Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-05-25

YOU" She holds the book close up to her
eyes and with u voice all full Oh tremors
sings.
Jesus, lover of my s)ul,
LIT me to Thy bosom fly
While the pillows near M roll,
While the tempest still Is hi5
II de me, 0 my S vOur, hide,
Tiltthe storm Of life IS past.
SAFE into the heaven guide
Oh, rece We my soul at last
And Jesus saws to her. "Mother, are You
weary" And she says, eyes, Jesus, am
very tired" Jesus says "Mother, are you
poor?' And she says: eyes, 1 am very
poor. I cannot sew any more. l cannot
knit any, more. ! am very poor" Jesus
says 10 her, "Mother, would you like to
rest?' She says, eyes, Lord that is what
l want-rest." Courage mother" says
Jesus. II will see thee through"
She goes home. The next morning in the
tenement house some one dwelling on
another floor comcsto her room and knocks.
No answer. The door is opened. She is
dead The night before the chariots of God
halted at that pillow of straw. and Jesus
kept His promise. He said that He would
give her rest and He has given her rest.
Glory be to God for the height, the depth,
the length aud the BREATH of such Christian
comfort Oh that we might have such joy
as that which insp red the men at the battle
Of Lcuthen They were singing Christian
song as they went into battle. A general
sail to the king. "Shal stop those people
singing?" "No," said the king. "Men that
sing like that can fight" l would that we
had singing church, joyful church, iu-
bilant church. a comforting church, Tor then
we would have triumphant church.
remark, further that We have here trled
TO build Il church abreast OF the times. 1t Is
all folly for us TO try TO do things the way
they did fifty or 100 years ago We might as
well be blowing with Eliiahs crooked stick,
or 90 into battle with Sauls armOr, or prefer
Il canalbOat TO au express train, as to be
clingng to old things. What we most need
now Is wide awake church. People who
are out in the world all the week, josiling
against this lightning footed century, come
into the church on the Sabbath and go right
TO sleep unless they have Il spirited service.
Men engaged in literary calings all the
week, reading pungent, sharp writings, can
not be expected TO come and hear our eccle-
slastica humdrum.
Ifaman stay at home on Sundays and
reads the newspapers, it Is because the news
papers are more interesting. We need, my
brethren. TO rouse up and stop hunting with
blank cartridges. The church of God ought
TO be the leader, the interpreter, the inspirer
OF the age. 1t is all folly for us to be dis
cussiug old issues arraigning Nero, Hang-
ing Absalom, striking the Philistlnes with
Shamgar's OK gOad-Wnen all around about
us are iniquities to be slain.
Did say that the church ought to be
abreast of the times? take that back. The
church of God ought to be ahead of the times
rs far in advance as the cross OF Christ Is
ahead OF all human invention. Paul was
1000 years ahead Of the day in which he
lived. The swift footed years that have
passed since Luther died have not yet come
IN to Luther's grave. Give iniquity 1000
wears the start, AMI tho feet Of Christianity
are so nmbIe that if you will but give it iull
swing IL will catch up and pass 1t In Two
bounds. The church OF God ought to be
ahead OF the time>.
1 remark, further, that we have tried mere,
| in tho love and fear Of Col, to build church
| that would be characterized by conversions.
| | have heard Of very good people who could
| preach Oh for fifteen or twenty years ana see
| no conversions. but yet have faith. III taxes
n very good man to do that. I do not know
how man can keep his faith up II souls are
not brought to the Lord Jesus Christ. That
| church that does not bring men ana women
to the feet OF the Saviour is failure care
| not how fine the building. or how sweet the
music. or how eloquent the preaching, or
how elegant the surroundings is failure.
The church of God WIS made for Just one
thIng-to get men out OF the world into the
| kingdom Of heaven.
TIE tendency in churches is to spend their
time in giving fine touches to CHRISTIANS
already polished. We keep our religion 100
much indoors and under shelter, when 1t
ought 10 be climbing the rocks or hewing III
the forests. Then 1t would be stalwart re-
ligion. robust religion, religion able 10
digest tho strong meat OF the word, instead
of being kept on the pap aud Cruel OF spir-
jtuaI invalidism. 1t IS high time nat We
threw off the Sunday clothes Of sickly sentl-
mentality and put on the working dress OF
an earnest, active Christianity.
Here is Brooklyn, here is New YORK, mere
are the United States. here IS the Whole
world To no converted. 1t is 1894 years
since Christ came, and yet Europe, Aslai
Africa. North and South America are SILL
nnovonpelized More people born every year
into tho world than are born into the king
dom of God. At that rate / ask any one. VINO
c.r do n simnle sum in arithmetic to calcu-
Lotto whom this world will be brought to
Jesua At that rate, never. never, never
And vot we know that it is TO be brought to
Christ But the church will have to change
its tact and take wider sweep with the gos-
pel net than it has yet taken. believe that
the great mass of the people are now ready
10 receive the gospel IL we give theh
chance.
HOY poes along the street at night and
seos fne house beautifully lighted up and
hears music. and he says, 81 wish I was in
there. but 1 have not been invited" an so
he passes on. Here is the church OF Coz;
lighted up with festivty and holy mtrth, and
the world passes along outside, hears tue
music and sometimes wishes it was inside
but saws that il is not invited. on, invite the
world TO come in Go out into the highways
and hedges. Send ticket OF invitation
printed in these words, "Come for all things
Ax--
Some years ago 200 men were buried inthe
Hartley colllery OF England The Queen OF
England from her throne telegraphed, is
there anv hope for the men?" After awhile
the answer came over the wires mo hope.
They are dead" Here is Il whole race buried
in sin and darkness and woe. The question
that thrills up to the throne of God to-day
is. 'Is there any hope for the men?' Answer
ing intelligence comes back from the throne
OF God. thrilling through the worlds dark
! -, thrillin0 fhrouph the worlds woe