The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-01-25

| so large ears of corn, never so big heads
of wheat, still he would remain poor.
The church of God has bestowed it's
chief care on one acre and has raised
splendid men and women i'm that small
inclosure. But the field is the world.
That means Europe, Asia, Africa,
North and South America and all the
islands of the sea.
l have to remark that the Heavenly
shepherd will find many sheep amid
the nonchurchgoers. There are CON
gregations where they are all Chris
tians, and they seem to be completely
finished, and they remind one of the
skeleton leaves which by chemical
preparation have had all the greenness
and verdure taken off them and are
left cold and white and delicate, moth
ing wanting but q glass case to put
over them. The minister of Christ has
nothing to do with such Christians but
to come once a week and with ostrich
feather dust off the accumulation of
the last six days, leaving them bright
and crystalline as before. But the
other kind of church is an armory,
with perpetual sound of drum and fife,
gathering recruits for the Lord Of
Hosts and saying to every applicant:
"Do you want to be on Gods side, the
safe size and the happy side? If so,
come in the armory and get equipped.
Here is bath in which to be clehnsed.
Here are sandals to put on your feet.
Here is helmet for your brow. Here
is a breastplatc for your heart. Here
is a sword for your right arm, and
yonder is the battlefield. Quit your
selves like men"
l remark again the Heavenly Shep-
herd is going to find a great many of
his sheep among those who are now re-
jecters of Christianity. Some of the
mightiest advocates of the Gospel were
once skeptics. Thomas Chalmers once
a skeptic Robert Hall a skeptic.
Christmas Evans a skeptic. Charles G..
Finney a skcptic. Paul, the apostle,
once "A skeptic. But when once with
strong hand they laid hold of the Cos
pei chariot they rolled it on with what
momentum! | do not know how you
came to reject Christianity. 1t may
have been through the nfdel talk of
some young man in the store or shop or
factory. 1t may have been through the
trckery of some professed Christian
man who Disguised you with religion.
1t may be that 30 years ago you lost
all faith by what happened in an oil
company which was formed amid the
petroleum excitement. The com
pany owned no land or if they did
there was no sign Of oil produced But
the president of the company was a
Pres byterian elder and the treasurer
an Episcopalian vetryman. and one
director was Methodist class leader
and the other officers prominen mem
bers of Baptist and Congregational
churches. Circulars were got out tell
ing what fabulous prospects opened
before this company. The circular had
all the hues of earth and sea and sky.
Ire letters famed with all the beauty
OF gold and jasper and amethyst In
nocent men and women who had lit
tie money to invest, and that little their
ALL said; II do not know anything
about this company, but so many good
men are at the head of il that it must
be excellent and taking stock in il
must be almost as good as joining the
church" So thew hougbt tbeir stool,
and perhaps received one dividend ia
keep them still Rut after awhile tbev
round that the company had reorgan-
lzed and had different president, a
different treasurer and different Al.
rectors. Other enmogements ar an
overcoming modestv had caused the
former officers of the comnorv Win
many regrets to RESIGN and MI mat
the subscribers for the stock had to
show for their investment was beau
tifuily ornamented certificate. Some
times that man. looking over his old
papers comes across that certificate.
and it is so suggestive that he vosys he
wants none of the religion that the
president and directors of that oil COM
pany profcssgd.
or Won may baye b.oor,, .l..,,,i,oi
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