Connecticut western news., 1881-08-24

recently QelVereQ course Ol lecGureS dI GA0 Assembly at Chautauqua, N. Y., with great success, and is to repeat it at Birmingham, Mass, this week.
 The ''goddlemity" young man has struck town on his way to his summer retreat, He attended market yesterday and examined the calves as the rustic farmers drove up with | them to be critically and carefully inspected. The young man was struck with the piteous. ness of the calves moan, and ventured to ex- postulate with the farmer on his apparent | cruelty '!I say, you sir, cawnt those de- | fenseless quadrupeds be unloosed and be per mitted to enjoy absolute freedom from re- stricton?" The farmer said, "Not so," dis dainfully, and the young man. afto1 much cogitation and reflection, determined to in- dulge in a theory and present the principles of the new departure in education. He en- quired the price of the calf, short horned, Kentucky Durham bull calf, and on pay1ng the price, proceeded to unloose the cords that to his mind so cruelty bound him. He un- tied the first knot that was made through brace in the wagon box and passing the rope through the loop formed to cross the calf's hind legs, gave full play to the animals limbs. A switch of the tail, sudden contraction of veal muscle, and then both legs stretched as from a cramped position, and the young man oh, where was he He returned to the dust that was part of his physical being, and while he bit it not, he found great relief in rningling with it and clawing it. It was then rude shock. He limped away, and the calf ! was retied and shipped by the cruel, too, | too cruel farmer to the great city whither the young man went to eat veal pot pie.
 Rev. J. W. Macomber, in the absence, of w. A. Mackey, who was detained at home by sickness, occupied the pulpit in the M. B. Church in this town last Sunday. The text for the morning sermon was found in Acts z, part of 59th verse: 'And they stoned
 Stephen" The subject said the speaker, will
 be the death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Stephen, elected deacon in the
 New Church, went forth to dispense the
 charity at his disposal he made so great a
 commotion that his enemies sought to perse-
 cute him, and brought false witnesses to &C.,
 cuse and convict him. But Stephen quotes
 the Scriptures so ably, and pours forth such
 a stream of inyective, that they were over-
 whelmed, and were so incensed that they
 brought about his death. He was slain by a mob, tried by what is now termed Lynch
 law. Attention is called to two or three cir cumstances in this affair. First, the support and comfort which the holy man, Stephen, re
 ceived in the hour of his death. No frienC
 was by his side to assist and to pray for ane
 with him; he was alone, save that Christ wa!
 with him.
 It is not known if Stephen saw Christ 1T
 the flesh, but he knew of Him, and could re
 cognize him as standing at Gods right hand It was an evidence that Christ had risen iron [ the dead-Stephen saw Him and called Hin by name. We can learn from this that i e times of peculiar trials, Jesus affords pecu t liar support, especially so in the time of deatt Payson, though great and good man in hi n life time was beset with doubts and fears ! but, in death he said,: II seem to be swim S ming in a sea Of glory, and know my hay q piness has begun" And he died shouting V Peace, peace, victory"
 The prayer in which Stephen commits hi
 soul to Christ teaches us, continued tn Il preacher, three things: First, that man ha l. a soul; second, that the soul is distinct fror t the body, and third, that the soul at deat t goes into the presence of Jesus.
 It Matter is inert; It cannot act; it cannc
 think; the soul is the motive power. Ste e phen gave not that which! perishes, his body q but his soul, to Christ. Stephen knew tn if afters death, and he said Receive my spi l it." take that which cannot die This praye is another and unshakable proof of the
 vinity of Christ. It is an evidence of th
 fact that religious worship was spaid to Jesu o1 at that time. Christ permitted it, and the di D. ciples practiced it. Did Stephen worship tn; d which was unlawful? Did he fall down an D. call on an angel? Did Christ receive the hon st age of men simply as man? No. it was g It God that he received Stephens worship.
 Stephen prayed for This prosecutors, "Lort T. lay not this sin to their charge" Eve ,- asChrist prayed on the cross for his murder r. ers so Stephen prayed in the same spirit Tn D exhibits the infinite mercy of God, who coul d put 1t into the hearts of men to pray ft D those who are seeking their death. God ar wrath..is terrible, but His mercy is great, ar
 He uses it to soften mems hearts toward
 their enemies.
 Stephens prayer was designed to be al - swered it was not made in vain. In u - crowd which stood about those who we q stoning Stephen was Saul, who went fro d that scene breathing out threatenings ar of slaughter against Christians. Stephen e prayer went to heaven, and Jesus met Saul C
 His way to Damascus, and convicted and col
 verted him. If Stephen had not prayed, u or Christian Church had never known Paul. It is said in the record that Stephen " Fe le asleep" Such is the Christians final hou 7s Jesus sustains and soothes the aching hear II PeacefuVness characterizes the death of u Id Christian. He sleeps as ore who expects, IT he lies down at night, to awake in the bright' y dawn.
 We may remark, in closing, said the spea h CT, first, that the history of the martyrs a n lords us no mean evidence of the divine o d igen of religion. The blood of the marty M is the seed of the Church. To-day persecl .o tion is unknown; men worship God in ire h dom, and are protected by civil law.