Year: 1867

But we will suppose that in this cast
f the man is all right. And this being the
state of facts, his conscience leads him to q
further development of Christian life and
testimony ; and he goes into the church
And now, as member of the church, we
!, will suppose that he goes to prayer-meetine
for members of the church often do =
and that he speaks He is called to take
part in prayer, i'll conversation, in the va
rious exercises of the meeting. \ revival
comes on, and he is called upon to 90 out
and work for Christ's cause. And what
will inevitably be the case, but that the
very spot where he is weak will continually
be the spot where he will want to give in
struction and eXhortation? And he will
feel, - cannot say to young men, Avoid
dishonest courses, lest they should turn
round and say to me, Why do you not pay
your debts p" He cannot put in certain
strains Of prayer, for fear that every body
will be thinking, . Physician, heal thvself' -
AID hu viii 20 nampered IA L.. r,-.-.4i.l-
ness all the time \ shadow Of that de-
linquency, the thought that he has compro-
missed his debts at one half. and that vet
he is living in Il good house, and carrying
his children along in their education, and
making his family comfortable, will weigh
upon him, and he will feel as though peo-
pie were talking about him, and as though
they had right to, and he will not be very
happy about it. And the probability Is
that though technically he may be i'll the
way Of right, vet there will be stumbling
block, 4 difficulty, besetting his whole
Christian life, which will be the means OF
keeping him down.


Let Us now try the opposite course. Sup
pose man should gather his wife and
children about the firesidc, and should say
to them. = have called YOU together be
cause the burden Of the Lord is on my con-
science. | have been living a worldly
life; | must be 4 Christian, and | do not
feel that can follow Christ without taking
up my cross Now, are you ready to 90
down, III order that | may beara testimony
to the sincerity Of my love to God and
man? My dear, can you wear less, and
live IN less comely and less comfortable
quarters - She l. no woman, she is no
Christian woman, She Is not a true wife
nor mother, if She does not jump at the
chance and say, You are right, husband,
and | shall 90 wherever you 70


And suppose he says to his children,
= You will have to take up your part OF
the cross YOU viii have to work more than
you have done; YOU VIII find that your
companions surpass YOU in opportunities
and privileges; but my dear children, can
YOU submit to 50 much for the sake Of en-
abling me to acquit myself not only in the
sight Of God but in the sight Of men 80
Consider what an impression it viii make
.,l.-l -. !. J
mother sit in counsel with them on this
question. and to have the father eay 10 the
mother and to them, ;. Are You willing to
take this most practical and personal step
for the sake OF bearing a witness tor Christ
and religion" know Just how | should
have felt # my father had made such an
appeal to his family. | should have re-
ioiced at the opportunity Of complying with
u request OF that kind coming from HIM |
would willingly have eaten bread and water
for year, if | could only have had the
satisfaction of knowing that | was aiding
in some moral work.


Well, the man. after he has broachel the
matter to hi, wife and children, and re-
ceived assurance Of their sympathy AMI
support. goes to his creditors He enters
the office Of one OF them. and says = am
going to JOIN the church" Ah." says
the creditor, | am glad to hear it, And
came to say to YOU, SIR" The cred
itor is not a Christian and Supposing that
the man j. seeking light on spiritual topics.
he SAYS, You had better 20 to Your MIN
stcr | do not feel that am in a situa-
tion to give YOU any advice in this matter. "
= \ on do not understand me, sir says the
man. Il came to say that | feel that |
ought to live Christian life, and that |
ought to profess Christ and | cannot feel
satisfied without doing my duty. I made
!; settlement with YOU and such and such
gentlemen, with which | do not feel salts
fed, and | would Ike to see you all to-
eether aud if you would ask them to meet
me | would esteem ii favor" - Ger
tainly, certainly" is the reply; " | will
bring them right in" When a proposition
comes from a debtor to meet hi, creditors,
they respond very quickly, and in half an
hour they are all III. The man Is very
modest. and he says to them. "Gentlemen,
wanted to see You and say to you, that |
am about to Join the church, and that al
though | supposed the arrangement which
we entered into six years ago was equita-
:
feel that | ought to do something about it,
, and have determined to give up my house
and all that have TO pay the balance OF
that debt Then | shall feel that | can
enter upon Christian life" These men
look at each other with surprise. They do
not know much about the different religious
schools they do not know the difference
between Arminiansm and Calvinsm but
here is Il man that is going to join the
church. part of whose creed is to pay his
debts. He processes to love Christ and to
want to follow him, and here is the first
. fruit of his religion. And when the man
goes out, they rub their hands and say,
"If that is religion, we had better look
out?" And they talk it over. And one
. of them when he goes home at night says
to his wife, One of the strangest things
happened to-day that [ ever knew" q What
. was it," You know Mr. Acron Five
or six wears ago he was owing several OF us
and became hard pressed, and paid us halt
the amount, and we released him. To-day
he came to us and said that he was going
to Join the church, and that he was going
to sell his house, and lot and furniture, and
pay us off, Another man goes home and
tells it; and another, and another And
what is the result? Why among this
: mans creditors there is another man that
has been fixing some little debts up. He
has been i'll the very same condition. And
it worries his conscience. And he says
q IF Mr. Acron feels that he ought to settle
= his affairs so, | do not know why | ought
: not to settle mine So