Democratic messenger., 1894-04-07

I image nfetCIitt to Il CROWDED dunlcHce Dll
a subject of unusual interest. a. illustrat-
ing the sustaining power of religion 10
those who are i'll daily contact with the
world its trials and temptations. The
text chosen was Psalms xviii, 13,
Though We have lain among the pots,
q, scred with silver and her feathers
" tn yellow gold"
suppose Won know what the lsraelites
did down in Egyptian slavery. They
made bricks Amid the utensils of the
brickkiln there Were also other utensils
of cookery the kettles. the pots, the
pans. with which they prepared their
daily food, and when these poor slaves,
tired of the day 5 work. lay down to rest
they lay down among the implements Of
cookery and the implements of hard
work. When they arose i'll the morning,
they found their garments covered with
the clay, and the smoke. and the dust.
and besinirched and begrimed with the
utensils Of cookery.
But after awhile the Lord broke up
that slavery. and he took these poor
slaves into IA land where they had better
gar;.. Light and clean and beautiful ap-
parel No more bricks for them To make.
Let Pharaoh make his own bricks. When
David jim my text, comes To describe the
transition of these poor lsraelites from
their bondage amid the brickkilns into
the glorious emancipation for which God
had prepared them. he says, Though We
have lain among the pots. yet shall ye
be as the wings of dove covered with
silver and her feathers with yellow
gold"
HARD TASkMASTER.
Miss Whately, the author of cele-
brated book. Life In Egypt" said she
sometimes saw people i'll the east cooking
their food on the tops of houses, and that
she had often seen just before sundown
pigeons and doves. which had during the
heat of the day been hiding among the
kettles and the pans with which the food
was prepared. picking upthe crumbs that
they might find. Just about the hour of
sunset they would spread their wings
and fly heavenward. entirely unsoiled by
the region in which they had moved, for
the pigeon is "A very cleanly bird.
And rs the pigeons flew away the set
ting sun would throw silver ON their
wings and gold ON their breasts. SO you
see il is not farfetched simile or an
unnatural comparison when David, in
my text, says Ia these emancipated lsra-
elites, and says TO ali those who are
brought out of any kind of trouble into
any kind of spiritual joy. Though We
have lain among the pots, yet shall We
be as the wings of dove covered with
silver and her feathers with yellow gold. y
Sin is the hardest of all taskmasters.
Worse than Pharaoh. il keeps us drudg-
ing in most degrading service, but
ufter awhile Christ comes. and he says.
Let my people GO and we pass ont
from among the brickkilns of sin into
the glorious liberty of the gospel. We
put ON the clean robes of "A Christian
profession, and when at last we soar
away To the warm nest which God has
provided for us in heaven we shall go
fairer than dove. its wings covered
with silver and its feathers with yellow
gold.
THE DOVE A. COMPARISON.
l am going To preach something which
some of you do not believe. and that is
that the grandest possible adornment is
the religion of Jesus Christ. There are
a great many people who suppose that
religion is IA very different thing from
what il really is. The reason men con-
denim the Bible is because they do not
understand the Bible. They have not
properly examined il. DIR. johnson said
that Hume told minister i'll the bishop
ric of Durham that he had never par
ticularly examined the New Testament,
yet all his life warning against it. Hal
ley. the astronomer. announced his skep-
ticism 10 Sir Isaac Newton, and Sir Isaac
Newton said: Now, sir, ! have exam-
ined the subject, and you have not. And
! am ashamed that you, protesting 10 be
d philosopher, consent to condemn "A
thing you have never examined"
And SO men reject the religion Of Jesus
Christ because they really have never in
vestigated it. They think il something
undesirable. something that will not
work, something Pecksniffian. something
hypocritical. something repulsive. when
1t is SO bright and so beautiful You might
compare it to chaffinch, You might com
pare it 10 robin red breast, YOU might
compare il To "A dove-its wings covered
with silver and its feathers with yellow
gold.
But how is it if IA Young man becomes
Christian: All through the clubrooms
where he associates, all through the busi-
ness circles where he is known, there is
commiseration. They say, What a pity
that "A young man who had such bright
prospects should SO have been despoiled
by those Christians. giving up all his
worldly prospects for something which
is of no particular present worth" Here
Is young woman who becomes Chris
tian-her voice. her face, her manners
the charm of the drawing room.
Now all through the fashionable cir
cles the whisper goes. What pity that
such bright light should have been ex-
tinguishei, that such graceful gait
should be crippled. that such worldly
prospects should be obliteratedr' All,
my friends. ii can De shown that re-
ligion's ways are ways of pleasantness
and that all her paths are peace; that re-
ligiOn. inste;l of being dark and doleful
and lachrymose and repulsive, is bright
and beautiful. fairer than dove, its
wings covered with silver and its feath-
ers with yellow gold.
DROWNING TROU BILE.
See. in the first place, what religion will
do for rians heart. care not how
cheerful man may naturally be before
conversion, conversion brings him up to