The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-09-30

8
ment, You would answer me with an
argument; if with sarcasm, you would
answer 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 Inc all you know
about Christ and Heaven"
Listen to two or three questions
Are you as happy as you used to be
when you believed in the truth Of the
Christian religion? Would you like to
have your children travel on in the
road in which you are now travelling?
You had a relative who professed to be
Christian, and was thoroughly con-
sistent. living and dying in the faith of
the Gospel. Would you not like to
| live the same quiet life and die the
same peaceful death? | hold in my
| hand a letter, sent me by one who has
rejected the Christian religion. 1t
says: II am old enough to know
that the joys and pleasures of
life are evanescent, and to real
ize the fact that it must be COM
| Portable in old age to believe in some
| thing relative to the future, and to
| have a faith in some system that pro-
poses to save. | am free to confess
that l would be happier if could ex-
| ercise the simple aud beautiful faith
that is possessed by many whom l
know. am not willingly out of the
church or out of the faith. My state
of uncertainty is one of unrest. Some
times | doubt my immortality, and
! look upon the deathbcd as the closing
scene, after which there is nothing.
What shall 1 do that have not done?
| All! skepticlSm is dark ana doleful
land. Let me say that this Bible is
either true or false. If it be false we
are as we'll off as you; if it be true,
| then which of us is safer?
Let me also ask whether your trou-
| BILE has not been that you confounded
Christianity with the inconsistent char
acter of some who profess it? You are
a lawyer. In your profession there are
mean and dishonest men. Is that any
| thing against the law? You are doc
| tor. There are unskil and con-
tcmptible men in your profession. Is
that anything against medicine? You
are merchant. There are thieves
and dcfrauders in your business. Is
that anything against merchandise?
| Behold, then, the unfairnesS of charg-
ing upon Christianity the wicked
ness of its disciples. We admit some
of the charges against those who pro-
fess religion. Some of the most gil
gantic swindles of the present day
| have been carried on by membcrs of
| the church. There arc men standing
| in the front rank in the churches who
would not be trusted for five dollars
without good collateral security. They
leave their business dishonestics in the
vestibule of the church as they go in
and sit at the communion. Having
concluded the sacrament, they get up,
wipe the wine from their lips go out
and take up their sins where they
| left off. To serve the devil is their
| regular work; to serve God a sort of
play-spell With a Sunday sponge
they expect to wipe off from their bust
ness slate all the past weeks incon-
sistencies. You have no more right to
take such a mans life as specimen Of
religion than you have to take the
twisted irons and split timbers that lie
on the beach at Coney island as speci-
men of an American ship. 1t is time
that we draw line between religion
and the frailties of those who profess
it.
Do you not feel that the Bible, take
it all in all, is about the best book that
the world has ever seen? Do you know
any book that has as much in it? Do
you not think, upon the whole, that
It's influence has been bencticent? |
come to you with both hands extended
toward you. In one hand | have the
Bible, and in the other hand | have
nothing. This Bible in one hand | will
surrender forever just as soon as in my
other hand you can put book that is
better.
invite you back into the good old
fashioned religion of your fathcrs-to
the God whom they worshiped, to the
Bible they read, to the promises they
learned. to the cross on which they
hung their eternal expectations. You
hdFc hot oeen nappy Gay since you
swung off; you will not be happy g
minute until you swing back.
There is large class of persons in
midlife who have still in them appe
tites that were aroused in early man
hood, at a time when they prided them
selves on being little fast" "higl
livers," free and easy" 'hail fellows
well met" They are now paying il
compound interest for troubles they
collected 20 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 owl
soul only know what the struggle is
Omnipotent grace has pulled out many
soul that was deeper in the mir,
, than you are. They line the beacl
of Heaven-the multitude whom
God has rescued you from the thrall o
suicidal habits. Ifyou this day turl
back on the wrong and start anew
God will help you. Oh, the weakness!