Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-06-28

the attainment of the same end, and
that the bringing Of the world to rec
ognize its Lord.
We may work by different methods;
we may differ upon doctrinal points,
and it is but proper as it is but natural
we should do so. [ am not prepared
to say that it is not absolutely neeessa-
ry that UNCONVENTIONAL titles should be
in order to draw into the Kingdom of
God the various varieties of his child
rem, if [ may be allowed to so express
the thought. Men must frequently be
approached through the intellect.
You eannot always get hold of a man
by grasping him by his inner self, and
the culture of the heart not infrequent-
II must come through the cultivation
of the intellect, by the exercise of the
reasoning faculties. Some of the
grandest Christians the world has ever
known have been won to God by touch
ing first the mind--theD the heart
the soul, found it easy to surrender.
No, let us not wipe out denomina-
tional names, but let the Church of
God--of the living Christ embrace all,
and let each be subordinate, as it were,
to the one universal church of love,
founded upon the Infinite Love which
shall draw US closer and closer till we
shall finally blend as do rich harmon
les, making grandest melody.
The different denominations of
Christians have been compared with
wonderful similtude to the rivers of a
continent. [ like the smile. As we
glance over the map we find an hundred
streams, some comparatively small,
others of mighty volume. but all sweep
ing onward toward the great sea, where
the waters mingle and lose their iHdi-
viduality in an eternity of food. In
the great ocean we find no traces of
the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Am
azon, the Orinoco, the Hudson, tho
Ohio, but we do find the great waters
just so with the churches, they are so
many streams bearing precious freight
towards eternity, and when we all get
home we shall find instead of denomi-
national bodies of Christians, only one
grand body, not inactive, yet all for
ever at rest In the haven of God s
boundless love, and, as the rivers car
ry precious freight into the great sea,
SO do the different churches bear pre-
cious souls to heaven, and some per-
chance might never reach that haven
of rest were there here on earth but
one place of embarkment, where souls
may launch away.
care not how many churches may
rejoice in God, and praise and worship
him in way different from my way,
if only there be nothing of strife-if
there be only love-such love as will
draw the world and help it in its selfish
bondage to hear the voice of its
Christ calling it as Christ called Mary.
We, as christians have duty to per-
form. Every day we should feel more
deeply the responsibilities resting upon
us. The world is always critic, but
it is not always an unjust critic:
though at times it may be terribly
severe. Our mission is to lead-to lead
by force of precept and example, not
to drive the world to Christ, and only
through our lives as individual Chris
tans-as individual members of the
body of Christ can the voice of the
hedeemer be heard calling as it called
to Mary.
For two thousand years have angels
been walking adown the steps of the
centuries bearing the precious glad
tidings OF a mighty sacrifice for HUI
manity's sake, that love mis- ht come
into the hearts of men, and the great
awakenings all over the land only too
clearly reveal the blessed fact that
their mission is accomplishing its right
eous work. The world is becoming
better. Men are becoming less selfish
and the Kingdom of God is being es-
tablished. There is warmth where has
been only icy GOODNESS. Flowers arc
poisoning where have been only bar
ron heaths, and men powerful hitherto
in the sin of selfshness are yielding to
the power of truth, and icy hearts are
melting under the genial influence of
the Sun of righteousness.
Let us then as one branch of Gods Zion,
see to it that we present no barrier to
the advancement of Gods hosts. Let
the spirit of liberation prevail let US
labor and strive only for the better
things, always taking hold of the
Fathers hand and looking up into the
Fathers face, while We reach out to
grasp brothers hand, that we may
help even the least of Gods children
on to better and holier life. Then
shall We have the assurance of the
Divine love, and the day will not be
long delayed when the world shall
hear the voice of its sacrifcial Christ
calling as it called to Mary, and with
weeping for its sins calling in loving
recognition, Master" as Mary ans
wered "Master, and then the king
doms of the world shall become the
kingdoms of the long-waiting patient
Father. 0, that men might get a
true conception of the love of God, of
that boundless, unfathomable, infinite
love. Would that men could conceive
of divine Father who controls and
directs all things. "a Father who cir
cumvents his children in their cratic
wanderings, and makes all things
even their stumblings-work together
for their good, if they will but let
him.
| Would that men--that the world
might learn that there is blending of
| &C C IL