The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-01-26

had a farm of 5000 acres and put all his
work on one acre. lie might raise never
so large ears of corn, never so big heads
of wheat, still he would remain poor.
The church of God has bestowed its
chief care on one acre and has raised
splendid men and women in that small
Enclosure. But the field is the world.
That mean 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 n 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 a 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 oil
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 Tile.
gathering recruits for the Lord OF
Hosts and saying to every Applicant
DO YOU want to be on Gods side, the
safe side and the happy side? II so,
come in the armory and get equipped.
Here is a bath in which to be cleansed.
Here are sandals to put on your feet.
Here is a helmet for your brow. Here
is a breastplate for your heart. Here
is a sword for your right arm, m
wonder 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 IT,
Finney a skeptic. 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 infidel talk OF
some young man in the store or shop or
factory. 1t may have been through the
trickery 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 OF
company which was formed amid the
petroleum excitement. The com
pany owned no land, or if they die
there was 10 sign of oil produced. But
the president of the company was &
Presbyterian elder and the treasurer
an E~piscopalian vetryman, and on
director was a Methodist class leadel
and the other officers prominent mem
bers of Baptist and Congregations
churches. Circulars were got out tell
ing what fabulous prospects opened
{ before this company. The circular ha'
all the hues of earth and sea and sky
The letters famed with all the beaut,
, of gold and jasper and amethyst. In
nocent men and women who had a lii
! tie money to invest, and that little thei
all, said: Il do not know anythin
about this company. but so many goo
q men are at the head of it that it mus
be excellent and taking stock in
7 must be almost as good as joining tn
r church." So they bought their stoc
{ and perhaps received one dividend I
: keep them still. But after awhile the
found that the company had reorgar
lied and had a different president,
different treasurer and different d
rectors. Other engagements or a
. overcoming modesty had caused IL
former officers of the company, wit
many regrets, to resign, and all th'
y the subscribers for the stock had
show for their investment was a bea1
tifully ornamented certificate. Som
% times that man, looking over his o
s. papers across that certificat
!. and it is so suggestive that he wv !
# wants non of the religion that Il
- president and directors of that oil col
,r pany professed.
is Or you may have become skeptic
from the fact that you grew up in
n home where religion was overdoT
II
h. Sunday was the most awful day in t
K, week. You had religion driven in
Sc you with a trip hammer. You we
e. surfeited with prayer meetings. Y,
tx were stuffed and choked with cal
chisms. You were often told that y
it were the worst boy your parents ey
al knew because you liked to ride do,
NJ hill better than to read Bunyan's 81
grim's Progress" Whenever 20
ne father and mother talked religion tn
in drew down the corners of their mout
us and rolled up their eyes. If any o
list thing will send a boy to ruin soor
ed than another. that is it.
nd But 1 do not stop now to know h
ch you came into rejection of Christii
lst ity. You frankly tell me. that you
9Th reject it. You do not believe that Chr
be is a Divine being, although you adr
I'd, that He was a very good man. Y
do not believe that the Bible was
ice spired of God, although you think tn,
IDS are some very fine things in it. Y