The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1896-06-11

10 IS.
Just at this time our country needs a
religion that will make man pay his
debts. Shouting don't settle old notes
and accounts with God nor nan-cash
up. We want to pounce right on
fellow and put him out Of the church
if he goes to ball or a theatre or gets
on drunk. but never say a word to
the pious scamp who never pay. his
not pay their debts are doing the
church more harm than dancers and
drunkards-there are more Of them IN
the church. Reader, am ] getting close
to YOU Then lay down the paper ana
20 and pay up and you can read on
with ease. And don't you stop paying
because the statute Of limitations" ex-
cuses the open account you made for
- - ,Wh7ieat-God's law ,Eksr6ows
no such statute. You pay II IN cash or
God viii make you pay 1t IN fire and
birthstone. God knows no such excuse
from paving as homestead exemp-
tion" You raise that excuse to keep
from paying your debts and you can
stop singing when ] can read my title
clear to mansions in the skies you've
cot none no there You may say |
would pay if | could. How hard have
YOU tried? If dying at this moment
could you say, I've done all III my
power? Have YOU tried to save little
each week or month for your debts
Are you spending no money for things
to eat and wear that you could do with
out? How much do you spend per
wear for cigars and tobacco? Make the
calculation. Put that amount to your
debts Do you eat dainties and luxu-
ries? Palmer diet would likely keep
YOU from making doctors bills that
you won't pay, and leave you money to
bring up back accounts. DO you strut
about with an umbrella over your head
while Your creditor walks IN the brOll-
ing SUM- Don't you cut shines on
hired turnouts (maybe they are not
paid for) when you might walk and use
the money to make your creditors
smile? A palmer suit OF clothes would
be more becoming TIL you pay for
those worn out last season. When eX-
penses not necessary for the feeding
and clothing of the body are cut off
and applied to the payment of debts,
then YOU grow in favor with God, and
not until then does God excuse you.
Repentance on this point must be of
that Cody sort that needeth not to be
repented Of Reader, were you sorry
that you had not paid your debts when
you made profession of religion? If
you we're not that is just why you have
not got debt-paying religion. True
repentance has backward as we'll as a
forward effect on the life of the believ-
err He will, az far As possible, make
good his past wrongs. Many new con-
yerts sing, "Jesus paid it all, all to him
/ owe" No such thing. Jesus did not
pay it all neither do YOU owe all to
him. If the week before you were con
verted you owed your nei ghbor ten dol
lars and was able to pay it, you owe
that neighbor ten dollars yet. Jesus
did not pay that for you. If you don't
pay that debt it will meet you at judg-
ment az sure as you are a sinner. 1t Is
mean in you to expect Jusus to pay
debts for you that you can pay your
self If you have Christian heart IN
YOU, think how much Jesus paid for
YOU that you never could have met at
Gods bar OF inflexible justice. Some
people think that the cleansing stream
Of Jesus blood washed Sinai away and
deluged the law-no such thing. Jesus
came not to destroy, but to fulfill, and
give grace that we through him might
fulfill. Jesus enforces the command
ments as the rule of life.
At the close of great revival few
wears ago number of Young men came
to me TO know if they ought to go and
pay bills that they had made at bar
rooms for whiskey, etc. / told them to
owe no man anything,' ''let not your
good be evil spoken of"-give the devil
his dues. All of those young men save
one or two went and paid up those bad
debts and have made no more. Those
who could not see that it was their du-
ty to pay up those debts have returned
to their old paths and their second state
is worse than the first
Then let the whole Church pray for
revival OF debt-paying religion, In ev-
cry revival let prayer be made that the
new converts may have grace to pay up
"old debts" and not contract new ones
without a good probability of paying
them. Let the ministry enforce this
duty both publicly and privately with
discretion, and great good can be &C
compllshed. IT preachers will look af-
-ol.r ~, ~ lol,t