Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-20
The Secret of Failure Is
With Ourselves; Not God


I Let me ask you another ques-
ton. Is the Chritian life as pic
tured in the bible too high for hu-
man attainment? Oh, no, Did God
tell you to do something that He
knew you could never achieve
Don't you have the audacity to say
that is true. That is a lie!
God did not put the Christ life
too high for human attainment.
When God commands all men to
repent, God knows all men can re-
pent, or God would not command
them to do it. Gods promises are
never meant to be unfulflled. Is
God trifing with His people? No:
Is the Christ life an ideal to-
ward which you must always long
and approximate but never realize :
Must it be something that I'd like
to possess, but it is too high for
me to reach? No! Is it something
that I would like to own. that
have not the ability to own? MOI
But the explanation is in the
text. Let me read it again, Your
iriquities have turned away these
things, and your sins have with
holden good things from you"
Failure Not with God.
Failure with ourselves, not with
God. Then that means self-exam-
nation to find out why you have
failed. Isn't that right? Certainly.
Let me ask you another Ques-
ton. What is there in your life
that hinders the blessing from com
4 FE
come to you, it is kept away from
somebody else. You can't go
through this world an insulated
and isolated being; you will either
damn it or you will bless it, &C
cordingly as you are a reprObate
or Christian. A fellow who wants
to live to crafty his desires is a
black-hearted adder; if he is liv-
ing for his own ambition, he is an
adder. He can't do that
Is there some iniquity or acct
dent or habit in your life. some
secret, some thought, some impure
longings, some book? l will not
read a book that will sheer and
mock at religion and God Almighty.
l won't have it on my shelves.
And we ought to go through our
homes and have a religious revival
in literature.
If some of you people would go
through your homes and yank out
the books on your library shelves
that have no business there, and
burn them, like they did in Epe-
sus in the days of Paul. some of
you would not have enough paper
left in your house to bang your
old hair or wad a shotgun.
Something in your family life.
Isn't that it? Over-indulgenCe?
What is the trouble? Do you
keep booze in your home? Go
home this afternoon. throw it in
the sewer and telephone the beer
wagon that they needn't leave any
more beer.
What is the trouble? Is it self
ishness, intemperance, faultfnding
with the preacher because ,he skins
you and tells you where you're
wrong? You admire the skill of
physician who comes and tells you
what's the matter with you, and
no matter how bitter and nausea
ting his medicine is, you will take
it and it will taste like ice cream
soda. if it will only help you; but
when the preacher tells you you
are wrong. why don't you thank
God that he had the courage to do
it?
Something in your social life? Is
that it? You can't make a success
by serving God and tripping
around with the gang that some of
you go with.
Envy a Trouble.
Is it envy, evil-speaking,. lying?
Oh, it takes a big man or woman
to see other people succeed and
not raise a howl about it. Envy is
one of the greatest robbers in the
world. If you can't afford an au-
tomobile, you can ride on the
Fifth avenue bus for 10 cents, and
if you can't afford Pierce-Arrow,
get a ''Tin Lizzie"
Now, what is the trouble? If
YOU don't like the smell of gaso-
line. don't knock the fellow who
can afford it: take your trolley
ride for a nickel. Don't growl,
don't growll
If some woman can afford to
wear silk and you can't, what is
the use of knocking her and say
ing "She's no good?'
Poppycock-such darn spirit you
have got around this country
foolish.
If you can't live on the avenue,
be content to where you can live.
can't afford to live there, but 1 am
having a good time. 1 am not sore
at the fellow that's got money
enough to live there. The Lord
bless him.
I'd rather hunt nv own game