Connecticut western news., 1885-03-11
FOR SUNDAY READING.
SERIOUS THOUGHTS AND RRFLKC
 TONS FOR THE PRESIDE.

SERIOUS THOUGHTS AND RRFLEC
 TONS FOR THE PRESIDE. Beccher Hope-The Secret of Religion
 Evil Influences of Life in New York
 shRminR n Thief, Btc., Etc.
 EVIL INFLUENCE OF LIFE IN NEW YORK.
 The Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Virgin says: -"On every side throughout the city bitter cries come up from the poor and afflicted who live amid wealth and mis- cry, and surrounded with temptations. These temptations are found not only in the gilded bar-rooms and at the gaming tables, but at the gilded balls of the pawnbroker's shops where the price of hard labor may be obtained without toil; they are found in the clubs of the city whose emissaries seize the poor man and soon teach him the dialect of curses against the wealthy. Here in our church tonight we have but a handful of peo- pie, but these club rooms would be found filled with people who are railing against home, the Government and re- ligion. One of the causes may be seen in passing glance. Below Fourteenth street live half a million of people, but there is not among them more than one church to every 5000 persons. If this statement were made of some country town of 5, ,000 population it would startle the religious community, and churches would compete in the effort to regenerate such a place. But in the Fourteenth Ward of the city even a worse showing is made. There are but two churches in that ward among a population of 30,000 souls, and neither of these churches are of Protestant denomina- tion."
 BEEoHER ON HOPE.
 Mir. Beecher's sermon last Sunday was upon Hope"
 "Men," he said, "who work under the inspiration of care and fear are like oxen. They walk over the ground la- boriously, measuring every rise and de- scent in their path. But the man who has hope has wings like an eagle. There is neither up hill nor down hill to him, for hope plus conscience is the found- ation on which character is built; but men should not build on conscience alone. Conscience is like granite. It is admirable but not lovable. Crystalline, cold conscience does not win. There is a pieSy that is an eternal mourning Men who possess it are forever putting on crape because Christ died. They are dolorous Christians, always regaling themselves with their shortcomings. They think they have hope, but it is not such hope as mine. The air around them is full of the devil, and they see Satan tempting on all sides.
 "As a style of piety this is miserable. Religion ought to be radiant. Wit and humor are more pious than this dreary sobriety. When I used to see those old-time dignifed ministers, those spir. itual scarecrows, it seemed to me that were it not for fear of hell I should never want to go to heaven"
 SHAVING A THIEF.
 The Philadelphia Times tells how S woman's righteous anger put a thief to flight:
 "One night lately at the Home of the Merciful Saviour for Crippled Children, between the hours of one and two o'clock, Sister Sarah was aroused by hearing a chair fall over below stairs Hastily putting on her wrapper, lamp 1T hand, she descended to the parlor. Hei first glance revealed an open window al the back part of the room. A small part of this parlor is curtained of. The curtain was parted, and Sister Saraf thought it moved. Approaching it, sht found herself face to face with a white man, tall and stout. Fixing her eye' upon him she said: The Chinese have { saving that to some men hearts hay, been given, and to some gizzards. YoJ must be one who has a gizzard instead of a heart And with look of SCOTT she continued: You have come to [ house as 8 thief where there are only crippled children and a few women t' take care of them.' The man drew hi hat down over his eyes and leaped ou of the window"
 THE SECRET OF RELIGION.
 The Rev. Dr. William M. Taylor says As a man loves, so he lives. When Go, says, "My son, give me thine heart" h, asks for the love of our souls. Whei you secure mans affections, when yoT enlist his love, you secure the who'll man, and so God asks for love. We ar in rebellion and bondage till we giv him our affections. Religion must b more than a duty-a delight. The es sence of love is spontaneity. God knock at the door, but will not-He cannot force an entrance. It is for us to le him in. He richly deserves our love be cause of His Fatherhood. Tender a are the memories, sacred and beautiful as are the associations that gather abou the word Father, no earthly father ca , be more than a faint image of tn , | Heavenly. To this attribute add Hi redeeming love. Even the wonderfu 3 parable of the Prodigal Son is inadequat to express Christ's love for us. H does not merely welcome us home, bu He comes to seek us while we are lost Gloomy Christians have not attaine unto the love of God. For love is tn . very sunshine of life. The saddest sor
 
 y. ITEMS.
 i THE smallest church in England is { D Grove, Buckinghamshire. The paris I has less than twenty inhabitants, br ' | 1l.u .I....ol. ...;tI oo,,,Fo~toI,lv hpld a "a