Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1894-05-19

ter"-that is. large family circle. gath
cred around fireplace.
For many years We had felt that an
amphitheater was the only proper shape
for an audience room. The prominent
architects of the country said: 1T can
not be done. You need a churchly build
ing" Apd SO We had plan after plan OF
churchly buildings presented, but in due
time God sent a man who grasped ouI
idea and executed it. So far from being
failure, it satisfied our want, and all
our three churches We're built on the
amphitheatrical 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 believe
that God intended every church. like ev.
cry man, To be individual, gathering ul
all its peculiarities and idiosyncrasies
and hurling them all toward some good
and grand object. In other words. no
two churches ought ever to be just alike
Here is church, for instance. whose OBJ
ject it is TO prepare philosophers and art
lists and critics for heaven. God speed
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 church in it,
undertaking. But there is larger idea
that "a church may take-bringing in the
rich and the poor, the wise and the igno-
rant, the high and the low, SO that kneel
ing 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 il: 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 of our sentences To suit the
criticism of the world. We dare moi
dress for church until we have examined
the fashion plates and would rather stay
Mt home than appear with coat or a hat
not sanctioned by custom. When will
the day of deliverance come to the church
of God, when, instead of dead religion
laid out i'll state on catafalque of pomI
and insincerity, We shall have a living
bounding, sympathetic. glowing Chris
tianity:
a Happy Church.
remark, 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 the law and
Al. Il IS 81
have tried in this house to present to this
people the idea that the gladdest. bright.
est. happiest thing in all the universe is
the Christian religion. There is so much
trouble in the world. Business men have
SO many anxieties. Toiling men have Sc
many fatigues. Orphans have so many
desolations. For Gods 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 any body
to come whining around me about the
Christian religion. have no faith in a
religion made upof equal parts of worm
wood, vinegar and red pepper. If the re-
ligion that is presented to us be depres.
sion, we will get along better without it.
If it he JOY. let it shine out from your
face and from your conversation. Ii q
man comes To my house Ia talk of re-
ligion with lugubrious com. tenance and
manner full of sniffie and dolorousness,
feel like saying 10 my wife, You had
better lock mp the silver before he steals
something" l have found it an invari.
able rule that men who profess faith in
the Lord jesus Christ, priding them
selves at the same time on their sancti-
moniousness, always turn out badly
never knew AN exception-while those
useful and the most consecrated have
perfume in their conversation and heav-
en- in their face.
The happiest Christians that | have
ever known have been persons from 6O
TO 50 years Of age. By that time people
get over the shams and the pretenses Of
society and have no longer any patience
with anything like imposture in religion.
y 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 mer-
cies? Are you insensible TO the fact that
there are glories awaiting you in the bet
ship, eternal chorals. fearless eyes, songs
that resound under arches of strength
and hosannas that clap their hands at
the foot of the throne!
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: Is
there nothing in songs that never cease,
in hearts that never ache, in splendors
that never die. TO make you glad. 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 espousal! Plant no more of
the flowers of heaven where there ought
TO be nothing but nettles and night
shade.
The Gospel of Courage.
We try to make this church a cheerful
church. A man on Saturday afternoon
stands in his store and says: How shall
] meet these obligations! How can en-
dure this new disaster that is coming
upon me:' 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 that man: 20 man. have
watched thee. have seen all thy strug-
giles. Ii is enough. | will see thee
through. | will stand between thee and
thy creditors. will make up i'll heaven
ly treasures what you have lost in earth
ly treasures. Courage. man. courage!
Angels of God. command yam to clear
the track for that man; put our wings
over his head; with your golden scepters
strike for his defense; throw around hm
all the defenses of eternity" What is
the consequence: That business man is
strengthened. He goes To the store next
day feeling that God Is with linn and
ready To deliver.
That same Sunday there is poor old
woman in the church hearing the gospel.