The Opelousas courier., 1890-03-01
the shadow of the church. If the church

the shadow of the church. If the church
does not get them the world will. +
All, when you pass away-and it will not
be long before you do-when you pass away
it will be a satisfaction to see your children
in Christian society. You want to have.them
sitting at the holy sacraments. You want
them mingling in Christian associations. You
would like to have them die in the sacred
precincts. When o are on your dying bed,
and your little ones come upto take your last
word, and you look into their bewildered
faces, you viii want to leave them under the
church's benediction. Idon't care how hard
you are, that is SO. 1 said to a man Of
the world: ''Your son and daughter are
going to join our church 9 Sunday. Have
you any objectionss' ''Bless you" he
said, COLLECTIONS? T wish all my chill
dren belonged to the church. don't attend
to those matters myself know | I'm
very wicked-but l am very glad they are
going, and I shall be there to see them, am
very glad, sir; l am very glad. [ want them
there.p And so, though you may nave been
wanderers from God, and though you may
have sometimes caricatured the church of
Jesus, it is our great desire that your sons
and daughters should be standing all their
lives within this sacred inclosure.
More than that, you yourself will a the
church for a hiding place when the mortgage
is foreclosed; when your daughter, just
blooming into ~womanhood, suddenly clasps
her hands in a slumber that knows no wax
ing; when gaunt trouble walks through the
parlor, and the sitting room, n the dining
hall, and the nursery, you will want some
shelter from the tempest. All, some of you
nave been run upon by misfortune n trial;
v wh ! w dc gea net %o some s int the the she shelt bTr,l ! said aid.
only son-months after I said to her: How
do you get along nowadays "Oh,"
she replied: 81 get along tolerably well ex-
cept when the sun s~hines.D I said: what
do you mean by thatg'' when she said: II
can't bear to see the sun shine; my heart is so
dark that all the brightness Of the natural
world seems a mockery to me-" O, dark
ned soul, 0, broken-hearted man, broken
hearted woman, why do you not come into
the shelter? Iswing the door wide open. /
swing it from wall to wall. Come in! Come
ini You want a place where your troubles
shall be interpreted, where your burdens
shall be unstrapped, where your tears shall
be wiped away
Church of God, be a hiding place to all
these people. Give them a seat where they
can rest their weary souls. Flash some light
from your chandeliers upon their darkness.
With some soothing hymn hush their griefs.
O, Church Of God, gate of Heaven, let me go
through it'll All other institutions are going
to fail; but the Church of God-its founda-
ton is the Rock of Ages" its charter is for
everlasting years, it's keys are held by the
universal proprietor, its dividend is Heaven,
its president is God!
Sure as Thy truth shall last,
To Zion shall be given
The brightest glories ca nth can Weld,
And brighter bliss of heaven.
God grant that all this audience, the
youngest, the eldest, the worst. the best, may
find their safe and glorious hiding place,
WaeN84aash fOaa6it-in the temple.