nt not
many years ago, "When I think of the Christian's God and the
Christian's Bible, I am glad I am not a Christian. I had rather be the
humblest German peasant that ever lived, sitting in his cottage, vine
clad, from which the grapes hang, made purple by the kiss of the sun as
the day dies out of the sky, shod with wooden shoes, clad in homespun,
at peace with the world, his family about him, with never a thought of
God--I say the truth I had rather be such a peasant than any Christian
that I have ever known." And when he said it the people cheered him.
It was, however, but the trick of an orator. Let us change the
sentences and give a new ring to the thought. "When I think of what
infidelity would do I am glad I am not an infidel; how it would rob me
of the hope of seeing my mother and meeting again my child; how it
would take me in despair to the grave and send me away with a broken
heart--I say I am glad I am not an infidel. I had rather be the
humblest German peasant that ever lived, sitting in his cottage, vine
clad, from which the grapes hang, made purple by the kiss of the sun as
the day dies out of the sky, clad in homespun, shod with wooden shoes,
at peace with the world and at peace with God, his family Bible upon
his knees, the look of ineffable joy in his face and singing that grand
old hymn of Luther's, 'A mighty fortress is our God'--I had rather be
such a German peasant than to be the mightiest infidel the world has
ever known," and so I would, a thousand thousand times. God pity you
if you allow yourself to put Christ out of your life and stand in the
midst of the rising floods with no hope in him! How wilt thou do in
the swelling of Jordan?

III

Some are in the cave of morality. It seems a strange thing to have a
word to say against it, only when we remember that he that offends in
one point is guilty of all, and when we remember God's word as he has
declared, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the things
written in the Book of the law to do them."

Then the question for the moralist is this, "Have you ever offended in
one point?"

A splendid steamer was launched on Lake Champlain. She made her way
safely across the lake and started back, when a storm came upon her,
the engines were disabled and she drifted to the rocks. "Out with the
anchor," said the captain, and the command was obeyed, but still she
drifted, and although the anchor was down she crashed against the ro