Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-29
SINCERITY NOT ALL
 THAT IS NECESSARY.
Shop Talk Subject by Rev. G. H
 Strouse.

Tuesday noon Rev. George H. Strouse addressed the Y. M. c. A. shop meeting at the International Silver Company.
 "It doesn't matter what a man be- lieves SC long as he is sincere" This is the inf1dePs maxim. We will ana lyze it and see, said the speaker. Will our beliefs stand the test of modern scholarship at the light of heaven? This after all is the moral tissue of mans life; the chief ingredient of his character. A mans life is the expres- sion of his thought and belief. What a man does and what he says must in- evitably reveal what he is.
 There was a time when many good people believed the saloon was all right in it's place q don't think its place is anywhere on this fair earth.) And these peoples living was in har- mony with their thinking. They did nothing to destroy the awful traffic
 There was a time when many peo pie thought slavery was right. But that didn't make it right. Lincoln saw it was all wrong and what he did was in harmony with what he believed.
 A man, his family or friends adopt a certain course-are sincere-believe they are safe. They may see no need of a Sayiour-no need of the atone ment It matters not how sincere they are they are not right. To hold sound views and think correctly is of vital importance. Because there is close affinity between the views we hold and the manner of life we lead. Tn infidel says: Tt doesn't matter what we believe so long as we are sin cere." Let me show you briefly that it does matter what we believe.
 In the first place in regard to his fellowmen. Is the infidel a creator of joy and a dispenser of blessing? Is he sending out missionaries to dispel the dense moral darkness? When there is a famine, do you ever hear of a check for $10,000 being sent from an infidel club to alleviate the suffering? What is he'd oing for his fellowmen Being sincere in his belief makes him a self-Centred man.
 Secondly, In regard to God. A man believes there is no God. That doesn't say there isn't one. He may be sin cere but is he right2 He lives as he believes and misses the joy of fellow | ship with God. Or a man may believe | that God doesn't care how he lives | Sooner or later we shall discover that | God does care. Or he may have a | hazy conception of God. No true con- | ception of Gods infinite holiness and ] majesty. And he lives as he be- majesty. And so he lives as he be- 1 lieves. He misses much that he might ] enjoy if he had true conception o1 1 God.
 Third. In regard to death. Does 1 the infidel or any other man who has ' a false conception of God, leave with | Us a cheerful message when he is dy- 1 ing? It makes a world of difference I what we believe when death comes tC | us. It isn't case of being sincere but 1 the point is: Have we correct views 1 Let me illustrate: Here are two men | Voltaire and Paul. At the close o l Voltaire's life he says: Who can, with.
 out horror, consider the whole world | as the empire of destruction? I abounds with wonders; it abounds al so with victims. This globe contains | rather carcaSses than men. I trembl,
 at the review of this dreadful picture and find it contains complain
 against Providence itself I wish | had never been born" Listen to Paul | the man who had a passion for Christ i While standing on the shore of time 1 he says: 'I am now ready to be of | fered, and the time of my departure i
 at hand. I have fought a good fight
 l have finished my course, I have kep
 my faith. Henceforth there is laid Il1 for me a crown of righteousness
 which the Lord. the righteous judge
 shall give me at that day; and not t
 me only, but unto all of them also tha
 love his appearing.
 Men. it does make a difference wha
 we believe. To ourselves and to others