Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-23

The worth or God ways was
the theme upon which Rev. Mr..
Sunday last evening spoke at the
tabernacle saying I'D like to make
my message so plain and simple to-
night that not a man or a woman
could rise up against me in the day
of judgement and say Lord I went
down to that tabernacle in October,
1919, but l didn't learn by what l
heard what | had to do"
He. continued:
Somebody has very aptly and
beautifully said that God requires
of every man and woman three
things, whether they are a heather
or Christian, or whether they live
in America or Africa, whether they
live in howell or a palace, whether
they are learned or illiterate, God
requires and demands of every
man and woman three things. that
has any intelligence, three things
First, a willing mind. 1t is &C
cepted~ according to what a man
hath, and not according to what he
hath not. If We be willing ard
Obedient We shall eat the fruit o.
the land. You must, if you want
the blessing of God to- come into
your heart, you must be willing to
forsake every known sin. That
means that you shouldn't hold onto
any one you do know
Although God is infinite. God de-
creed the freedom of the human
will and he stops right there. He
will not compel you to forsake your
sins against your will, and if God
could and would compel men and
women TO forsake their sins
against their will, there wouldn't
be a sinner on earth.
And a lot of people are just
sneaks. They want the best of
everything under heaven but they
don't want to come across and help
to bear their share of it. That's
true of the church, in business. in
politics. and true in government.
So you've got to adopt the principle
that as you get light you will fol-
low that but so far as you know
and understand you will forsake
every known sin now, and later On
if you get more light that will show
you something there that you ought
to forsake, then you will do that;
but SO far as you know you are
ready and willing now to turn back
on every known sin.
Desire TO Know.
Second. a desire to know the
truth in order that you might obey
the truth In the day of judgment
God will show you that you had an
intelligence to know what to do
but you wouldn't do it and you will
be condemned for that fact. l be
lieve one of the most cursed ambi
tions that stirs a human heart is a
selfish desire for knowledge, just
simply that you may blow and
boast that you know something
more than someone else. But a
deslreNto know more that by know
ing you might do and in order that
by knowing and doing you might
become Christ-like, that is great.
l love to see a man or woman
that wants to know more that they
might do; and in order that by
knowing or doing you can become
a noble or Christian man. But l
despise the fellow who wants to
know and then won't do.
Third: An honest, open, pubic,
confession with your lips and your
life that so far as you know and
understand you will do Gods will
and follow and serve Him. God will
never give you any more light I'M
til you use what you have. You
use that up and God will give you
more. l might get up in front If
this building and find fellow with
a lantern. NO, sir l am not going
to move a step until this lantern
lights me to my home"
A lot of you fellers are afraid
to do Gods will because you know
it will make you decent and you
don't want to be decent. In order
to understand God you'd need to
know all mystery and all proph-
esy and all history and you'd have
to explore with your mind all time
and space. In other words, you'd