The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-09-21

U~DtOYtng fack OF moral courage
oome people. 10 persist in the
~ ~ virtue after protesting Chris
ru1ty. Biliy sunday. In HIS Wed
1o1oy night sermon. scored back
1ers, taking for his text; Thy own
Iokedness shall correct thee. Thy
o8sliding shall reproye thee
now therefore and see that Il Is an
m thing and bitter that thou hast
rpaken the Lord thy God and that
- frar IL not In thee. saith the
Rd Of Hosts. Jeremiah 2:i9.
rIf ever am AT loss 10 know on
Aet subject TO preach. and IL Sc
~ some tex, q. Scripture that
nals with backsliders, won't go
y wrong. for. In all likelihood.
@ojority OF my hearers will be out
E<S touch with God and Will need
E1ome one 10 sound warning OF
heir danger" he said.
Some people think backsliding ~
h y slight thing. but my text tells you
I'D I tell you. that II Is serious
Il Fence against God
I'm imagination ! have seen
(ofely ship sailing from port, her
ocks crowded with passengers As
#nDe moves away from her slip ana
&GDoaves the foam-necked tide the
q oople on board wave signals OF
&Inrewell and those on the shore
hout Bon voyage
;s The waters are calm. the sky Is
Is k1oe above and all believe that the
>ourney Is to be one OF profit or de
lrht.
but Just beyond the harbor the
& ~ blackens and become as ada
mnnt, the wind rises 10 a gale and
n ~ gale rises 10 hurricane, and
$<1nh waters are dashed into mighty
N66Ses and the ship wallows like |
Donster In distress.
THE lookout. high in his tossing |
noot, cries. Breakers ahead" and |
E1ko order 10 change the course. |
11ard aport.' Is shouted to the
EoImsman.
But II IL too late. The great !
EGnfp strikes upon tbs reefs and Is i
1T and on the next day only the
y (ycilng gulls that fy about the /
NSeckage tell the story OF the vessel
s&one down with all on board, un.
R 1oDt and unsung We are sad when
xUo read In the newspapers OF the
AWFUL loss of life. but IL is sadder
sGll1l when souls are lost on the
nreakers Of sin.
Many start the voyage OF the
4Chfistian life under smiling skies
IN upon smooth waters. but as
1Ao1 oan out of the harbor the sky
ooomes dark and the craft OF their
|1o1ig1on crashes upon the rocks. At
mt they are careful TO obey the
Srommands Of God. but after the re-
|<5xAI they neglect their duties and
lilly come to wreck.
The Sin Of BackslldIno
~0od speaks much OF the sin OF
,1oeksltding and In the Bible has
]Doken Of II In many places. There
70 several kinds OF backsliding.
# ~Tlrst, there Is the careless kind.
~ invitation In never given at the
ToviyaI, but there are those who viii
XoopOnd to II and for time will
|zlwe ~ Christians should.
Then, when the revival n over \
&xnl the routine of everyday life be \
ms, they slip gradually back into
A6jr former ways. They become
ueGligent and drift back TO the old
N4unts and the old gang.
They are like the ground hog
When spring comes the ground hog
nwakens from his winters sleep and
0merges into the sunlight. and lives
IN active life until the storms OF
winter come again. Then be
Hrawis into his hole OF Information
and falls into a sleep OF months
sz s'Oh IL Is easy to think of things
1lvtne when the revival is on and
there is inspiration on every side
and the bands are playing and the I
crowds are marching These ground
HOG people have family prayer then
and they attend TO their religious
'rival Is over they begin 10 relapse
Into their old ways.
"Tve sometimes thought, almost.
that Il might be godsend to many
e. community II II could only be
swept by typhoid fever or pneu
.1nonia or scarlet fever just after
rood revival and before the people
had chance to slide back.
Read the Pentateuch from begin |
1tng OF Exodus to the end. and see
now many times you lose patience
with the old pig-headed Jews. God
Was always doing something for
Them. and was feeding them and
their garments never wore out. and
3Aey had the assurance OF the prom
loed land. but they were never salts
'4Ded.
Not Satisfied with Gods Gifts
They said TO Moses: Moses,
what's the matter with youp Were
NJ there graves In Egypt? Think OF !
the good things we had down there
the melons and the leeks.' They
were OF backsliding stun
IA III you are Methodist, look
~ the Presbyterians; II you are a
Presbyterian. look NJ the Bsptists;
81 you are Baptist, look az |
the Lutherans; II you are
lutheran. look AT the Episcopalians
and you will see whether people
Are any better now.
The people aren't satisfied with !
THAT God has given them. They
uibble AT this and that. He has
spread before them the bounties OF
His goodness. but they have billy
E0At appetites and must have cards /
aud dancing.
SEINE stationary engineers were I
hired TO break railroad engineers |
strike. and one OF them got on a |
4 )0comotive 10 take II into the round. |
house. He didn't know much about
~ locomotive engine. so he ran her
- n