Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-11-26

book OF Job describes what really oc-
CURED, but the next time they speak
of IL they call it drama. Now they
believe all the miracles, but at your
next interview they try to show how
these scenes had nothing in them ST.
pernatural, but can be accounted for
by natural causes. Gadding about
among religious theories and never sat
isfied. All the evidence is put before
them, and why do they not render a
verdict? If they cannot make up their
mind with all the data put before them,
they never will. There are all the
archaeological combinations of the BIZ
BILE brought to view by the Palestine
Exploration society" There are the
bricks of Babylon, the letter en- i'm
pressed upon them-''N'' for Nebuchad-
nezzar, showing that he was not a
highland the farther the shovel Of the
antiquarian goes down the more is re-
vealed of that most wonderful city Of
all time. Professor Heilprecht of the
University of Pennsylvania presents us
tablets found in the far east ratifying
and explaining Scriptural passages
which were before in mystery. AS the
builders in Jerusalem today dig for the
foundation of new houses they turn up
with their pickaXes the ashes of the
animals that were used for burned Of
ferings in the temple ages ago, demon
Strating the truth Of the Bible story
about the sacrifices of lambs and heif-
ers and pigeons. There is the history
by Josephus describing on uninspired
page scenes which the Bible depicts.
On the banks of the Dead sea there are
pieces of the very birthstone that fell
in the sulphurous storm that destroyed
Sodom and Gomorrah. Make up your
mind whether the Bible is a glorious
revela ton Of God or the worst imposi-
ton of the centuries. Why go gadding
about among infidels, atheists and de-
lists asking questions and surmising
and guessing about the authority and
value of a book which involves the in
f1nities? 1t is either good book or
bad book. If it be bad book, you do
not want it in your house nor have
your children contaminated with it's
teachings. If it is a good book, your
eternal happiness depends upon the
adoption of it's teachings. Once and
forever make up your mind whether it
Is the book of God or the book of vii
famous pretenders.
SO also many are unfxed in regard to
their spiritual condition and day after
day and year after year go gadding
about among hopes and fears and anx-
ieties. They sing with great emphasis
that old hymn which we have all sung:
IT'S point long to know;
Oft it anxious thought;
Do | love the Lord or no?
Am his, or am l not?
Start on the Kings Highway.
Why do you not find out whether you
are his or not? There are all the broad
invitations of the gospel Accept them.
There are all the assurances. Apply
them. There are all the hopes of par
don and heaven. Adopt them. There
is the Kings highway. Start on it.
Travelling any road, you are not salts
fed until you have found out whether
it is the right road or the wrong road,
and you climb up in the darkness to
read the words on the finger board at
the roadside to see if it be the right
road, and if it be the wrong road you
cross over to the right road If you are
on the sea, you want to know into
what port you will run or upon what
rocks you are in danger of crashing.
This moment you have all the infOrma-
ton pointing to the road that termi-
mates at the gate of the Golden City
and the voyage that anchors in the ha-
ven of eternal rest. Why go on guess
ing when you have all the facts before
you? You ought to know by eXamina-
ton of chart and compass and Their
mCIneter in what latitude and lOngi-
tude you are sailing, whether in the
arctic or the tropics. A man who does
not know whether or not he is a Chris
tan is like q man who does not know
whether he is a millionaire or pau
per Better go to the records and find
out. The Scriptures are the records. If
you cannot there read your title, it is
because you have no title, and you
ought to begin anew. Start new
prayer. sing a new song. open q new
experience.
So. alas. there are those who CAD
about among particular churches. No
pastor can depend on them for a single
service At s0me time when he has
prepared q sermon after all prayer and
all research, putting nerve and muscle
and brain and soul into it's every para
graph, these intermittent attendants
are not there to hear it. While an Oc-
casional absence is eXcusable for the
qualification of some wish to hear that
which is cOnsecrated or religiOusly ora
toric in some other pulpit. when the
pastor of a church with his eye calls
the roll of attendance by your presence
in the old place practically answer,
saying:'I am here to get the benefit Of
all the useful thoughts you may utter
and of all the hymns you may give out
and of all the prayers you may offer.
l. soldier of Jesus Christ am in my