The Forrest City times., 1890-01-18

toward tk They make 10 eocrlucess 1uoy dole little out of their surpluseve. They pay their butchers bill. and they pay their doctors bill, and they pay their landlord, and they pay everybody but tho Lord, and they come in at the last to pay the Lord In his church, and frown as they say: ''There Lord, it is; if you will have 1t, takc it-now take it, take it; send me receipt in fuil and don't bother me soon againw
 tell you there is not moro than ono man out of thousand that appreciates what tho church is Where are tho souls that put aside one tenth for Christian institu- tions-one tenth of their inconcs Where arc those who, having put aside that one tenth, draw upon it cheerfillyf Why, it IS pull, and drag, and hold on, and grab, and clutch; and giving is an aihiction to most people when it ought to be an exhiiar- ation and rapture. Oh. that God would remodel our souls on this subject, and that we might appreciate tho house of God as the great refuge. If your children are to como up to lives of virtue and happiness, they will como up under tho shadow Of the church If the church does not get them the world will.
 An. when you pass away-and it will not be long before you do-when you pass away it will bc a satisfaction to sec your children in Christian society, You want to have them sitting at the holy sacraments. You want them mingling in Christian assocl- ations. You would like m have them die in the sacred precincts. When you arc CD your dying bed, and your little ones come up 10 take your last word, and you look into their bewidered faces, you will want to leave them undor tho church's benediction, l don't care how hard you are, that is so. l said to man Of the world: Your son and daughter arc going to join our church next Sunday. Have you any ohiectionsir "Bless you" he said, 'obiectiopsi l wish all my children. belonged to tho church. don't attend to those matters myself --- T know am very wicked but am very glad they are going, and shall be there to see shem. l am very glad, sir; am very glad. l want them there And SO. though you may have been wan derers from God, and though you may hava sometimes caricatured the church of Jesus, it is your great desire that your sons and daughters should be standing all their lives within this sacred inclosura
 More than that, you yourself will want the church for hiding place when tho mortgage is foreclosed; when your daugh ter, just blooming into womanhoodr sudden ly clasps her hands in siumber that knows no waking. when gaunt trouble walks through the parlor, and the sstting room, and tho dining hall, and tho nursery, you will want some shelter from tho tempest An, some of you have been run upon bt misfortune and trial why do you not como into the shelteri l said to widowed mother after she had buried her only son--months after l said to her: "How do you get along nowa- days" "Oh,n she Keplied Il get along tolerably well except when tae sun shines. ' l said; "W hat do you mean by thatffwhen she said: "I can't bear to sec the sun shine, my heart is sodarl1 that all the brightness of the nQtural world seems Il mockory to me" 0, darkened soul, O. broken hearted man, broken hearted woman, why do you not come into the shelteri l swing the door wide open. l swing it from wall to wall. Come in Come in You want a place where your troubles shall be unstrap- ped, where your tears shall bc wiped away.
 Church of God, be hiding place to all these people Give them scat where they cau rest their weary souls. flash some light from your chandeliers upon their darkness. With some soothing hymn husf their griefs O, Church of God. gate of heaven, let me go through 1t All other in sttutious are going to fail; but the Church of God it's foundation is the Rock of Ag,>s,' it's charter Is for everlasting years, it's keys are held by the universal progriesor, Its dividend is heaven, it's president is God
 Sure as thy truth shall last Y
 To Zion shall be given The brightest eiories earth can yield, And brighter bliss of heaven.
 God grant that all this audience. the youngest, tho eldest tho worst tho best may find their safe and glorious biding place where Joash found it-in the temple