Connecticut western news., 1892-06-09


 osophy to cast off the annoyances, and they have kept themselves in the sum- light of Gods favor, and have realized that these oppositions and hindrances are 8 part of & mighty discipline, by which they are to be prepared for use- fulness and heaven. The secret of it all is, they have by the help of the eternal God learned how to forget
 FORGIVE AND FORGET.
 Another practical thought-when our faults are repented of let them go out of mind. If God forgets them, we have a right to forget them. Having once re- pented of our infelicities and misde- meanors, there is no need of our repent ing of them again. Suppose owe you large sum of money, and you are per suaded I am incapacitated to pay, and you give me acquittal from that obliga- tion. You say: II cancel that debt All is right now. Start again." And the next day come in and say: You know about that big debt I owed you. have come in to get you to let me off. feel so bad about it cannot rest. Do let me off" You reply with little i'm patience: II did let you off. Don't bother yourself and bother me with any more of that discussion"
 The following day come in and say: My dear sir about that debt. I can never get over the fact that owed you that money. It is something that weighs on my mind like millstone. Do for give me that debt" This time you clear lose your patience and say: "You are a nuisance. What do you mean by this reiteration of that affair? I am almost sorry forgave you that debt. Do you doubt my veracity, or do you not under stand the plain language in which told you that debt was canceledY'
 Well, my friends, there are many Christians guilty of worse folly than that. While it is right that they repent of new sins and of recent sins, what is the use of bothering yourself and insult ing God by asking him to forgive sins that long ago were forgiven? God has forgotten them. Why do you not for get them2 No, you drag the load on with you and 865 times 8 year, if you pray every day, you ask God to recall occurrences which he has not only for given but forgotten. Quit this folly. do not ask you less to realize the turpi- tude of sin, but ask you to a higher faith in the promise of God and the full deliverance of his mercy. He does not give 8 receipt for part payment, or so much received on account. but receipt in full, God having for Christ's sake de l creed, "your sins and your iniquities will remember no more."
 As far as possible, let the disagree ables of life drop. We have enough things in the present and there will be | enough in the future to disturb us with, out running a special train into the great gone-by to fetch us as special freight things left behind. Some ten years ago. | when there was great railroad strike remember seeing all along the route l from Omaha to Chicago and from Chi cago to New York hundreds and thou, sands of freight cars switched on the side tracks, those cars loaded with all kinds of perishable material, decaying and wasting. After the strike was over did the rail road companies bring all that perished material down to the markets2 No they threw it off where it was destroyed and loaded up with something else. Let | the long train of your thoughts throw off the worse than useless freight of g I corrupt and destroyed past, and load uI l with gratitude and faith and holy de termination. We do not please God by the cultivation of the miserable. He would rather see us happy than to see us depressed. You would rather see your children laugh than to see them cry, and your heavenly Father has nc fondness for mysteries.
 GLoRYING IN wICKEDNEss.
 Not only forget your pardoned trans. gressions, but allow others to forget them The chief stock on hand ot | many people is to recount in prayer meetings and pulpits what big scoun. l drels they once were. They not only will not forget their forgiven deficits but they seem to be determined that the | church and the world shall not forget them. If you want to declare that you have been the chief of sinners and exto the grace that could save such a wretch as you were, do so, but do not go into particulars. Do not tell how many times you got drunk, or to what bat places you went, or how many free ride. you had in the prison van before yor were converted. Lump it, brother give it to us in bulk.
 l If you have any scars got in honorable warfare, show them, but if you hay, scars got in ignoble warfare, do not dis play them. I know you will quote tn, Bible reference to the horrible pit iron which you were digged. Yes, be thank ful for that rescue, but do not make dis plays of the mud of that horrible pit ol splash it over other people. Sometimes
 have felt in Christian meetings discomft ed and unfit for Christian service becaus, had done none of those things whicl seemed to be in the estimation of man, necessary for Christian usefulness, for
 never swore a word, or ever got drunk or went to compromising places, or wa
 guilty of assault and battery, or eve
 uttered slanderous word, or ever dit
 any one hurt, although knew my hear
 was sinful enough; and I said to myself
 "There is no use of my trying to do an,
 good, for I never went through those de
 prayed experiences" but afterward say
 consolation in the thought that no on
 gained any ordination by the laying ol
 of the hands of dissoluteness and infamy
 And though an ordinary moral life, end
 ing in a Christian life, may not be a
 dramatic story to tell about, let us b
 grateful to God rather than worry abou l it, if we have never plunged into out
 ward abominations.
 It may be appropriate in meeting o | -1-.-
 bauchees to quote for those not reforme
 how desperate and nasty you once were
 but do not drive scavenger's cart int
 assemblages of people, the most of whor
 have always been decent and respect