Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-05-14

are so dimsshe cannot see half way across
the church. Her ear is so imperfect that
she can only catch occasionally note of
the psalmeor word of the preacher.
Some one sitting next to her gives her
book and finds the place for her. She
says, ''Thank you, miss; thank you"
She holds the book close up to her eyes
and with a voice all full of tremors
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, 0 my Saviour, hide,
Tillthe storm of life is past.
Safe into the haven guide
Oh, receive my soul at last.
And Jesus says to her, Mother, are
you weary" And she says, Eyes, Jesus,
/ am very tired Jesus says, Mother,
are you poor?" And she saws: Eyes,
am very poor. I cannot sew any more.
] cannot knit any more. I am very poor"
Jesus says to her, Mother, would you
like to rest?' She says, eyes, Lord;
that is what I want-rest.'' Courage,
mother" says Jesus. ST will see thee
through"
She goes home. The next morning in
the tenement house some one dwelling
on another floor comes to her room and
knocks. No answer. The door is opened.
She is dead! The night before the chart
OTIS 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 and the
breadth of such Christian comfort! Oh,
that we might have such joy as that
which inspired the men at the battle of
Leuthen! They were singing a Chris
tian song as they went into battle. A
general said to the king, ''Shall | stop
those people singing?" mo-" said the
king. ''Men that sing like that can
fight" would that we had singing
church, a joyful church, jubilant
church, comforting church, for then
we would have Triumphant lurch.
An Up to Date Church.
I remark, further, that we have here
tried to build church abreast of the
times. It is all folly for us to try to do
things the way they did so Or 100 years
ago. We might as well be blowing with
Elijah's crooked stick, or go into battle
to an express train, as to be clinging to
old things. What we most need now is
a wide awake church. People who are
out in the world all the week, jostling
against this lightning footed century,
come into the church on the Sabbath and
go right to sleep unless they have spir-
tied service. Men engaged in literary
callings all the week, reading pungent,
sharp writings, cannot be expected to
come and hear our ecclesiastical hum
drum.
If man stays at home on Sundays and
reads the newspapers, it is because the
newspapers 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 insplrer of the age.
1t is all folly for us to be discussing old
Nero, hanging Absa-
lom, striking the Philistines with Sham
gar's OK goad-when 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-as far in advance as the
cross of Christ is ahead Of all human in
vention. Paul was 1000 years ahead of
the day in which he lived. The swift
footed years that have passed since Luz
Their died have not yet come up to Lu-
theirs grave. Give iniquity 1900 years
the start, and the feet of Christianity are
so nimble that if you will but give it full
swing it will catch up and pass it in two
bounds. The church of God ought to be
ahead of the times.
A Church That Converts.
Iremark, further, that we have tried
here, in the love and fear of God, to build
a church that would be characterized by
conversions. l have heard of very good
people who could preach on for Is or 90
years and see no conversions, but yet
have faith. 1t takes very good man to
do that. I do not know how a man can
keep his faith up if souls are not brought
to the Lord Jesus Christ. That church
that does not bring men and women to
the feet of the Saviour is a failure. I
care not how fine the building, or how
sweet the music, or how eloquent the
preaching, Or how elegant the surround
ings-it is a failure. The church of God
was made for just one thing-to get men
out Of the world into the kingdom of
heaven.
The tendency in churches is to spend
their time ia giving fine touches to Chris
tians already polished. We keep our re-
igion too ouch indoors and under shell
ter, when it ought to be climbing the
rocks or hewing in the forests. Then it
would be stalwart religion, a robust
religion, a religion able to digest the
strong meat of the word, instead of be-
ing kept on the pap and cruel of spiritual
invalidism. It is high time that we threw
off the Sunday clothes Of sickly senti-
mentality and put on the workday dress
of an earnest, active Christianity.
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