The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-18

51ALC u Tic IN nave LTOuUl0 enough
now. they rejoice because they are on
the way to the congratulations
eternal
stopped one nightfall, years ago.
at Frey burg. Switzerland, to hear the
organ of world wide celebrity in that
place went into the cathedral at
nightfalL All the accessories were
favorable There was only one light
in all the cathedral and that a faint
taper on the altar looked up into
the venerable arches and saw the
shadows of centuries. and when the
organ awOlEe, the cathedral avoke.
and all the arches seemed to lift and
culver as the music came under thems
That instrument did not seem to be
made out of wood and metal but out
Of human hearts, so wonderfully did
it pulsate with every motion; now
laughing like a child. now sobbing
like tempest At one moment the
music would die away until you
could hear the cricket chirp out
side the wall, and then it would roll
up until it seemed as if the surge of
the sea and the crash OF an avalanche
had struck the organ pipes at the
same moment At one time that night
it seemed as If a squadron of spirits
weeping up from earth had met a
glory beat back the woe Standing
there and looking at the dim taper on
the altar of the cathedral 1 said:
How much like many a Christians
life! Shadows hover, and sometimes
his hope is dim, and faint, and flicker
ing, like a taper on the altar. But at
what time God wills, the heavens
break forth with music upon his soul,
and the air becomes resonant as the
angels of God beat it with their shin
ing sceptres."
Oh, the Lord God has many fair and
beautiful daughters; but the fairest
Of them all is she whose ways are
pleasantness and whose paths are
peacei Now. my brothers and sisters
for have right to call you also
I know some people look back on their
an cestral line and they see they are
descended from the Puritans or HUI
guenots and they rejoice in that; but
] look back on my ancestral line, and
I see the rein such a mingling and mix
ture 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. I address you in
the bonds of universal brotherhood
! come out only a servant bring
ing an invitation to a party, and put
it into your hand. saying, Come. for
all things are now ready" and l urge
it upon you and continue to urge it.
and, before I get through. 1 hope, by
the blessing of God, to compel you to
come in
We must take care how we give the
invitation. My Christian friends 1
think some times we have just gone
opposite to Christs command, and we
have compelled people to stay out
Some times our elaborated instruc-
tions have been the hindrauce. We
graduate from our theological semina-
ries on stills. and it takes five or
and stand right beside the great
masses of the people, learning
their joys, sorrows. victories, defeats
We got our heads so brimful of theO-
logical wisdom that we have to stand
very straig hit lest they spill over. Now,
what do the great masses Of the peO-
pie care about the technicalities
of religion? What do they care
about the hypostatic union or the diff
ference between sub-lapsarian and
supra-lap sarian? What do they care
for your profound explanations, clear
as a 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, within common density Of thirty
nine Fahrenheit. turning to steam
under a common atmospheric pressure
of two hundred and twelve. He does
not want a chemical lecture on water;
he wants a rope.
Oh my friends, the curse of God on
the church. it seems to me- in this
day. is metaphysics. We speak in an
unknown tongue in our Sabbath
schools, and in our religious assem-
blages, and IN our pulpits, and how
can people be saved unless they under
stand US? We put on our official
gowns. and we think the two silk
balloons fla piping at the elobws of a
preacher give him great sanctity- The
river of Gods truth flows down before
us pure and clear as crystal; but we
take our theological stick and stir it
up. and stir it up. until we can not see
the bottom Oh. for the simplicity Of
Christ in all our instructions-the
simplicity he practiced when standing
among the people, he took lily. and
said, There is lesson of the way /
will clothe you" and. pointing to a
raven. said, There is a lesson of the
way 1 will feed you; consider the
the fowls"
/ think often in our religious
instructions we compel people
to stay out by our church ar
chitecture 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