The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-05-17


cheerful spot on earth.
Let me say that I do not want ANYBODY 10
come whining around me about the Christian
religion. have no faith in n religion made
up OF equal parts OF NORWOOD. vinegar and
| red pepper. II the religion that Is presented
to u' be depression. we will get along
| better without ". lit he n ioy let Il shine
out from your face and from your conversa-
fion. IL n man comes TO my house 20 talk oi
religion with luguhrious countennnce and
manner full of snifie and dolorousncss, I
feel like saying TO nv wife, "You had better
lock mp the silver before he steals some
thing" have found Il nm invariable rule
That men who profess faith In the Lord
Jesus Christ priding themselves at the same
time on their sanctimonlousness. always
turn out badly-I never knew an exception
while those who are the most consistent.
the most useful and the most consecrated
have perfume In their conversation and
heaven IN their face.
The happiest Christians that I have ever
known have been persons from sixty 10 eighty
years OF age. By that time people get over
the shams and the pretenses OF society and
have no longer any patience with anything
ike imposture In religion. q Christian. how
dare you be gloomy? Il not Goi youi Father
Is not Jesus Christ your Snviourp Hrs not
your path all through life heen strewn with
mercies7 Are YOU In sensible to the fact that
land-1oxologies OF celestial worship, eternal
chorals, fearless eyes. songs that resound
under arches az strength and hosannas that
clap their hands at the foot Of the throney
Is It nothing to you that all the hills n
heaven are radiant with the faces Of those
who have gone up from you and who arc watt
ing FOR youT coming. ready TO keep with you
eternal holiday Is there nothing in songs
that never cease, In hearts that ,ver ache.
In splendors that never die. 10 make you
gladP Then take no more mercy at the hand
ofthy God Give back the marriage ring OF
love that Jesus put on your finger in the dav
OF your espousnl! Plant no more OF the
flowers of heaven where there ought TO be
nothing but nettles and nichtshadel
We tryto make this church "a cheerful
church. man on Saturday afternoon
stands in his store and says "How shall I
meet these obligations? How can endure
this new disaster that IN coming upon meg'
He goes home. Sabbath morning finds him
In the house OF God. Through the song
through the sermon. through the prayer, the
Lord Jesus Christ says to that man 30
man, / have watched thee. l have seen all
thy struggles. II Is enough. will see thee
through. i will stand between thee and thy
creditors. | will make up In heavenly
treasures what you have lost in earthly
treasures. Courage, mau, courage! Angels
OF God, / command you 10 clear the track
with your golden sceptcrs strike for his de-
Tense throw around him all the defenses of
eternity" What is the consequence? That
business man is strengthened. He goes 20
the store next day feeling that God is with
him and ready to deliver.
That same Sunday there Is poor old wo-
man in the church hearing the gospel Oh,
how shrunken she Is She wears the same
dress she wore twenty years ago. How faded
II Is aud now out ofdate She sits aud listens
rs well as she can. Her eyes are so dim she
cannot see half way across the church. Her
ear Is so imperfect that she can only catch
occasionally note OF the psalm or u wori
OF the preacher. Some one sitting next TO
her gives her 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 voice all full OF tremors
sings
Jesus, lover OF my s1u'.
Let me % Thy bosom rs
While the pillows near m roll,
While the tempest It II IL hisl.
Hide ms, my Svour. hide,
Till tue storm OF life ~ past.
Safe into the ssven guide
Oh, rece We my soul at lat.
And Jesus says to her. "Mother. are YOU
weary" And she says, Yes. Jesus, am
ves--iired" -Ies's-savs "Mother n-s vow
poorY' And she says: Eyes,
poor. I cannot sew any more. cannot
knit any more. l am very poor" Jesus
says to her. "Mother would you like TO
rest?' She says, eyes. Lord that ia what
/ want-rest." Courage. mother" says
Jesus. II will see thee through"
She goes home The next morning In the
tenement housPq some one dwelling on
another floor c, .ncsto her room and knocks.
No answer The door Is opened. she IL
dead The night before the chariots 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 Goa for the height, the deptn.
the length aud the breadth OF such Christian
comfort Oh. that We might have such Joy
as that which Insp rel the men at the battle
OF Leuthen They were singing Christian
song us they went into battle. A general
said to the king. 'Shall stop those people
mo" said the king. Men that
sing like that can fight | would that we
had a singing church, u joyful church. n ju-
biant church. u comforting church, for then
we would have triumphant churcn.
remark, further, that we have here tried
to build Il church abreast OF the times. IL *
all folly for us to try TO do things the way
they did fifty or 100 years ago. We might as
well be plowing with EiiJah's crooked stick.
or go into battle with Saul's armor. or prefer
u canalboat to an express train. rs TO be
clinging to old things. What We most need
now is wide awake church. People who
ue Oul III tut WpEii tll tub Wotk,
against this lightning footed century, come
into the church on the Sabbath and 20 right
TO sleep unless they have u spirited service.
Men engaged in literary cillings all the
week, reading pungent, sharp writings, eau
not be expected TO come and hear our eccle-
slastical humdrum.
II II man stay at home on Sundays and
reads the newspapers, II Is because the news
papers 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 insDirer
OF the age. II is all folly for US 10 be dis
cussing old issues--arraigning Nero, hang
ing Absalom, striking the Philistlnes with
Shamgars OK Goad-when all around about
US Rre iniquties to be slain.
Did l say that the church ought TO be
abreast OF the times? take that back. The
church OF God ought to be ahead oi the times
AS far In advance as the cross OF Christ Is
ahead of all human invention. Paul was
1000 years ahead OF the day in which he
lived. The swift footed years that have
passed since Luther died have not yet come
up to Luther's grave. Give iniquity 1000
wears the start and the feet of ChrIstianity