The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-13

Sermon Delivered at City Auditorium by Rev Billy Sunday
Night of February 12(

The text Of the evening sermon
was taken from John vii, II. III any
man will do His win, he shall know
OF the doctrine. whether It b OF
God; or whether I speak OF myself"
The speaker said:
II always have had---I have now
II hope always may fave-sym-
PATTY for any man OK woman that
haa difficulties. intellectual, spiritual
or moral. And II. by any word OF
advice of mine. ] can succeed In
sweeping the cobwebs from their
vision and cause them to SEQ more
clearly their responsibility and thetz
accountability to God. regard the
work done more valuable than II
had aided some man or woman al
ready q believer, into . clearer con-
ception Of his or her obtigAtions.
.'The words Of my text from the
challenge Of Jesus to tho skeptica
cavilers and doubters Of His day
They said to Him. We know you!
We know where You were born! We
know your brothers and sisters! How
do We know you are the Son Of God
How do we know you are what you
claim to be!'
"Jesus said. III you win DO the win
OF God. you win know about MAJ
"A Georgia preacher Of other days.
one time paraphrased this taxi BY
saying. II you want religion. do, be-
fore you sat II. what any honest man
would do that wants 1t, and II viii
not be long until you have IT.
The proof of the pudding n not
tn the smelling OF the bag or chew
ing the string, but in eating It. And
yet there are multitudes OF people
trying to prove the divinity OF Christ,
the inspiration OF the Bible and the
value of Christianity, BY smelling the
bag and chewing the rag with some
old hypocrite or hypocrires In the
church. That requires no amount OF
brain. no sense. very little reading
takes something rns4e to put the
words OF my text into practice. An
long as the United States mints stamp
coin and make them worth one hun
dred cents on the dollar, there will
be found people who will counterfeit
them. But that does not destroy the
value OF the senuineI
Jesus foretold all Of this about
hypocrites in His prophecy about the
Kingdom OF heaven when He said. It
is like a grain of mustard seed--the
smallest Of an seeds-which. when
planted. takes root and grows and
and live In its branches That
prophecy about the Kingdom of
heaven has been no literally fufhlied
that you can ind anything In the
average church today from q hum
ming bird to a turkey buzzard.
Gives illustration.
Tn town In Illinois at one time
something was said in one of the SER
mons that made young fellow mad.
He went out storming and cursing.
and said he didn't believe In God. Tor
Christ. nor the Bible, nor heaven, nor
he'll. That fellow was 4 Mason He
was a knight Tempiar. The lodge
held an all-night session. trying to
convince that fellow he was wrong.
The next day a friend OF mine met
an officer Of the lodge and said. I
understand you had an all-night SEES
SIR Tailoring with an errinE
BROTHER Yes. SIR He said. by the
way, man can't be a Mason unless
he believes in God, can her NO. STR
He can't be = Knight TempfAr unless
he acknowledges his belief In tho
View Testament and in Jesus Christ
as the Son Of God, and draws his
sword In defense of the Christian re-
ligfon?' The oficer replied. NO sir
Wei he said. here Is = young fell
low who IS Knight Ternplar and yet
is a hypocrite. DID you turn him out
OF tho iodge3' He replied, No, when
q man trusts himself 70 our lodge,
we consider II our duty never to re-
nudfate him ~ long - there n any
opportunity Of making anything out
or him.
'.Tow this ssme cnscsr had given
IS his reaSor for not being 4 Chris
tan. the foot that there was hypo-
critics IN the church! And my friend
replied, That b. exactly the position
the church takes: When man or
woman trust themselves to the
church. We conzider It our duty to
hold them and never turn them adrift
- lonE ~ there Is any chance OF con-
vincing them And II there IL any
lodge In this or any other city whose
aid, Endorsement nd cooperation I
have a right TO expect and demand.
the principles ycu stand Tor.
Il n the Masonic lodge! And IL there
II any branch Of It whose indorse-
nent ana heir I have right to ask
and expect and look for. 1t Is the
II hava a controversy with the
church, Catholic and Protestant: and
that controversy jbs controversies u
- iaxity In the application 81 tn
to men and women who
wilfully and Deliberately break their
vows and live in open sin!
One man says. 7 Do not believe
IN the Bible because Of NJ inconsist-
encies.' say the greatest ifcon-
listency II In your life--not In tho
Bible! ! bring mp befofs you the
Of some evil deed, and you
begin 10 Ana fauA with
he Biblei Go 70 q man and talk
1usinsG1 " politics and No talks sense.
~ to woman md tA1k society, club
y dress.l and she talks sense. TAX
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