Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-05-09

II is an opening Of opaline gates. II is
collection OF spices. Would God that
we were wise In taking spices to our Di-
vine King rs Queen Ballzis was wise in
taking spices 10 the earthly Solomon.
What many OF lis most need is 10 have
the humdrum driven out Of our life and
the humdrum out Of our religion. The
American and English and Scottish
church will die OF humdrum unlese
their b. change.
An editor from San Francisco few
weeks ago wrote me saying he was get
ting up Tor his paper u symposium from
many clergymen, discussing among 9th
err things: why do not people 60 to
church," and he wanted my opinion n /
! gave II in one sentence: People no
not go TO church because they cannot
stand the humdrum. The fact Is that
most people have so much humbrum in
their worldly calling that they do not
want to have added the humdrum OF re-
ligion. We need in all our sermons and
exhortations and songs and prayers
more Of what Queen Balkis brought to
Solomon, namely, more spice. The fact
Is that the duties and cares of this life,
coming to us from time to time, are
stupid often, and insane, and intolera-
Bile.
How any woman keeps house without
the religion of Christ to help her is u
mystery TO me. To have to spend the
greater part OF ones life, us many wo-
men do, in planning for the meals, in
stitching garments that will soon be
rent again, and deploring breakages and
supervising tardy subordinates, and
driving of dust that soon again will set
tie. and doing the same thing day in
and day out and year in and year out,
until their hair silvers. and the back
stoops, and the spectacies crawl TO the
eyes, and the grave breaks open under
the thin sole Of the shoe-O, it is long
monotony!
I must confess that great deal OF
the religion OF this day is utterly in
sipid. There is nothing piquant or
elevating about 1t. Men and women go
around humming psalms in minor
key, and culturing melancholy, and
its worship has in it more signs than
rapture. We do not doubt their piety.
o, no. Brit they are sitting at feast
where the cook has forgotten to season
the food. Everything is flat in their
experience and in their conversation.
Emancipate from sin, and death, and
hell, and on their way to magnificent
heaven, they act as though they were
trudging on toward an everlasting
Botany Bay.
We need more spice and enlivenment
IN nh xrn,tctn (Nhtnnhns. so die
cussing whether they shall have choirs
or precentors, or organs, or bass-viols,
or comets; / say, take that which will
bring out the most inspiring music. II
we had half as much zeal and spirit in
our churches as we nave in the songs of
our Sabbath schools. it would not be
long before the whole earth would quake
with the coming God. Why, in most
churches, nine-tenths OF the people do
not sing: or they sing so feebly that the
people at their elbows do not know that
they are singing. People mouth and
humble the praises of God; but there is
makes Joyful noise" unto the Rock
of our Salvation. Sometimes when the
congregation forgets itself, and all is
absorbed in the goodness of God, or the
glories OF heaven, get an intimation OF
what church music will be hundred
years from now, when the coming gen.
GRAFTON will wake up to its duty.
Join with me in crusade, giving me
not only your hearts, but the mighty
uplifting OF your voices. and / believe
we can, through Christ's grace sing
fifty Thousand souls into the kingdom of
Christ. An argument they can laugh
at, sermon they may talk down; but q
vast audience joining in one anthlum is
Would that Queen Balkis
would drive all her spice-laden drome-
diaries into our church music. Meth
er was there any such spice as the Queen
Of Sbeba gave King Solomon"
Now, | want 10 impress this audience
with the fact that religion is sweetness
and perfume, and spikenard, and saffron,
and cinnamon. and cassia, and franklin
cense, and all sweet spices together.
80" you say, II have not looked at it
as such. / thought it was anuisance; it
had for me- repulsion; held my breath
Us though it were malodor; have been
appalled, at its advance; have said. If
nave duy fGllb lOH Ut Ill Wunb W nave
just as little OF it as possible to get
through with" Oh, what q mistake
you have made, my brother. The relig-
ion OF Christ is present and everlast-
ing redolence. 1t counteracts all trouble.
lust put it on the stand beside the phi
low OF sickness. II catches in the cur
tains and perfumes the sitting air. 1t |
;weetens the cup Of bitter medicine and |
throws glow on the gloom Of the |
turned lattice. 1t Is balm for the ach-
ing side, and soft bandage for the tenn
Pile stung with pain. 1t lifted Samuel
into revelry OF spiritual
delight while he was in physical ago.
Mes. IT helped Richard Baxter until,
IN the midst OF such q complication OF
diseases as perhaps no other man ever
he wrote ''The Saints Ever
asting Rest" And it poured light upon
John Bunyan's dungeon-the light of
he shining gate Of the shining city.
And IL Is GOOD for rheumatism, and for