The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-10-18


and spend the last prayer in preparing
to start for home. The most insignif-
cant part OF overy religious service Is
the sermon. The more important parts
are the Scripture lesson and the prayer.
The sermon Is only man talking TO q
man. The Scripture lesson Is God
talking 10 man. Prayer Is man talk
ing to God. o, II we understood the
grandeur and psthos Of this exercise OF
prayer, instead of beinga dull exer-
else, we would imagine that the room
was full OF divine and angelic appear
ances.
But, my friends, the old style OF
church will not do the work. We
might as well now try TO take all the
passengers from New York to Buffalo
by stage coach, or all the passengers
from Albany to Buffalo by canal boat,
or do all the battling of the world with
bow and arrow, as with the old style
of church to meet the oxigcnoies OF
this day. Unless the church in our day
will adapt itself to the time II will be-
come extinct The people reading
newspapers and books all the week,
in alert, picturesque and resounding
style, will have no patience with Sab
bath humdrum. We have no objections
TO bands and surplice, and all the para
phernalia Of clerical life; but there
things make no impression-make no
more impression on the great masses
Of the people than the ordinary busf
ness suit that you wear In Wall street.
A tailor cannot make minister. Some
Of the poorest preachers wear the best
clothes; and many backwoodsman
has dismounted from the saddlebags,
and in his linen duster preached scr
mon that shook earth and heaven with
It's Christian sloquence. No new gos-
! pei only the old gospel in way suited
TO the time. No new church, but a
church to be the asylum, the inspira-
tion, the practical sympathy and the
eternal help of the people.
--~But while half of the doors OF the
church are to be set open toward this
world, the other half OF the doors OF
this church must be set open toward
the next. You and tarry here only n
brief space. We want somebody to
teach US how TO get out Of this life ut
the right time and in the right way.
Some fall out Of life, some go STUN
bling out Of life, some go groaning out
of life, some go cursing out Of life. We
want to go singing, rising, re1oic-
ing, triumphing We want half the
doors Of the church set in that direo-
ton. We want half the prayers that
wny, half the sermons that way. We
want 10 know how to get ashore from
the tumult Of this world into the land
of everlasting peace. We do not want
to stand doubling and shivering when
we 20 away from this world; we want
our anticipations aroused to the high
est pitch We want to have the ex'
hilaration of dying child In England,
the father telling me the story. When
he said TO her, us the path narrow
she answered: "The path Is narrow
Il is so narrow that cannot walk arr
In arm with Christ 80 Jesus aoe'
ahead, and lie says, Nary, fd
low" Through these church gates
set heavenward how many OF YOU
friends and mine have gone? The las
: time they were out of the house they
: came TO church. The earthly pilgrim
age ended at the pillar of public wor
ship, and then they marched out to
bigger and brighter assemblage. Som'
Of them were 30 old they could mo-
walk without cane or two crutches
now they have eternal iuvenescence
Or they were so young they could no
walk except as the maternal hant
guided them; now they bound witt
the hilarities celestial. The last TIM
we saw them they were wasted viii
,, malaria or pulmonic disorder; but nov
they have no fatigue. and no difficulty
Of respiration in the pure mir OF Heaven
How / wonder when YOU and VII
cross over! Some Of you have haI
|, about enough Of the humping nnt
failing of this life. A draught from
the fountains of Heaven would do yoI
good. Complete release you coult
stand very well. II You got on th'
other side, and had permission to com,
back, you would not come. Thougi
you we're invited TO come back ant
ioin your friends on earth, you would
say: mo, let me tarry here till the!
=, come; shall not risk going back; II
man reaches Heaven he had bette
stay here"
, o, l Join hands with you this mornint
In that uplifted splendor.
When the shore is won at last
Who will count the billows pasN
{ In Freybourg, Switzerland, there 1
Q the trunk Of n tree four hundred year
i old. That tree was planted TO com
Q memorate an event. About ten mile
! from the city the Swiss conquered tn
q Burgundians, and a young man wantet
r TO take the tidings to the city. He tool
a tree branch and ran with such spec
! the ten miles, that when he reaches
= the city waving the tree branch, he ha,
only strength TO cry "VictoryP an,
: dropped dead. The tree branch tha
= he carried was planted and II grew +
. be a great tree twenty feet in circum
Q ference, and the remains OF II are ther
4 TO this day. My hearer, when yo,
J. have fought your last battle with si
n and death and hell, and they have bee
n routed In the conflict IL will be 10
!. worthy OF celebration. You will fly 3
:. the city and cry "Victoryr' and dro
= at the feet of the great king. The
q the palm branch of the earthly rae
, will be planted TO become the out
u branching tree OF everlasting rejoicing
q When shall these eyes thy hesven'ouili wall