The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-07-09

years rom now we ourselves may be SCI
entiic specimens on the geologic shelf.
petri6ed specimens Of an extinct human
race. And after you have got all through
with your consolation. IL the poor afflicted
soul Is not crazed by Ii, we win send
forth from any Of our churches the plain
est Christian we have and with one half
hour OF prayer and reading Of Scripture
promises the tears will be wiped away,
and the house from floor to cupola will be
flooded with the calmness Of an Indian
summer sunset. There Is where I see the
triumph Of Christianity. People are dis
satisfied with everything else. They
want God. They want Jesus Christ.
Inhdelity Founded ON Ignorance.
The fact Is that in6delity and agnosti
cism are founded on ignorance geological
ignorance chemical. ignorance astronon-
Eal, ignorance geographical. We have
heard what the enemies OF Christianity
have had to testify. Now I put before
you the testimony Of the church on earth
and b church in heaven. Not fifty, not
q thousand. not a million. but all Of the
church on earth and all Of the redeemed
In heaven. Will you take the evidence OF
those who have witnessed as well as felt
the power Of religion. or will you prefer
he testimony OF those who begin BY de-
claring that they have never witnessed OF
felt its power? You tell me that on Q
certain 4th Of March. 20 years ago, Q
president Of the United States was in.
~augurated. How do I know it? You tell
me there were 10000 persons who dis
tinctly heard his inaugural address.
deny both. I deny that he was inaugu-
rated. / deny that his inaugural address
was delivered. You ask why? l did not
see it. l did not hear it. But you say
that there were 10000 people who did
see and hear him. Is not the testimony
Of the 10000 who were present worth
more than the testimony Of one who was
absent? Now. there are some men who
say they have never seen Christ crowned
in the heart, and they do not believe it is
ever done. There is a group of men who
say they have never heard the voice OF
Christ, that they have never heard the
voice of God. They do not believe tina,
anything like it ever occurred. / point tc
twenty. a hundred thousand or a million
people who say. Christ was crowned liz
our hearts affections. we have seen him
and felt him in our soul, and we have
heard his voice: we have heard it in the
storm and darkness; we have heard il
again and again." Whose testimony will
you take? These men who say they have
not heard the voice Of Christ, have no
seen the coronation. or will you believs
the thousands and tens of thousands OF
Christians who testify Of what they saw
with their own eyes and heard with theil
own ears?
You say morphia puts one to sleep
You say in time Of sickness it is very use
full. l deny 1t. Morphia never puts anybody
to sleep; it never alleviates pain. You
ask why I say that. I have never tried
it; I never took it. I deny that morphi;
Is any soothing to the nerves or any quie
in times of sickness. 1 deny that NOR
phia ever put anybody to sleep. But here
are 20 persons who say they have all fe.
the soothing effects of a physicians pre-
scribing morphine. Whose testimony vii
you take? Those who took the medicine
or my testimony. 1 never having takeI
the medicine? Here is the gospel o.
Jesus Christian anodyne for all trouble
the mightiest medicine OF earth. Here i
a man who says: Il don't believe in it
There is no power in it." Here are othe
people who say, 1--WE have found out it
power and know it's soothing influence; i
has cured U.s." Whose testimony will 70,
take in regard to this healing medicine?
Not Ashamed Of the Bible.
Young man, do not be ashamed to be
friend Of the Bible. Do not put you
thumb in your vest. as young men some
times do. and swagger about talking o
the glorious light of nature and of Their
being no need Of the Bible. They hav
the light Of nature in India and Chin;
and in all the dark places Of the earth
Did you ever hear that the light Of natur
gave them comfort for their trouble
They have laDcets to cut and ju%ggernaut
to crush, but no comfort. All, my friends
o had better stop your skepticism
Suppose you are put in q crisis like tina
OF Colonel Ethan Allen. ] saw toe &C
count and at one time mentioned it in Al
address. A descendant Of Ethan Allen
who is an infdel, said it never occurred
Soon after l received a letter from a pre-
fessor in one Of our colleges, who is ais
a descendant of Ethan Allen and is
Christian. He wrote me that the inciden
is accurate; that my statement was au
thentic and true. The wife Of Colone
Ethan Allen was a very consecrated We
q The mother instructed the daugt
ter in the truths Of Christianity. tn
daughter sickened and was about to die
and she said to her father: Father, sha
i take your instruction or shall l tax
mothers instruction? l am going to di
now; l must have this matter decided.
That man, who had been loud in his II
fidelity. said to his dying daughter. IN
dear, you had better take our mother
religion" My advice is the same to yol
0 young man! You know how religio
comforted her. You know what she sal
to you when she was dying. You ha
better take your mothers religion.
copyright, 1901. Louis Klopsch. N. ~
No Friend of His.
The Rev. Dr.. Leighton Parks, rector {