The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-10

!, EXERCISE, and IN the further belief that
| IL II were not contrary to nature for
! prayer to be answered no doubt their
| prayers would be answered
- When we come to place these wor-
! shippers side by side with the wor-
| shippers OF Baai 1t is hard to find q
| difference. The pagan Jumps upon
! the altar In his frenzy, and cuts him
self with Iancets. but there Is no an
swer: the nominal Christian says his
prayers twice a day for three-score
years and ten and there IL no answer.
So tar as the test between these two
classes OF worshippers goes. 1t mat
tiers little whom man worships.
What distinguishes our religion
from all other religions Ia that our
God Is a prayer-answering God. IL
our God does not answer prayer we
may say with the modern liberalist
that one religion is as good as an
other. IL he does answer prayer all
this talk about one religion being
as good as another Is sheer sacrilege.
To the Christian who prays expecting
an answer, and who receives an an
swer, and who knows when he re-
oeiyes ii, nothing is more absurd than
the sentiment that puts all religions
on a level. after the manner of the
Worlds Parliament at Chicago.
Moreover, our God answers by fire.
The human icicie in the church counts
against Christianity in the test Ii he
Is counted among the children of God.
We know that our God answers by
fire. purifying our hearts and filling
our lives with gracious warmth. If
there Is no heat within US. IL our
atmosphere chilis those about us, II
we are without power, II we are not
x.nS c GxaA I~fxr
yet poor worshipperR We may be
standing by the true altar, but the
fire has not come down.
The Lesson Illustrated.
/. 1t was time to come to a de-
ciston. The man who never comes
to decision never comes to anything.
We never accomplish anything while
hating between two opinions. We
| must decide something. do not
mean that we should decide every
thing. There are many questions
which we should not undertake to set
tie for the simple reason that we
have not sufficient light to settle them
infelligentiy: but there are other Ques-
| tions--great fundamental Questions--
which we must settle IL we are really
going to live. do not need to settle
| the question whether j shall eat cake
| or pie at dinner: neither Is essential
| TO my life, and i may be better of
without either. But / have settled
| the question whether / shall breathe
| air. drink water and eat bread, for
| ! found long ago that II did not
| understand how air, water and bread
| We're essential to my life. So / may
| safely leave unsettled many questions
about theology or sociology or poll
| tics. but / cannot afford to leave I'M
l gptftaH fpr atnrIn tta
ton whether nay soul shall breathe
| in the Spirit OF God and feed upon
| his Word. If I leave this question
unsettled i am in danger OF starving
my soul--my real self--to death It
Is my business to choose and to choose
| to-day the God whom I would serve.
My soul cannot live without God.
-. Here are men who are nominal
worshippers of Jehovah and sincere
worshippers Of BaaL They have never
been quite able to give up the God
Of their, fathers, but their hearts are
| with Baal. you cannot hop between
two boughs any longer" says Elijah
you must come to a choice" There
are many among us to-day to whom
this stern ultimatum has come--if
| they would open their ears to hear
| 1t. They are in the church--they
are not willing to leave the church.
but their hearts are with Mammon.
They cannot think of renouncing the
religion that was such comfort to
their mothers, but their hearts are
with Mammon. Besides, they want
the responsibility which 10 supposed
to belong to a believer In the true
God. lyon have no right to occupy
such position says Elijah "You
are dishonoring God by 1t. II God
is the true God. then you should
serve him. II Mammon Is the true
God. then serve Mammon. You can
not serve BOTH"