Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-02-04

/ AdEtl hDiitAtN
There are those prominent in the church
* who seem To he on public occasions very
devout who do not put the principles OF
/ Christ's religion into practice They are
the most inoxorable OF creditors. They are
the most grasping Of dealers. They are
known rs sharpers on the street. They
fleece every sheep they can catch. coun-
try merchant comes in to buy spring or fall
goods and he gets into the store OF one of
these protested Christian men who have IT.
lily no grace in their hearts, and ne is com
pletely swindled lie is 50 overcome that
he cannot get ont of town during the week.
lie stays in town over Sunday, goes into
some church to get Christian consolation,
when what is his Amusement to Ind that
the very man who hanls him the poor box
in the church is the onr who relieved him
of his money But never m.nd, the deacon
has his black coat on NOW He looks sol
emn and goes home talking about the
blessed sermon
TIIR WHEAT AND CHAP NOW MINGLED.
II the wheat in the churches should be put
into hopper the first turn Of the crank
would make the chat fly. tell you. Some
of these men are great sticklers for Gospel
preaching They say You stand there in
bands aud surplice aud gown and preach
preach like an angel aud we will stand ont
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 freproof safe that be has
counted every dishonest dollar they have
in their pocket. and that day of iudg
ment will come. These inconsistent Chris
tian 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 rs
they 20 out. "Goodby religion. I'll be back
next Sunday
think that the Church Of God and the
Sabbath are only an armory where we are
TO get weapons. When war comes, If a man
wants 10 fight for his country he does not
20 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 a. only the place aud time
where and when we are TO get armed for
Christian conflict. but the battlefield is on
Monday, Tuesday. "Wednesday. Thursday.
Friday and Saturday 'St Martins and
= l.enox and odd Hundred do not
amount to anything unless they sing all
the week A sermon is useless unless we
can take It with rs behind the pillow and
the counter The SaRh,th day is worthless
If it last only twenty four hours.
There are many Christians who say
1--WE are willing TO serve God. but we do
not want to do IL in these spheres about
which we are talking. and ii seems so in
spid and monotonous II we had some
great occasion, If we had lived in the time
OF Luther. il we had been paul's travelling
companion. II we could serve God on
great scale, we would do il. but we can't
in this everyday life" admit that
great deal OF the romance and knight err
rantry Of life have disappeared 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 walking
sticks The groves where the poets said
the gods dwelt have been carted out for
firewood The muses. that we used to read
about have disappeared before the emf
grants AK and the trapper's gun, and that
man who il waiting for life bewitched Of
wonders will never find it
TnE GREAT FIELD or DAILY LIFE.
There is. however. "A field for endurance
and great achievement, but it is in every
day life There are Alps to scale, there are
Tablespoons to swim. there are fires to
brave. but they are all around US now.
This is the hardest kind of martyrdom to
bear. 1t took grace to lead l.atimer and
Ridley through the fire triumphantly
when theirarmed enemies and their friends
were looking on. but it requires more
grace now TO bring men through persecu-
ton. when nobody is looking on | could
show you in this city woman who has had
rheumatism for twenty years. who has en-
dured more suffering and exhausted more
grace than would have made twenty mar
tyrs pass triumphantly through the fire, |
Ii you are not faithful in an Insignificant |
position in life. you would not be faithful
in grand mission. If you cannot stand
the bite of nudge, how could you endure
the breath of a basiliskY
DO not think that any work God gives
you to do in the world is on too small a
scale for you to do The whole universe is |
not ashamed to take care of one little
flower | say; What are you doing down
here in the grass. you poor little flower? |
Are you not afraid nightsS You will be
neglected you will die of thirst. you will
not be fed Poor little iowerl" NO." /
says a star 'I'l watch over it tonight"
No" says cloud, "Pll give it drink"
no" says the sun, "Ill warm it in my |
bosom" Then | see the pulleys going, and
the clouds are drawing water, and say. |
What are you doing there. o cloudsg"
And they reply, 1--WE are giving drink to
that fiower'
Then the wind rises and comes bending
down the wheat and sounding its psalm
through the forest. and | cry, WHITTIER
away on such swift wing, o windS" And
it replies, I'VE are going to cool the cheek
of that flower" And then bow down and |
say. "Will God take care of the grass of
the fields" And Il flower at my foot re-
spends Yes: he clothes the lilies of the
field. and never yet has forgotten me, a
poor little flower" Oh, when | see the
great heavens bending themselves to what
seems insignificant ministrations, when