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 who forsakes  or  neglects  his  religion — practically says: "  Away  with  God!  I  will  none  of  Him!  I  am independent  even  of  Him — absolutely  self-sufficient." The foundling  renounces  his  generous  benefactor; the  son  disowns  the  most  loving  of  fathers! In some  this  rebellious  spirit  takes  the  form  of  contempt for  everything  sacred;  in  others,  it  is  the  bitter opposition to  some  particular  creed;  in  the  majority, it is  downright  indifference. And though  the  cases of the  scoffer  and  the  religious  fanatic  are,  God knows, deplorable  enough,  still,  there  is  in  them  an activity,  an  interest — a  partial  belief,  if  you  will — which may,  God  willing,  lead  to  something  better. But the  case  of  the  indifferent  is  the  most  hopeless of all. He is  neither  hot  nor  cold,  and,  therefore,  disgusting to  God. " I  would,"  says  the  Holy  Spirit, speaking to  the  indifferent,  "  I  would  thou  wert  cold or  hot;  but  because  thou  art  lukewarm  and  neither cold  nor  hot  I  will  begin  to  vomit  thee  out  of  My mouth."

Brethren, the  causes  of  irreligion  are,  it  seems  to me,  threefold. First of  all  is  "ignorant  pride;" sometimes a  little  pride  and  great  ignorance;  sometimes less  ignorance  and  greater  pride;  but  invariably "ignorant  pride." How many  men  there  are, not knowing  even  how  to  read  or  write,  who  will sneer at  those  eternal  truths  of  religion,  in  the  presence of  which  the  world's  greatest  minds  have bowed in  humble  assent! How many  men  there  are with a  stock  of  learning,  little  enough  to  be  dangerous, but  large  enough  to  fill  them  with  infinite  con-