The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-01-10
DYING TESTIMONY
Of INFIDELS is
SERMON SUBJECT
REV. EUGENE r. PENDLETON
SELECTS INTERESTING THEME
FOR DISCOURSE AT FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH.

"The Dying Testimony Of Promi-
nent Infidels," was the subject of
Rev.. Eugene r. Pendletcn at the First
Baptist church last night. He spoke
In part as followss
Hume, one Of the most subtle and
philosophical adversaries that Chris
tianity has ever had to Withstand, ex-
. claimed i'm . tome of exultation, 'eMe-
thinks see the twilight of this Chris
tianityY Meaning the twilight Of
evening that would deepen into night,
the awful night Of atheism. But he
simply nistook the time Of day. Tt
was the twilight but OF the morning
which has been shining more and
more unto the perfect day.
Thomas Paine, In his low, ibald
language, once said: Ell have gone
up and down through sthis Christian
Garden Of Eden, and with my simple
axe have cut down one after an
other of fts trees till have scarcely
left sapling standfngp But where is
the proud boaster today? His mem
DRY and name are gone, and his
Wanted cage of Reason" like him
SELF, is buried beneath the shade Of
oblivion. But the @trees Of the Chris
tisn Garden of Eden still flourish in
Immortal bloom; not so much as one
of their leaves has withered, neither
do the trees cease from yielding their
fruit In their season.
Gibbon, In his celebrated History
of the Decline and Fall Of the Roman
Empire" has left an imperishabIe
memorial Of his enimity TO the word
Of God. But it is . fact, stranger
than fiction, that the rich estate he
purchased In Switzerland, with the
profits of his works, has descended to
. gentleman. who, out Of its rents,
expends 3 large sum annually In the
PRONUNCIATION Of that very gospel
which his predecessor fnsidiously en-
deav0red to undermine, but had not
the courage openly to sssafl.
Voltaire boasted that with one
hand he would overthrow the edifice
OF Christianity which required the
hands of twelve apostles TO build up"
But the very press which he employed
at Fernay to print his blasphemies
has actually been employed to print
Bibles at Geneva. Thus God makes
even the wrath Of man to praise him.
at is the Lords doings and is won
derful in our eyes"
But down deep in every human
heart is a desire for rest, a surcease
to SORROW and labor, and how many
sigh: Oh, for the wings of dove that
I might fly away and be nc resti At
+. rest from the strife Of tongues, the
battle with evil, the battle for bread,
and the ten thousand ills that flesh
| In heir TO. "Oh for a lodge in some
vast wildernessP' Hence our songs
abound such sentiments weary souls:
Somewhere the sun is shining, some
where the song birds dwell"
In seeking soul rest many ancient
Ehighways have been opened, and
pressed by many millions of weary
feet. Ekepticism is only one Of those
ancient highways. Il is the highway
Of pride. It promises relief TO the
/ patient Il he will but doubt the dis
ease. It Is the way of the ostrich
which hides his head in the sand at
the approach of danger. Does the in
Adel find rest? Ask him in his dying
hour.
King Ptolenny ordered his architect
Sostratus TO build lighthouse, and
inscribe the kings name upon It. The
builder erected Pharos at Alexandria,
one OF the seven wonders of the
world. When finished he carved his
own name, Sostratns, deep in the
granite base, and plastering It over,
carved the name OF Ptolemy, well
knowing that the tooth Of time would
wear Off the plaster revealing to pos
terity the name Of the true builder.
So God, the great Architect of fate,
has carved his own image so deep in
mans soul, that, veneer it over as we
WIN, in the hour Of death, ander the
relentless tooth Of time, the creature
win cry out unto God, his true maker.
Fpancis Spira, an italian apostle,
acclaimed against retribution beyond
the grave, but when dying, exclaimed