Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-05-17

neCQ churcnly Dollllng. ana 50 We 1aQ
plan after plan OF churchly buildings pre-
scented, but In due time God sent a man
who grasped our idea and executed IL. So
far from being a failure, it satisfied our
want, and all our three churches were
built on the amphitheatrical plan, and
scores Of churches all over the country
have adopted the same plan.
A Democratic Church.
And, my brethren and sisters, we fail in
our work just In proportion as we try to
be like other churches. We believe that
God intended every church, like every
man, to be individual, gathering up all its
peculiarities and idiosynerasies, and hurl-
ing them all toward some good and grand
object In other words, no two churches
ought ever to be Just alike. Here is q
church, for instance, whose object it Is to
prepare philosophers and artists and crit
les for heaven. God speed them In the diff
ficult work. Here Is a church, on the 9TH
er hand, that proposes 10 bring only the
poor into the kingdom Of Jesus Christ,
looking not after the rich. God speed such
o church In its undertaking. But thoro Is
larger idea that church may take
bringing In the rtch and the poor, the wise
and the Ignorant the high and the low,
80 that kneeling beside each other shall be
the man faring sumptuously every day and
the man who could not get his breakfast.
God speed such church,
Oh, my friends, we need 30 break away
from slavery to ecclesiastical custom. We
dare not sing II anybody hears us. We
dare not preach unless we have rounded
off our sentences TO suit the criticism of
the world. We dare not dress for church
until we have examined tho fashion plates
and would rather stay at home than appear
with coat or hat not sanctioned by GUS
tom. When will the day of deliverance
come to the church Of God when, instead
Of a dead religion, laid out in state on o
catafalquo Of ponlp and insincerity, we
shall have living, bounding, sympathetic,
glowing Christianity
A joyful Religion.
Iremark, further, that we have tried here
to build and to conduct cheerful church.
While, as you know, we have not held
back the terrors of tho law and the sterner
doctrines of the gospel we have tried in
this house to present to this people the idea
that the gladdest, brightest, happiest thing
in all the universe is the Christian reli-
gion. There is 80 much trouble in the
world. Business men have so many anx-
ieties, toiling men have so many fatigues,
orphans have SO many desolations-for
Gods sake, If there be any bright place on
earth, show 1t to them. Let the church of
Jesus Christ be the most cheerful spot on
earth. Let me say that do not want
anybody to come whining around me
about tho Christian religion. I have no
faith In q religion made up of equal parts
of wormwood, vinegar and red pepper. II
the religion that is presented to us be o de-
preston, we will get along better without
it. If 1T be joy, let it shine out from
your face and from your conversation. If
man comes to my house to talk Of reli-
gion with lugubricus countenance and
manner full OF snifle and dolorousness, 1
feel like saying to my wife, You had bet
ter lock up the silver before he steals some
thing" have found it on inyariable rule
that men who profess faith In the Lord
Jesus Christ, priding themselves at the
same time on their sanctimoniousness, al
ways turn out badly-I never knew an ex-
ception-while those who are the mcat
consistent, the most useful and the most
consecrated have perfume in their CONVEX
sation and heaven in their face
The Eternal Cladness.
The happiest Christians that I have
ever known have been persons from go to
so years Of ago. By that time people get
over the shams and pretenses of society
and have no longer any patience with any
thing like imposture in religion. OChris-
tian, how dare you be gloomy2 Is not God
your fatherp Is not Jesus Christ your
Saviour? Has not your path all through
life been strewn with merciesP Are you
insensible to the fact that there are
glories awaiting you in the better landi
--doxologies of celestial worship, eter-
nal chorals, fearless eyes, songs that
resound under arches of strength and ho-
sannas that clap their hands at the foot Of
the throneP 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 waiting for your coming,
ready to keep with you eternal holiday? Il
there nothing in songs that never cease, In
hearts that never ache, in splendors that
never die, to make you gladP 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
espousall Plant no more Of the flowers oi
heaven where there ought to be nothing
but nettles and nightshadel
| We try to make this church cheerful
| church. A man on Saturday afternoon
stands In his store and says: "How shall
meet these obligationsP How can en-
dure this new disaster that is coming upor
meP" 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 thai
man: 20 man, have watched theel
have seen all thy struggles. 1t is enough.
will see thee through. 1 will stand be
tween thee and thy creditors. I will make
up in heavenly treasures what you lost il
earthly treasures. Courage, man! Cour
age Angels of God, command you tt
clear the track for that man. Put you
wings over his head. With your COLDER
scepters strike for his defense. Throw
around him all the defenses of eternity!"
What is the consequences? That business
man is strengthened. He goes to the stor
next day feeling that God is with him ant
ready to deliver.
| A Triumphant Church.
That same Sunday there is poor oil
woman In the church hearing the gospel
Oh, how shrunken she isl She wears tn
same dress she wore 20 years ago. How
faded it Is and now out of datel She sit
and listens as well as she can. Her eyes or
SO dim she cannot see half way across th
church. Her ear is SO imperfect that sh
can only catch occasionally a note of th
psalm or word of the preacher. Some on
sitting next to her gives her book ant
finds the place for her. She says, "Thanl
you. miss; thank you'll" She holds til
book close up to her eyes and with q voic
all full Of tremor 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 Saviour, hide,
Till the storm Of life is past.
Safe into the haven guide
Oh, receive my soul at lastl