Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1901-01-23

sinners, velvet coated sinners and sim
ners with gloss on. 1t is as if a man
had farm of 5000 acres and put all his
work on one acre. He 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
chlef care on one acre and has raised
splendid men and women in 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.
i have to remark that the Heavenly
shepherd will find many sheep amid
the nonchurchgoers. There are con-
gregations where they are all Chris
tlans, 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 of them and are
left cold and white and delicate. moth
ing wanting but n 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 side and the happy side? If so,
come in the armory and get equipped.
Here is a bath in which TO be cleansed.
I-,f~
Here is a helmet for your brow. Here
is breastplate for your heart. Here
is 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
mlghtiest advocates of the Gospel were
once skeptics. Thomas Chalmers once
a skeptic. Robert Hall a skeptic.
christmas Evans n skeptic. Charles G..
Flnney a skeptic. Paul, the apostle,
once skeptic. But when once with
strong hand they laid hold of the Cos
pei chariot they rolled it on with what
nome tum. | do not know how YOU
came TO reject Christianity. 1t may
nave 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.
III may be that 30 years ago YOU lost
all faith by what happened in an oil
com pany which was formed amid the
petroleum excitement. The com
Pahy owned no land, or If they did
mere was no sign of oil produced. But
the president of the company was a
presbyterian elder and the treasurer
an Episcopalian vetryman, and one
director was a Methodist class leader
ano the other officers prominent mem
bers of Baptist and Congregational
churches. Circulars were got out tell
ing what fabulous prospects opened
oeIore this company. The circular had
an the hues of earth and sea and sky.
ne letters famed with all the beauty
OF gold and jasper and amethyst. In
hocent men and women who had a lit
lie money TO invest. and that little their
an said: II do not know ANYTHING
ABOUT this company. but so many good
men are at the head of il that il must
De excellent and taking stock in il
iusC De almost as good as joining the
church. SO they bought their stock
ana perhaps received one dividend to
keep them still. But after awhile they
found that the company had REQ, ran
iIed and had different president a
Inherent treasurer and different d.
rectors. Other engagements or an
overcoming modesty had caused the
former officers of the company. with
many regrets, to resign. and all that
the subscribers for the stock had TO
snow FOR their investment was beau
'fuily ornamented certificate. Some
'imes that man, looking over his old
papers comes 2croSs that certificate.
ahd IL is 50 suggestive that he vows he
wants none of the religion that the
president and directors of that oil com
pany professed.
Or YOU may have become skeptical
from the fact that you grew up i'm a
home where religion was overdone.
sunday was the most awful day in the
week. You had religion driven into
you with trip hammer. You were
surfeited with prayer meetings. You
were stuffed and choked with cate
chisms. You were often told that Won
were the worst boy your parents ever
knew because you liked TO ride down
hill better than to read Bunyan's "PH-
grim's Progress" Whenever vour
father and mother talked religion they
drew down the corners of their mouths
and rolled up their eyes. If any one
thing will send boy to ruin sooner
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 do
reject IT, You do not believe that Christ
is Divine being, although YOU admit
that He was a very good man You
do not believe that the Bible was in
spired OF God. although YOU think there