The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-09-02

come to your present state, I know not.
There are two gates to your nature;
the gate of the head, and the gate of
the heart. The gate of your head is
locked with bolts and bars that an
a%rchangel could not break, but the
gate Of your heart swings easily on its
hinges. If l assaulted your body with
weapons you would meet me with
weapons, and it would be sword-stroke
for sword-stroke, and wound for
wound, and blood for blood; but if l
come and knock at the door of your
house, O open it, and give me the
best seat in your parlor. If I should
come at you now with an argument,
you would answer me with an argu-
ment; if with sarcasm, you would an
swer 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 me all you know
about Christ and heaven"
Listen to two or three questions:
49, ~" oo hoppy GU yoU ooSo w
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 protested to
be a Christian, and was thoroughly
consistent, living and dying in the
faith of the Gospel. Would you not
1i1-o ~ 1;-o 49, ~,;o+ 1;fo or1
die the same peaceful death? I hold
in my hand a letter, sent me by one
who has rejected the Christian reli-
gion. 1t says: Il am old enough to
kno that the joys and Pleasures of
life are evanescent, and to realize the
TACT that it must be comfortable in old
age to believe in something relative
to the future, and to have faith in
some system that proposes to save. I
an free to confess that l would be
happier if l could exercise the SIM
pie and beautiful faith that is possess
ed by many whom I know. l am not
willingly out of the church or out of
the faith. My state of uncertainty is
one of unrest. Sometimes l doubt my
Immortality, and look Upon the death
bed as the closing scene, after which
there is nothing. What shall l do
that I have not done?" All! scepti-
cism is a dark and doleful land. Let
me say hat 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 safer?
Let me also ask whether your trouble
has not been that you COMPOUNDED
Christianity with the inconsistent
character of some who profess it? Yor
are a lawyer. In YOU profession there
are mean and dishonest men. Is thai
anything against the law? You are
doctor. There are unskilled and con
temptible men in your profession. Is
that anything against medicine? YOU
are a merchant. There are thieves anC
defrauders in your business. Is tina
anything against merchandise? Be
hold, then, the unfairness of charging
upon Christianity the wickedness of it!
disciples. We admit some Of tn
charges against those who profess re
ligiOn. Some of the most giganti'
swindles of the present day have beer
carried on by members of the church
There are men standing in the from
rank in the churches who would no
be trusted for five dollars withou
good collateral security. They leav'
their business dishonesties in the vesti
bule of the church as they go in an
sit at the communion. Having con
cluded the sacrament, they get VI
wipe the wine from their lips, go out
and take up their sins where they lief
off. To serve the devil is their regu
lar work; to serve God a sort of play
spell. With a Sunday sponge they ex
pect to wipe off from their bushes
slate all the past weeks inconsisten
cies. You have no more right to tax
such a mans life as a specimen of re
ligion than you have to take tn
twisted irons and split timbers tina
lie on the beach at Coney Island as
specimen of an American ship. 1t
time that we draw a line between re
ligion and the frailties of those VIII
profess it.
DO yOu AOL lCC1 Cud tAC D1D1C, Ian
it all in all, is about the best boo
!, that the world has ever seen? Do 20
; know ny book that has as much i
it,. Do you not think, upon the who'll
! that it's influence has been beneficent
I come to you with both hands extend
. ed towards you. In one hand I hav
, the Bible, and in the other hand
have nothing. This Bible in one han
y I will surrender forever just as 500
as in my other hand you can put
,. book that is better.
: I invite you back into the good OLE
t fashioned religion of your fathers-t
u the God whom they worshipped, to tt
e Bible they read, to the promises c
which they leaned, to the cross {
d which they hung their eterna! expect
" tons. You have not been happy a d.
it since you swung off; you will not
: happy a minute until you swi1
back. go
o + ~ * X =
l. II, with all the influences sayorab
o for q rioht. 1ifo man -ooIo .1#----