Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-04-02

and finds healthy and intelligent peo-
pie struggling with drowsiness, IL Is
time for him to give out the doxology
or pronounce the benediction.
The great fault Of church SER
vices to-day Is not too much vivacity,
but too much somnolence. The one is
an irritating gnat that may be easily
strained out, the other is n great,
sprawling and sleepy-eyed camel OF the
dry desert. In our Sabbath schools, in
all our Bible classes, in all our pulpits,
we need to brighten up our religious
messages with such Christ-like vivacity
as we find in the text.
take down frown my library the
biographies Of ministers and writers Of
past ages, inspired and uninspired, who
have done the most to bring souls to
Jesus Christ, and I find that without
single exception they consecrated their
wit and their humor to Christ. Elijah
used it when he advised the Baalites,
as they could not make their god re-
spond; telling them to call louder, as
their god might be sound asleep or gone
hunting. Job used 1t when he said to
his self-conceited comforters, "Wisdom
will die with you" Christ not only
used it in his text, but when he 'front.'
cally complimented the purified Phari-
sees, saying: 1.-THE whole need not a
physician" and when by one word he
described the cunning of Herod, saying,
$50 We and tell that fox" Matthew
Henry's commentaries from the first
page to the last coruscated with
humor as summer clouds with heat
lightning. John Bunyan's writings are
as full of humor as they are of saying
truth, and there is not an aged man
here who has ever read "Pilgrim's
Progress" who does not remember
that while reading it he smiled
as often as he wept. Chrysostom,
George Herbert, Robert South. John
Wesley, George Whitefeld, Jeremy
Rowland Hill, Nettleton, George G.
Finney and all the men of the past who
greatly advanced the kingdom of God
consecrated their wit and their humor
to the cause of Christ. So it has been
in all the ages, and say to these young
theological students, who cluster in
these services Sabbath by Sabbath,
sharpen your wits as keen as scimiters
and then take them into this holy war.
It is q very short bridge between a
smile and tear, suspension bridge
from eye to lip, and it is soon crossed
over. and q smile is sometimes just as
sacred as tear. There is as much re-
ligion, and think q little more, in
spring morning than in starless mid
night. Religious work without any
humor or wit in it is banquet with
side of beef, and that raw, and no con-
diments and no dessert succeeding.
o, how particular great many poo
pie are about the infinitesimals, while
they are quite reckless about the magni-
tudes. What did Christ say? Did He
not excoriate the people in His time who
were so careful to wash their hands be-
fore q meal, but did not wash their
hearts? 1t is bad thing to have I'M
clean hands; it is worse thing to have
an unclean heart. How many people
there are in our time who are very
anxious that after their death they shall
be buried with their feet toward the
east, and not at all anxious that during
their whole life they should face in the
right direction, so that they shall come
up in the resurrection of the just which
ever way they are buried. How many
there are chiefly anxious that a min
lister of the gospel shall come in the line
of apostolic succession, not caring so
much whether he comes from Apostle
Paul or Apostle Judas. They have
way of measuring gnat until it is
larger than camel.
Again: My subject photographs all
those who are abhorrent of small sins
while they are reckless in regard to
magnificent thefts. You will find many
a merchant who, while he is SO careful
that he would not take q yard of cloth
or a spool of cotton from the counter
without paying for it, and who, If bank
cashier should make mistake and send
in a roll Of bills IS too much, would dis
patch messenger in hot haste to return
the surplus, yet who will go into stock
company in which after while he gets
control of the stock, and then waters
the stock and make 500, 900 appear like
5000, 900. He only stole 100000 by the
operation. Many of the men Of fortune
made their wealth in this way. One of
those men, engaged in such unrighteous
nets, that evening, the evening of the
very day when he watered the stock,
will find q wharf rat stealing an evening
newspaper from the basement doorway,
and will go out and catch the urchin by
the collar, and twist the collar SO tight
ly the poor fellow cannot say it was
thirst for knowledge that led him to the
dishonest act, but grip the collar tight
err, saying: 81 have been looking for
you a long while; you stole my paper
four or five times, haven't you? you mis-
cradle wretch" And then the old stock