Connecticut western news., 1892-01-28

money, or if he have an extensive traffic; but in my thread and needle store, in my trimming establishment, ! in the humble work in life that am called to, the sphere is too small for the action of such grand heavenly principles. Who told you so3 Do you not know that God watches the faded leaf on the brooks surface as i certainly as he does the path of blazing srn2 And the moss that creepS up the side of the rock makes as much impression upon Gods mind as the waving tops of Oregon pine and Lebanon cider; and the alder, cracking under the cows hoof. sounds as loud in Gods ear as the snap of a worlds confagration.
 When you have anything to do in life, however humble it may seem to i be, God is always there to help you to do 1t. If your work is that of fish erman, then God will help you, as he helped Simon when he dragged Gen nesaret. If your work is drawing water, then he will help you, as when he talked at the well curb to the Sa- maritan woman. If you are engaged in the custom house he will lead you, as he led Matthew sitting at the re- ceipt of customs. A religion that is not good in one place is not worth anything in another place. The man who has only>a days wages in his pocket as certainly needs the guid ance of religion as he who rattles the keys of bank and could abscond with hundred thousand hard dol lars.
 There are those prominent in the churches who seem to be, on public occasions, very devout, who do not put the principles of Christ's religion into practice. They are the most in exorable of creditors. They are the most grasping of dealers. They are known as sharpers on the street They fleece every sheep they can catch. A country merchant comes in to buy spring or fall goods, and he | gets into the store of one of these | professed Christian men who have really no grace in their hearts and he is completely swindled.
 He Is so overcome that he cannot get out of town during the week. He stays in town over Sunday, goes into some church to get Christian consolation, when what is his amaze ment to find that the very man who hands him the poor box ill the church is the one who relieved him of his moneyl But never mind; the deacon has his black coat on now. He looks solemn, and goes home talking about ''the blessed sermon" If the wheat in the churches should be put into a hopper. the first turn of the crank would make the chaff fly, tell you.
 Some of these men are great stick lers for Gospel preaching. They say You stand there in bands and sur plice and gown, and preach-preach like an angel and we will stand out here and attend to business. Don't mix things. Don't get business and religion in the same bucket. You attend to your matters and we will attend to ours" They do not know that God sees every cheat they have practiced in the last six years; that he can look through the iron wall of their fireproof safe; that he has counted every dishonest dollar they have in their pocket, and that day of judgment will come. These incon- sistent Christian men will sit on the Sabbath night in the house of God, singing, at the close of the service, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, and then. when the benediction is pro nounced, shut the pew door and say, as they go out, "Goodby, religion. I'll be back next Sunday"
 THE CHURCH IS THE CHRISTIANS AR
 IVORY
 I think that the church of God and the Sabbath are only an ar1nory where we are toget weapons. When war comes, if man wants to fight for his country he does not go to Troy or Springfield to do battling, but he goes there for swords and muskets. look upon the church of Christ and the Sabbath day as only the place and time where and when we are to get armed for Christian conflict; but the battlefield is on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thurs day. Friday and Saturday. "St. Martins" and "Lenox" and "Old Hundred" do not amount to anything unless they sing all the week. A sermon is useless unless we can take it with us behind the blow and the counter The Sabbath day is worth less if it last only twenty four hours.
 There are many Christians who say: We are willing to serve God, but we do not want to do it in these spheres about which we are talking. md it seems so insipid and monoto nous. If we had some great occasion, if we had lived in the time of Luther. if we had been Paul's travelling com panion. if we could serve God on a great scale. we would do it; but we cant in this everyday life" admit that a great deal of the romance and knight elrantry of life have disap- peared before the advance of this practical age.
 The ancient temples of Rouen have been changed into storehouses and smithies The residences of poets and princes have been turned into brokers shops. The classic mansion of Ashland has been cut up into walk ing sticks. The groves where the poets said the gods dwelt have been carted out for fire wood. The muses that we usel to read about have dis appeared before the emigrant's aX and the trapper's gun, and that man who is waiting for life bewitched of wonders will never find it. There is, hoIvever a field for endurance and