The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-04-05

sins OF my life and put them in one bundle,
ana tnen hins them into the depths Of the
sea- never TO rise again, never to be talked
= again. Pollution all gone. Darkness all
.llumined, God reconciled The pfoiigal
home "Puta ring on HE haiid.h
Every day ! find happy Christianpeople. I
find some of them with no second coat, some
OF them in huts and tenement houses, not
one earthly comfort afforded them; and yet
they are as happy AS happy can be. They
the world sing t. Ehey never wore RcSe'G any
jewelry in theft life but one gold ring and
that was the ring of Gods undying affection.
Oh, how happy religion makes us! Did Il
make you gloomy and sadl Did you go with
your head cast downl do not think you
got religion, my brother, That is not the OF.
feet of religion. True religion is joy. Her
ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace"
why, religion 1gntons all our burdens. IL
mooths all our way. 1t interrupts all our
sorrows Il changes the jar Of earthly dis
cord for the peal Of festal bells In front Of
the flaming furnace OF trial it sets the forge
on which scepters are hammered out. Would
YOU not like to-day to come up from the
swine feeding and try this religon' All the
joys of Heaven would come out and meet
you and God would cry from the throne:
'Put ring on his hand"
You are not happy. see it, There is no
peace, and sometimes you laugh when you
feel great deal more like crying. The
world is a cheat. 1t first wears you down
with its follies, then it kicks you out into
darkness Itcones back from the massacre
of million souls to attempt tho destruction
of your soul to-day. No peace out of God,
but here is the fountain that can Stake the
thirst Here is the harbor where you can
drop safe anchorage.
WoI d you not like, l ask you-not per-
functorilv. but as one brother might talk to
another-would you not like to have pillow
of rest to put your head on! And would you
not like, when you retire at night, to feel
that all is well, whether you wake up to-
morrow morning at o'clock, or sleep tho
sleep that knows no wakingl Would you
not like to exchange this awful uncertainty
about the future for glorious assurance of
heaven! Accept of the Lord Jesus to-day,
and all is well. If on your way home some
peril should cross the street and dash your
life out, it would not hurt you. You would
rise up Immediately. You would stand in
the celestial streets You would be amid the
great throng that forever worship and are
forever happy. If this day some sudden dis
ease should come upon you it would not
brighten you. If you knew you were going
you could give a calm farewell to your beau
tiful home on earth, and know that you are
going right into the companionship of those
who have already got beyond the toiling and
the weeping.
You feel on Saturday night different from
the way you feel any other night of the
week. You come homo from the bank, or
the store, or the shop, and you say: ''Well,
now my weeks work is done, and tomorrow
is Sunday" 1t is pleasant thought. There
is refreshment and Reconstruction in the very
idea. Oh, how pleasant it will be, if, when
xx-a eraff t,fr,, Ioxr Of p,,e1 70 u1 VI
go and lie down in our bed of dust, we can
realize: "Well, now the work is all done,
and tomorrow is Sunday-ln everlasting
Sunday"
oh, when, thou city Of my God,
Shall thy courts ascend
Where congregations ne er break up,
And Sabbaths have no end?
There are people in this house to- day who
are very near the eternal world. If you are
Christians, bid you be of good cheer. Bear
with you our congratulations to the bright
city. Aged men, who will soon be gone
take with you our love for our kindred in the
better land, and when you see them tell
them that we are soon coming Only lew
more sermons to preach and hear. Only a
few more heartaches. Only a few more tolls.
Only few more tears. And then, what an
enhancing spectacle will be open before usl
Beautiful heaven, where all is light,
Beautiful angels clothed in white,
Beautiful strains that never tire.
Beautiful harps through all the choir,
There shall join the chorus sweet,
Worshiping at the Saviour's feet.
fapproach you now with general invita-
tion. not picking out here and there man,
nor here and there woman, nor here and
there child; but giving you an unlimited
invitation, saying: Come for all things are
now ready" We invite you to the warm
heart of Christ, and the Enclosure of the
Christian Church. l know great many
think that the Church does not amount to
and is gone now, so far as all usefulness is
concerned. 1t is the happiest place l have
ever been in, except my own home.
know there are some people who say they
are Christians who seem to get along with
out any help from others, and who culture
solitary piety. They do not want any ordi-
nances lido not belong to that class. cannot
get along without them. There are so many
things in this world that take my attention
| from God, and Christ, and Heaven, that
want all the helps Of all the symbols and Of
| all the Christian associations: and l want
III uund ABOUT me sofia pnalanx or men VINO
| love God and keep his commandments. Are
there any here who would like to enter into
that association? Then by simple, child
like faith, apply for admission into the wish
BILE church, and you will be received. No
questions asked about your past history or
present surroundings. Only one test-do you
'ove Jesus2
Baptism does not amount to anything, say
great many people; but the Lord Jesus de-
c,ared: He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved" putting baptism and faith
side by side And an apostle declares: .Re-
| pent and be baptized, every one of YOU" l
| do not sickle for any particular mode of
ba 'sm but | put great emphasis on the fact
th4t you ought to be baptized. Yet no more
emphasis than the Lord Jesus Christ, the
great head of the church, puts upon it.
The world is going to, after while, lose a
great many of its victories. There are to be
revivals of religion that will shake the earth.
We give you warning. There is great host
coming in to stand under the banner of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Will you be among thems
Will you be among the gathered sheaves?
Some of you have beeu thinking on this
subject year after year. You have found
out that this world is a poor portion. You
want to be Christians. You have come al
most into the kingdom of God; but there you
stop, forgetful of the fact that to be almost
saved is not to be saved at all. Oh, my
brother, after having come so near to the
door of mercy, if you turn back, you will
never come at all. After YOU have heard of
the goodness OF God, if you turn away and
die, it will not be because you did not have a
good Off.
Gods spirit will not always strive
With hardened, self destroying man;
Ye who persist His love to grieve
May never hear His voice again.
May God Almighty this hour move upon
your soul and bring you back from the husks
of the wilderness to the Fathers house, and
set you at the banquet, and put ring on
your hand"
MEXICAN CONGRESS OPENED.