Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-22
THE DEVIL DOUBLE LOCKS HIS
GATE LEST THE KNOCKER GET III

"A knOcker is a tWO-legRed ami
NAL with a cork screw soul and q
sewer soaked heart. He's got q
backbone made out OF jelly and
glue and where others have a heart
he has a tumor of rotten prin.
ciples," is the way Rev. Mr.. Sun
day yesterday afternoon defined the
people who sit back and let the
other fellow do the work. He
spoke on the subject, God Wants
Workers" Excerpts from the SER
mon follow:
Whether or not the church meets
the purpose for which it is founded
will depend on the fact that you dc
or refuse to do your duty, and
serve. Some people pretend to be
lieve, but they never work at It.
Some people work, but they don't
believe. Christianity consists
neither in simply believing. but to
show your belief by what you do
James said, Faith without works
isn't worth shucks. I'm from Mis-
souri,; show me your faith"
The great trouble is we become
a sort of backdooryard for the
WI lng INV duGN - AAC bdh GCA
mon which some people can preach
with their lives more than over
match any good sermon man can
preach with his lips. To pray and
then cheat somebody in business
the next day; to kneel in commun-
ion and Cypress the poor in their
wages and compel a man to live
below the hunger line; to profess
brotherly love and then SANDER
some neighbor; TO sing about Cal
vary and heaven and put the wrong
figures on the ledger in the day
book-Oh, unless you can see SUI
ficient inducements, you will not
work.
Now think it is hypocrisy to
pray for a thing you are not will
ing to work for, and your prayers
are not worth any more at the gate
of heaven than you are willing to
work to get them there. II you
want to know how much you are
going to weigh on the scales they
keep outside of the door of heaven,
how hard are you willing to work
to answer your own prayer? That's
what you need in the world.
I wish some OF the religious pes
simists would take the groans and
the sufferings out of their prayers,
shove in some acclamations of tri-
umph, and salute the victor in the
name of God in advance.
No difficulties 10 him that willsi
Ally it to religion and you will re-
write the history of the world. l
am getting tired of people trying to
climb a mountain to get to hell and
stumbling over a feather to get TO
heaven.
Here are the tremendous facts.
Listen! One hundred eighty thou
sand churches in the United States;
about thirty-fiVe million communi-
cants in the churches, equally di-
vided between Catholics and Pro-
testants; seating capacity for near
ly seventy million in our churches,
room in our churches for two
thirds OF the population of the
United States: America already
protesting Christians. All
we need to do would be to each,
my friends, win two souls to Jesus
Christ and we could save America
for God.
I tell you, sitting there, with one
100, 1000, 600 population in the United
States there are nearly seventy
million of them that are not identi-
fed with any church, Catholic or
Protestant No. sir! And this old
world is being born five to one for
the devil faster than it is being
born to the kingdom OF heaven.
Love of Pleasure.
What's the cause? I will tell
you the cause.-The growing love of
pleasure in the hearts of the
people; a disregard for
the Lords Day and a disregard for
Gods word both by the preachers
and the Iay-member, and the in
craze for amusements to-
lay.
Now, 1 am not against all amuse-
nents; you can't feed a fellow GA
prayer meetings all the time; he
amt go around with a face looking
Ike a fire escape. And the modern
view OF life as preached and prac-
iced by many Of our secular or
CARNATIONS directly and indirectly
jneers and mocks at God AL
requirements of repent
Lnce and faith for men and women
o be saved
And children are not trained to
90 to church; they are growing
Up like wild asses colts today!
What is the need? I will tel
Fou the need. The need is the
more of the regenerating
,ower OF the Holy Ghost through
aith and the shed blood of Jesus
Jhrist,
And we need more evangelistic
fort on the part of the church;
nd we need less preachers knock
ng when you do start an evangel-
site meeting.
And you need to rebuild your
amily affairs; they are torn TO
hreds by the devil. I'll bet my life
hundreds of you here tonight don't
cad your bible nor pray; you don't
ave family prayer in your home.
Rebuild the family altar in your
Iome, and then greater care for
ur boys and our girls. at the time
t the formative period of their
manhood.
Now I am not ging to keep any