The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-12-10

our sick and dying world
Is it bogus company that is formed
Is it undeveloped territory? Oh, no, the
story is true! There are hundreds ano
thousands of people who would be viii
ing to rise and testify that they have
discovered that gold and have it in
their possession. Notwithstanding all
this, what is the circumstance? One
would suppose that the announcement
would send people in great excitement
up and down our streets, that at mid
night men would knock at your door,
asking how they may get those treas
ures. Instead of that many of us put
our hands behind our back and walk up
and down in front of the mine of eter-
nal riches and say, "Well, if l am to
be saved | will be saved, and if l am to
be lost will be lost, and there is moth
ing to do about it, +"
Why, my brother, do you not do that
way in business matters? Why do you
not tomorrow go to your store and sit
down and fold your arms and say, IF
these goods are to be sold, they will be
sold, and if they are not to be sold they
will not be sold; there is nothing for
me to do about it. " No, you dispatch
your agents, you print your advertise
ments, you adorn your show windows,
you push those goods, you use the in
strumentality. Oh, that men were as
wise in the matter of the soul as they
are wise in the matter of dollars and
cents
Not One Conscript.
This doctrine of God S sovereignty,
how it is misquoted and spoken of as
though it were an iron chain which
bound us hand and foot for time and
for eternity, when, so far from that, in
every fiber of your body, in every facul-
ty of your mind, in every passion OF
your soul, you are free mana free
mainland it will no more tomorrow be
a matter of choice whether you shall go
to business through Pennsylvania ave-
nue. or some other street, it will be no
more matter of choice with you to-
morrow whether you shall 60 to Phila-
delphia or New York or stay at home,
than it is this hour matter of free
choice whether you will accept Christ
or reject him
In all the army of banners there is
into heaven. Among all the
tens of thousands of the Lords soldiery
there is not one man but will tell you:
II chose Christi wanted him. | de-
sired to be in his service. [ am not
am volunteer. " Oh, that
men had the same common sense in the
matters of religion that they have in
the matters of the world, the same con-
the same push, the same en-
the one case a secular en-
in the other a consecrated
Again, l remark we want more COM
mon sense in the building up and en-
larging of our Christian character.
There are men who have for 40 years
been running the Christian race, and
they have not run a quarter of mile
No business man would be willing to
have his investments unaccumulative
If you invest dollar, you expect THAI
dollar to come home bringing another
lollar on its back. What would y,
Jhink of man who should invest $10,
300 in a monetary institution, then go
IF for five Years, make no inquiry in re-
gard to the Investment, then come back, |
tep up to the cashier of the institution |
md say, "Have you kept that $40, 900 !
afely that l lodged with you?" but ask
Oh INF
dividend? Why, you say, "That is no
common sense. " Neither is it, but that
S the way we act in matters of the soul
We make a far more important invest
nent than $40, 900. We invest our soul.
s it accumulative? Are we growing in
race? Are we getting better? Are we
citing worse? God declares many divi-
ENDS, but we do not collect them; we
10 not ask about them; we do not want
hem. Oh, that in this matter of ac-
we were as wise in the mat
ers Of the soul as we are in the matters
f the world
The Purpose of the Bible.
How little common sense in the read
ng of the Scriptures We get any other
ook, and we open it, and we say:
Now, what does this book mean to
each me? 1t is book on astronomy; it
ill teach me astronomy. 1t is book
n political economy; it will teach me
olltical eco my" Taking up this BIZ
lie, do we SIX ourselves what it means
} teach? 1t means to do just one thing
get the world converted and get US all
} heaven. That is what it proposes to
o. But instead of that we go into the
ible as botanists to pick flowers, or
e go as pugilists to get something to
ght other Christians with, or we go
logicians trying to sharpen our men,
Il faculties for better argument, and
g do not like this about the Bible, and
g do not like that, and we do not like
le other thing What would you think /
man lost on the mountains? Night s
as come down, he cannot find his way
ome, and he sees a light in noun l
in cabin. He goes to it. He knocks at {
lie door. The mountaineer comes out
I'd finds the traveller and says: "Well I
ere have lantern. You can take it {
nd it will guide you on the way I
ome. " And suppose that traveller
lould say: 81 don like that lantern. l
IL I'M