Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-05-31


presented; but in due time God sent a
man who grasped our idea and executed
1t. So far from being a failure, it salts.
he'd our want, and all our three
churches We're built on the amphithe-
atrical plan, and scores of churches all
over the country have adopted the same
plan.
And, my brethren and sisters, we fail
IN our work just in proportion as we
try to be like other churches. We be-
lieve that God intended every church,
like every man, to be individual, gath
ering up all its peculiarities and lido
syncrasies, and hurting them all to-
ward some good and grand object In
other words, no two churches ought
ever to be just alike. Here is a church.
for instance. whose object is to prepare
| philosophers. and artists, and critics for
| Heaven God speed them in the diff.
cult work! Here is a church on the
other hand, that proposes to bring only
the poor into the kingdom of Jesus
Christ, looking not after the rich. God
| speed such a church in its undertaking.
But there is a larger idea that a church
may take bringing in the rich and the
poor the wise and the ignorant, the
high and the low: so that lzneeling be
side each other shall be the man faring
sumptuously every day, and the man
who could not get his breakfast God
speed such a church! o, my friends.
we need to break away from slavery TO
ecclesiastical custom We dare not
sing if 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 the fashion
plates, and would rather stay at home
than appear with coat or hat not
sanctioned by custom. When win the
day of deliverance come to the Church
of God, when, instead of dead religion
laid ont in state ON a catafalque oi
pomp and insincerity, we shall have q
living bounding, sympathetic, glowing
Christianity?
| remark, further, that we have tried
here to build and to conduct a cheerful
church. While, as you know, we have
not held back the terrors of the 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 uni.
verse'is the Christian religion. There |
is SO much trouble in the world; bust |
ness men have so many anxieties; toll |
ing men have so many fatigues; orphans
have SO many desolations for God's |
sake, if there be any bright place on
earth, show it 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 the Christian religion. !
have no faith in religion made up OF
equal parts of NORWOOD, vinegar and
red pepper If the religion that is pre-.
scented to us to be depression, we viii
get along better without it. If it be a
joy, let it shine out from your face, and
from your conversation. If "A man comes
to my house TO talk of religion with lugu-
brious countenance, and manner full OF
snitfle and dolorousness, feel like say
ing to my wife: .You had better lock
up the silver before he steals some
thing" / have found it an invariable
rule that men who profess faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, priding themselves
at the same time ON their sanctimo
niousness, always turn out badly.
never knew an exception. While those
who are the most consistent, the most
useful, and the most consecrated, have
perfume in their conversation and
heaven in their face.
The happiest Christians | have ever
known have been persons from sixty e
eighty years of age. BY that time PEG.
pie get over the shams and pretenses OF
society, and have no longer any pa
thence with anything like imposture in
o, Christian. how dare you
be gloomy? Is not God your Father?
Is not Jesus Christ your Saviour? Has
not your path all through life been
strewn with mercies? Are You insensi.
BILE to the fact that there are glories
awaiting you in the better land?-dox-
ologies of celestial worship. eternal
chorals, fearless eyes, songs that re.
sound under arches of strength, and
hosannas that clasp their hands at the
foot of the throne? Is it nothing tc
you that all the hills of Heaven are
radiant with the faces of those who
nave gone up from you, and who are /,
waiting your coming, ready TO keep
With you eternal holiday? Is there :
nothing in songs that never cease, in
hearts that never ache, in splendors
hat never die, to make you glad? Then .
AXE no more mercy at the hand of thy :
iod. Give back the marriage-Ting love
hat Jesus put on your finger in the :
lay of your espousal! Plant no more :
# the flowers of Heaven where there :
,ught to be nothing but nettles and I
lightshade!
We try to make this church a cheer :
al church. A man, on Saturday after. 4
Ioon. stands in his store and SAYS,
How shall ] meet these obligations J.,
low can I endure this new disaster /,
hat is coming upon me?" He goes y
ONE. Sabbath morning finds him in Z