Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-08
{ ptlARlsEE AND THE
puRltCAN.w


tnfe witch some people call religion
There are some people with whom for
mailiy seems to make up for true re
Hflon, like the Pharsees.
IN every community there are peopl
like those carping critics rs In the day
Of Jesus Christ The pharisees religion
WAS a religion OF forms and observations
pI forms and rituals. They made grea
hubbub. Christianity does not consist
nf forfne and rituals do not forget thA
Tor a minute. There are a lot OF people
who never had deigion Of the heart; they
never had a religion experience. You did
not have q religion experience II your re.
lleion ia reduced to a lot OF forms and
rituals. I am going 70 show you today
the two purposes Of God I'm this parable;
Flrst-To show some people who think
they are religious that they are not
second-to show why the prayers of
some people are answered and some are
not. Some people are omnipotent when
they go on their knees. The prayers OF
some are never answered, they never
Know what Il IL to have a prayer an
swered, from God.
A parable is a photograph. picture. 1t
r. picture of two beings that contrast.
I hold up my thumb and you say, yes,
see II In size and location. 1 hold up my
finger and you say, yes 1 see II in size
and location. hold UP my thumb and
finger and you take it in It is two
beings, opposite In character and form,
directly opposite in every way.
You GET WHAT you LOOK FOR.
$50 these two men came to the temple to
pray--both received what they came for.
You always get what you are looking for
anything you want You are not dis
appointed You always get what you are
looking for. If you are looking for a
scrap, you get busy and you will get what
you came for You will get what you
came for this afternoon Did you come
with your pride puffed up like a poisoned
pup, or did you come to hear something
that will make you better men and
thought might say something you didn't
like, and then you would go out and talk
about it2 Then, by the help of Cod sis
ter. you will get what you are looking
for, II have to go out of my way to give
1t to you. You always get what you are
looking for in this world.
$50 these two men came TO pray--the
FIRST was the Pharlsee. He was nice and
smooth, and his attitude was nice and
smooth, and he seemed to say: IF you
want to know how to do 1t. ask me. for
I'll show you There are lots of Chris
tians like that today and If you want to
see one, look in the glass and you VIII
ind one of them when you go home
PRETTY NICE AND SMOOTH.
$50 you will notice his attitude while he
was praying was pretty nice and smooth.
and that reminds me of minister whom
| met in Chicago, and he didn't say this
10 criticise; he was a good man. but he |
said to me, William, 1 have listened to |
you preach and pray, and l am Interested
n you. and 1 would like to make few
Iuggestions to you that think VIII IN
,rease your effectiveness
II said, I thank you, doctor. 1 am
willing to stand en- my head in mud
puddle If you can give me something that
will increase my power to save sinners
Ind get them to follow Jesus Christ. IT
'ou've got anything to offer, go ahead
HE said, When you pray make an
lcrostic on the word Acts. l always do
hat He said, The letter "a stands
or Alteration. and when 1 pray l adore
iod &C" think, stands for Confess
ion. "T." think, stands for Theology
nd 1 said, Doctor, we'll part company
light there. ! know no more about theol-
'gy than a jackrabbit does about ping
'ong or an elephant about crocheting.
"He said whenever I pray to make an
crostic on the word Acts. 1 said: The
ord bless you, doctor; you are all right
you can follow a form like that but
: should 1 would not get any higher
ian the gas jet. You fight the devil your
ay, and I'll fight him my way, but don't
rowl at me because I don't fight your
ay, because II did 1 would not be any
etter than you are, and If 1 preached
5 your preacher breaches, / would not
3 any better than your preacher is.
LENGTH OF SOME TONGUES.
''You can't thank God with one breath
nd turn around and run down and vilify
nd assassinate somebody's character with
le next. You can't thank God with one
reath and gossip about your neighbor
ith the next, yes, hang over the back
nee, with a shoe on one foot and a
upper on the other, and oh, have you
sard the latest?' Their tongues are so
ng they can sit in the parlor and lick
e skillet in the kitchen.
"If you read the first II chapters of
1ke, and, by the way, you ought to read
EN- before you read the 18th. Don't
nd the Bible like you read a novel
Q last chapter first. And l want to say
you IL you read a novel in the same
illS and water, cider and chalk, in
nerent way you read the Bible, you
ould get just as little out of IL as you
t out of the Bible.
1.-THE Pharisees were the church gang Z
that day. the churchy gang in the days
jesus EVERY church, so far as my
iperience goes. is cursed with three or
ur men who want to run the business.
on go to the devill You have no more
say than that fellow that sits by your
de. You can't tell the preacher what to {
J. and here is one that won't let you {
Il him what to do
RELIGION ALL RIGHT
Lots of people go TO church TO add a !
tie to their social standing; lots OF
ople Join the church for the same I
otive that a man blows up a safe; for /.
hat he can get out of it. :
Il used toeplay baseball. l used to fire
the railroads. have been an athlete 4
ID ! have loaned thousands OF dollars 1
can say thousands. TO ball players and /
tors and actresses. and all the money j
have ever been beaten out of in my
e have been beaten out of by church /
embers v
Religion is all right Christianity Is I
I At fault. 1t Is the hypocrites who pro- v
IS X that are at fault, I
We are going daffy over culture. It I
all right In its place, but 1t Is all &
Christianity. America needs a tidal Z
I've Of religion; cyclone of redemption I
q culture In the world won't educate
vhody out OF hell
When you get right down to facts
ere Is nothing wrong with people but r
g devil In them.
When I started in to preach said the
onhie with the people is in the head q