Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-01-31

lance, while we stand inside of the same
churches hammering out our little niceties
OF religious belief, making pins
Oh. for deeper appreciation OF the senti-
ment OF my text, Other sheen | have
which are not of this fold
| remark again the heavenly Shenher1
| is going TO find a great many OF His sheen
| among those who are now rejecters OF
Christianity. Some of the mlghtiest advo-
Gates of the gospel were once skepticS
Thomas Chalmers once a skeptic Robert
Hall skeptic. Christmas Evans a Skeptic,
Charles q. tinney a skeptIC, laul. the
apostle, once a skeptic. But when once
with strong hand they laid hold OF the
gospel chariot they rolled it on with what
momentum! l do not know how you
came to reject Christianity. 1t may have
been through the infdel talk OF some
young man In the store or shop or factory
1t may have been through the trickcry OF
some protested Christian man, who dis
gusted you with religion. 1t may be that
thirty years ago YOU lost all faith by what
happened in an oil company which was
formed amid the petroleum excitement.
The company owned no land. or, il they
did, there was no sign OF oil produced.
But the president of the company was
Presbyterian elder and the treasurer an
Episcopal vestrvman and one director was
a Methodist class leader and the other
officers prominent menbcrs OF Baptist and
Congregational churches. Circulars were
got out telling what fabulous prospects
opened before this company. The circu
lar had all the hues OF earth and sea and
sky. The letters famed with all the beauty
of gold and jasper and amethyst limo
cent men and women VINO had little
money to invest and that little their all
said. Il do not know anything about tins
company. but so many good men are at
the head OF it that it must he excellent,
and taking stock in it must be almost as
bought their stock. and perhaps received
one dividend to keep them still. But after
awhile they found that the company had
reorganized and had different president.
a different treasurer and different direc-
tors. Other engagements or an overcoming
modesty had caused the former officers OF
the company. with many regrets, to resign.
and all the subscribers Of thai stock had
to show for their investment was a beauti-
fully OrnamcnJed certificate. Sometimes
that man, looking over his old papers,
comes across that certificate, and 1T is so
suggestive that he vows he wants none of
the religion that the president and dircc-
tors Of that oil company prOfessed.
But | do not stop now to know how YOU
came into rejection Of Christianity. You
frankly tell me that You do reject it.
You do not believe that Christ IS divine
being, although You admit that He was
very good man. You do not believe that
IHc IDlDlt was Ills biiCu Vi NOu. diiIbuSh
YOU think there are some very fine things
in it. You believe that the Scriptural de-
scripton of Eden was only an allegory.
There are fifty things that | believe that
you do not believe, and yet you are an
accommodating man. Everybody that
knows you says that of you.
If | should ask you to do a kindness for
me, or II any one else should ask of you a
kindness, y~u would do it. If when you
are i'll [ should come TO you with a phial
of medicine and say, This kind Of medi-
cine has cured fifty people VINO were just
as badly off as you are. Take it." and you
replied. Il do not want to take it, [ have
no confidence in it, [ would say, Take it
to oblige me-" and you would say, We'll,
if it will accommodate YOU | will take it,
Now, you have found that this world is
and you are sick Of sin. l
come to you with gospel medicine. 1t
has cured hundreds and thousands and
millions. VIII you take it? No." you
say. Il have no confidence in it Take
it, then, to oblige me. | tell YOU of a ply
sician who has cured more blind eyes and
bound up more broken hearts and healed
more CHASTITY wounds than all the doctors
since the time of Aesculapius. Be obliging,
and just make the experiment.
If you are not acquainted with the ordE
nary modes of PRAYER, say in substance:
"Oh, Lord Jesus, this is strange thing
for me to do. / know nothing about the
formulas of religion. These Christian PEG
pie have been talking so long about. what
Thou canst do for me, ] am ready to do
whatever Thou commanded me. If there
be any power in religion, as these people
say, let me have the advantage of it."
Wall you not try that experiment?
L do not now say there is anything in re-
lglon. Do not take my counsel or the
counsel of any clergyman, for you may dis
Ike clergymen. Perhaps we NAV talk pro-
Perhaps may be prejudiced
n the matter. Perhaps our advice is not
worth taking. Then take the counsel of
some very respectable layman. as John
Milton, the poet; as William Wherefore,
he emancipation; as Isaac Newton. the as
ronomer; as Robert Boyle, the phioso-
1her, as Locke, the metaphysican: as
Morse, the telegrapher; as Washington.
he statesman.
They never preached, or pretended to
preach, vet, putting down one his telescope
nd another his PARLIAMENTARY scroll and
mother his electricians wire, came forth
nd commended the religion Of Christ as
he best thing for the cure Of the worlds
woes Ii you will not take the recommen-
atlOn OF ministers OF the gospel take the
commentator Of highly respectable law
nen.
Then let me tell You that God loves YOU
more than all these together. The great
earI or Christ aches to have you come in.
nd He looks into your eyes this moment,
aging, "Other sheep | have which are not
f this fold
Again, / remark that the heavenly Shcn-
,erd Is going to find great many of the
heep among those who have been full of
VII habit. They were all cheated into sin.
ne SPIDER does not say to the fly, Come
ITO the web where I kill insects " Oh no