Connecticut western news., 1893-04-27

their exposure, for widowhood with it's weak arm fighting for bread, for the household which erst resounded with merry voices and pattering feet now aw-- fully still-broad winged sympathy, like the feathers of the Almighty; warm blooded sympathy, everlasting sympa- thy; sympathy which shows itself in tho grasp of the hand, in the glittering tear of the eye, in the consoling word of the mouth; sympathy of blankets for the cold, of bread for the hungry, of medi- cine for the sick, of rescue for the lost. Sympathy!
 TwENTY-FoUR YEARS OF HEALTH.
 Let 1t thrill in every sermon. Let it tremble in every song. Let it gleam in every tear and in every light. Sympathy! Men and women are signing for sym pathy, grooming for sympathy, dying for sympathy, tumbling off into uncleanh- ness and crime and psrdition for lack of sympathy. May God give it to usl Fill all this pulpit with it from step to step. Let the sweep of these galleries suggest it's encircling arms. Fill all the house with it, from door to door, and from floor to ceiling, until there is no more room for it, and it shall overflow into the street, and passersby on foot and in car riage shall feel the throb of its magnif- cent benediction.
 Let that be our new departure as a church. Let that be my new departure as 8 pastor. Sympathy Gratitude to God demands that this morning men, tion the fact that during all these "A years I have missed but one service through sickness. When I entered the ministry, I was so delicate did not think Iwould preach three months, but preach ing has agreed with me, and think the healthiest thing in all the earth is the re- hgion of Jesus Christ. Bless the Lord, o my soul! What ingrates we are in re- gard to our health!
 must, in gratitude to God, also men, tion the multitudes to whom have been permitted to preach. It is simply mirac- ulous, the attendance morning by morn ing, night by night, and year by year, and long after it has got to be an old story. I know some people are dainty and exclusive in their tastes. As for my self, like big crowd. would like to see an audience large enough to scare mel If this gospel is good, the more that get it the better.
 Many have received the gospel here, but others have rejected it. Now, tell you what am going to do with some of my dearest friends who have hitherto rejected the gospel. You are not afraid of me, and I am not afraid of you, and some day, o brother, I will clasp your hands together, and I will turn your face the other way, and I will take hold of your shoulders, and while you are help less in my grasp will give you one head long push into the king 1om of God. Christ says we must compel you to come in. will compel you to come in. Can I consent to anything else with these men, who are as dear to me as my own soul? I will compel you to come in. THE PAST HAS LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE. Profting by tho mistakes of the past, must do better work for you and better work for God. Lest 1 might, through some sudden illness or casualty, be snatched away before have the oppor- tunity of doing so, take this occasion to declare my love for you as a people. It is different work if pastor is placed in church already built mp, and he is surrounded by established circum- stances There are not 10 people in this church that have not ben brought into the church through my ministry. You are my family. I feel as much at home aere as do in my residence on Oxford street. You are my family-my father, ny mother. my sister, my son, my daughter. You are my joy and crown, the subject of my prayers.
 Your present and everlasting welfare is the object of my ambition. have no worldly ambition. I had once. I have not now. I know the world about as we'll as any one knows it. have heard the handclapping of its applause, and I have heard the hiss of it's opposition, and declare to you that the former is not especially to be sought for, nor is the lat ter to be feared. The world has given me about all the comfort and prosperity it can give man, and have no worldly ambition. have an all consuming ambi- tion to make full proof of my ministry, to get to heaven myself and to take a great crowd with me. Upon your table and cradle and armchair and pillow and lounge and nursery and drawing room and kitchen may the blessing of the Al mighty God come down!
 During these 24 years there is hardly a family that has not been invaded by sor- row or death. Where are those grand old men, those glorious Christian women, who used to worship with us? Why, they went away into the next world so grad ually that they had concluded the second stanza or the third stanza in heaven be- fore you knew they were gone. They had on the crown before you thought they had dropped the staff of the earthly | pilgrimage.
 And then the dear children. Oh, how | many have gone out of this churchl You | could not keep them. You folded them | in your arms and said: 70 God, can not give them upl Take all else, take
 my property, take my reputation, but let me keep this treasure. Lord, I can. | not bear this"
 | THE LAND OF NO PARTING. | Oh, if we could all die togetheri Ii
 we could keep all the sheep and the
 lambs of the family fold together until
 some bright spring day, the birdl
 s-chant, and the waters a-glitter, and
 then we could altogether hear the voice
 of the good Shepherd and hand in hand
 pass through the foodi No, no, no, no Oh, If we only had notice that we are al
 to depart together, and we could say te
 our families: "The time has come. The
 Lord bids us away" And then we could
 take our little children to their beds ant
 straighten out their limbs and say
 "Now, sleep the last sleep. Good nigh
 until it is good morning." And then VI
 could go to our own couches and say
 "Now, altogether we are ready to go
 Our children are gone; now let us de
 part"