Democratic messenger., 1894-09-22
they rejoice because they are on thei-
way To the congratulations eternal.
Universal brotherhood.

Universal Brotherhood.
Oh, the Lord God has many fair and
beautiful daughters, but the fairest Of
them all is she whose ways are pleasant
ness and whose paths are peace. Now.
my brothers and sisters-for | have q
right to call you all sol know some
people look back on their ancestral line.
and they see they are descended from
the Prritans or Husuenots. and they re-
joice in that. but l lock back on my
ancestral line. and see therein such u
minSling and mixture of the blood Of
all nationalities that / feel akin to all
the world. and by the blood of the Son
of God, who died for all people. ad-
dress You in the bonds Of universal
brotherhood
come out as only servant bringing
an invitation to party. and put it in
to your hand, saying, Come, for all
things are now ready" and l urge it
upon you and continue TO urge it. and
before l get through hope. by the
blessing of God. To compel you to come
in.
We must take care how we give the
invitation. My Christian friends. ]
think sometimes we have just gone op-
positc to Christ S command. and we have
compelled people to stay out. Some
times our elaborated instructions have
been the hindrance. We graduate from
our theological scminaries OH stilts and
il 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 religion:
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 n 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 common density of 30 F.. turn
ing to steam under common atmospher-
ic pressure of 2l?. He docs not want a
chemical lecture on water. Hc wants o
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
sanctity. The river of Gods truth flows
down before us pure and clear as crys-
tai. but we take our theological stick
and stir it up and stir it mp until you
cannot see the bottom. oh, for the sim
plicity of Christ in all our instructions
the simplicity he practiced when
standing among the people he took n
lily and said, There is u lesson of tho
manner will clothe you, and point
ing to a raven said: There is q lesson
Of the way will feed You. Consider
the lilics-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 n
great home circle. everybody having q
hymnbook, giving half of it to the one
next him; every one who has hand tn
shake hands shaking hands-the church
architecture and the churchsurroundings
saying to the people. ''Come in and be
ut home Instead of that. ! think all
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 i'm. How shall we lead sinners to
accept the Lords invitation: think we
must certainly begin by holy life We
must be better men. better women, before
we can compel the people to como into
the kingdom of Jesus Christ. There
are fine essays being written in this day
about science and religion. / tell You
the best argument i'll behalf of our holy
Christianity. 1t is a good man. u good
woman. u life all consecrated to Christ.
No infidel can answer it, Oh. let us
by holy example compel the people TO
come in!
The Safe Path.
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
O 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 rs be sure
and take the safe path! Our children are
following; our partners in business are
following; our ncighbors are following;
n great multitude stepping right on in
our steps oh. be sure and take the right
path! Exhibit a Christian example and
so by your godly walk coripel the pco-
pie to come i'll.
think there is work alSo in the way
of kindly admonition. do not believe
there is person in this house who. if
approached in II kindly and brotherly
manner. would refuse to listen. II you
are rebuffed. il is because you lack in
tact and common sense. But. oh. how
much effective work there is in the way
of kindly a:lmonition, 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 Mt the alac.
rity with which they would accept it.
have friend. Christian physi-
clan. who one day became very anxious
about the salvation of u brother physi-
clan. and so he left his office. went
down To this mans ofiice and said. rs
the doctor in:'' No" replied the
young man waiting. '.Thc doctor is not
An - We'll = said this Musician