Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1894-05-23

Tor Heaven. God speed them in the
difficult work, Here Is church. on
the other hand, that proposes 10 bring
only the pVz>r into the kingdom of
Christ, looking not after the rich. God
speed such church in its uudcrtalSingi
But there is n larger idea that n church
may tal>c-bringing in the rich and
poor. the wise and the ignorant, the
high and the low; so that, lxnecling
beside each other. shall be the man far
ing sumptuously every day and the
man who could not get his breakfast
God speed such church,
oh! my friends, we need to break
away from slavery 10 ccclesiastic GUS
tom. We dare not sing il anybody
I hears US We dare not preach unless
we have rounded of ouresentences to
suit the criticism of the world. We
dare nc: dress for church until we
have examined the fashion plates, and
/ would rather stay ut homo than appear
with n coat or n hat not sanctioned by
custom. When will the day of deliver
ancc come 20 the church OF God? When,
instead of n dead religion. laid out in
state on catafalque of pomp and
insincerity, we shall have living,
bounding, sympathetic, glowing Chris
/ tianity.
remark, further. that we have tried
/ here to build and conduct n cheerful
church. While. rs YOU know, we have
not held back the tcrrors of the law
/ and the sterner doctrines OF the Cos.
\ pei, we have tried in this house To pre-
sent To this people the idea that the
gladdest brightest happicst thing in
all the universe is the Christian re-
/ ligion. There is so much trouble in
the world; business men have so many
anNictics; toiling men have SO many
! fatigues; orphans have many dcsola-
tions-for Gods sake II there be any
! bright place on earth show IL TO them.
] Let the church of Jesus Christ be the
most cheerful spot ON earth. Let me
/ say that II do not want ANYBODY to
come whining around me about the
Christian religion. have no faith i'm
religion made up of equal parts of
wormwood, vinegar and red pepper. II
the religion that is presented To us 10 n
/ depression. we will get along better
without it. IL IL be n joy let IL shine
out from your face and from your con-
versation. II man comes to my house
to talk of religion with lugubrious
countenance, and manner full OF smile
and dolorousness, / feel ike saying To
my wife: You had better lock up tho
silver before he steals something" /
have found 1t nm invarinble. rule that
men who profess faith In the Lord
Jesus Christ, priding themselves ut the
same time on their observation-disclosures,
always turn out badly. / never knew
an exception. While those W no 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 90 20 so
years of age by that time people get
over the sham and pretense of society,
and have no longer any patience with
anything like imposture i'm religion. 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 insensible to the
fact that there are glories awaiting
you in the better land? -doxolo-
gies of celestial worship, eternal
lschornls. fearless eyes, songs that
rosound under arches of strength,
and hosannas that clap their
hands Mt the foot of the throne? Is IL
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 Godl Give back the marriage
ring OF love that Jesus put on your fin-
ger in the day of your espousall Plant
no more of the flowers of Heaven where
there ought 20 be nothing but nettles
and nightshadel
We try To make this church a cheer.
full church. A man, on Saturday after
noon, stands in his store, and saws:
How shall / meet these obligations?
How can / endure this new disaster that
is coming upon mc?' He goes home.
Sabbath morning finds himself I'm tho
house of God. Through the song.
through the sermon, through the
prayer, the Lord Jesus Christ saws To
that man: 80 mani 1 have watched
thee; j have seen all thy struggles 1t
is enough. / will see the through:
will stand between the and thy credit.
ors. will make up in Heavenly
treasurers what you have lost in
earthly treasures Courage. mani cour-
agci Angels of God. / command you
TO clear the track for that man. Put
your wings over his head; with your
golden scepters strike for his defense;
throw around him all the defense OF
eternity" What Is the consequence?
mat business man j. strengthened
lie goes 20 the store next day feeling
that God is with him and ready TO de.
liver
That same Sunday there Is a poor
old woman In church hearing the Qos-
pei OH how shrunken she IS, She
wears the same dress she wore twenty
years ago. How faded IL is. and now
out OF date! She sits and listens as
well as she can. Her eyes are so dim
she can not see halfway across the
church. Her ear is so imperfect that
she can only catch occasionally note
Of the psalm or a word OF the preacher.
Some one sitting next TO her gives her
a book and finds the place for her She
says: Thank you. miss. thank your
She holds the book close MP 20 her
eyes and. with voice all full OF tren-
Ors, sings:
Jesus. lover Of my soul
mo q fln a..