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

II
SO large cars of corn, never so pig igYhcadaj
OF wheat, still he would remain poor.
The church Of God hns bestowed Sits
chief care on one acre and :has raised
splendid men and women In that small
smclcsmre Rnt the Gcla is the world
That means Europe, Asia. Africa,
North and South America and nil tho
islands Of the sen. e
have to remark that the Heavenly
shepherd will find many sheep amid
the nonchurchgoers. There are con-
gregations where they arc MI Chris
tians, and they seem to be completely
finished, and they remind one of the
skeleton leaves which by chemical
preparation have had all tie grcenny 81
and yerdure taken OF them and ore
left cold and white and delicate, noth-i
ing wanting but a glass case to put
oyer them. The minister of Christ has
nothing to do with such Christians but
to como once n 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 md saying TO every applicant:
"Do you want to be on Gods side, The
safe side and The happy side? If so,
come in the arnlory and get equipped.
Here is q bath In which to be clcanscd.
Here are sandals TO put on your feet.
Here is helmet for your brow. Here
is n brcastplatc for your heart. Here
IS a sword for your right arm, and
yonder Is the battlefield. Quit your
selves like men,"
4 remark again the Heavenly Shep-.
herd is going to find great many of
his sheep among those who are now re-
mighticst advocates of the Gospel we're
once skeptics. Thomas Chalmers once
q skeptic. Robert Hall skeptic.
Christmas Evans skeptic. Charles G..
Finncy skcptic. Paul, the apostle,
once a skoptic. But when once with
strong hand they laid hold Of the Cos
Pei chariot they rolled 1t on with what
Domen tum do not know how you
came to reject Christianity 1t may
havo been through tho infidel talk Of
somo young man in the store or shop or
factory. 1t may have been through the
trlckcry Of some professed Christian
man who dingusted you with religion.
IT may be that 30 years ago you lost
oil 1alth by what happened in an oil
company which was formed amid the
petroleum excitement. Tho com
pany owned no land, or if they did
there was no sign Of oil produced, But
the president of the company was n
Presbyterian elder and the treasurer
an Episcopalian vctryman, and one
director was Methodist class leader
and the other officers prominent mem
bers OF Baptist and Congregational
churches. Circulars were got out tell
Ing what fabulous prospects opened
foefore this company. Tho circular had
MI the huea OF earth and sea and sky.
Inc letters famed with all the beauty
OF goio and Jasper and amethyst. In
nocent men and women who had HI
tlo 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 it that it must
be excellent and taking stock in ii
must be almost as good as Joining the
church" SO they bought their stock
and perhaps received one dividend to
keep them still. But after awhile they
found that the company had reorgan.
1zed and had different president, Il
different treasurer and different di.
rectors. Other engagements or All
overcoming modesty had caused the
former officers of the company, With
many regrets, TO resign, and all that
tho subscribers for the stock had to
Z show fof their Investment was q heau-
tifully ornamentcd certificate. Some
amea that man, looking over his old
papers comes across that certificate,
and It Is 20 suggcstire that he VOWS he
wants none Of the. religion that the
president and directors OF that oil oom.
pany professed.
Or you may have become skeptical
from the fact that you grew up in
homo whero religion was oyeldo one.
Sunday was the most awful day in the
week. You had religion driven into
you with o trip hammer. You were
surfeited with prayer meetings You
were stuffed and choked with cate
chisms. You were often told that You
were the worst boy your parents ever
knew because you liked to ride down
hill better than to read Bunyan's "Pil-
grim's Progress" Whenever your
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 1t.
But do not stop now to know how
you came into rejection OF Christian.
itJ. 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
are some very fine things 1t. You
believe that the Soriptural description
OF Eden was only an allcgory. There
are 80 things that believe that YOU
do not believe, and yet you are an ao-
commodating man. Everybody that
knows you says that Of you. IfIshould
ask you to do a kindness for mo or II
anyone else should ask Of you a kind
ness, you would do 1t. If, when Won
are III, I should come to you with a
vial Of medicine and say: "This kind
of medicine cured 50 people who we're
just as badly Off as you are; take it,"
and you replied: II do not want to
take it; have no confidence In It,"
would say: "Take IL to obhgc mc,"and
you would say: "Well, II 1t will accom-.
modatc you / will take It," Now, you
have found that this world is insult
Client and you are sick Of sin. | come
TO you with Gospel medicine, 1t has