The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1894-05-31

cheerful spot on earth.
Let me say that do not want anybody Il
come whining around me about the Christian
religion. have no faith in a religion mad
W. OF equal parts OF wormwood. vinegar an'
red pepper II the religion that is presented
tto us be n depression. we will get alons
better without it. If 1t be Joy, let it shin
out from your face and from your converse
ton II a man comes to my house to talk o
religion with lugubrious countenRnce an
manner full of sniffle and dolorousness,
feel like saying to my wife, You had bette
lock up the silver before he steals some
thing" have found it an invariable rule
that men who profess faith in the Lort
Jesus Christ. priding themselves at the SANE
time on their sanctimoniousness always
turn out badly-I never knew an exception
| while those who are the most consistent
the most useful and the most consecrateC
have perfume in their conversation anc
| heaven In their face.
| The happiest Christians that have evei
known have been persons from sixty to 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
| like imposture in religion. o Christian, how
dare you he gloomy? Is not God your Father
Is not Jesus Christ your Saviour? Has not
your path all through life been strewn with
mercies7 Are you insensble to the fact that
Iland-doxologies OF celestial worship, eternal
chorals, fearless eyes, songs that resound
under arches @ { strength and hosannas that
clap their hands at the foot of the throne?
Is it nothing to you that all the hills Of
heaven are radiant with the faces of those
who have gone up from you and who are wait
ing for your coming. ready to keep with you
eternal holiday? Is there nothing in songs
that never cease, in hearts that never ache,
in splendors that never die, to make you
glad? Then take no more mercy at the hand
of thy God Give back the marriage ring of
love that Jesus put on your finger in the day
of your espousal! Plant no more of the
flowers of heaven where there ought to be
nothing but nettles and nightshade.
We try to make this church cheerful
church A man on Saturday afternoon
stands in his ators and says Glow shall l
meet these obligations? How can endure
this new disaster that is coming upon me?"
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 70
man, have watched thee. l have seen all
thy struggles. 1t Is enough. 1 will see thee
through l will stand between thee and thy
creditors. I will make up In heavenly
treasures what you have lost In earthly
treasures. Courage, man, courage Angels
of God, command you to clear the track
for that man put your wings over his head ;
with your golden scepters strike for his de-
Tense throw around him all the defenses OF
eternity" What is the consequence? That
business man Is strengthened. He goes to
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 1! She wears the same
dress she wore twenty years ago. How faded
it is and now out OF date She sits and listens
as we'll as she can. Her eyes are 50 dim she
cannot see half way across the church. Her
ear is so imperfect that she can only catch
occasionally a note of the psalm or word
of the preacher Some one sitting next to
her gives her a 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 soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly
While the pillows near me roll,
While the tempest still Is high.
Hide me, o my S iviour, hide,
Till the storm Of life Is past.
Safe into the heaven guide
Oh rece We my soul at last.
And Jesus says to her. Mother. are you
weary" And she says, eyes, Jesus. 1 am
very tired" Jesus says, "Mother. are you
poor?' And she says eyes. l am very
poor l cannot sew any more. cannot
knit any more. 1 am very poor" Jesus
says to her, "Mother, would you like 10
rest?" She says, Eyes. Lord; that is what
I want-rest. Courage. mother says
Jesus. Of 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 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 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 h0''' =
of Leuthen They were singing CHRIS. Al
song as they went into battle A general
said to the king. "Shall l stop those people
singing?" "No," said the king. Men that
sing like that can fight" l would that we
had a singing church. a joyful church. jul
bilant church. a comforting church, for then
we would have triumphant 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 fifty or 100 years ago. We might as
we'll be blowing with Eli jahs crooked stick,
or go into battle with Saufs armor, or prefer
canalboat to an express train, as to be
now is q wide awake church. People who
are out In the world all the week, jostlins
against this lightning footed century, come
into the church on the Sabbath and go right
to sleep unless they have spirited service.
Men engaged in literary callings all the
week. reading pungent, sharp writings, can
not be- expected TO come and hear our eccle
siastical humdrum.
| II a man stay at home on Sundays and
reads the newspapers. it 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 spirei
of the age. 1t is all folly for us to be dis
cussing old issues-arraigning Nero, hang
ing Absalom, striking the Philistines witt
Shamgar's OK goad-when all around about
US are iniquities to be slain.
Did say that the church ought to b.
abreast of the times? take that back. Thu
church OF God ought to be ahead OF the time
as far in advance as the cross of Christ i
ahead of all human invention. Paul wa
1000 years ahead of the day in which h
lived. The swift footed years that hav,
passed since Luther died have not yet com
up to Luther's grave. Give iniquity 400
years the start and the feet of Christianit,
are so nimble that If you will but give it full
swing it will catch up and pass 1t in tw'
hounde The church of God ought to b