Year: 1879

you a family where all these elements


exist and yield their measure of com


fort, but where the Bible is not believed


and this religion is not prOiessed, where


there are no pretentiOns made toward


its attainment"


Where, | ask in return, did that family


obtain the directions they followed


when they built themselves up into


such a pleasant and profitable condi-


ton? Did they learn il ak from un-


guided nature, or did they not
profit by the teachings, indirect
it NAV be, OF that much
. deSpised book called the Bible? No. II


you would present a fair example OF a


family in perfect domestic happiness,
| YOU must take your example, not from
/ among those who have all their lives
! been under the influence of Christian


surroundings, but from the dark places
I of heathendOm, where the benign in
/ tluenCes OF the Gospel have not reached.
/ Until that is done, your example must
\ be accepted only as an illustration OF the
indirect power OF Evangelical religion.
\ Take everything from your family eX-
/ ample that has been derived, directly or
indirectly, from religion, and you will
/ place them in a condition hardly re-
/ move above the heathen,


But it is true there are families that
seem % be happy who certainly hay no
claims TO personal religion. They have
/ the worldly benefits of il, but deny its
/ power, and refuse the service of God.
I They have natural affection, and regard
/ each others rights, and are sober and
| industrious and well doing in worldly
sense, without personal religion. But
. this kind of prosperity only answers in
the sunlight and calm. When darkness
and storm comes, they are sadly at q
loss.


Let me illustrate by familiar figure
taken from the facts of every day life.
| enter a house, everything indicates
wealth and refinement, affection is
warm, thrift is evident, education and
discipline are not negected. They seem
To be a happy family, but there is sick
ness i'm that house. One after another
is prOStrated. Life imperiled and all are
in trouble. We must search out the
causes OF this sickness. The location
seems perfect. Everything seems to be
pure and clean and wisely arranged.
But look here. This is a finely polished
marble bJsin. Here is pure fresh
water From that white marble, a pipe
leads away down, down, down to the
filthy sewer, where disease is born. Up
that pipe, into that polished basin,
through that finely furnished house,
fever has crept abroad. Had that pipe
been of FURNISHED gold, it would have
made no difference. There is direct
communication between that house and
the filthy iever-breeding sewer.


So i'm every house without religion.
The connection is direct with the hot
bed of sin, and there sooner or later
some will be prOstratcd with the mala-
dy of sin. Stop that pipe. Cut the con-
ueCtiOn with that sewer, OF bear the re-
suits This is the difference between
the family with and without religion.


Again let us look at the claims OF re.
ligiou rs they bear on the welfare Of So
ciety.


What We call society, is that condi-
ton, one step larger than the family,
that is made up of families and OF indi-
yiduals The family is made up OF SIN
gle Personst-but society is made upot
various families.


We are SO constituted that our COM
tort and well being depend but little
less on our social than on our domestic
relations. With a badly constituted
condition OF society there can be neither
comfort nor prosperity.


Our business interest, our GOOD name,
our safety and the safety OF our prop
erty, our enjoyment OF pleasant and
profitable intercourse with our fellow
beings, and the enjoyment of our reli-
si0us rights and privileges are all more
or less directly involved in our social re-
latiOns.


Now look at the elements that are
necessary 20 good society and you Will
see that they are every one involved in,
and necessary TO the religion on whose
claims We are insisting.


Honesty is necessary to good society;
and honesty is an essential part OF this
religion. Without il there Is no business
security or business prosperity.


And where, among any people who
have nothing OF the truth of this re-
liyion. can you find examples Of such
honesty as is necessary 10 good society?
Among our aboriginal Indians, do you
say? Their honesty was only OF that
kind that extended 10 those for whom
they were compelled to provide, and Is
a myth created in the imaglnatlOns Of
the readers of FennimOre Cooper and
kindred writer's. That honesty that
will bear the test Of close examination
atd Of universal appGCation-that hon
rsty that Is exercised because II is right
before God and man, and not merely
because it is the best policy, boldly
aver, is not found to any GldrH'ing ex-
tent outside the influence OF our holy
RELIGION.


Unhappily there is not an Oversupply
oi-tfat valuable commodity even when
the Influences of religion are supposed
no pfrdumiuatc, much less when thoydo
not.


Is drunkenness an injury 10 Society?
And is-it not more sternly cOntended
against bv the holieSt spirit of this re-
ligiuu than 10y any other power?


Is chastity necessary? And who
needs 20 be told that il is required in
the seventh prccept OF the Decalogue?
And Is not truth required in the ninth?
Works Of charity and benevOlence are
necessary tO the well-being of society.
There will always be some who become
sufferers. Some may be helpless from
hrth; others may bring suffering on
themselves. IL makes no matter how
poverty and helplessness are brought
about, the fact that they exist cannot
be called in question. Aud here We
have marked difference between the
influence Of religion on society and that
of any other system or theory. The
world. without practical religion, makes
no provision for the destitute and help
| less. The rule has always been TO de-
strov the helpless. The blind or lame
or helpless could be got rid OF more
easily by the knife OF rope or by simple
I desertion than in any other way. Even
woman was and still is a mere drudge
and slave 20 passion, without the rights
and the dignity of womanhOOd, where
ever this religion has not reached.
Where. outside of its influence, will YOU