The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1902-04-18
TAEEAGE'S SERMON,
PLEA TO All TO ACCEPT THE Cos
pei INVITATION.



lowing discourse. prepared by DIR. Tai
mage befora his illness. the folly and
danger OF poslponing the acceptance Of
tho gospel OF invitation are exposed on
tho text, Luie, xiv. rs. and they all
with one consent began 60 mako ex-
susr."
After Che Invitations 60 n fevee are
sent cot The regrets come In. One man
apodoSizcs for nonattcndance on one
ground. Huother ON another ground.
Tho most az the regrets are founded on
prior engagements SO In my text
great banquet was spread, the Invita-
lions were circulated. and now tho re-
Ercts como In. The one gives an agri-
cultural reason. the other "A stock deal
cr's rcasou. Che other n domestic rea-
son. MI poor reasons. The fact was
they did not want Co 80. And they
all with ono consent began Go make
axcusu."
So now God spreads a great banquet.
II IN Enc gospel fenst. and the table
reaches across the hemispheres. ana
the Invitations go out. and multitudes
como ana sIt down and drink out or
tho chaiiccs OF Gods lave. while other
mukstsidos decline coming. the one
giving thIs apology and the other Civ
ting TINT apology. "and they all with
one consent bcSin Go make excuse.
propose. so far as God may help me, 10
EXAMINE the apologies which men
make fur not entering the Christian
life
ApSioey the FIRST: am not sure
there " anything valuable IN the
Christian religion. There Is so much
quTlcsy In physics in ethics. in poli-
tics, chat mcn come 20 tho habit OF tn
crcduitS. and after awhile they allow
that iRrrpdulity to collide with our
holy rllgfon. But. my friends. think
religion has made n pretty good record
In tlroworld. How many wounds II has
salved! What promises IL hath sent
out like holy watchers Go keep the
lamps burning around deathbeds.
through the darkness that lowers into
the Gcpulchcri What flashes OF resur-
rection morn!
Besides that. this religion has made
no many heroes. To give new wings TO
the imagination and better balance TO
the judgment aud moro determination
TO the will and greater usefulness 90
the Hrc and grander nobility 20 the
soul there Is nothing In all che earth
like our Christian religion. Nothing
In religion? Why. then, all those
Christians were deceived when in their
dying moment they thought they saw
the castles or the blessed. and your
rhiki, tiiat with unuiicrabtn agony YOU
put away into the grave you win mover
zee him again nor hear his sweet voice
nor fect Che throb or his young heart
Theuo Is nothing I'm religion? Sick
ness win came upon you. Roll and
turn on your pillow; no relief. The
medicine may be bitter. the night may
De dark. The pain may be sharp. no re-
lief. Christ never comes 60 thc sick
room. Ia Enc pain stab: let the fever
burn; curse u aud die.
There Is nothing In religion? After
awbito drath will come You will hear
the rawing OF the pale horse on tho
threshold. The spirit viii be breaking
away tom the body. and IL will take
Night -whltirer. whittier? There Is no
God. 40 mlnlstering angels Co conduct.
10 Christ. no trcayen. no home. Moth
Ing In religion? Oh. you are not will
ing 10 ad0pt such a dismal theory!
And set che world Is fun OF skep-
tics. Aud let me say there Is no class
OF people Tor whom have warmer
sympathy than for skeptics. We do
not know how Co treat them. We de-
ride them. we caricature them. We.
instead OF taking chem by the soft
hand OF Christian love- clutch them
with the Iron pinchcrs OF ccclesiasti-
cism, 0h. " yoa knew how those men
had fallen away from Christianity anu
become skeptlcs you would not be so
rough on them!
There d man who says. "My part
ner Ia business was conspicuous
In prayer meeting. and he was off,
cious On all religious circles. but ne
cheated me mt OF $4,000. and don't
want any OF that religion" Thea
thero arc othrrs who go into skepti-
eism by q natural persistence In ask
ing questions. why or how? How
can Con Go one being I'm three per-
sousg They cannot understand II.
Neither can Z. How can God be a
complete sovereign and yet man n free
agent? They cannot understand q.
Neither can 4. They can not under
stand why a holy God lets Sin come
into Che world. Neither can I. They
say: "Bcro In a great mystery: here
is disciple OF fashion. frivolous and
godicss all her days: she lives on to
DO an ociogenarian. Here n a Christ
fan mother. training her children for
God and Tor heaven. scif-sacriffrlnz.
Chrlst-iike. Indispensable seemingly
60 that household. sho gets n cancer
and dies" The skepuc says. IL can't
explaiu that" Neither can 7.
1 can see how men reason them
selves into skepticism With burn
ing ieel have trodden that
bllStnring way. knaw what
~ o. Ia have hundred