The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-28

4
on smile with something Ike horror rose in
his place, and, with perpiexed air. said :--.srho
list seems TO me to DO imperfect would Ike 10 ask
the brother II no Is sure tina: Eo has embraced all the
| widows and orphans in this neighborhoodi" He felt
extremely hurt At thc ripple lha: went over tho
gregaton and did the joke until Il had been
| explained to him three times
Some one who has picnty OF leisure has counted the
letters Of tho Bible and says strangely enough that in
the sxty-sx books OF which the volume Is
posed there are 4S0 letters the receipt OF this
valuable Information looked the Bblc over very
carefully, and could lind In the entire book. emily
twentysix letters which, OF course. those Of the
English alphabet Although the Bible Ia intended to
prepare US for eternity yet the word eersity occurs
only four times The longest verse is the min
OF the eighth chapter Of Esther, and the shortest Is
John, Il, 49, The centre Is Psalms, cxvi, 8.
Those facts are important TO the curiosity mongcr but
are OF no further value He reads the Bible 70 worry
little purpose who learns only such shings.
Our Puritan fathers thought great deal Of excm-
pore prayer, but is great satisfaction sometimes 10
know. when stranger is praying that tho words are
printed and that they will be decorous and proper
When one Is unused 10 praying in public he IL apt TO
get bewildered and say more than no means We
heard OF good man, who at little service after the
crops were in was called to give thanks He
said 1--WE thank Thee for Thy great bounty and tor
the full harvest OF wheat which have been enabled
to gather in all through this district with the excep
ton OF farmer Mills little threccornered patch down
In the hollow not worth mentioning"
Sunday religion is very well. provided You can anord
to have religion only once week. Still, religion
that lasts through business Is tho only basis
build on Nr Spurgeon, who seldom breaches with
out hitting somebody's nail the head, says ~ have
no faith in that woman who talks of grace aud glory
abroad and uses soap and water al home" Faith
Is all very well, but you can't prove TO yourself
that you have it unless you stop sanding your sugar.
True religion teaches to do thlngs--to trust
In God and to Fay his honest debts
Some Of the decisions life Just painful as its
realities. MISS Joyce says that tor months she has
been pursued most unrelentingly by ghosts and do
mons She cannot shut the window them the
door because they right through the glass the
panel as though they were obstructions at all
They tickle, pinch and stick pins in her until it seems
as though her head would burst with pain. These
things may be visions to every else. but they are
sad facts her. How thankful ought 10 be II we
have sana IN corpoye
The Rev. Mr.. Tooth has become exceedingly ritu.
alstc that his townspeople insist that no shall either
retrace his steps else 90 forward 10 Catholicism.
While they bear with his pleadngs they cry,
"Toohn," and insist that ecclesiastical dentist
shall declare him to be Tooth-out
Have you ever had any sympathy with the Scotch
man who stood up in meeting and said with great
pathos "Frends, let pray for tho poor devil no.
body seems to pray for him, yet he needs pardon
more than any Of u.s." And he poured fervent
prayer that Satan himself might be brought under
conviction ana that the terrible pit might DO closed up
After all, such prayer is better than that double
faced petition which about equally divided between
the Lord and Satan, on the ground shat couldnt
tell into whose hands he might fall lis better 70
pray Tor the devil Than TO pray TO him.
This whole controversy about the number Of
man can produce In given time settled by
Robert Hall in this way:-"I Is q deep thinker
and great condenser he may get up one II he Is an
ordinary man, two; but no is ass SIR he Will pro.
duce half DOZEN" II IS a curious TACT that every
who Is acquainted with this anecdote insists that
hs writes only one sermon week--perhaps with tho
hope Of being classed with tho ''great condensers"
Thomas Guthrie says that in preparing your sermon
you must have due regard TO the 'three Ps-Prov
ting, Painting and Persuadng" Put the logic In the
foreground and hurl your thunderboits before the
people have begun TO nod their heads; then. when you
have convinced them Of their SINS, you may put into
your words the softer tints OF rhetoric and the
rhythm OF poetry Let your first blow be a telling
blow, and then you have your own way to tho
end.
There lisa vast deal Of human nature In this story
The old husband was dying His wife 10 him
como O. me, If you dios" His reply may possibly be
cumstances, was appropriate :-"wot's 10 become O.
your don't know, nor don't care. wot want to
know volts 10 become o. me-"
some 0f the religious papers utterng o vail over
the statement that great many ministers under
paid or unpaid, or both, and over the accomplishing
suffering which results sherefrom. There are two
classes Of men who ought TO have bill at the
grocsrs butchers-viz, the DOCTORS who look after
bodies, and the minister's who look after our
souls These gentlemen have SO much trouble in
keeping things straight physically aud spiritually
that the least We do 10 10 that they we'll
housed and well fod. To have small and uncertain
salary, with and then donation party, consist.
ing Of three people who cat things 10 every
who bring things, and Of this small salary to
support immense famy-for the poorer m mister
Is the moro children he hasis problem which wiser
heads than solve There is little doubt of a
mans consecraton when he is willing to wear seedy
broadcloth worn threadbare aud shining at tho knees
all his days. and endure the criticisms Of maicontsnts
for $500 year.
Mr.. Alscr and Dr. Tamags dincr very essentially in
their estimate Of the theatre The latter dips his pen
In gall Whenever he speaks OF makes one feel
that n he had the running OF tho world Tor brief
hour he would summary dispose Of all actors by
means OF guilIotne Tho former, on the other hand
pleads with still small for those who tread the
boards and up his estimate by saying good
theatre IS better than bad church, statement 50
very plain that the inmates Of Bloomingdale
would give an assent
II religion is not gloomy then religious hymns ought
not to be gloomy. Tho old doctrine Of .svale of
tears'' has given way the substitute, IRE
Jocc Always" Why should be called on 10 sing
~ would not live Away" when know we'll
enough that until some tremendous change takes
place that nc docs not express scnttnentsf Ills
all very well ccstatic cry out ~ want 10 be an
angel and with the angels DWELL" but II the chance
offered TO OF US we should talk very i'm.
poringy about .'naore convenient season. We sing
in dolciul STRAIN,
A few, tow moro prayers