Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-09-28

his owes, giving in that way evidence
q his sanctity. The men and women
of God whom 1 happen to know for the
most part find religion a great Joy. 1t
is exhilaration to the body. 1t is in
vigoration to the mind. 1t is rapture
to the soul. 1t is balm for all wounds.
1t is light for all darkness. 1t is har-
Dor from all storms, and though God
knows that some of them have trouble
enough o they rejoice because they
are on the way to the congratulations
eternal.
Oh, the Lord God has many fair and
beautiful daughters, but the fairest of
them all is she whose ways are pleas
ATTEST and whose paths are peace!
Now. my brothers and sisters -t5r l
have u right to call you all SOL know
some people look back on their am
cestral line. and they see they are de-
seconded from the Puritans or Hugue-
nots. II they rc..oiced in that, but l
look back on my ancestral line, and l
see therein such q m:ngling and mix.
ture of the blood of all nationalities
tn 1t feel akin to all the world, and
by the blood OF the Son of God, who
died for all people, l address You in
IN III VI uIlNOIS0l OlOullCIllOOus /
come out as only a servant. bringing
an invitation to a party, and 1 put into
your hands, saying. Come. for all
things are now ready" and l urge it
upon you and continue to urge it, and
before l get through, L hope, by the
blessing OF God, to compel you to come
in.
We must take are how we give the
invitation. NV Christian friends. L
think sometimes we have just gone
opposite to Christ's command. ana we
have compelled people to stay out.
Sometimes our elaborated instructions
have been the hind,ance. We gradu-
ate from IL theological seminaries
on stills. and it takes five or six years
before we can come down and stand
right beside the great masses o. the
people, learning their joys, sorrows,
victories. defeats.
Overniuch Theology.
We get our heads so brimful Of the
illogical wisdom that we have to stand
very straight lest they spill over. Now,
what do the great masses of the people
are about the technlcalities of relig-
ion:: What do they care about the
hypostatic union or the difference be-
tween sublapsariaA and sapralapsar-
ian. What do they care for your pro-
found explanations, clear as u London
fog: When q 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 of
oxygen gas, with u common density of
81 r.. turning to steam undera COM
mon atmospheric pressure of PIP. He
does not want Il chemical lecture on
water. He wants Il rope.
oh. my friends. the curse of God on
the church. it seems to me. in this day
is metaphysics. We speak in an un S
known tongue in our Sabbath schools,
and in our religious assemblages, and
in IL pulpits, and how can people be
saved unless they can understand us?
We put on II official gowns, and we
think the two silk balloons Tapping at
tho elbows of a preacher give him
great sanctity. The river of Gods
truth flows down before us pure and
clear as crystal, but we take u the
illogical stick and stir it up and stir it
up until you annot SCI bottom. Oh,
for the simplicity of Christ in all our
instructions-th simplicity He prac-
ticed when, standing among the peo-
pie, He took q lilly and said: "There is
q lesson of the manner I will clothe
you, and, pointing to a raven, said:
''There is q lesson of the way 1 will
feed you. Consider the lilies-behold
the fowls"
| think often in our religious in
strnctions we compel the people to
stay out by II church architecture.
People come in and they find things
angular and cod and stiff, and they go
away never again to come. when the
church ought to be Il great home cir
Gle, everybody having Il hymnbook,
giving hall OF it to the II next him,
every one who has a hand to shake
hands shaking hands. the church ar
ings saying to the people: sComc in
think all these surroundings often COM
pei the people to stay out.
Loving Compilation.
Now, let us all repentof our sins and
begin on the other track, and by our
heartiness of affection and warmth of
manner ami imploration of the spirit
OF God compel the people to come in.
How shall we lead sinners to accept
the Lords invitations: Think we must
certainly begin by a holy life. We
MuSC DC Deuucf men. DcttCr omen De-
fore we compel the people to come
into the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
There are fine ESSAYS being written in
this day about science and religion. 1
tell you the best argument in behalf of
II holy Christianity it is IL good man,
a good woman. a life all consecrated to
Christ. No infidcl q answerjt. Oh,
let lis by q holy example compel the
| DeOple to come in.
1 read of a minister of the gospel who
was very fond OF climbing among the
Swiss mountains. one day he was
climbing among Very dangerous places
and thought himself all alone when he
heard q voice beneath him say,
"t'ather, look out for the safe path. /
am following" and he looked back. and
he saw he was climbing no: only for
himself. but climbing for his boy. oh.