The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-04

my friends. that is the secret. not flight
from obstacles in the but who
can pound the longest" The child had
it right housekeeping to carry a ton
of coal,a shovelful at a time, from the
sidewalk to the cellar, and some one
asked her, DO you expect to get all
that coal in with that little shovel?"
And she replied, Yes, sir. if I work
long enough" BY the help of God
| choose your calling and stick to il.
The gadabouts are failures for this
life, to say nothing of the next
THE ETERNAL DESTINY.
There are many who exhibit this fraiI-
ty in matters of religion. They are not
sure about anything hat PERTAINS to
their SOU or their eternal destiny. Now
the are UnitarianS, and now they are
UniVersalists, and now they are Meth
odists, and now they are Presbyfterians,
and now they are nothing at all. They
are not quite sure that the Bible was
inspired or, if inspired, whether the
words OF the ideas Were inspired or
whether only part Of the book was in
spired. They think at one time that
the story in Genesis about the garden
OF Eden is a history, and the month af-
ter they think it is an allegory. AT one
time they think the book Of Job de-
scribes wha really occurred, but the
next time they speak of it they call it
a drama- Now they believe all the
miracles, u at you next interview
they try to show how these scenes a
nothing in them supernatural, but can
be accounted for by natural causes.
Gaddfng about among religious theories
and never satisfied. All the evidence
is put before them, and why do not
they not render a verdict If they
annOt make up their mind with all
the data put before them, they never
will. There are all the archaeological
combinations of the Bible brought to
view by the Palestine Exploration So
ciety;" there are the bricks of Baby
Ion, the letter IN" impressed upon
them-'N" for acknowledgements, show
ing that he was not a myth-and the
farther the shovel of the antiquarian
goes down the more is revealed of that
o wonderful city of all time. Pro-
feSSOr Heilprecht of the University of
Pennsylvania, presents us tablets found
In he far east ratifying and explain
ing Scriptural passages which were be-
fore in mystery. AS the builders in
Jerusalem today dig for the founda-
tfon of new houses they turn up with
their pickaXeS the ashes of the animals
that were used for burnt offerings in
the temple ages ago, demonstrating the
truth of the Bible story about the Sacr1-
fees of lambs and heifers and pigeons.
There is the history by Josephus, de-
scribing on uninspired pages scenes
which the Bible depicts. On the banks
of the Dead sea there are pieces of the
very birthstone hat fell in the sui
phurOuS storm hat destroyed Sodom
and GomOrrah. Make up your mind
whether the Bible is a glorious revela-
ton of God or the worst imposition of
the centuries. Why go gadding about
among infdels, atheists and deists ask
ipn nrrnCtinro ND ~ Old $4,000
ing about the authority and value of a
book which involves the infinitieS? 1t
is either a good book or a bad book.
If it be a bad book, you do not want
it in your house nor have your children
contaminated with it's teachings. If
1t is a good book, your eternal happ1,
ness depends upon h adoption of the
teachings Once and forever make up
your mind whether it is the book of
God or the book of vfllainous pretend
erS.
FIXED SPIRITUAL CONDITION.
So also man are unfixed in regard to
their spiritual condition and day after
day n year after year go gadding
about among hopes and fears and anx-
ieties. They sing with great emphasis
that old hymn which we ave all sung:
'Tis a point I long to know;
Oft it causes anxious thought;
Do 1 love he Lord or no?
Am l his, or am 1 not?
Why do you not find out whether you
are his or not? There are all the
broad invitations of n gospel. Ac-
cept them. There are all the assurances
Apply them. There are all the hopes
Of pardon and heaven Adopt them.
There is the Kings highway. Start
on it. Travelling any road. you are not
| satisfied until Won have found nnt
whether it is the right road or the
wrong road, and o climb up in the
darkness to e 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 sea. you
want to know into what port you will
run or upon what rocks you are in
danger of crashing. This moment you
ave all the information pointing tc
the road that terminates at the gate
ofthe Golden City n the voyage that
anchors in the haven of eternal rest
Why go on guessing when you have al
the facts before you? You oought &c
know by examination of chart and
compass and thermometer in what lat
itude n longitude you are sailing
whether in the arctic or the tropics
A man who does not know whether OIL
not he is a Christian is like a mar WI
does nOlhlOW WnSIQSr ne Is d IHlIlloH'
aire or a pauper. Better go to the rec
ordsand find out. The Scriptures are
the records. If you cannot there reac
your title, it is because you have nc
title. and you ought to begin anew
Start a new prayer, sing a new song
open a new experience.
So, alas, there are those who gao
about among particular churches. NJ
pastor can depend on them for {
single service. At some time when n
has prepared asermon, after all prayer
and all research. putting nerve anC
muscle and brain and soul into it:
every paragraph, these intermittent
attendants are not there to hear it
While an occasional absence is eX
cusable for the qualification OF som'
wish to hear that which Is consecratet
or religiously oratoric in some othe
pulpit, when the pastor Of a churcl
with his eye calls the roll of attend
ance, by your presence IN the old plac
here to get the benefit of all the use
full thoughts o may utter and o
all the hymns you may give out and o
all prayers you may offer. /,
soldier of Jesus Christ, am in my owl
pIaoe in the oomnany- in the battalion