The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-23
JESUS CHRIST IS ONLY
HELP IN TINE OF NEED
when in search For support. Many
Idly Seek Those Who Cam
not Assist.
DIR. PoLLARDs STRONG SERMON
Foolish Men Consult Secrs when In
Distress and Neglect the Only One
Who Can Give Hope and Life.

DIR. F. b. Pollard, of the Crozet
Theological Seminary, occupied the
pulpit in the Grove-Avenue Baptist
Church yesterday morning. His text
was taken from the twenty-eighth
chapter of first Samuel. using these
words from the eleventh paragraph;
Bring me up, Samuel"
DR.. Pollard said in part:
Saul felt the inadequacy of his
armies, being completely surrounded
by strong enemies, and being at the
same time undermined by enemies
within his own borders, for David was
rapidly gaining favor with the people.
He felt the need of some outside guild
ance and help, and since his life had
been such that God no longer listened
to him. he turned for help to the witch
of Endor. His life was darkened by
sin and he determined to avoid God.
Here was sinful man affiliating with
an old bag. the spirit of the evil one.
Crooked politics and crooked busi-
ness go together. The forces of sin
and of evil affiliate and shun the light
The saloon and the brothel go to-
gether because they in large measure
depend on each other
I'm the same way the forces OF
light and of truth should come to-
gether for only in this way can re-
Will Religion Survive?
will religion win? VIII 1t sur
vive this dark period In the worlds
| history, when three-fourths of the
world is war made and hate rules
supreme? There is nothing more i'm
perishable than the religion in mans
nature. Saul was conscious of this
outside force, for when needing coun-
sci he went to the witch.
when men have stiffed or Obitf.
Grated the pure in religion, something
takes its place, pure or impure. Re-
/ ligion, thrown out of the window. may
crawl up through the drainpipe,
bringing the filth Of the earth with
1t. Men must worship either God
or witch, God or mammon. or them.
selves before a mirror.
Men will go to Boston or some
| where else for light from some crack
Drained woman, or for light from
some one who claims possession OF
some form of inward light They
must worship, no matter how far they
wander from the religion of Christ.
| Religion is imperishable. trav-
eler gazing on the ruins Of the ancient
Egyptian temples. scattered and mar
red by time. might think all religion
may perish In like manner. That
feeling lasts. though only until he
hears the clear, silvery call of the
Muzzein. calling the faithful 70
prayer.
IAN of us have a tendency to rely
on some dead prophet rather than ON
living spirit. Such failure to mis-
! interpret Gods word makes us believe
that God no longer speaks to His PEG.
pie as of old.
ASK some people what they be.
lieve and some will call UP Calvin
some Martin Luther, and others Jonu
: wi
cite a creed.
I'VE Baptists defy our practices.
We must use the Bible to test the
things that God is telling us to do.
II the things we are inspired to do
accord with His word. they come from
Him; If not. they are not inspired
from heaven. The question is, What
is God telling US to do? He may
speak to us in different ways today
from the way he spoke to men In
olden times, and we must learn to
hear His voice.
"A few years ago great discussions
ragged among the Baptists as to
whether we should have Sunday
schools and whether we should sup
port missions. Call us up the faith
ers,' said many. and since the fathers
said nothing about these things, there
fore we won't have them, they added.
New duties. new opportunities and
a new destiny demand that we keep
our ears attuned to the living voice
of the living God. We must ask God
what He would have us do here and
now, and we must do IL If the world
Is to be saved.
"SauPs turning to the witch was
almost natural. In times OF stress
we turn to some great leader to direct
our paths
'In the stress of the approaching
Civil War the North turned instinc-
lively to Lincoln, while amidst the
turmoil and confusion of reconstruct
ton the South turned to Lee ror
guidance.
saul wanted the help of Samuel:
therefore, he said to the watch:
Bring me up, Samuel" This desire
to see Samuel was the only creditable
thing In connection with this incident.
Saul chose one of the greatest of
the prophets.
I'm times of stress, of trouble. of
sorrow. we all feel the need Of help
from a source outside of ourselves.
There Is only one haven to which we
can go. where we will find comfort
in our sorrow-the strong supporting
arm of a friend, and one who can
point us to new life in the future
and that is Jesus Christ"