The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1921-02-04
Declares Evangelist Clarke
In His Sermon Wednes-
day Evening
SUGGESTS STORY
OF TEN VIRGINS
Choosing Sides Subject Of
Sermon Announced For
This Evening
(By Rev. j. A. Lona)

every part of the services at the
Church OF Christ Wednesday evening.
A large audience early began to as
semble and had filled the auditorium
when the inspiring song service be-
gan. The audience sang unusually
well. BY special request the evangel-
lists repeated the duet "The Old Rug
ged Cross" and Miss White sang a
beautiful special solo. The question
box Is being largely used and Mr..
Clarke's scholarly handling of the
questions is subject of much favor.
able comment
The evangelist's subject last night
was Religious Parasites" and read
for his text Matt. 25.S and began his
sermon by calling attention to the
| suggestions of the story of the ten
| virgins. First, he said, all of these vir-
gins looked much alike, dressed alike,
| carried the same kind of lamps and
all were invited to the wedding. There
was no difference to be noted until
the bridegroom came. But, said the
preacher, you cannot always decide
on the outward appearance. In reli.
gion you must look at the heart as in
the parable Of the wheat and the
tares. .
Second, there was no specified hour
for the bridegroom's arrival. But he
came when 1t was most difficult to
make preparation so We shall find it
best to be always ready. The Master
said he would come in an hour when
we thought npt; In the third place,
said the evaaiEelist,- we are reminded
that. those who are prepared for the
future must not neglect the present.
The wise virgins had oil for present
use and future emergencies. Even
our future years on this earth depend
largely on the way we prepare for
them. Abraham Lincoln. and James
A. Garfield didn't just happen to be
fitted for thespresidency of the Unit
ed States when the call came. Mr..
Hoover doesn't. Just happen to OCCUPY
his place in the world of service to-
day. 1t is an old familiar lesson that
cannot be too often taught that the
only way to die the death Of the righ-
teous is to live the life of righteous.
ness. Sick bed repentance is usu.
ally broken stick, for ninety-nine
out Of one hundred where the patient
! RECEIVERS he goes back into the world.
There is only one case of last hour re.
pentance in the New Testament and
he had never had an earlier opportun.
ity. ra
/ Then Mr.. Clarke, emphasized the
fact that the outstanding thought of
the parable was the futility of trying
to borrow religion-a very common
practice however. as revealed by min
isterial experience. Many try to bor-
row from their relatives. The young
man from his Christian mother, the
husband from his wife, etc. The
preacher declared Patrick Henry was
right when he closed his will with
| the words, II have now disposed of
all my property to my family. There
is one more thing wish l could give
them, and that Is the Christian relig-
ion. II they had that and had not
given them one shilling they would be
rich; and if they hadn't that and ]
had given them all the world they
would still be poor"
Further, he said, many try to bor-
row from their past experiences, but
in other things we don't depend on
what we had in the past. A good din
ner yesterday won't help us much to
appease hunger today. He told his
hearers that only those who are faith
full unto death shall receive the crown
Of life. In the third place, some try
to borrow from forms and ceremon.
les, and these are all right in their
proper place. In the Lords supper
we must discern the Lords body and
in baptism we must find the answer
Of a good conscience toward God OF
they are useless. The heart must
be right.
Inclusion the evangelist pointed
out that some try to boost themselves
by reducing the standards of Cod
, borrow religion from a mistaken idea
of the Divine. It is sometimes said
God is too merciful to condemn any
one. forgetting that God must also be
holy and just upholding the perfect
standards of the moral universe. God
does not condemn anyone. he simply
, passes sentence when the individual