Connecticut western news., 1894-09-20

been the hlndrance. We graduate from our theological seminaries on stilts, and 1t takes five or six years before we can come down and stand right beside the great masses of the people, learning their joys, sorrows, victories, defeats
 We get our heads so brimful of theo- logical wisdom that we have to stand very straight lest they spill over. Now. what do the great masses of the people care about the technicalities of religioni What do they care about the hypostatic union or the difference between sublap- sarian and supralapsarian? What do they care for your profound explana- tions, clear as London fog? When a man is drowning, he does not want you to stand by the dock and describe the nature of the water into which he has fallen and tell him there are two parts hydrogen gas and one of oxygen gas, with a common density of 80 F., turn ing to steam under common atmospher- io pressure of 212. He does not want chemical lecture on water. He wants Q rope.
 Gone Metaphysics Mad.
 Oh, my friends, the curse of God on the church, it seems to me, in this day is metaphysics. We speak in an un- known tongue in our Sabbath schools, and in our religious assemblages, and in our pulpits, and how can people be saved unless they can understand us! We put on our official gowns, and we think the two silk balloons Tapping at the elbows of preacher give him great canptifv Tho ri vor of G,5so frpfb Aoxys down before us pure and clear as crys- tai, but we take our theological stick and stir it up and stir it up until you cannot see the bottom. Oh, for the sim plicity of Christ ill all our instructions the simplicity he practiced when standing among the people he took a lily and said, There is lesson of the manner will clothe you," and point ing to raven said: "There Is lesson of the way will feed you. Consider the lilies-behold the fowls.
 think often in our religious instruc- tions we compel the people to stay out by our church architecture. People come in, and they find things angular and cold and stiff, and they go away, never again to come, when the church ought to be a great home circle, everybody having a hymnbook, giving half qf it to the one next him; every one who has hand to shake hands shaking hands-the church architecture and the churchsurroundings saying to the people, Come In and be at home" Instead of that. think all these surroundings often compel the peo- pie to stay out. Now, let us all repent of our sins and begin on the other track and by our heartiness of affection and warmth of manner and imploration of the spirit of God compel the people to come in. How shall we lead sinners to accept the Lord s invitation? think we must certainly begin by holy life. We muft be better men, better women, before we can compel the people to come into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. There are fine essays being written in this day about science and religion. I tell you the best argument in behalf of our holy Christianity. It is good man, a good woman, life all consecrated to Christ. No infidel can answer it. Oh, let us by holy example compel the people to come inl
 The Safe Path.
 I read of minister of the gospel who was very fond of climbing among the Swiss mountains. One day he was climb ing among very dangerous places and thought himself all alone when he heard a voice beneath him say: Father, look out for the safe path; am following. !" And he looked back, and he saw that he was climbing not only for himself, but climbing for his boy. Oh, let us be sure and take the safe pathl Our children are following; our partners in business are following; our neighbors are following; great multitude stepping right on in our steps Oh, be sure and take the right pathl Exhibit a Christian example and so by your godly walk compel the peo- pie to come In.
 think there is work also in the way of kindly admonition. I do not believe there is person in this house who, If approached in 8 kindly and brotherly manner, would refuse to listen. If you are rebuffed, it is because you lack in tact and common sense. But, oh, how much effective work there is in the way of kindly admonition! There are thou sands of men all around about you who have never had one personal invitation to the cross. Give that one invitation, and you would be surprised at the alac- rity with which they would accept it.
 have friend, Christian physi- elan, who one day became very anxious about the salvation of brother physi- clan, and so he left his office, went down to this mans office and said, "Is the doctor in?" No" replied the young man waiting "The doctor is not in" Well" said this physician, "when he comes in. tell him I called and give him my Christian love" !" This worldly doctor came home after awhile, and the message was given to him, and he said within himself, "What does he mean by leaving his Christian love for mel" And he became very much awak- ened and stirred in spirit, and he said after awhile, "Why, that man must mean my soul, ;" and he went into his back office, knelt down and began to pray. Then he took his hat and went out to the office of this Christian physi- clan and said, "WhaeSoan I do to be saved?" and the two doctors knelt in | the office and commended their souls to God. All the means used in that case was only the voice of one good man. saying, "Glve my Christian love to the doctor. " The voice of kindly admoni- tion. Have you uttered it today? Will l you utter it tomorrow? Will you utter 1t now? Compel them to come in. think there is great work also to be done in the way of prayer. If we had faith enough today, we could go before | God and ask for the salvation of all the people in our churches, and they would all be saved there and then without a single exception. There might be pro- fessional men there, political men there. worldly men there, men who had not heard the gospel for 20 years, men who