Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-27


last evening delivered 4 splendid
fact that each person is RESPONSE
BILE for his own salvation, the will
70 accept being left with each 70
decide. He said:
/ do not care whether you be-
lieve that there is a heaven or hell
or Christ or God or anything or
anybody
1T is appointed unto men once
to die" and II you admit that is
true, you are forced by all logic to
admit that the rest Of it is true.
So, you know you have TO die,
and you may also know that after
death you will be judged.
1T is appointed unto men once
to die, but after death, the judg-
ment."
If I could prove this was your
last day on earth and that tomor-
row afternoon you'd be N the COT
fln, I know what you'd do. You'd
spend the intervening time getting
ready to meet the God that some
OF you have spurped, and you'd
stand before the God you know
ECu u 4AdFC ~ AACCA III ~ AACAA
Everything that has happened
can happen in the next hour. In
the next hour children will be born.
5000 people will die, your house
may burn, your fortune may be
stolen. the train may go into the
ditch, an automobile may turn tur-
tie, a ship may be torpedoed, you
may be on the operating table, you
may be in heaven or you may be in
hell--everytning that has happen
ed can happen in the next hour or
In the next "a hours.
So, there are special reasons why
l have chosen this message. First.
not a man or woman here today
but that must stand before God In
the judgment. presume there
isn't a person here who doesn't be-
lieve that
Belief Personal Matter.
1t is a personal matter. That is
one thing you've got to settle for
yourself. Nobody else can substi-
tute for you when 1t comes to
standing before God in the Judg-
ment.
1t is a personal question. Also
l have chosen II for another rea-
son, that it will make you stop and
think. ! pray God you may hear
my text above the tick OF the clock.
/ pray Him you may hear il above
the roar of business. l pray you
may hear It above the voice Of your
children. I pray as you walk the
streets your steps may echo and
resound back the words OF judg-
ment. l pray it may ring through
your ears long after my voice has
ceased its pleadings, long after M
face has been forgotten and have
turned to other parts of the coun-
try to hold up the bleeding form OF
Jesus Christ.
And I stand with the old book OF
God beneath my feet and behind
my back as authority and l cry
out to every unsaved man, And
after death, the Judgment"
The most startling question ever
asked was, If a man die, shall he
live again?"
Next TO life. the most universal
thing is. death-dead cities, dead
nations, dead republics, Gead am
billions, dead consciences, dead low
ed ones: oh. how short is life.
And ! have chosen it because l
hope it will make you honest and
true Most men out Of Christ are
not honest i don't mean you'd
steal or cheat in business. I don't
mean you'd be false TO your wife or
to your husband. l mean you are
not honest about spiritual things
that is what l mean.
God holds you responsible for
your will, not your feelings, eXer-
cising your will upon Christ
through faith. Some men are hon
est in their doubts; some people
are honestly and truthfullye seek
ing the light. And do you know
I'd do Anything on earth 10 help
an honest skeptic, but for the man
who sneers at religion, and then
tries to get others to disbelieve III
God because he isn't man enough TO
believe-oh. l think that's the work
OF hell. on the face of the earth.
InfideIity's Work.
When think OF what infdelity
has accomplished never won O
gambler from his cards; it never
turned a prostitute from selling her
womanhood; it has never put e
man on his knees and made him
pray; it has never in any way
linked itself to tender elevating
morals.
1t would not take a quire or a
ream nor one sheet nor one line
upon one sheet Of paper to tell al
that unbelief has ever done FOR this
world, and well might Christianity
stand today as did her founder,
Jesus Christ one thousand years
ago. And as she points 70 her work
of philanthropy. her deeds OF char
ity, her asylums for the blind and
manned and POOR. the aged and in
firm and decrepit; as she points TO
her churches with their towers and
spires pointing to the only source
OF consolation and hope. well might
Christianity ask OF inhdelity,
Many good works have l shown
you from my Father; for which Of
those works Go ye stone me-"
Infidelity-oh, that condemns
faith, it extols works. Infidelity
laughs at believing and applauds
dogma. challenge all the COM
bined forces of unbelief, for their
achievenen have utterly and
eternally failed 70 bring relief.
They have never gladdened one
waste spot IN the desert Of doubt IN
the world; never have they helped
the world and lifted any one to !
noble life.
Oh, there are multitudes in hell.
They regret the opportunities they
had and let go by. They'd give