Milford chronicle., 1891-02-20


son square and RittellhOuse square and
West End and Brooklyn Heights and Brook
lyn Hill. We want this practical religion
not only to take hold Of what are called
the lower classes, but to take hold OF what
are called the higher classes The trouble
is that people have an idea they can do
their religion on Sunday with hymn boz &
and prayer book and liturgy, and some Of
them sit in church rolling up their eyes as
though they were ready for translation,
when their Sabbath is bounded on all sides
by an inconsistent life, and while you are
expecting to come out from under their
arms the wings Of an angel, there come O1t
from their forehead the horns Of beast.
THERE MUST DE A NEW DEPARTURE.
There has got to be new departure in
religion. / do not say a new religion. Oh,
no; but the old religion brought TO new
appliances. In our time we have had the
daguerreotype, and the anbrotype, and the
photograph, but it is the same old sun,
and these arts are only new appliances Of
the old sunlight. So this glorious gospel
is just what we want TO photograph the
image of God on one soul, and dAguerreo-
type it on another soul. Not a new gospel,
but the old gospel put to new work. In
our time we have had the telegaphic
invention, and the telephone invention,
and the electric light invention, but they
are all the children Of old electricity,
an element that the philosophers have
a long while known much about. So
this electric gospel needs to flash its light
on the eyes and ears and souls Of men, and
become a telephone medium to make the
deaf hear, a telegraphic medium to dart
invitation and warning to all nations; an
N. =. - hn araa
western hemispheres. Not new gospel,
but the old gospel doing a new work.
Now you say, 'rhat is a very beautiful
theory, but is it possible to take ones re-
ligiOn into all the avOcatiOns and business
Of lifes" Yes, aud I will give you a few
specimens. Medical doctors who took their
religion into everyday life; DIR. John
Abercrombie, Of Aberdeen, the greatest
Scottish physician Of his day, his book on
Diseases of the Brain and Spinal Cord"
no more wonderful than his book on ''The
Philosophy Of the Moral Feelings" and
often kneeling at the bedside Of his pa
tients to commend them to God In prayer.
DR.. John Brown, Of Edinburgh, immortal
as an author, dying under the benedictiOn
of the sick Of Edinburgh, myself remem-
bering him as he sat in his study in Edin-
burgh talking to me about Christ and his
hope Of heaven. And a score Of Christian
family physicians in Brooklyn just as good
as they were.
Lawyers who carried their religion into
their profession: The late Lord Cairns, the
queens adviser for many years, the highest
legal authority in Great Britain-Lord
Cairns, every summer in his vacation,
preaching as an evangelist among the poor
of his country. John Mclean, judge Of
the supreme court Of the United States
and president of the American Sunday
School union, feeling more satisfaction iD
the latter office than in the former. And
scores of Christian lawyers as eminent in
the church Of God as they are eminent at
the bar.
GODFEARNG BUSINESS ARE.
Merchants who took their religion into
everyday life: Arthur Tappan, derided In
his day because he established that system
by which we come to find out the com
mercial standing Of business men, starting
that entire system, derided for it then,
himself, as knew him well, in moral char
acter Al. Monday mornings inviting to
room in the top Of his stOrehOuse the clerks
Of his establishment, asking them about
their worldly interests and their spiritual
interests, then giving out hymn, leading
good advice, asking them what church
they attended on the Sabbath, what the
text was, whether they had any especial
troubles of their own. Arthur Tappan, /
never heard his eulOgy pronounced. I pro |
nounce it now. And other merchants just
as good. William e. Dodge in the iron
business; Moses II. Grinnell in the ship |
ping business; Peter Cooper in the glue I
business. Scores of men Just as good as
they were.
Farmers who take their religion into
their occupation: Why, this minute their
horses and wagons stand around all the /
meeting houses in America. They began /
this day by a prayer to God, and when they
get home at noon, after they have put
their horses up, will offer prayer to God at
the table, seeking a blessing, and this sum
mer there will be in their fields not one
dishonest head Of rye, not one dishonest
ear Of corn, not one dishonest apple. Wor-
Shipping God today away up among the
Berkshire hills. or away down amid the
lagoons of Florida, or away out amid the
mines Of Colorado, or along the banks Of
the Passaic and the Raritan, whore I
knew them better because went to school
with them.
Mechanics who took their religion into
their occupations: James Brindley, the
famous millwright; Nathaniel Bowditch,
the famous ship chandler; Elihu Burritt,
The famous blacksmith. and hundreds and
thousands Of strong arms which have
made the hammer, and the saw, and the
adze, and the drill, and the ak sound in
5he grand march Of our national indus
tries.
Give your heart to God and then I'LL your
- 70
your store, your shop, your banking house,
7our factory and your home. They say no
no will hear it. God will hear it. That
s enough. You hardly know Of any one
lse than Wellington as connected with
he victory at Waterloo; but he did not do
he hard fighting The hard fighting was
lone by the Somerset cavalry, and the Ry-
and regiments, and Kempt's infantry, and
be Scots Grays and the Life Guards. Who
ares, if only the day was wonl
A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE.
In the latter part Of the last century
irl in England became a kitchen maid ina
arm house. She had many styles Of work,
nd much hard work. Time rolled on, and
he married the sou Of a weaver Of Hall
AK. They were Industrious; they saved
money enough after a while TO build them
home. On the morning Of the day when
hey were to enter that home the young
wife arose at o'clock, entered the front
.oor yard, knelt down, eonsecrated the
lace to God, and there made this solemn
ow; 20 Lord, if thou wilt bless me in
his place, the poor shall have a share Of
t." Time rolled on aud a fortune rolled
n. Children grew up around them, and
hey all became affiuent; one, a member Of
in public place declared that
is success came from that prayer Of his
nother in the door yard. All Of them {
gere ahiuent Four thousand hands in (
heir factories. They built dwelling houses
Or laborers at cheap rents, and when they
7ere invalid and could net pay they had
be houses for nothing.
One of these sons came to this country,
dmired our parks, went back, bought =
ind, opened great public park. and made n
a present to the city Of Halifax, Eng a
md. They endowed an orphanage, they 8
ndoWed two alinshouses. All England
as heard of the generosity and the good
'orlCs Of the Croaslays. Morzl-Conse-
rate TO God your small means aud your
umble surroundings, and you viii have Il
I.g