The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-01

and to save my life can't get the
shicks out of that saw =,
| A lot of you people don't show any
| more sense in your attitude toward
| the Bible than that young fellow did
| trying to grind a saw nike you would
an axe, not particle in the world.
The greatest good can be had from
anything by using 1t for the purpose
for which 1t was Intended. A loaf Of
bread and brick may look great
NM sss 5ss1s4 4..xas<t - i. rs
| get in trouble. One is for my house
and the other to build up my body.
Now. the purpose of railroad
guide 10 to tell you when the train ar
rives and when 1t departs, when you
can make your connections at the
junction. The man that has been
over the road and used the trains, ac-
cording to the schedule, knows more
about 1t than the fellow that has never
been outside the corporate limits OF
his town. The man that has made
| the journey of life over the high
ways of this world by the Word OF
| God knows a million times more than
some old. blatant God forsaken.
whiskey-soaked inf1del that comes
around with a badge on and says. Il
| am an atheist"
claim that I know more about it
| than OLD Bob Ingersoll knew. because
/ have made the journey of life by it
! I know all about II, so far as my ex-
perience goes.
The Bible wasn't written to give me
a history of science any more than a
| crow bar was made to take the place
Of tooth pick-not particle. So.
use it for the purpose IL was intended
These things are written that We
might believe" That is why God told
men to write the Bible, in order that
| / might believe that Jesus was the
Christ and I'd be saved. And 1t was
written that dead men might live, and
1t is true that for all practical pur-
poses those that are without God are
dead in trespasses and in sin. Life is
The realistic thing In this world. or
lany other world. When people age
alive. they know it; and when they
nre dead, other people know 1t. There
fore, a man Is dead to a thing that is
lnothing to him.
, Tf education is nothing to you. then
,, you are dead to 1t. II science LIS moth
ing to you. you are dead to 1t. If
God is nothing to you. il you are not
living for God, then you are dead to
God ard living for the devil. Any
life: he is as dead to God as an Egyp-
tian mummy is dead TO the first call
for dinner in the dining car.
When the dead are gathered from
the battle field, some are mangled be-
yond possibility OF recognition. others
have scarcely any marks of violence
upon them; hut they are all dead.
they are no longer in the realm OF
the living There are lots of peo~
pie that live physically, but they are
dead spiritually. because they are not
ally. they are host because they are
] out Of Jesus Christ
Necessity OF Believing.
1t ia as necessary to believe in Jesus
20 have spiritual life as IL Is to have
eyes 10 see or lungs 10 breathe or ears
to hear.
There are men who honestly and
candidly say, u can't believe in Jesus
have tried to-"
Well think I can synpafhfze
with YOU. for I was in that fix myself
one time. I couldn't believe, and the
harder tried, It seemed TO me the
worse off ] got But the trouble with
me was the same as IL was with you
II didn't take the right course. And
then. thirty years ago. one dark,
stormy night in Chicago. ! came and
got down on my knees and said, God,
! am sinner. I accept Jesus Christ
rs my Savior"
The trouble with me was 7 wouldn't
take .he right course. when l took
the right course and told God / was
an OH sinner, bound for hell, that
was really the right course, and
haven't had any trouble since.
But there is nothing inconsistent
about knowing all there Ii TO know
Now, you take the safe side and
see how you will come out And there
is only one way TO have your doubts
destroyed Go to the Bible, read the
Bible and obey 1t. Suppose man
knew nothing about Greek or Latin
how il he going to ind out7 Why.
he has to begin with the simplest
things. the "a, b, c's." There is an "a.
b, c" in knowledge; that's why we
have kindergarten. There's an "a,
b. CO in religion. ard we have got to
start here, IL you begin with the a,
b @" of religion you will have no
more trouble than you do when you
begin with the "a, b, c. in knowledge.
The trouble with lot or people is
that they want to start An the senior
department when they ought to start
in the primary.
You have got to begin at the begin
ming OF anything, whether IL Is a
trade. knowledge or religion. and see
how you will come out The Bible Is
written. 1t says, that men might be-
l!eye. You can put that to the test.
but God ism. something to try; we
know what He Is.
You can put strychnine to the test.
and If you don't believe II win kill
/ you. try 4 and see. You say. don't
believe that fire will burn. but II you
nut II to the test you will see that II
will. You say, I don't believe that
Jesus Christ Is the Son OF God. All
right, I challenge you to put that to a
! test.
My friends, South Africa h rich In