Evening journal., 1916-02-09

spiritual opiate II puts the higher
faculties and feelings to sleep.
l talked TO young business man
one evening. during a series OF meet
ings, and he told me that he was far
away from God. but he was very
much troubled on account of his sins.
Said me- = have been attending the
service night after night. and when /
go home / am unable to sleep" [
urged him to come to decision at
once, but sin had such hold upon
MS life that he hesitated, parleyed
and delayed. Near the close of the
campaign ! spoke to him again. /
said. How is it with you now?" "Oh. -
ne said, much better. I am getting
now so | can sleep well all night -
Have you accepted Christi" I asked.
NO. he replied. but / think my con-
dttion is improving" "You are maxi
ing the most serious mistake" 7
answered, "If, in your attitude of re-
lection, you are becoming at ease.
your condition is the most dangerous.
II means the Spirit OF God is ceasing
TO strive with your heart and con-
science, and when He ceases His
plcadings, your doom is certain. It
Would be as if a friend in the same
room were speaking to you. and YOU
could hear his voice distinctly. Sun
posing you go into the next room and
close the door; he might speak lust
as loudly, but his voice would sound
]
next room beyond and close the door
his words now would be scarcely aud
ible, You could continue this process
until at last he might call ever so
loudly, and yet you would hear no
sound Every time you hear the
gospel and reject it. you close a door
between yourself and God. and II
makes it that much more difficult for
you ever again to hear His voice call
ing to you.
The next attitude that it is possible
for one to assume toward Christ is
more hopeful than that of apathv
which we have just considered, for
the fact that the individual is hos
Tile shows that at least he has been
thinking upon the subject, and there
IS something in the power of the re-
iigion Of Christ that if one will con-
slider 1t long enough and seriously
enough although he may be bitter in
MS opposition, yet in time il will
overcome his opposition. This antag-
ohlsm is frequently due to misun-
derstanding of Christianity which
mas been received perhaps from some
unworthy or inconsistent follower
Many have got wrong conception of
the Christian religion, which they
nave obtained from some professed
disciple Of Christ. with whom thev
have come in contact. The sample
they have seen has given them the
wrong idea Of the real article. A man
TOLD me he was opposed to Christian
/ lty because he had some business
dealings with a church member. who
mad cheated him shamefu.ly. This
man mistake was that he drew his
conclusions from too limited an ex.
perience. 1t would be as if a man
happened to come across a counter.
feit green-back or bank note anf
lhen would conclude that all none,
was worthless.
In the next place this antagonisu
IS often due to prejudice. Perhaps !
person was reared in a home of nm.
Deiief and from his childhood he bad
heard arguments against Christian.
lty, and this prejudice had saturated
and poisoned his entire life Tho
most pathetic tragedy in all history
To-Day is that OF the Jewish people. A
large share OF them arc by nature
spiritually inclined and deeply relie.
lous. and when one does accent Christ
as his personal Saviour and becomes
christian. he is one Of the most
steadfast. faithful workers in our
Masters service. But so many. on
account o. their training and early
teaching, will not even stop TO CON
slider at all the claims of Christ II
the Hebrew. with his keen intellect
and religious nature, would with omen
mind and heart. give the same
/ thought and attention TO the princi-
pies of Christian faith. as he does IN
other affairs. we would find the Jews
IN the front rank as followers of the
Lord. Jesus Christ.
This antagonism against Christ is
.NN' y 'AtNh huI " tNll living and do
ing. Said Simson. the great theoIo-
gian, you must consider the claims
OF Christ with intellectual impar-
tiality. but never with moral neutral.
ity." What you may think about
Caesar or Napoleon, or Alexander
the Great. or Washington may proba-
bly, have no influence at all upon OF
relative to your moral conduct and
character. But not so when YOU face
this question. what think We of
Christi For Christ comes directly
and squarely into antagonism with
every form Of evil and wrong. For
example, lie comes into direct oppo-
sition to avarice You find that You
cannot serve both God and mammon
Jesus Christ will brook no rival
Hence all Of the intense desire for i'll
gotten gains is aroused into hostility
against belief in Jesus Christ In like
manner Christian faith comes into