The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-04-15

IdIk Oh EeLSIOu Dut VIII the corners or
the mouth drawn down and the eyes
rolled up. Others went into skepticism
through m~altreatment on the part OF
some who pTofessed religion. There is
q man who says. My partner in bust
ness was conspicuous in prayer meet
Ing. and he was offic.ous in all religious
circles, but be cheated me out of $1,000.
and | don't want any of that religion"
Then there are others who get into
skeptIcism by q natural persistence in
asking questions. why or how? How
can GCd be one Icing in three persons?
They cannot understand il. Neither
can /. How can God be a complete
sovereign and yet man a free agent?
They cannot understand it. Neither
can l.. ThSy cannot understand why n
holy God lets sin come into the world.
Neither can |. They say: Here is a
great mystery; here is q disciple OF
fashion. frivolous and goddess all her
days: she lives on to Ice IN o~ctogenarian.
Here is a Christian mother. train:rg
her children for Cod and for heaven.
self sacrificing. Christlike. i~ndispensa-
bic seemingly to that household; she
gets u cancer and dies" The skeptic
says, 81 can't explain that" Neither
a l.
can see how men reason themselves
into skepticism. With burning feet !
have trOdden that blistering way. /
know what it is to have a hundred
nights poured into one hour. There are
men in the arid desert of doubt who
would give their thousands Of dollars
If they could get back to the old re-
ligion Of their fathers. Such men are
not to be caricatuIed, but helped. and
not through their heads, but through
their hearts. When these men really
Go come into the Kingdom of God. they
will lie worth far more 20 the cause Of
Christ than those who never examined
the evidences CT Christianity. Thomas
Chalmers once 4 skeptic. Robert Hall
once a skeptic. Christmas Evans once
a skeptic: but when they did lay hold
OF the gospel chariot how they made
it speed ahead! IL. therefore. | address
men and women who have drifted
away into skerticisn. | throw out no
scott: | rather implead you by the
memory of those good old times when
you knelt AZ your mothers knee and
said your evening prayer and those
other days OF sickness when she watch
ed all night and gave you the medi-
cines at just the right time and turned
the pillow when it was hot and with
hand long ago turned to dust soothed
your pains and with that voice you
will never near again unless you join
her in the better country told you new
er mind. you would be better by and
by. and by that dying couch where she
talked SO slowly, catching her breath
between the words-by all those men,
cries | ask you to come and take the
same religion. 1t was good enough for
her; it is good enough for you. Aye.
l make a better plea: By the wounds
and the death throe of the Son of God,
who approaches you in infinite love
with torn brow and lacerated hands
and whipped back. crying, Come unto
me all ye hat labor and are heavy
laden. and l will give you rest"
Another Apology.
Other persons apologize for not en-
tering the Christian life because of tie
incorrigibi!ity of their temperament.
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