The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-05-18

she can only catch occasionally note Of
the psalm or word of the preacher,
Some one sitting next to her, gives her q
book and finds the place for her. She
says, "Thank you, miss; thank you,
She holds the book close up to her eyes
and with a voice all full of tremors
sings:
Jesus. lover of my soul.
Let me to thy bosom fly
While the pillows near me roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, o my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life is past.
Safe into the haven guide
Oh, receive my soul at last.
And Jesus says to her, Mother are
you weary" And she says, Eyes, Jesus,
| am very tired" Jesus says, Mother,
are you poor?' And she says: Yes, !
am very poor. | cannot sew any more,
cannot knit any more. lam very poor.
Jesus says to her, Mother, would you
like to rest?" She says, "Yes, Lord;
that is what l want-rest." Courage,
mother" says Jesus. 81 will see thee
| through"
She goes home. The next morning in
the tenement house some one dwelling
on another floor comes to her room and
knocks. No answer. The door is opened.
She is dead! The night before the chart
OTIS of God halted at that pillow of straw,
and Jesus kept his promise. He said
that he would give her rest, and he has
given her rest. Glory be to God for the
height, the depth, the length and the
breadth of such Christian comfort! Oh
that we might have such joy as that
which inspired the men at the battle Of
Leuthen! They were singing Chris
tian song as they went into battle. A
general said to the king, "Shall l stop
those people singing?" mo" said the
king. MEN that sing like that can
fight" would that we had singing
church, a joyful church, a jubilant
church. comforting church, for then
we would have triumphant church.
An Up to Date Church.
l remark, further, that we have here
tried to build church abreast of the
times. 1t is all folly for us to try to do
things the way they did so or 100 years
ago. We might as well be blowing with
Elijah's crooked stick, or go into battle
with Saul's armor, or prefer a canalboat
to an express train, as to be clinging to
old things. What we most need now is
a wide awake church. People who are
out in the world all the week, iostling
against this lightning footed century,
come into the church on the Sabbath and
go right to sleep unless they have a spir-
tied service. Men engaged in literary
callings all the week, reading pungent,
sharp writings, cannot be expected to
come and hear our ecclesiastical hum
drum.
If man stays at home on Sundays and
reads the newspapers, it is because the
newspapers are more interesting We
need, my brethren, to rouse up and stop
hunting with blank cartridges. The
church of God ought to be the leader,
the interpreter, the inspirer of the aye.
1t is all folly for us to be discussing old
Nero, hanging Absa-
lon, striking the Philistines with Sham
CARS OK goad-when all around about us
are iniquities to be slain.
Did say that the church ought to be
abreast of the times? l take that back
The church of God ought to be ahead
of the times-as far in advance as the
cross of Christ is ahead of all human in
vention. Paul was 1000 years ahead of
the day in which he lived. The swift !
footed years that have passed since Lu-
Their died have not yet come up to Lu-
theirs grave, Give iniquity 1000 years
the start, and the feet of Christianity are
50 nimble that if you will but give it full !
swing it will catch up and pass it in two
bounds. The church of God ought to be
ahead of the times.
A Church That Converts.
remark, further, that we have tried |
lere, in the love and fear of God, to build |
4 church that would be characterized by !
| have heard of very good |
people who could preach on for 10 or 90 |
years and see no conversions, but yet |
nave faith. 1t takes very good man to
10 that. do not know how man can
Keep his faith up if souls are not brought
TO the Lord Jesus Christ. That church
that does not bring men and women to
.he feet of the Saviour is a failure. l
care not how fine the building, or how
sweet the music, or how eloquent the
preaching. or how elegant the surround
is failure. The church of God
was made for just one thing-to get men
out Of the world into the kingdom of
The tendency in churches is to spend
heir time in giving fine touches to Chris
ians already polished. We keep our re-
igiOn too much indoors and under shell
er, when it ought to be climbing the
'Ocks or hewing in the forests. Then it
would be stalwart religion, robust
'eligion, religion able to digest the
strong meat of the word, instead of be-
ng kept on the pap and Cruel of spiritual
nvalidism. 1t is high time that we threw
IF the Sunday clothes of sickly senti-
mentality and put on the workday dress
# an earnest, active Christianity.
Here is Brooklyn, here is New York,
lere are the United States, here is the
whole world, to be converted. 1t is 1894
ears since Christ came, and yet Europe,
Asia, Africa, North and South America
still l.. |