Morning journal and courier., 1893-04-17
ouuRoH OF THE MESSIAH.


 CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH. Rev. Charles Conklin of Boston Dee Iivers an Excellent Sermon Before Large Audience at the First Uni- versalist Church.
 Rev. Charles Conklin of Boston delivered an interesting sermon yesterday morning in the Church of the Messiah to large audience. His text was "Whst shall do to be ssveda Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."-Acts, xvi, 3o-31. He spoke in the main as fol- lows:
 Certainly no great teacher has ever SO impressed the world as the prophet of Nazareth, who not only declared the sub lime doctrine of the universal fatherhood, but that of the universal brotherhood as we'll. Back of every historic success, whether in war, in literature, in art or in science, you find that the attitude of belief | is the promoter. Belief gives speed to the endeavor. And that, if the endeavor be legitimate, is of great advantage. The prizes of life, though not always to the
  short and art is so long 1t doesn't do to hesitate too much over the possibilities of endssvor. If believe in the safety and the true direction of the highway on which am travelling my steps need not lsg. But if my steps are burdened with doubt I must often stop to sorutinizs the path and must needs stand perplsxsd in front of many guide board.
 Doubt delays us Doubt asks tima fer argument. And if it be doubt alone, and | not the psth-naksr for larger faith, 1t chills enthusiasm. When a man believes | in the Christian character he strives with all his strength to attain that. He isn't disturbed because other people prefer some other way. That is their business. With enthusiasm and courage and spiritual rapport he mines the rich wealth of the Christian system and finds that no human life is long enough to exhaust Its treasure. Belief also inspires persistenes, the inde- fatigable application that wrssts success most barraa possibilities. We are making ourselves very familiar in these days with the illustration which the life of Columbus affords. But the test goes very much further and tells us that he shall be safe in life or death who believes in Jesus Christ.
 We are drawn to Christ's method of life by the moral magnetism of his character. Whatever is great inspires emulation. Un- consciously we grow into likeness of what we admire.
 Again Jesus encourages and strengthens us by the immense and far-resehing fact that he lived the ideal life. In his best moments every man ysarna for an ideal life, though perhaps few realize what inf nite perfections are involved in the ideal. What is the idssls In art 1t is form 50
 harmonious in proportion, go graceful in
 outline, go natural in pose that the eye
 beholding it, could ask no more.
 In music 1t is chord so harmonious, @
 note so pure that the ear hearing it could
 ask no more. In literature 1t is line of
 poetry or prose so unerring in grammer in l measure, in taste that the mind eontem-
 plating 1t could ask no more.
 In the ideal every sense takes perfect satis faction. Do you wonder then, that poets
 tell of the song that has never yet
 found words, that artists speak of the
 face or form that has never yet been re-
 leased from it's marble prison, that the so- cialist dreams yet of 8 state the world has
 never seen, that the best of moralists feel , that human nature is everywhere incom-
 plete. The philosophers have cheered us
 with their great, uplifting prophecies, but Jesus has assured us by his life that every } man can be what in his dearest and noblest moments he knows he should be. What i hollow and even cruel mockery in those words of oommand: "Follow thou me, and "Be ye perfect" if the gospel of Jesus is not the prophetic revelation that we , too are to be as the very Christ. Lastly, for the time will not permit mt to go over all the ground, Jesus saves ul
 from sin, by revealing to us the tru, ) nature of God and our flial relations tt l him.
 !, Saves us, gay from sin, because in tn, light of that wonderful truth that God ii love all sin becomes loathsoms to every generous and appreoiative soul. mar 3 might easily sin to spite hating God. 4 8 man believing in an absentee or indifferen to himself that however weak and miser l. able his condition may be he alone suffer-
 by it, but when 1t is seen by any man tha z above and about him is the infnit q l and sovereign father, who created hin t in love, who sustains him in love through f life, who in love will gather him to him |. self when the weary struggle Is over a a last, who mourns with Fathers grle A over human waywardness, crying, "Hov
 powerful of all moral motives Is brsugh a te bear upon him. It is infamous to re . turn hate for love. It is base ingratituG . to violate and deseerate the holy tempt ! which God in love hath made. Every r thing that is good and noble in us is ap - pealed to by the revelation of Jesus, ant l. by his religion we are given the spirit 0 . love aud of power and of a sount
 mind. Try it anywhere, friends, ant , | note the potency of this revelation.
 recall an instance mentioned by that ex l cellent lady Mrs. Johnson, the matron 0 = the woman's prison at Sherburne in Massa . chusetts. There came to the institution ] one day woman whose nature was wild : whose spirit was evil and turbulent Al l the slightest provoeatien she screamed enc @ swore until even ths hardened sinners 7 there covered their ears in horror. Ths r good matron took this woman into her pri - are exerting dreadful influence here, an6 e I wish you would try very hard to contro ? yourself. Whenever you find yoursel1
 about to scream please come to me and il
 you want to after I have showed yor
 something have among my books, I will consent to your doing so Before , long the woman came tearing , into the office, with burning cheeks, anc :. deolsred: 'Tps no uss, Mrs. Johnson,
 must scream and swear, and you must l..
 me-"
 Reaching to shelf above her, Mrs John ? son took down Whittier's poems, and turn . ing to ''His Eternal Goodness" read Ii
 through, verse by verse. The woman, a , first restless and angry, gradually gave hel 4 attention to 1t, and at last listened witt l wonder r-stricken face. When the reader F had finished, the woman asked in anxious q tones:
 !. 'Is all that truea Do you believe tha ] that is true, Mrs. Johnsoni Is God nk, r thatP'
 q "Yes," was the reply, land even the fin. old poet could not tell half the story. Goo
 Is even better than that"
 T "Then, gaspsd the woman, sI must s never scream or swear againi" @ And she never did. Learning 1t bI a heart, it became the saving influence O . her life.
 Poor as the witness may bs, my owl 7 salvation came through this revelation O r the Fatherhood of God, made througt
 Jesus Christ. That to me Is now the on,
 lesson of the universe.
 2 "I hear it in each breath of wind;
 The hills that have for ages stood,
 The clouds with gold and silver lined, All still repeat that God is good. 1 The countless hosts of twinkling stars