Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-02
THE USE OF EXCUSES.
Rev. Mr.. Whitley Discusses Marriage in
Relation TO Salvation.
vcM,x MADE FROM MANS nm.
Rev. MIR. Uitc Cites an Interesting
dissertation on the Nomnniy Elc-
N cnt of Spiritual Iifc-ConGrn'n-
ton az ~. Mar.'s. .I...

~ ton nv ~. nNr. ~ o..
81 The pulpit OF Broad-Siroct Methodist
" church was occupied on Sunday morning
& by the Rev. H. y. FTazce, OF Lady Lake
"a Fla. who preached an earnest ana spirit
a uaI sermon on the subject Of prayer
a taking as his text. Matthew vii. rs: Ask
and 1t shall be given YOU etc MT
is making a temporary stay IN
while his wife is receiving
treatment at 81. Luke's Home.
<&dIis sermon was well received by a con-
% eregation that was creditably large, con-
siderlng the heat OF the season ana the
fact that many members Of the congre-
cation are out of town.
At the evening service good congre-
cation was in attendance, and the pastor
ine Rev. Jesse r. Whitley, preached
on "Matrimony and Salvation" taking
his text from st. Lukc's Gospel. xiv, 90:
"Anoiher said. / have married II wife
and therefore l cannot come" The fol-
lowing is a brief outline Of the discourse:
Matrmony and festivlty naturally 20
,-athcr: but this man in the parable
| ,.... his marriage an obstacle in the way
| .. accepting au invitation 70 a feast.
| Tl. truth is that he did not wish 10 60
ar! bis recent marriage supplied MN win
. slrvcnient pretcxt for declining hos
t.tlity MatrmOny and salvation ought
o. -o together but frequently they 10
,f IL ought to be- easier for man
o. woman who has entered INTO TINS
! f...-t Of human relationships 10 be
faithful servant Of God; but sometimes
~ -rImOny Is permitted TO erect bar
,r between the soul and the Saviour
Sr. young men and women who were
faithful Sunday-school teachers and
rfurch-workers before marriage become
lzy ana worthless to the church imme-
lafe.y after marriage
THE FATAL EXCUSE.
This nawly-married man in the parable
r,4, l. fairly taken 90 represent all those
| r.rso.s everywhere who allow their pur-
t.lt ~ pleasure 10 hold them away from
cd ann salvation The plea Of all
such persons ISL: Let me alone yet
avfI. I must have more pleasure
lf.f. settle down as a Christian and
ass. rry life 10 God ana my fellow
m.l" Sow. concerning this plea Of the
s.re-srpker, j wish 10 say;
1 .Ir--f. 10 is very common plea. 'EX-
Gus, mo- from religion; ! have not had
enough PLEASURE IS the cry of multi
tuIes s. f,w Ola persons make this plea
and 30 i- always "a p!uful sight TO see
an ...I wau az woman, with one foot
IN Oh, grave. whining about pleasure Of
worldly sor. that their failing senses
SIN crave. Iu the walks Of middle life
r- fll much larger number Of these
4 s..E.r- after pleasure. But among the
i young this passion is chiefly found. Rich
anil J.o.. cultivated and ignorant. the
beautiful and ugly. indulge this passion
ell make this plea. II Is one Of the most
common ana fatal difficulties in the way
Ot The progress Of the Gospel.
Again. 10 SIS a. most unworthy plea.
Unworthy because thoroughly selfish. II
assumes that the chief end OF life is 10
Indulge The lower uppeties-to have
good time il ignores all obligation TO
.Fe God and serve our fellOwmen. 1t
/ J.. ks out first. last. and all the time. for
mber one, Such hcartles5 selhshness
- unworthy of an immortal being. II
s lap-dos philosophy. not nigh human
sdOm. The maker of such plea
should blush at the very thought Of Of
ferins it. suppose your mother had made
such a plea when YOU We're helpless
babe. or Christ had made it when YOU
uere about 90 he cast into hell FOR YOU
SINS Suppose Paul and the other apostles
| Dad gone IN for "A good time instead OF
| Spreading the Gospel what would have
l been the condition of the world and Of
5 lrsClf a. this hour?
/ Is A FALLACIOCS PLEA.
Furthermore, it is an utterly falla-
Cuus plea FallaCiOuS. because based on
Z au assumption that is absolutely untrue
namely, that religion and pleasure are
i opposed TO each other That the pea
i is idllacy is shown by these cOnsidera-
i tons: % So-called pleasures that in
! yolyc disobediencc TO God are not worth
1 having They wreck the body, debase
the mind. scar the conscience, pervert
L ne affections enslave the Will To APP
/ ply the word pleasure to them IS TO de-
! base noble word - Such secular
| pleasures as are innocent and refresh
ing 10 mind and body are not opposed
by Christianity, but are really fCstcrod
| By IT, 4 child OF God can get more real
| Joy out OF them than a sinner can. 60
| BEYOND and above an this. the true
| Christian has "a whole mighty circle OF
| the highest and purest joys Of which
the sinner knows and can know nothing
| The hin of Zion yields a thousand sa-
| cred sweets before We reach the heaven
~ fields or walk the golden streets The
| 10Y Of pardon. the bliss OF heart
purity the peace Of God which passeth
| an understanding. the joy of working
| with God To- upift men, the glad antici-
patton Of blessed life beyond the grave
| ana the fun iruuOn OF inns nope IN Inc
NE 10 comc--these are pleasures indeed.
and none but the true Christian can
have them.
| Then" Mr. Whitley concluded '1et
not matrlmony obstruct your salvatiol
and let none OF that wide circle Of
pleasures OF time and sense Tor which
matrimony stands block your way to
the satrs ~ life eternal"
The Woman in Eden.
/ The Rev. Lewis =. Hitc preached at
Itho New Church mission Sunday from the
IteNt. And the rib which the Lord God
Ihad taken from the man. He bunc INTO
Iwoman. and brought her unto enc MAJ,
lThis does not describe. he said the my
steal creation Of woman. In the beginning.
He created them male and female. But
H. does describe a new spiritual charac-
ltcr m the woman answering 10 a change
HIN the spiritual character Of the man.
4 Spiritually. the rib was mans thought
b. self and his sense knowledge Of how TO
Edefend and preserve this thought The
Bib taken from the man and built into