The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-10-11
religion is protest against oil dlssipa.
flnns Of nnv Lind

ion have absconded." Yes, but tEev
threw away their religion before they did
the;- morality. If Il man on White star
line steamer, bound for Liverpool, IN mid.
Atlantic Jumps overheard and is drowned,
is that anything against the White Stat
lines capacity to take the man across the
ocean? And If nan jumps over the gun
vale OF his religion and goes down never
to rise, is that any reason for your belier-
ing that religion has no capacity to take
the man clear through? In the one case.
II he had kept to the steamer, his body
would have been saved: In the other case,
II he had kept to his religion, hls morals
would have been saved.
There are aged people who would nave
been dead twenty-five years ago but fot
the defenses and the equipolse OF religion.
You have no more natural resistance than
hundreds OF people who liz in the GENE.
teries, to-day slain by their own vices. TL4
doctors made thei. case as kind and
pleasant rs they could, and 1t was called
congestion OF the brain or something else,
but the snakes and the blue flies that
seemed to crawl over the pillow In the sight
OF the delirious patient showed what was
the matter with him. You, the aged
Christian man, walked along by that un-
happy one until you came to the golden
pillar Of q Christian life. You went to the
right; he went to the lett. That Is all the
difference between you. II this religion l5
a protest against all forms OF dissipation,
then 1t is an illustrious friend OF longevity.
"With long life will satisfy him.
Again, religion Is friend OF longevity
In the fact that 1t takss the worry out OF
our temporalities. 1t Is not work that Kills
men; 1t is worry. When man becomes a
genuine Christian, he makes ovec to God
not only bis affections, but his family, his
business, his reputation, bis body, his mind.
his soul, everything. Industrious he .Iill
be, but never worrying, because God Is
managing his affairs. How can he worry
about business when In answer to hts pruy-
ers God tells him when to buy and when to
sell? And II he gain, that Is best, and II he
lose. that is best.
Suppose you had supernatural neigh
Dor who came in and said: "5ir, want
you to cali on me in every exigency. lam
your fast friend. could fall back on S2o,.
O0O, 900. I cau foresee Il panic ten wears. I
hold the controlling stock in thirty Of the
best monetary institutions OF New York.
Whenever you are in trouble call on me,
and I will help you. You can have my
money, and you can have my innuence.
Here is my hand in pledge for it, How
much would you worry about business?
Why, you would say, "I'll do the best I
can, and then I'll depend on my friends
generosity Tor the rest.
Now, more than that Is promised to every
Christian business man. God says 10 him:
"I own New York and London and st.
Petersburg and Pekln. and Australia and
California are mine. can foresee panic
q hundred years. have all the resources
OF the universe, and am your fast friend.
When you get in business trouble or any
other trouble, call on Me, and will help.
Here Is My hand in pledge OF omntpotenr
deliverance. How much should that man
worry? Not much. What lion will dare to
put his paw on that Daniel? Is there not
rest in this2 Is there not an eternal vaca-
tion In this? "Oh," you say, "here Is man
who asked God for blessing ta.a certain
that"
I will. Yonder Is factory, AID one
wheel is going north, and the other wheel
ls going south, and one wheel plays
laterally and the other plays vertically.
70 to the manufacturer and say: ~
manufacturer, your machinery is con-
tradiction! Why do you not make oil the
wheels go one way?" "Well," he says, ~
made them to SO In opposite directions on
purpose, and they produce the right re-
suit. You so down stairs and examine
the carpets We are turning cut in this
establishment and you will see." I go
down on the other floor, and I see the
carpets, and am obliged to confess that,
though the wheels In that factory go in
opposite directions, they turn out beautt.
full result, and while / am standing there
looking ut the exquisite fabric IN old
Scripture passage comes into my mind,
"All things work together for good to
them who love God" Is there not a tonic
in that? Is there not longevity in that?
Suppose a man is all the time worried
-. Ii nna "a
lies, another man says he Is stupid, an
other says he is dishonest, and half dozen
printing establishments attack him, and he
Is In a great state OF excitement and worry
and fume and cannot sleep, but religion
comes to him and says: "Man, God Is on
YOUR side. He will take care OF your repu-
tatiou. II God be for you, who can be
against you?" How much should that man
worry about his reputation? Not much.
II that broker WHO some years ago in Wall
street, after he had lost money, sat down
and wrote farewell letter to his wife be-
fore he blew his brains outfit, instead OF
taking out OF his pocket pistol, he had
taken out a we'll read New Testament,
there would have been one less suicide.
o nervous and fererlsh people OF the
world, try this almighty sedative! You will
live twenty-five years longer unde7 Its
soothing power. 1t Is not chloral thnt you
want or morphine that you want. 1t is the
gospel OF Jesus Christ. with long life
will I satisfy him."
Again, practical religion is q friend OF
longevity in the fact that 1t rem owes all cor
rodiug care about u future existence.
Every man wants to know what Is to be.
Before had this matter settled with refer
ence to my future existence the question
almost worried me into rulued health. Tho
anxieties mon have upon this subject put
together would make martyrdom. This
Is a state OF awful unhealthiness. There
are people who fret themselves to death
for fear OF dying. I want to take the
strain of your nerves and the de-
preston off your soul, and make
two or turee experiments. Expert
ment first: When you 20 out OF this
world, 1t does not make any difference
whether you have been good or bad,
whether You believed truth or error, you
Will 20 straight to glory. "Impossib e."
you say. "My common sense as well as
my religion teaches that the bad and the
good cannot live together forever. You
give me no comfort in that experiment. +"
Experiment the second: When you leave
this world, you will gointo an intermediate
state, where you can get converted and
prepared for heaven. Impossible" you
say. LAS the tree falletb, so must 1t
lie, aud I cannot postpone to an inter-
mediate state reformation which ought
to have been effected In this state" Expert
ment the third: There Is no future world.
When a man dies, that Is the last OF him.
Do not worry about what YOU are to do In
another state OF being. You will not do
anything. impossible" you say. There
Is something that tells me that death Is not
the appendix. but the preface 10 life.
There is mething that tells me that on
ALf 80 81, r nn11 or ar q rf a
to think says forever my affections say
forever my capacity to enjoy or suffer.
sforeyar -