Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-04-14
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danger of postponing the acceptance of
the gospel invitation are exposed on
the text, Luke xiv, IS. And they all
with one consent began to make ex-
ruse."
After the invitations to levee are
sent out the regrets come in. One man
apologies for nonatteudance on one
ground, another ON another ground.
The most of the regrets are founded
on prior engagements So in my text
n great banquet was spread. the in
yitations were circulated. and now the
regrets come in. The one gives an
agricultural reason. the other q stock
dealers reason, the other a domestic
reason. All poor reasons. The fact
was, they did not want to go. "And
they all with one consent began to
make excuse"
So now God spreads great banquet.
1t is the gospel feast, and the table
reaches across the hemispheres. and
the invitations go out. and multitudes
come and sit down and drink out of the
ehalices of Gods love. while other null
titudes decline coming. the one giving
uDOlOSN. luO lhC' XIV that
apology, land they all with one con-
sent begin to make excuse" propose,
so far as God may help me. to examine
the apologies which men make for not
entering the Christian life.
Apology the first: l am not sure
there is anything valuable in the Chris
tian religion. 1t is pleaded that there
are so many impOsitiOns in this day; so
many things that seem to be real are
sham. A gilded outside may have
hollow inside. There is so much quack-
cry in physics. in ethics in politics. that
men come to the habit of incredulity,
and after awhile they allow that in
credulity to collide with our holy re-
aigion. But, my friends. | think reli-
gion has made pretty good record in
the world. How many wounds it has
Balved! How many pillars of fire it
has lifted in the midnight wilderness!
How many simOOm struck deserts it
hath turned into the gardens of the
Lord! How it hath stilled the chopped
sea! What rosy light il hath sent
streaming through the rift of the storm
cloud! What pools of cool water it
hath gathered for thirsty Hagar and
Ishmael. What mamma whittier than
coriander seed it hath dropped all
around the camp of hardly bested pill
grims! What promises it hath sent out
Ike holy watchers to keep the lamps
burning around deathbeds, through the
darkness that lowers into the sepul-
cher! What flashes of resurrection
morn!
A Religion of Heroes.
Besides that. this religion has made
so many heroes. 1t brought Summer
field. the Methodist. across the Allan
tic ocean with his silver trumpet to
blow the acceptable year of the Lord
until it seemed as if all our American
cities would take the kingdom OF
heaven by violence. 1t sent Jehud
Ashman into Africa alone, in CONT
nent of naked barbarians. to lift the
standard OF civilization and Christian
ity. 1t made John Milton among pc
cts. Raphael among painters. Christie
pher Wren among architects, Thorwald
sen among sculptorS. Handel among
musicians. Dupont among military
to the imagination and better balance
to the judgment and more determine
ton to the will and greater usefulness
to the life and grander nobility to tn,
soul there is nothing in all the eartl
like our Christian religion. Nothin,
In religion? Why. then, all thos
Christians were deceived when in thei
dying moment they thought they sal
the castles of the blessed. and you
child. that with unutterable agony yo
put away into the grave. you will new
er see him again nor hear his swee
voice nor feel the throb of his youn
heart. There is nothing in religion
Sickness will come upon you. Ro
and turn on your pillow; no relief. TIL
medicine may be bitter. the night ma
be dark. the pain may be sharp: no RI
lief. Christ never comes to the sicl
room. Let the pain stab: let the feve
burn; curse ii and die. There is notl
ing in religion: After awhile deaf
will come. You will hear the PAWN
or the pale horse on the threshold
The spirit will be breaking away frol
the body. and it will take flight-whitl
or. whltherE There is no God, no mil
tstering angels. to conduct. no Chris
no heaven. no home. Nothing in rel
gion? Oh. you are not willing to adoI
such a dismal theory.
The Use of a Skeptic.
And yet the world is full Of skeptic
And let me say there is 10 class
people for whom have warmer syr
pathy than for skeptics. We do n
know how to treat them. We derit
them. we caricature them. We. inste,
OF tnking them by the soft hand
Christian love. clutch them with q
iron pinchers Of ecclesiasticism. Oh.
you knew how those men had fall
away from Christianity and becor
skeptics you would not be so rough
them. Some were brought up in HON