christmas Evans skeptic.
But when once with strong hand they
took hold Of the chariot of the gospel
they rolled il on with what momentum
II Address such men and women to-
lay. ! throw out no scoff. | implead
shoT1 by the memory of the good old
days, when nc their mothers knee they
said, Now lay me down to sleep"
and by those days and nights Of scarlet
fever in which she watched You, giving
you the medicine ut just the right time
and turning your pillow when it was
hot, and with hands that many years
ago turned to dust soothed away your
pain, and with voice that you will
never hear again, unless you join her in
the better country. told you 20 never
mind. for you would feel better by and
by. and by that dying couch, where she
looked so pale and talked so slowly.
catching her breath between tho words.
and you felt an awful loneliness COM
ing over your soul-by all that l beg
you 10 come back and take the same re-
ligion. Il was good enough for her. IL
is good enough for you. Nay. have a
better plea than that. plead by all the
wounds and tears and blood and groans
and agonies and death throos of the Son
Of God. who approaches you this mo-
ment with torn brow, and lacerated
hand. and whipped back. and saying.
Come unto me. all 20 who are weary
and heavy laden, and will give you
rest. +"