The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-02-21

AT Elite hall las evening Evangelist
Smiths subject was The Difficulties
in the Way" It was really a straight
from-the-shoulder talk on general ex-
cuse making, out Mr.. Smith, while a
man with strong convictions and
ready always to defend them, has
proven to be absolutely fair to all
concerned and he said at the. outset,
that the term excuses did not justly
all the so-ca1led reasons pre-
scented for not being Christian, for
some We're false. hopes by which peo-
pie were actually being deluded, while
others were apparent difficulties, and
then a lot of them-most of them, in
fact-were mere excuses.
The Sermon.
Mr. Smiths text was: "They all
with one consent began to make ex-
cuse." Luke 14:1S. Mr.. Smith said:
That surely sounds like a revival
meeting. for there is nothing on earth
so conducive to the invention of eN-
cuses as a revival campaign, not only
In the minds of the non Christian, but
In the minds of many protesting
Christians as well. But l wish to
say that the most absurd thing in the
sight Of God and man, is the revival
meeting excuse, which usually is an
instilled lie of the devil, and men are
willing to be deluded by them.
1T goes without saying that I have
not time to consider all the excuses
men make at times like this. I pur-
pose only to tax a few of the stock
in-trade ~ones-those that o always
hear in every revival meeting. First
of all let us look at some which seem
like real difficulties. 1t is a salts
faction to deal with honest people
and those deluded by apparent diff
c~ulties, are honest to say the least.
The first one of these apparent diff
ficulties is waiting for feeling I
surely do not want to be m%isunder-
stood just here. IF men could see
sin as God sees it, there would be
feeling of the most intense sort, and
certain it is that if the sinner does
not realize. his sin he never will be-
come a Christian. But knowledge of
sin may come to one with a great
deal of emotion. and, to another, with
a calm determination to get away
from it. and both will be equally ear
nest.
Again we are. not guided by our
feelings in other matters. There are
hundreds of things which we do be
cause they are right and because We
must. There. is the right side, yea
the must side, of being Christian. and
we should be Christian because tina,
is true.
"Then the Bible nowhere defines
49,, -~,,l,~ - ---s r IT.,
that we must wait for in order to be-
come a Christian. 1t does demand
that we forsake sin, but it, does not
say wait till you feel like doing it.
Fact is, the devil can keep you feeling
that you do not want to give up sin
"Once again, if you are one Of those
waiting for some flood of feeling tc
sweep o into a Christian expert
ence, whether or no, / wish to ask yOl
this question, Suppose 1t never comes
then what? I assure you the de-
luder of souls will whisper on one sidt
wait for feeling Then he. will come
from the other side and do all he cal
to keep that feeling from coming ant
you will listen to the lie of the devil
before you will hear the voice of God
A thousand will listen to the voice o
the devil, where one will listen to thu
voice of God. God often has to teacl
such people a severe lesson. DO yOl
know hat you are a sinner, and dc
YOU know that Christ is your Savior
If so let the sinner and the Saviol
meet right here, and there will be
feeling enough. Quit looking for an.
others experience and get one of YOU
own.
Too Much Feeling.
THE neXt delusion is too mucl
feeling That is to say, here is {
man who has been down deep in sin
and the enemy says, You ave SinneC
away your day of grace and there is