The Washington herald., 1921-11-12
WILLIAM ]. BRYAN
,INTERPRETS BIBLE
FOR CHURCHCOERS
Famous Orator Tells Own
Lessons From Scrip
lures for Readers.

C0nttnHed fr0W Foge Hfoe.
"No argument Is necessary. i
believe. everything that you say
or can say on this subject
would be glad to make a profess
sion OF my faith but for one rea-
son. / tell you frankly that the
only thing that keeps me from
joining the, church with my vile
is the fact that I cannot run this
j hotel without i<1oon and ! am
not willing to give It up. Neither
am ! willing to join church
while the saloon fs a pfrt OF my
business" This mani candidiy
gave tie rea son why he waited
Tor "a. convenient season. He
was still waiting when death
called him
Exeuses That Seem Sound.
An entirely different case 10
presented by q man who was In
the habit of saying that he
would consider the Bible when
ever he -aaeid ind out where
Cain got his wife. It developed
that he had two wives and that
his real dificulty, was to keep
seach from knowing about the
other.
But there are many who put
OF the question of their souls
salvation for reasons that seem
TO them sound. Moody, the
great evangelist exposed many
of these reasons in a sermon
which he was in the habit of
delivering from the text. "And
they all began with one consent
to. make excuse"
Mr.. Moody took up these ex.
cuses and showed how fiimsy
they were. The first had bought
a piece OF ground and must
needs go to see it." ! can see the
great preacher now as he in
quired why such haste TO ex-
anime IL after he had bought It?
He asked, the same question in
regard to the man who had
bought oxen and must go and
prove them.
No Sacrifice Of Real Pleasure.
The excuse that l have most
frequently heard given. by the
young is based upon the idea
that Christianity calls for sur
renders that the party is not
willing to make. II am having
too good a time now. wait till
{ am older"
The best answer to this ex-
cuse-and II is an answer that
needs to be brought TO the spe-
eial attention OF the young-is
that the Christian life does not
require the giving up of any
real and permanent pleasure.
On the contrary. Christ came, as
Paul tells us, ito bring life and
Immortality to light"
The word life" comes before
Immortality" The Saviour Him.
self declares that He came that
life might be more abundant. His
blool saves from sin and His ex-
ample enables the Christian to
draw continuing pleasure from
the body by putting IL under con-
troll. Just as Christ enables us to
make better use of the mind by
making 1t the servant. OF the
spirit. ? - - - .7ss :
The danger OF postponIng
decision to a more convenient
season Is made apparent by the
statistics which show that a
large percentage of those who
enter the church enter In youth
before sin and selfishness become
established.
What Can Compare with Thisf
But the more important
thought for every one of us in
today's text Is presented by
p PauPs recipe for peace. His de-
sire was to have "a conscience
void of offense toward God. and
toward men,
What Is there that can COM
pare with this? Paul puts into a
few words the whole of the
Christians duty. He presents
the essence of the two command
ments. love of God and love Of
neighbor. into which Christ con-
densed the ten brought down
from Sinai
Some have thought that II they
ouid only get money they would
~ be happy and find peace. but most
of those who have set the heart
on money have failed to secure
as much money as they had
hoped for. But what of those
who have succeeded All have
had much the same experience.
They~spent the first half of their
lives trying to get money from
others and the second half trying
to keep others from getting their
money, and they do not find peace
in either half.
No Peace With Uneasy
Conscience.
And so with every other plan
that man has devised. There can
be no peace while the soul is es-
tranged from the Heavenly
Father. and when once man is
brought into tune with the In
finite he cannot be at peace un-
less HIS conscience is void of
offense toward man also.
The lesson of today's talk may
be summed up in two sentences:
Do not postpone the day of deci-
Sion. And take my yoke upon
you and learn of me for 1 am
meek and lowly of heart and we
shall find rest unto your souls"
(copyrisht. 1911
NK