The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-07-28

good deal better climate good many
times than we deserve. Don't you know
that there are certain people-of course,
dear reader, it is promised that you and
are not of the number-who can never
get satisfactory slice Of weather.
Strange, isn't it, that there are SO many
fault-finders in the worlds, don't believe
God wants men to be narrow and carp
ing and irascible. He would have men
as broad as his wide prairies, as gay and
cheerful as his singing birds. God wants
sunny men, not men of gloom. He has,
though, no place among his creatures, no
place worth having, for the man who
thinks life is one eternal holiday, having
gaiety with no soberness, JOY with no sor
row, smiles with no tears, the merry mu-
sic of the dance with none of the grand
melody of the oratorio, the charming
lines of the spirited comedy with none OF
the noble sorrow of the tragedy. Dear
friend, il by any chance your life has
been running toward the channel OF
melancholia, down with the helm, I beg
of you, for the rapids are below you.
** **
I heard a straight, slim, beardless
young fellow the other night, in we'll
known city pulpit, preach sermon that
I presume good many would have lis
tened to with ill-concealed unrest. He
was young, yes, he was callous, il you
will-but he was in earnest. He preach
ed simple sermon. but simple sermon
is by no manner of means senseless
sermon. Too many people in the pews
get the idea that il they can understand
a sermon it must be commonplace they
want something deep. What nonsense.
I take it that the preacher should first OF
all be a Christian, and second that he
should preach Jesus Christ. It isn't
shallow man would have, but l tell you
it takes strong, powerful, virile, intense
man to preach simple sermon. The
young man speak of was nervous, his
face was white and red by turns, his
prayer was "wsbbling,' but his heart was
in his words and his words were the words
Of life. I liked him with all his diffidence'
He looked as though the commencement
dew on bis post-collegiate posies had not
yet been dried up by the unfeeling sun
of common, every day affairs; but he was
a preacher, notwithstanding his crudity,
and I carried more strengthening food
away with me from his simple, spiritual
table than have found at many far
more elaborate feast. If were an ortho-
dox, Calvinistic Presbyterian Of the old
old school, should extemporizs an aph-
orism something like this: there's moth
ing the devil hates Ikea Christian Chris
tan.
Did you ever promise God you wouldn't
do certain thing you felt was wrong, or
you would do a certain thing you thought
was right for you to do? If you never
have, try it. We are pretty weak set OF
mortals, after all. There may come times
when we are on the mount OF self-glorifi
cation or are struggling industriously up
its sides when we think we are about as
good as the Lord ever made, but the first
thing we know stone gives way under
our feet, we lose our balance, and before
we really realize what has happened we
are picking ourselves up away down the
mountain side, bruised, sore, and humili-
ated. The fact is, we need heap of help.
There is One who is standing by, oh SO
patient, SO loving, SO tender, so kind;
standing by with his mighty arms out
stretched toward us, not afraid to touch
us, not ashamed to take us home to his
great beating breast. II you feel that
your own strength slips from you, just
take God into your confidence, tell him
where you were wrong and then give to
him the solemn, sacred promise that you
will do better. A promise to God? Gould
there be a more binding one? Try it,
friend, try it when you feel you have done
a wrong, try it whenever you want some-
body else to help you, try it with the
heart as well.as the head. Nobody need
know it but you and God, and he will
never betrsy your confidence It's a
simple thing to do, but if you will do it it
will build a great barrier between you
and wrong.
*w#* X
want to suppose case for you and
you will sea the reason for it when am
through. Suppose that you have taken
trip to distant city, one in which you