The Cairo bulletin., 1907-10-28
"AT EASE IN ZION"
Lsziness in the Christian Life Calls
Forth Strong Condemnation
From Rev. Or. L, o. Bass,


AT Calvary Baptist church yester-
day morning DR.. Bass preached from
the text, "Wo to them that are at ease
in Zion" found in Amos GIL. He said
in part:
Laziness is one of the prominent
sins of the Bible and God has pro-
nounced curse upon it. Incidence is
the paralysis Of the souI--a curse
within itself-and 1t IL one of the
hereditary forms of sin essential to
human nature. He that INDUCES 1t
destroys every good principle of his
being; and he that overcomes it will
not only be able to conquer every
other sin, but TO develop and make
triumphant every grace and ennobling
principle in his moral constitution.
Laziness is the sleep of mind, not
simply of the body; and hence God
appeals to the soul when he warns
he sluggard to go to the ant. con-
jider her ways and be wise" No
wonder then that. in the church, God
pronounced a woe, objective as well
Il subjective, upon such sin, since
It is the mother of antipathy, incapa-
city and vice. The idle brain in re,
igion is the DEVILS workshop; and
IS in every other place. SO in the
church, the Devil will be sure to find
something for idle hands to do. Lazi-
1ess in religion does not mean lazi-
less In sin: for. not only is religious
incidence a sin by negation to God,
tut it usually turns to devilment in
he life of the Christian or the church.
lazy church Is the DEVILS store
house his laboratory. his arsenal of
svil: and in such a church may be
found all the elements OF vice and
conflict sooner or later developed
Hence Gods only punishment and
cure often OF such a church is division
md strife. permitted in order to bring
back life and zeal. Stagnation in
Zion is like stagnatlon in the atmos-
phere; and the physical cyclone
which crres the latter is but the fig
ure 70 the moral cyclone which must
cure the former
Some days ago I was at a religious
convocation where the churches Of
the association reported their pro
gTess. The letters often included the
expression I'VE are at peace with
oae another" and then the statistical
table of the little dying band was
read as follows: Baptized none, eX
cluded none. died one. received by
letter none. dismissed five With
regard to benevoIence, missions and
education the report read: Fifty
cents for minutes. thirty cents for
missions. and nothing for anything
else. except that for the individual ex
pense bill OF the surviving member
ship. there might have been reporte
several thousand dollars wcrth Of
/ Dcrk. beef. chickens. pies. tobacco
snuff aud corn Juice, But they are
It peace" for which they thank God
/ and congratulate themselves. the
same as being thankful and self-con
gIatulatory for stagnatiOn in the
church. The Ship of Zicn here is
Ike the vessel discovered in th'
Polar Sea. The captain. mate. stew
ard. prrser. pilot crew and passen
| GERS were ali On board at their plac
| looking quite natural and easy
bit they are all frozen to death: an
- IT is in many church at eass
iu Zion-lead preacher in the pulpit
lead deacon IN the Amen corner. dea
membership in the pewsi No Sunda'
srhool. no PRAYER meeting no con
sribution to missions. no work II
souls. and the lazy preacher stand.
im the pulpit to feed the lazy little
i 7ccks on husks. Laziness and hard
shellIshness are synonymous terms
/ There is one sin which makes cseE
i God sick II i keHarmness --th'
:. -. 81 s=sr.f1|