The Delta independent., 1901-07-12


is the more popular? Why the one that
has the hundred thousand circulation.
And II this book has more copies
abroad in the world. II there are nve
times as many Bibles abroad as any
other book among civilized nations,
does not that show you that the most
popular book on earth today Is the
word Of God?
''Oh." say people. "the church 10 q
collection Of hypocrites and 1t IL los
ing Its power. and 1t is fading out from
the world" Is It? A bishop Of the
Methodist church told me that that de-
Nomination averages two new church.
es every day. In other words. they
build $50 churches in that denomina-
tion In q year. and there are at least
1900 new Christian churches built in
America every year. Does that look
a. though the Christian church were
fading out. ~ though it were defunct
institution? What stands nearest to
the hearts Of the American people to-
day? l do not care in what village or
what city or what neighborhood you
go. What is It? Is 1t the postomce?
Is II the hotel? Is It the lecturing
hall! All, you know 1t is not! You
know that that which stands nearest
to the hearts Of the American people
is the Christian church.
II the Mo1s OF Dsstrssa.
You may talk about the church being
a collection OF hypocrites. but when
the diphtheria sweeps your children
of whom do you send for! The post
master. the attorney-general. the ho-
telkeeper. alderman? No. You send for
! a minister Of this Bible religion. And
II you have not a room in your house
for the obsequiea. what building do you
| solicit? Do you say. 'Giye me the nm
est room In the hotel?" Do you say.
Give me that theater?" Do you say.
Give me that public building where !
can lay my dead for little while we
say 4 prayer over it," No. You say.
Give US the house of Cod And II
there Is q song to be sung At the obse-
quies. what do you want! What does
anybody want! The ''Marseillaise
Hymn?" God Save the Queen?" Our
own grand national air! No. They
want the hymn with which they sang
their old Christian mother into her
last sleep, or they want sung the Sab
bath school hymn which their little
| girl sang the last Sabbath afternoon
she was out before she got that awful
appeal to your common sense You
know the most endearing Institution
on earth. the most popular institution
on earth today Ia the church OF the
Lord Jesus Christ. A man Is . fool
that does not recognise IL
The inndels say: There 10 great
liberty now for inhdels: freedom Of
platform. Inndelity shows Its power
from the fact that II IL everywhere tol-
Grated, and II can say what It WILL"
Why. my friends. inadelity 10 NOT half
70 blatant in our day a. II vas In the
days Of our fathers. Do you know that
| IN the aAys Of our fathers there were
pronounced inadels In public author
ity. and they could get any political
positionf Let . man today declare
himself aAtAgonistie to the Christian
religion and what city wants him for
mayor: what state wants him for gov
ernor: what nation wants him for
president or for king: Let q man
| openly proclaim himself the enemy OF
our glorious Christianity. and he can
I not get . majority OF votes in any
state, in any city. In any country. In
| any ward Of America.
what ChrAsssasssy Dssa-
A distinguished inndel years ago
riding in a rail car in Illinois said.
| What has Christianity ever done?"
\ Aa old Christian woman said: 1T
has done one good thing anyhow. II
has kept an infidel from being govern
or of illinois," As stood in the
side room Of the opera house Of Peoria,
| Ills. = prominent gentleman OF that
city said. Il can tell you the secret Of
| that tremendous bitterness against
| Christianity" Said I. What is ~"
Why" said he. 'in this very house
| there WAS a great convention to nomi-
nate a governor. and there were three
or four candidates. At the same time
there was in q church In this city a
| Sabbath school convention, and Il
| happened that one Of the men who was
| in the Sabbath school convention was
also q member OF the political con-
4
vention. In the political convention
the name highest on the roll at that
time and about to be nominated was
the name Of the great champion in
ndsl. There was an adjournment b.
tween ballots. and In the afternoon,
when the nominations were being
made. plain farmer got up and said:
Nv Ths,rurso th.t ~o,,s~ast>~ s.s.eA
not be made. The Sunday schools of
Illinois will defeat him. That ended
all prospect Of his nomination"
The Christian religion Is mightier
today than II ever wac. DO yea think
that such = scene could be enacted now
AZ was enacted in the DAYS OF Robes
pierre. when shameless woman WAS
elevated to the dignity Of a goddess
and carried in a golden chair to . ca
thedral where incense wAa burned to