The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-06-10

missionary of the cross to-day in
heather lands breaches generally to
two groups-a group of men who do as
they please and sit where they please;
the other group, women hidden and
carefully secluded in side apartment,
where they may hear the voice of the
preacher, but may not be seen. No re-
finement. No liberty. No hope for this
life. No hope for the life to come.
Hinged nose. Cramped foot. Disfigured
face. Embruted soul. Now, compare
those two conditions. How far toward
this latter condition that / speak of
would woman go if Christian infiu-
ences were withdrawn and Christianity
were destroyed? 1t is only question
of dynamics. If an object be lifted to
certain point and not fastened there
and the lifting power be withdrawn,
how long before that object will fall
down to the point from which it start
ed? 1t will fall down, and it will go
still farther than the point from which
it started. Christianity has lifted wom-
an up from the very depths of degrade
ton almost to the skies. If that lifting
power be withdrawn she falls clear
back to the depth from which she was
resurrected, not going any lower, be-
cause there is no lower depth. And yet,
notwithstanding the fact that the only
salvation of woman from degradation
and woe is the Christian religion-and
the only influence that has ever lifted
her in the social scale is Christianity
have head that there are women who
reject Christianity. | make no remark
in regard to those persons. In the ST.
lence of your own soul make your OBJ
servations.
If infidelity triumph and Christianity
be overthrown, it means the demoraliza-
ton of society. The one idea in the
Bible that atheists and infdels most
hate is the idea of retribution. Take
away the idea of retribution and pun
ishment from society, and it will begin
very soon to disintegrate, and take
away from the minds of men the fear
Va hClls anu tuClC al Z q SlSuU Lldhy vi
them who would very soon turn this
world into hell. The majority of those
who are indignant because of the idea
of punishment are men whose lives are
bad or whose hearts are impure and
who hate the Bible because of the idea
| of future punishment for the same rea-
son that criminals hate the peniten-
tiary. Oh, have heard this brave talk
| about people fearing nothing of the
consequences of sin in the next world,
and have made up my mind it is mere
ly u towards whistling to keep his cour-
age up. have seen men tiaunt their i'm
moralities in the face of the commune
ty, and have heard them defy the judg-
ment day and scott at the idea of any
| future consequence of their sin, but
when they came to die they shrieked
until you could hear them for nearly
two blocks, and in the summer night
the neighbors got up to put the win
dows down because they could not en-.
dure the horror.
| | would not want to see rail train
with 500 Christian people on board GO
down through drawbridge into a
watery grave; | would not want to see
500 Christian people 60 into such dis
aster, but tell you plainly that could
more easily see that than could for
any protracted time stand and see an
infidel die, though his pillow were OF
elder down and under canopy of YER
million. | have never been able to
brace up my nerves for such a spec
tacle. There is something at such a
time so indescribable in the counte.
nance. just looked in upon it min
ute or two, but the clutch of his fist was
so diabolic and the strength of his voice
was so unnatural could not endure it
"There is no hell, there is no hell, there
is no HE'LL" the man had said for &C
years, but that night when | looked
in the dying room of my infidel neigh.
Dor there was something on his counte-
nance which seemed to say: "rhere is
there is, there is, there isl" The
mightiest restraints to-day against
theft, against immortality, against lib.
ertinism, against crime of all sorts
the mightiest restraints are the retri-
buttons of eternity. Men know that
they can escape the law, but down in
the offenders soul there is the realiza-
ton of the fact that they cannot escape
God. He stands at the end of the road
of profigacy, and He will not clear the
guilty. Take all idea of retribution and
| punishment out of the hearts and
minds of men, and it would not be long
before our cities would become Sodoms
The only restraints against the evil pas
sions of the world to-day are Bible re-
| straints.
| Suppose now these generals of athe-
ism and infidelity got the victory, and
suppose they marshaled great army
made up of the majority of the world.
They are in companies, in regiments.
in brigades-the whole army. For
ward, march, We hosts of infidels and
atheists, banners flying before, banners
flying behind, banners inscribed with
the words: mo God! No Christ! No
Punishment! No Restraints! Down
| with the Bible! Do as You Pleased"
| The sun turned into darkness
Forward, march, We great army of
| infidels and atheistsl And first of all
| you will attack the churches. Away