Connecticut western news., 1890-05-07

locked with bolts and bars that an arch angel could not break, but the gate of your heart swings easily on it's hinges. If I assaulted your body with weapons, you would meet me with weapons, and it would be sword stroke for sword stroke, and wound for wound, and blood for blood; but if I come and knock at the door of your house, you open it, and give me the best seat in your parlor. If should come at you now with an argument, you would answer me with an argument; if with sarcasm, you would answer me with sarcasm; blow for blow, stroke for stroke; but when I come and knock at the door of your heart, you open 1t and say, Come in, my brother, and tell me all you know about Christ and heaven. .-'-'
 THREE QUESTIONS.
 Listen to two or three questions: Are you as happy as you used to be when you believed in the truth of the Christian religion2 Would you like to have your children travel on in the road Tn which you are now traveling2 You had relative who professed to be a Christian, and was thoroughly con sistent, living and dying in the faith of the Gospel. Would you not like to live the same quiet life, and die the same peaceful death? have letter, sent me by one who has rejected the Christian religion. It says: 1T am old enough to know that the joys and pleasures of life are evanescent, and to realize the fact that 1t must be com fortable in old age to believe in some thing relative to the future, and to have faith in some system that pro poses to save. I am free to confess that 1 would be happier if I could exercise the simple and beautiful faith that is possessed by many whom I know. I am not willingly out of the church or out of the faith. My state of uncer- tainty is one of unrest. Sometimes I doubt my immortality, and look upon the deathbed as the closing scene, after which there is nothing. What shall I dO that nave not QOneE ..s...
 An! skepticism is dark and doleful land Let me say that this Bible is either true or false If it be false, we are as we'll off as you; if it be true, then which of us is safer9
 Let me also ask whether your trou- ble has not been that you confounded Christianity with the inconsistent character of some who profess it. You are lawyer. In your profession there are mean and dishonest men. Is that anything against the law9 You are a doctor. There are unskilled and con temptible men in your profession. Is that anything against medicine9 You are merchant. There are thieves and defrauders in your business. Is that anything against merchandise2 Be hold, then, the unfairness of charging upon Christianity the wickedness o1 it's disciples. We admit some of the charges against those who profess re igion.
 Some of the most gigantic swindles of the present day have been carried on by members of the church. There are men standing in the front rank in the churches who would not be trusted for five dollars without good collateral security. They leave their business dishonesties in the vestibule of the church as they go in and sit at the communion. Having concluded the sacrament, they get up, wipe the wine from their lips, go out and take uf their sins where they left off. To serve the devil is their regular work to serve God, a sort of play spell With Sunday sponge they expect to wipe off from their business slate all the past weeks inconsistencies. You have no more right to take such 8 mans life as a specimen of religion than you have to take the twisted irons and split timbers that lie on the beach at Coney Island as a specimen of an American ship. It is time that we draw line between religion and the frailties of those who profess it.
 THE BIBLE IS THE BEST BOOK.
 Do you not feel that the Bible, take it all in all, is about the best book that the world has ever seen? Do you know any book that has as much in it? Dc you not think, upon the whole, that its influence has been benehcent2 come to you with both hands extended toward you In one hand I have the Bible, and in the other I have moth. ing. This Bible in one hand I will sur. render forever just as soon as i'll my other hand you can put 8 book that is better. Today I invite you back into the good old religion of your fathers ito the God whom they worshiped, te the Bible they read, to the promises on which they leaned, to the cross on which they hung their eternal expec tations. You have not been happy 8 day since you swung off; you will not be happy minute until you swing back. . #.
 Again: There may be some of you who, in the attempt after Christian life, will have to run against powerful passions and appetites. Perhaps it is disposition to anger that you have te contend against, and perhaps, while in a very serious mood, you hear of some thing that makes you feel that you must swear or die I know Christian man who was once so exasperated thai he said to a mean customer, ''I cannot swear at you myself, for am mem Der of the church; but if you go down stairs my partner in business will swear at you" All your good resolu- tions heretofore have been torn to tat ters by explosion of temper. Now there is no harm in getting mad if you only get mad at sin. You need to bridle and saddle those hot breathed passions, and with them ride down in. justice and wrong. There are a thou sand things in the world that we ought to ha mad at Thora is no harm i IT