The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-02-01

work on one }acrc, H Q mig hi trnise never
SO large ears of corn never So big bends s
OF wheat. still 5he would; remain poor.
The church OF God has bestowed Its
chief care OH one acre md has raised
ssnlnndid men and women III hnt small
inclosure. But the field is tile world.
THAT means Europe, Asia, Africa.
North and South America and all the
islands OF the sea- III # iit5
Isl I have to remark that tho Heavenly
shepherd will find many sheep amid
ths ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. There are con-
gregations where they are nll Chris
tians and they seem to be completely
finished, and they remind ono Of the
skeleton leaves which by chemical
preparation have had all tie grcenness
and ycrdure taken OFF them and are
left cold and white and delicate, moth
ing wanting but Il glass case to put
over them. The minister Of Christ has
nothing to do with such Christians but
to como once week and with ostrich
feather dust Off the accumulation OF
the last six days, leaving them bright
and crystalline rs before. But the
other kind Of church Is an armory,
with perpetual sound Of drum md fife,
gathering recruits for the Lord oi
Hosts and saying to every applicant:
"Do you want to be on Gods side, he
safe side and the happy side? II SO,
come in the armory and get equipped.
Here is bath in which 10 be ccanscd
Hero arc sandals to put on your feet.
Here is II helmet for your brow. Here
is a brenstplate for your heart. Here
is n sword for your right arm, and
yonder is the battlefield. Quit your
selves like men"
I I remark again the Heavenly Shep.
herd is going to find great many Of
his sheep among those who are now re-
jecters of Christianity. Some OF the
nigh tiest advocates Of the Gospel were
once skeptics Thomas Chalmers once
a skcptc. Robert Hall skeptic
Finncy u shcptic. Paul, the apostle,
once skcptic. But when once with
strong hand they laid hold Of the Cos
pei chariot they rolled it on with what
moment tum l do not know how you
came TO reject Christianity. 1t may
have been through the infldel talk OF
some young man in the store or shop OF
factory. 1t may have been through the
trickcry of some professed Christian
man who disgusted you with religion
II may be that 80 years ago you losi
oil faith by what happened in an oil
company which was formed amid the
petroleum excitement. The com
pany owned no land, or II they did
there was no sign Of oil produced, But
tho president Of the company was q
Presbyterian elder and the treasurer
EN- Episcopalian yetryman, and on
director Was Methodist class Leader
and the other officers prominent mem
hers OF Baptist and Congregations
churches. Circulars were cot out tell
ing what fabulous prospects opened
before this company. Tho circular hat
al the hues Of earth and sea and sky
me letters famed with ell the bcaut,
OF gold and Jasper and amethyst. In
noccnt men and women who Ind Iii
tie money to invest and thatlittle thei1
all, said: II donot know anything
about this company, but SO many goo,
men are at the head of it that it mus
be excellent and taking stock In i
must be almost as good as Joining tn,
church" So they bought their stocl
&and perhaps received one dividend t
keep thom still. But after awhile the,
found that the company had re organ
ized and had q different president,
different treasurer and different di
rectors. Other engagements or a.
overcoming modesty had caused III
former officers of the company, wifi
many regrets, to resign, and all tha
tho subscribers for tho stock had t
sho~ foi their inrcstmcntwas a beau
tifully ornamentcd certificate. Some
tmss that man, looking over his oil
4 papers comes across that certificate
and 1T 1s 30 suggestive that he VOWS h
wants none Of the. religion that tn
president and directors OF that oil DOM
pany professed. /.
Or you may have become skepMca
from the fact that you grow up in
homo where religion was oYerd one
Sunday was the most awful day in TIL
week. You had religion driven int.
you with trip hammer. You wer
surfeited with prayer meetings. 70,
wcro stuffed and choked with cate
chisms. You were often told that 70,
were the worst boy your parents eve
knew because you liked to ride dowl
hill bettor than to read Bunyan's "Pil
grim's Progress" Whenever you,
father and mother talked religion tn e,
drew down the corners Of heir mouth.
and rolled up their eyes. If any one
thing will send a boy to ruin soone,
than another. that Is it,
But do not stop now to know how
you came into rejection Of Christian
ity. You frankly tell me that you dt
rejectit. .You do not believe that Chris
10 Divine being, although you admi
that He was n very good man. Yol
do not believe that the Bible was In
spircd Of God, although you think ther,
are somo very fnc things in 1t. 70,
believe that the Scriptural description
OF Eden WAS only an allegory. Ther.
are 80 things that believe that yo,
do not believe, and ye. you are an ao
commodating man. Everybody tina
knows you says that of you. If sh oult
ask you to do kindness for me or /
anyone else should ask Of you kind
ness, you would do it, If, when 70,
arc Ill, should come to you with
vial Of medicine and say: "This kint
Of medicine cured so people who wer,
just as badly off as you are; take It,
and you replied: II do not want t,
take it; I have no confidence In IT,"
would say: Take IL to obligc me-" ant
you would say: "Well, fit Will accom-
y p
have found that this world is insuffi
oSa - 80 ,; T