Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1915 — Taking Away the Stones [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Taking Away the Stones

By REV HOWARD W. POPE

Superintends*! <d Moody Bddo

TEXT—Take ye away the 11:0. There are many stones of ignorance, perplexity, and belief which one en-

counters in Christian work, and it often requires great skill to remove them. Occasionally we meet a person who . claims that there are so many conflicting opinions among Christians that he does not know what to believe. Remind him that the differences of opinion, as a rule, relate to minor matters,

such as the mode of baptism or the method of church government, and not to the vital question of salvation. While they may differ some as to forms of worship and methods of government, it is foolish for one to allow his attention to be diverted to these side issues, and lose Sight of the main question. Besides, it is an indication of mental laziness when one is not willing to search the Scriptures and form,an opinion of his own. God has given us the Bible which reveals his will, and a mind capable of understanding it (John 20:31). God’s will concerning the way of salvation is revealed so clearly that even a child can understand it What excuse have we then for deferring our duty? We have no right to hold this matter of repentance in suspense simply because there are some things in the Bible which we do not understand. There always will be things in the Bible which we do not understand, and if we wait until all things are understood by us we shall never be saved. If we will obey that part of God’s word we do understand, we will soon get light on some of the obscure things. I once met a man on the train who claimed to be a skeptic. He said there were so many different religions that he did not know what to believe. “One claims that we ought to worship Buddha and another Confucius. Some say that Mormonism is the true religion, and I suppose you would say that Jesus Christ was the only Saviour. In the midst of all these conflicting opinions, how is one to know what to believe?* I said to him, “My friend, did you ever embrace any one of those religions?’’ "No, sir." “You remember the fable about the horse which stood between two stacks of ha> He was about to take a bite fpom one when there came a smell of clover from the other so inviting that he hesitated; then he caught a whiff from the other which led him to turn again, and finally he starved to death between the two stacks, because he could not decide which to eat from. -» ,

“Now my friend, are you not making the same mistake which the horse made? Here you stand in the midst of all these religions starving your soul because you do not know which one to choose. Had you not better embrace some one of them, and do it quickly? If you think that Buddhism is the most promising become a Buddhist If you think Mormonism Is from God, become a Mormon. If you find salvation from sin in these religions continue in them, but if not, then aocept Christ as your Saviour, and I am sure you will salvation in him. He is the truth; seek no further. But by all means embrace some religion, and do it quickly for you are starving your soul for the lack of some one to worship and obey.** “I believe there is some truth in. What you say,” said the man, “but this is my station and I must leave you. lam glad we have had this conversation and I hope we shall meet again." Apparently the man was convinced of his mistake, and was becoming interested, but he was leaving the car and what could I do? I thought of the Uttie package ot leaflets which I usually carry, and selecting a couple I rushed out on the platform and gave them to him. One was the Christian life card, and the other was a leaflet written by Dr. J. W. Chickering of Washington, D. C. Before he died the author had the namde of over seventeen hundred people who had written him or told him personally that they attributed their conversions to this tract. Daniel Webster stated his position very clearly in a letter written to a friend: “I believe that God exists in three persons; this I learn from revelation alone. Nor is it any objection to this belief that I cannot comprehend how one can be three, or three one. I hold it my duty to believe, not what I can comprehend or account for, but what my maker teaches me. 1 believe religion to ba a matter not of demonstration, but ot faith-Godre-quires ustogive credit to the truths which Ito reveals, not because we can prove them, but because ha reveals th AWI ” •"T > .