The Detroit times., 1916-09-21

the balloon will still be held.
A friend OF mine, holding a meet
ing. asked how many who wer,
present had been Christians. au
we're now backsliders Finally forty
fessed up.
Then he asked them for the reas
ons for their falling away Finally ,
man got up and said he backsli,
through believing that be could b,
Christian and keep his store opet
on Sundays
Baeksliders Tell Of Failures
"A man that keeps his store oper
on Sundays IL an anarchist
wouldn't buy 81 worth from him
"A young lady arose and said that
she backslid because OF cards A
friend had given a card party and
she had 20 give one IN reciprocity
she said she had invited youns
man 10 attend. bat that be didat
know what kind ~ party II was "a
be He came, but when be found
cut what o. was he said he was
sorry but be- must go, for he could
not stop there
CT admired him for his loyalty
10 his religion b. u1de me- feel that
I wasn't worthy 20 have my name AS
q church member. the young lady
said
Another man stood up and said
4 backshd when voted ior the ga
loon
You bet he did or he wouldn't
have voted for the dirty, sinking.
rotten thing why, he backsid 0e-
fore he voted hat ticket or he
wouldn't have voted H.
a young lady said I thought
could be a member Of the church
and dance. Sure she could You can
be a member OF the church and
burglar. 100. but not member OF
the body OF Christ
she said I attended a dance ard
found my desire 20 pray diminishing
I attended aHetker and I found NY
desire 20 pray had become nebulous
And then she said. my desire TO
pray disappeared
II tell you / never saw 4 drinking
dancing card.playi1g Christian who
amounted 90 anything The dance
Is a Quagm're OF wreckage. the most
sinking institution % earth It's
rs rotten AZ hell You wait until
get az g.
II am against q Tor II amasements
popular among church members. as
you people are going 20 ind on. De
fore ! am through In Detroit
don't care snap OF the fagrrs
whether you like my preaching or
rot. Understand It's a question o.
whether you are Interested in de-
cency.
III you live wrong you can't d.
right. Emerson said What yol are
speaks so loudly that I cannot hear
what you say.
Age Of Unfinished Things
This II an age of incom pleteness
of unfinished 'hings Life II full
NJ haif-tone tn'nss Education is
begun and abandoned Obedience 70
the law OF God IS begun-and given
up. People start in buslness-and
fail. They attempt 10 learn a trade
and don't do il thoroly.
"A bound once started after a stag
and after running for awhile II saw
a fox and turned after II. A little
farther along II saw a rabbit and
ran after that. and anally wound up
by holing a field mouse.
so II Is with SO many who enter
the Christian lie They started 10
hunt and compromised on a glass OF
booze They enter a royal race. bu'
on glass OF beer or
on some little gain through dishon-
esty
People say 70 me: why is n 80
great sin II 2 man. finding himself
falling in the Christian life. quits it
re can End himself falling In bust.
ness or society and quit with honor
why not rcil gion7
We'll. religion is not a business
Or social enterprise. II is not for
time. money. politics. applause OF
society, bat FOR Cod and eternity. Il
Is not only for here and now, II Is
not only for time but II IL for eter-
nifty. II is one OF the great things.
All other things are incidents
Not every bsckslider is an apos
tate. but every apostate r. a back
slider. Peter was q backslider. but
he came back and preached that
sermon az Peutecost. Judas was a
backslider, and what he did so prey
cd upon his mind that he did not
want y. lie went out, but he never
came back.
Il have never tshooed but two
towns IN my lie. and orc % those
was little town out In Iowa, whore
once held meeting before / really
became sn evangelist
THAT town had an inhdel club
or $50 members There were onlv
two church members On the place.
and there was an Interrogation marx
after them at that They could have
started a found'.ng asylum % thei-
own In that club.
Ny lie was not safe ihere-thev
threw stones az me On the streets
4 storekeeper there told me he vas
going 20 sell ont and leave the town
for purely moral reasons a. a loss
OF about $4,000 He said that he had
daughters and that there was not
a young man in The place ne would
trust with them 10 said that u any
young man In that town were 20
call on any % his daughters he
wouldn't 20 upstairs 20 bed unless
he had a hole in the floor and had e
gatling gun he could train on The
visitor M moments notice.
Leader Of the God-forssken Gano
THE leader OF that God forsaken
Ubiquitous gang was a man named
Dickson who ran one.horse coun
try grocery business fri place about
as big as box car. We had naen q