Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-11-22

OF this there are many eXamples.-
Adam, In the beginning, committed q
sin which has been atoned for only by
the suffering Of his entire race. And
when Nathen fell repentant at the
PrODhet's feet he was told his tears
had wiped out his sins, but that he
must receive that punishment from
which there was no escape.
THE WAGES OF SIN is DEATH"
Coo has given us plenty Of oppor-
tunity to atone for sin how many of
US neglect these and strive to reach
heaven on the easy road of luxury
The Church enjnins US to do penance
by prayer and self denial. In that
other world there IL a place where
dwell the souls Of tho le whose sins are
unatoned and under the oldest laws,
as in ihe Book Of Maecabees, sacTi-
fees were offered for the souls Of the
departed; and in one instance 10000
/ pieces Of silver were given for the re.
pose of the souls Of departed soldiers.
| The doctrine of the Church on this
point of "PurgatOryn is conscise: It
| requires US TO believe that there is
such a place. and we must have faith
! that our prayers will be efficaeious in
| behalf of our friends there. In this
world, when the Young heart commits
sin it is appalled,, at the sight of its
own first self-convictiOn. So it is with
the soul when first emerging from
this mortal body. 1t becomes over
whelmed with the terrible spectacle
| of its sins and with the thought that
it may be denied the privilege of be-
holding a-
THE GLoRIEs OF OUR GOD,
who contains all that is beautiful and
grand and good in the universe. This
privation is the greatest punishment
Of the damned, and this enjoyment !
composes the chief happiness of the |
saints in heaven. We all know the /
sad suffering of weary and deferred |
hopes i'm this world; and so it is with |
the souls of those in purgatory. The |
Church feels that they are great. |
During this month she puts on bright 4
vestments in honor of the saints who |
have earned their reward. and the /
next day she is clad in mourning for /
those in purgatoTy whose souls are
in purgatory unatOned. In requiem
masses we ask Christ to snatch them
from the lions mouth, and that the
Angel Michael may be permitted to
lead them to the presence OF Gods
glory. Three times day the Church /
prays that her faithful departed chill
dren may rest in peace. st. Thomas
teaches us that ithe combined suffer-
ings of this world are not comparable
with those Of purgatOry.n We should 1
take more account Of our smaller sins, /
and. above all should practise perance
and modification. Thesaints, mind L
full of the sufferings of purgatory,
tasted and practised austerities ST.
John clothed himself in camel's hair
and fed upon wild honey. These
should teach US to pray for L
THE SOULS OF OUR DEPARTED
FRIENDS, .... +,
as at some time in the future we may
be as they are noW--eraving the pray
efs of those they left behind. Look
back; have you not lost dear friend
in the past? and, perhaps, to-day
they are crying, in the words Of the
prophet, . Have pity on me, for the /;
hand of the Lord hath touched me!p Il
Church Of the MeEsiah.-A Ministry 70 tie Masses
Needed.
Mr.. Hepworth's text was taken
from Ephesians iv. D." One Lord,
one faith, one baptism" He said 4
even in the early times, when these
words were uttered, there were vigor- {
GUS and raneorous differences among /
the converts to Christianity. One j
would think that persons who read
the New Testament for the sake of
the spiritual revelations IL contains
would hardly be able to find material |
for fierce controversy. The object Of {
the book is so evidently to draw all {
men into spiritual unity, to allay all {
personal animosity-in word, to {
the world-that we Justine G
lively speak OF bitter arguments as !
Still, the truth is that c
men are naturally pugnacious, in :
as well as physically, I
aud when one man has formed e
decided opinion he has no patience e
whatever with another who does not g
see and think as he does. st. Paul, r
speaking to US, / take it, as well as to s
the schismatic Ephesians, bids us
forget our chickering's aud our contro- =
heaTfburnings in the glorious !
fact that after all we who Christians /!
have one Lord, ole faith, and one
baptism. ......-.-..- ..-
want to talk to you very earnestly
this morning about my idea of the
true Church and the true faith. :
When look abroad upon the more I
than million of people who live under
the roofs of New York, ndremember =
The fact that only from quarter to q
.hird of the whole population ever at =
.end the sacred services Ofthe church, :
am forced to believe two things--tirs =
hat there is something the ematterwith :
.he people, and, second that there is :
the matter with the :
Church. Now, let me say, the large =
number that never darken the doors y
1f the church is not made up exclu-
,ively of the poor and ignorant. We =
are too apt TO lay this flattering unc- =
lion to our souls, and say, "Well. in q
all large communities there will be
,Ocial dregs, both men and women, !
who are utterly careless, if they are :
not wholly ignorant, of religious !
things" Now, after have subtract
Ell from this two-thirds of a million
who are not connected with any re-
Iigious establishment that large num- !.
ber-I know not how large it may be :
who, because of their depraved or =
poverty stricken life, keep Sunday as = =
they keep every other day, there still :
several hundreds of thou =
sands who care nothing for the sane
-uary and who never receive any 3
benefit from it. These are composed '
IN small part Of professed sceptics and :
Of members of the wealthy class, who .
are too eager in the pursuit of pleasure
aud gain to care for anything less o
exciting and, let me say it boldly, n
n large part OF the middle class Of il
Ioeiety, think the best elass-small f
young men, clerks and q
men of moderate means, who have be- a
come Indifferent because the Church a
tself is uninteresting and inactive S
Ind exorbitantly expensive. We have T.
churches in plentiful number, per- 81
laps, for the poorest portion of our \
God bless the rare devo- il
ion of every Que of them. We have o.
)ethels for our seamen, and mission 81
which carry comfort and a.
70 many poor heart that IL
8 clothed in rags-yes, and the other e.
.xtreme of society is well cared for u
.lso. What magnificent buildings ri
We have for the wealthy! This very "
.hureh In which am preaching Is eS
me them. They occupy expensive N
orner lots they are built Of granite e'
II freestOne : they are painted with st
- I