Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-04-15

HA16C OL I'LL, let us consider how
men become backsliders. The word
itself is significant. To go forward
requires effort, to go backward re-
Qu1res no effort at all. In the Chris
tian life. If you cease to go forward
you will inevitably go backward.
This backsliding always begins in the
heart. We may go on for a time in
the outward performance of duty, in
the ceaseless round Of Christian &C.
tivities, while in our hearts these
things are growing more and more
distasteful. The heart may therefore
be in wrong relation to a given thing,
while our actions may be perfectly ex-
emplary. But God knows that that
man is a backslider, and he knows it
himself. Whether others know it
matters very little. But after a time
all men will know 1t, for the back
slider in heart generally becomes the
backslider in life. It is very hard for
men to continue long in hypocrisy.
Ordinarily a mans outward life is the
expression of his inner life. A mans
character may be better than his rep
utation, or a mans reputation may be
better than his character, but ordi-
narily reputation and character agree.
VO Cd1A Tue uuCOulu anu UuClVl1 O1ds
mOnds in the rough"
We constantly say of the man who
sins with his tongue, well, you
know, he is veryhasty and impetuous,
and often says things which he does
not mean" But God says these
things have their origin in the heart,
and from the heart flow outward.
When our conduct becomes bad, it is
because we have already been back.
sfiders in our hearts. Then bad leads
to worse. Like Peter, we begin ito
follow the Lord afar of" and this in.
evitably leads to the denial of our
Master. You remember that when
the Master was taken captive He was
Immediately forsaken by His apostles.
Then began the procession from Geth.
semane to the judgment hall. The
Master walked alone His weary way.
He trod the w%ine-press alone. The
shadow Of the cross had ALREADY
fallen athwart His pathway. But
after a little while two of the apostles
summon up courage and follow the
company. One of these was John.
and he walked as close to Jesus as he
possibly could. But Peter did not
have the courage to do that. SO he
Jagged behind, or, as the record says,
".he followed afar off," When the
company reached the Judgment hall,
John went in with Jesus, but Peter,
struggling In late, dared not go there.
but with shamefacedness sat out in
the court and warmed himself by the
fire. Step by step he had led to his
own undoing. The servants ieered
him and tainted him, until he grew
nrOfo no Qnd h1ocnho~oor, SOL =
clared hat he never knew Jesus Of
Nazareth. Had he followed close to
the Master, the presence of Jesus
would have sustained and strength
ened him, in the companionship of
John he would have found courage.
and he would have been saved from
the influence Of the evil company
which proved his ruin. Is not this
the proper diagnosis Of many sin-sick
souls among us? Is not this the
exact history of your backsliding?
You began by sheer neglect. You did
not commit outward positive sins.
but you neglected the means of grace.
You were startled when you recog-
nfzed the growing Indifference in your
heart. Bible reading became frk-
some, and you nc longer delighted in
private prayer. In the meantime
your devotion to business or pleasure
caused you to give up the prayer
meeting. Then you became irregular
On Sunday evenings. and gradually
you dropped out Of all church attend
ance. In the meantime you were
not sustained and cheered by the
conscious presence Of your Lord nor
strengthened by the companionship OF
your fellow Christians. Then you
drifted out among unbelievers, and
perhaps they have tainted you, into
denying your Master in ways which
ten years ago you would not have
dreamed of! Of1course you did not
start out to make shipwreck Of your
faith. You were hoodwinked by the
devil. Even a fool would shun the
frst steps toward evil If he could
see the end from the beginning. b
our city there are tens Of thousands
OF men and women who have drifted
into sin and drifted out Of the
church. My heart yearns over these
people, for they belong to God. They
have been redeemed by the blood Of
Gods Son. Thav nnphf IN ha oaffnr