Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-02-17
seTHE CHILE, LIFE'' in CHRIST.
A LECTURE-RooM TALK BY REV HENRY
WARD BEECHER.

1t would be very bad result of any |
presentation of christian truth if it were
such as to encourage men who are living
selfshly, given up to worldly aims and a |
worldly spirit, to think they are chris
tians. | must enter 'caveat," as |
ought to have done often when speaking
encouraging words about the christian
life, lest it be throwing out line of pro-
lection and safety around men who are
living not vicious and immoral lives, but
who are living without God, without a
christian hope, caring nothing for it
They are living in sinful way, laying
up stores of suffering and remorse which
sin entails; and until they turn away
from such life there is no help.
Physicians make laws of dietetics to
encourage men, but they would not make
the same laws for men who violate the |
rules of health by gluttonous eating and
drinking. who have no right notions of
living of any kind. If that is your style
of life, you'll be shaken down for your
transgressions you go against the laws
of life and all good First or last, the
law will overtakc you You cannot re-
ceive Gods blessing till you do differ
emily.
But many there are who look wistful-
ly over into the christian life, wishing
they were christians, hoping they will
be. Having a profound reverence for
religious things, transient emotions Of
reverence to God, transient efforts of up
lift to God which they count for nothing,
they betake themselves to prayer and to
Gods word, and hope by and by to come
into the light of christian experience.
All such who are in doubt and twilight,
in half-suppressed anxiety, whose wish
for good has not yet taken a stronghold
if one of them can repeat the Lord S
prayer, he may call himself christian
q very poor one it may be. There al
ways will be poor christians. Our Lord
says, "After this manner, therefore, pray
ye." Luke says on one occasion, the
disciples came and SAID, "Lord, teach us
to pray, as John also taught his disci-
ples.'' Matthew and Luke Represents
the same thing in the Lords prayer
Early in the morning our Lord descended
to the crowd, and delivered the sermon
on the mount Then he went up further
on the mountain, away from the dense
crowd he left the surging mass below
and the more hungry and persisten
formed new audience and he laugh
them in an interlocutory manner, inter
rupted by the question, "Why do yol
not teach us as John did +? He said
"Our Father, hallowed be thy name p
We have the keynote in this opening
prayer How are we to look on Go,
when we pray? As an offended magis
trate set to maintain the laws of the uni
verse ? An abstract being, personatin
abstractly justice, purity, and truth ?
If we do we go away from the teachin
of scripture. In the Old Testament the
attempt to bring around God concret
ideas, making him near as possible
They addressed him as "Lord God G
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" They con
nected God with history, with patriot
feeling. He was a family God; an
this idea was most inspiring to Jew.
AS if should pray, lord God {
George Washington, be pleased to dra,
nearl' AS if a man in Connecticr
should pray, "Iord God of the father
of New England !'' Thou God of tn
Puritansp' or Lord God of Boston
Yet this is Hebraistic the very thin
they did.
When Christ teaches us to pray, do,
he tell US to say, 80 thou omniscien
omnipotent Deity?' Can there be an
abstraction colder, more shadowy tina
that?
No; Christ says, draw near and sa,
"Our Father" Earthly fathers al
sometimes very erratic, severe, harsh
others are good in part, yet the be
have their faults; but all that we kno
of good father, the name is to be er
ployed in that line-a good Father; tn
is the keynote, the anthem, the syr
phony goes far beyond Sour Fathe
who art in heaven" The more absolu
and perfect fatherhood lies in the hea
emily realm. If you are Gods child, y,
can say, "Our Father in heaven" Y,
will get what is beyond but this is Il
beginning of the faith. The next ST
is "hallowed be thy name" The il
pulse of love is to desire, to have VIII
it loves admired by everybody else.
The son brings home his new-ma
bride, and introduces her to his brothe
and sisters. Is there anything to
compared to his delight when they sa
"You have done well you are right, y
are right my son?' and the motht
who has said little, but thought muc
says, 81 am satisfied; she is fit wi
for my son." "Hallowed be thy name
May thy name be revered. We a
proud of our Father. We want his mar
to be honOred everywhere. ..Thy kin
dom come, Thy will be DONE Tn
will hrino ,,oooo 20 - IL l. N