Connecticut western news., 1894-04-05

Christian companionship is mine, heaven is mine. What though my apparel be worn out? Christ gives me robe of righteousness. What though my money be gone? 1 have title deed to the whole universe in the promise, All are yours! What though my worldly friends fall away Ministering angels are my body. guard. What though my fare be poor and my bread be seant? sit at the kings banquet!'
 Oh, what a poor, shallow stream is worldly enjoyment compared with the deep, broad. overf1owing river of Gods peace, rolling midway in the Christian heart, Sometimes you have gone out on the iron bound beach of the sea when there has been a storm on the ocean, and you have seen the waves dash into white foam at your feet. They did not do you any harm. While there you thoughtoi the chapter written by the psalmist. and perhaps you recited it to yourself while the storm was making commentary upon the passage: God is our refuge and strength, very present help in time of trouble Therefore will I not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the noun tains shake with the swelling thereof"
 Oh, how independent the religion of Christ makes man of worldly success and worldly circumstances! Nelson, the night before his last battle, said, "To- morrow shall win either 8 peerage or n grave in Westminster abbey" And il does not make much difference to the Christian whether he rises or falls in worldly matters. He has everlasting re nown anyway. Other plumage may be with Christian grace is fairer than the dove--its wings covered with silver and its feathers with gold,
 LURKING IN THE CUP.
 You and I have found out that people who pretend to be happy are not always happy. Look at that young man carica. turing the Christian religion, scofing at everything good, going into roisterina drunkenness, dashing the champagne bottle to the floor, rolling the glasses from the barroom counter, laughing, shouting. stamping the floor. Is he hap. py? will go to his midnight pillow. will see him turn the asoff. Twill ask myself if the pillow on which he sleeps is as soft as the pillow on which that pure young man sleeps.
 An, mol When he opens his eyes in the morning. will the world be as bright to him as to that young man who retired at night saying his prayers. invoking Gods blessing upon his own soul and the souls of his comrades and father and mother and brothers and sisters fal away? No, no! His laugh will ring out from the saloon so that you hear it as you pass by, but it is hollow laughter. In it is the snapping of heartstrings and the rattle of prison gates. Happy-that young man happy?
 Let him fiji high the bowl; he cannot drown an upbraiding conscience. Let the balls roll through the bowling alley; the deep rumble and the sharp crack can not overpower the voices of condemna- ton. Let him whirl in the dance of sin and temptation and death; all the bril- liancy of the scene cannot make him for get the last look of his mother when he left home, when she said to him: "Now, my son, you will do right; am sure you will do right. You will, won't youY That young man happy? Why, across every night there fit shadows of eternal dark. ness; there are adders coiled up in every cup; there are vultures of despair strik- ing their iron peaks into his heart; there are skeleton fingers of grief pinching at the throat.
 USEFUL RELIGION.
 I come in amid the clicking of the glasses and under the flashing of the chandeliers, and cry: "Woe! Woe! The way of the ungodly shall perish. There is.no peace, saith my God, to the wick ed. The way of transgressors is hard. 7 Oh, my friends. there is more joy in one drop of Christian satisfaction than in whole rivers of sinful delight. Other wings may be drenched of the storm and splashed of the tempest, but the dove that comes in through the window of this heavenly ark has wings like the dove covered with silver and her feath- CTS with yellow gold.
 Again, 1 remark, religion is an adorn. ment in the style of usefulness into which it inducts a man. Here are two young men. The one has fine culture, exquisite wardrobe, plenty of friends. great world. ly success, but he lives for himself. His chief care is for his own comfort. He lives uselessly. He dies unregretted Here is another young man. His ar- parel may not be so good; his education may not be so thorough. He lives for others. His happiness is to make others happy. He is as self denying as that dy. ing soldier falling in the ranks, when he said: Colonel, there is no need of those boys tiring themselves by carrying me to the hospital. Let me die just where I am." So this young man of whom I speak loves God, wants all the world to love him, is not ashamed to carry bun dle of clothes up that dark alley to the poor. Which of those yonng men do you admire the better? The one sham, the other prince imperial.
 Oh, do you know of anything, my nearer, that is more beautiful than to see young man start out for Christ? Here IS some one falling; he lifts him up. Here is a vagabond boy; he introduces him to g mission school. Here is a family freez- ing to death; he carries them scuttle of coal. There are 800, ,0OO, 900 perishing in midnight heather darkness. By ali pos sible means he tries to send them the gospel. He may be laughed at, and he may be sneered at, and he may be cari- catured, but he is not ashamed to go everywhere saying: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ It is the power of God and the wisdom of God unto sal vation."
 Such young man can go through everything. There is no force on earth or in hell that can resist him. I show you three spectacles:
 CERTAIN SPRCTACLEs.
 Spectaclesthe First-Napoleon passed by with the host that went down with him to Egypt and up with him through Russia and crossed the continent on the bleeding heart of which he set his iron heel, and across the quivering flesh of ~-,1.