The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-09-16

a Christian, and was thoroughly o.,
sistenL living and diving in the faith
The Gospel. Would You not like
live the same quiet life and die II
same peaceful death? | hold in m
hahd a letter. sent me by one who In
rejected the Christian religion.
says: Il am old enough to kpo,
that the joys and pleasures ,
ne are evanescent, and 20 rca
lfe the fact that it must he con
Portable in old age to believe in som,
thlng relative to the future, and I
nave IA faith in some system that pre-
poses To save. | am free to comics
mat would be happier if | could OK
erclse the simple and beautiful faith
ulat IS possessed by many whom
know. am not willingly out Of tn,
church or out of the faith. NV star,
Oh uncertainty is one of unrest. Some
tunes 1 doubt my immortality, apt
o upon the 3eathbed as the CLOSING
scene, after which there is nothing
What shall | do that | have not dnnep
All. skeptielsm is a dark and dol,fu)
land. Let me say that this Bible is
either true or false. If it be false we
are as well off as you: if it be true.
then which of us is safers
Let me also ask whether your trou.
ole mas not been that you confounded
christianity with the inconsistent char
aeter of some who profess it? You are
d iaWyer' In your profession there are
mean and dishonest men. Is that nnv.
thing against the law? You are a doc.
Tor There are unskilled and con-
teinptlble men in your profession. Is
that anything against medicine? You
are a merchant, There are thieves
and defrauders in your business. Is
mat anything against merchandise
behoid, then, the unfairness of charr-
ing upon Christianity the wicked
ness OF ITS disciples. We admit some
u eharges against those who pro-
les, religion. Some of the most OIL
'ah''c swlndles of the present day |
been carried on by members OF |
he church. ) There are men STANDING
II tlie f'ont rank in the churches who
'ohld o be trusted for five dollars
Without good collateral security. They
cave their business dishonesties in the
OF the church as they 20 in
nd SIT at the communion. Having
the sacrament, they get up,
'ipe the wine from their lips, go out
Jake up their sins where thew
1T OIL, To serve the devil is their
work; to serve God a sort of
'ay-spell' With a Sunday sponge
icy expect to wipe off from their bust
ess slate all the past weeks incon- ;
s'ehcies' You have no more right to /
IKE such a mans life US Il specimen of ,
Ilgion than You have TO take the c
'lsted irons ana split timbers that lie
the beach at Coney island as Il spcci- {
OF an American ship. 1t is time Il
III we draw a line between religion d
q The frailties Of those who profess 5
DO you not feel that the Bible. take "
I'LL IN all, IS about the best book that Il
World has ever seen? DO you know
y book that has as much in itq u, o.
u not think, upon the whole, that Ii
influence has been bcncticeutp I II
ne to you with both hands extended IL
ward you. In one hand / have In, sc
'ie' ana in the other hand | have h,
hing. This Bible in one hand T will q,
render forever just as soon as in nv a,
er hand you can put a book thai IS pr
ter. it
invite you back into the good old th
God ybn,n tha" soui ia.herS-to III
lie they read, to the promises th.v pu
ned, to the cross on which tbay Vii
x their eternal expectations. Won II,
t not been happy a dav since Won fir
ng off, you will not be hanny a bn
ute until you swing back. su,
here is a large class of persons il, Do
who have still in them appe- tro
that were aroused in early man. wo
l, at q time when they prided them. wo