The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-08-10

Il lfxitihtife reD<lOn tndt proposes 10 rec
tify all wrongs by enactment OF better
that by rules Of exquisite taste would lift
the heart out Of its deformities, and reli-
gions OF ala sorts. religions by the peck, re-
ligiOns by the square foot and religions by
the ton. all Of them devices OF the devil
that would take the heart away from the
only religion that viii ever effect anything
Tor tne . man race, and that ~ the
straight up and down religion written in
the book which begins with Genesis and
ends with Revelation, the religion OF the
skies, the old religion, the God given reli-
giOn, the everlasting religion, which says,
Love God above all and your neigbbOr as
yourself" All religions but one begin at
The Bible religion demands that we first
get right with God. IL begins NJ the top
and measures down, while the other reli-
giOns begin at the bottom and try 20
measure up.
want you to notice this fact, that
when man gives up the straight up and
down religion OF the Bible iOr any new
tangled religion u - generally 10 sult sis
sins. You first hear OF bis change Of reli-
giOn, and then you hear OF some swindle
he has practiced in a special mining stock.
telling some one II he viii put in $4,000
he can take out 800 600, or he has sacri-
feed his integrity or plunged into rremed-
liable wofdliness. His sins are so broad
he has to broaden his religion, and he be-
comes a broad as temptation, as broad as
the souls darkness as broad as hell. They
want a religion that will allow them 10
keep their sins and then at death say TO
them. "Well done good and faithful ser
want" and that tells them. "All is well,
for there l. no hell" What a glorious
heaven they hold before Us! Come, let us
90 in and see il. There are llerod and all
hn Eat. hn oil
Charles GIiteau and Robespierre,P the
feeder Of the French gullotine, and all the
liars, thieves, house burners. garroters,
pickpockets and hbertines OF all the centu-
res. They have ell got crowns and
thrones and harps and sceDters. and when
tney chant they sing, Thanksgiving and
..onor AID glory and power 10 the broad
religion that let's rs all into heaven with
out repentance and without faith in those
humlliatlng dogmas OF ecclesiastical old
fogyism."
Ny text gives me n grand opportunity
Of saving n useful word TO all Young men
who arc now forming habits for lifetime.
OF what use 10 n ste ncmasOn or n brick
lavCr is a plumb line? Why not build the
wall by the unaided eye and hand? Be.
cause they are insufficient, because If there
be n detection IN the wall II cannot fur
ther on be corrected. Because, by the
law Of gTavitat.on, wall must be straight
in order 20 be symmetrical and safe. a
vOulg man is in danger Of getting a defect
in his wall of character that may never -
corrected.
Remember that the wall may be 100
feet high, and yet a DETECTION one foot
from the foundation affects the entire
structure. And II you live 100 years and
do right the last eighty years YOU may
nevertheless do something at twenty years
OF age that viii damage all your earthly
existence. Al YOU who have built houses
for yourselves or for others, am ! not right
in saving 10 these young men, You cannot
build a wall so HIGH as TO be independent
of the character Of its foundation? \ man
before thirtv years OF age may commit
enough sin to last him lifetime. Now,
John or George or Henry or whatever be
your Christian name or surname, say here
and now: "No wild oats for me, no cigars
or cigarettes for me, no wine or beer for
me, no nasty stories for me, no Sunday
spraCs for me | am going 10 start right
and keen on right God help me, for | am
very weak. From the throne OF eternal
let down TO me the prnci.
pies bv which | can be guided in building
from foundation to capstone.
Lord God. by the wounded hand OF Christ,
throw me plumb line
Hear it, men and bows women and girls,
al The fan is on the side Of right. Sin mny
seem attractive. but il is deathful. and like
the Manchneel, tree whose dcws are
poisonous The only genuine happiness is
in a Christian life.
There they go. two brothers. The one
was converted a wear ago in church one
Sunday morning during prayer or sermon
or HYMN No one knew It at the tune.
The nersons on either side ol him sus'
pected nothing. but in that Young
mans soul this process went on: Lord,
4 4.
tions Of city life, and ] am afraid to risk
them alone. Come and be my pardon and
my help. Save me from making the mis-.
take some of my comrades are making. and
save me now" And quicker than a flash
God rolled heaven into his soul. He ia
lust as Jolly as he used TO I've, is just as
brilliant az he used TO he. He can strike
q ball or catch one MS easily as before he
was converted. With gun or fishing rod in
this summer vacation he is lust ~ skillful
MS before. The world is brighter to him
than ever He appreciates pictures, music,
innocent hilarity. social life, good jokes
and has plenty OF fun. glorious fun. But
his brother is going down hill. In the
morning his head aches from the cham.
pagnc dcbauch. Everybody sees he is IN
rapid descent. What cares he for. right
or decency or the honor of bis family
name? Turned out Of employment, de-
plcted in health. cast down in spirits, the
typhoid fever strikes him in the smallest
room on the fourth story of ijfth.rate
boarding house. cursinq God and calling
for his mother and fighting back demons
from his dying pillow. which is beswcated
and torn to rags. lie plunges out OF this
world, with the shrek OF a destroyed
spirit.
Young man. there is no fun inshipwrcck'
ing vour character, no fun IN dIsgraclng
vour fathers name. There is no fun in
breaking YOUR mothers heart. There is
no fun in the physical pangs of the
dssolute. There is no fun IN the proflr
rates deathbcd. There is no fun in an un'
done eternity PaIacelsus out OF the ashes
of burnt rose. said he could recrcate the
rose. but he failed in the alchemic under
taking. and roseate life. once burned down
in sin. can never again be made to blossom.
God is now throwing that plumb inc
over this republic, and it is n solemn time
with this nation, and whether we keep
His Sahhaths o. dishonor them. whether
or iuiquitv dominate, whether
we are Christian or inhdel whether we
fulfill our mission or refuse. whether we
are for God or against Him. viii decide
whether we shall rs nation GO on IN
higher and higher career or 30 down IN the
same grave where Babylon and Nneveh
and Thebcs are scpulchercd.
BAT saw you. IF there be nothing but
a plumb line. what can any Of us do, for
there is an old proverb which truthiully
declares. II the best mans faults were
written on his forehead it would make
him pull HIS hat over his eyes. What shall
we DO when. according 20 Isaiah. God
shall law iulrmcut 20 'he line and right.
sousuess The plUmmetF
Ah. here is where the gospel comes in
with Saviours Righteousness TO make up
for our deficits. And while ! see hanging
on the wall piumh line, | sec also hang
,rc there a cross. And while ;he one con.
lc'nYs rs tho other saves us, II only NC
viii hold 20 1t.