Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-08-27
my brother, and tel me all you know
about Christ and heaven"
Questions Asked.


you as happy as you used TO be when
you believed in the truth Of the Chris
tian religion? Would You like to have
your children travel on in the road in
which you are now travelling? You bad
a relative who professed 10 be a Chris
tian and was thoroughly consistent, liv-
ing and dying in the faith Of the gos-
pei Would you not like 10 live the
same quiet life and die the same peace
ful 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 pleas
ures of life are eyanescent and TO real
ize the fact that it must be comfortable
in old age to believe in something rela-
tive to the future and TO have faith
in some system that proposes 10 save.
am free to confess that | would be hap
pier if | could exercise the simple and
beautiful faith that is possessed by
many whom know. l am not willingly
out Of the church or out of the faith.
My state Of uncertainty is one Of un-
rest Sometimes doubt my immortal
ity and look upon the deathbed as the
closing scene, after which there is moth
ing. What shall do that l have not
done?" All, skepticism is a dark and
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 saferg
Let ne also ask whether your trouble
has not been that you confounded Chris
tianity with the inconsistent character
CT some who profess il? You are a law
yer. In your profession there are mean
and dishonest men. Is that anything
against the law? You are a doctor.
There are unskilled and contemplate
men in your profession. Is that any
thing against medicine? You are mer-
chant. There are thieves and defraud-
ers in your business. Is that anything
against merchandise? Behold, then, the
unfairness Of charging upon Christian
ity the wickedness Of its disciples. We
admit some Of the charges against those
who profess religion. Some Of the most
gigantic swindles Of the present day
have been carried on by members Of
the church.
There are men standing in the front
rank in the churches who would not be
trusted fer s. without good collateral
security They leave their business dis
honesties in the vestibule Of the church
as they 20 in and sit at the communion.
Having concluded the sacrament, they
get up, wipe the wine from their lips,
90 cut and take up their sins where they
left of. To serve the devil is their reg
ular work, to serve God a sort Of play
spell. With a Sunday sponge they ex-
pect 10 wipe of from their business slate
all the past weeks Inconsistencies. You
have no more right to take such a mans
life as a specimen Of religion than you
have to take the twisted irons and split
timbers that lie on the beach at Coney
Island as a specimen Of an American
ship. IL is time that we draw line be-
tween 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
anv book that has as much in III DO
you not think, upon the whole, that Its
influence has been benefcent? Icome 70
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 l will surrender for
ever Just as soon as in my other hand
you can put a book that is better.
Invite you back into the good old
fashioned religion Of your faAars, TO
the God whom they wolshiped, TO the
Bible they read. TO the promises on
which they leaned, to the cross on
which they hung their eternal expecta-
tions You have not been happy a day
since you swung off. You will not be
happy a minute until you swing back
Great Hindrances.
Again, there may be some who in the
attempt after Christian life will have
to run against powerful passions and
appetites. Perhaps it is a disposition to
anger that you have to contend against,
and perhaps, while in very serious
mood, you hear Of something that makes
you feel that you must swear or die L
know a Christian man who was once SO
exasperated that he said to a mean GUS
TONER 81 cannot swear at you myself,
for am member Of the church, but If
you will 90 down stairs my partner In
business will swear at you. All your
good resolutions heretofore have been
torn to tatters by explosion OF temper.
Now. there is no harm in getting mad
if you only get mad at sin. You need
TO bride and saddle those hot breathed
passions and with them ride down In
Justice and wrong. There are thou
sand things in the world we ought TO
be mad at There is no harm in getting
redhot if you only bring to the forge
that which needs hammering. A man
who has no power Of righteous indig-
nation is an imbecile. But be sure 1t Is
righteous Indignation and not petu-
lancy that blurs and unravels and de-
pletes the soul
There is a large class Of persons In
midlife who have still in them appetites
that were aroused in early manhood, at
a time when they prided themselves on
being little fast" high livers,
free and easy" "hail fellows well
met" They are now paying IN com
pound interest for troubles they collect
ed 20 years ago. Some Of you are trying
to escape, and you will, yet very mar
rowly, "as with the skin Of your teeth.
God and your OWE soul only know what
the struggle is. Omnipotent grace has
pulled out many a soul that was deeper
In the mire than you are. They line the
beach Of heaven--the multitude whom
God has rescued from the thrall Of sui
cidal habits. If you this day turn back
on the wrong and start anew, God Will
help you. Oh, the weakness OK human
helpl Men will sympathize for awhile
and then turn you of. If you ask for
their pardon, they will give it and say
they will try you again; but, falling
away again under the power Of tempta.
tion. they cast You off forever. But God