The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-12-07

ourselves in front Of the wheels. trying
to block thoir progressl We will not
stop the chariot, but we ourselves will
DO ground to powder.
Did you ever hear that there was
convention once held among the ice
bergs in the arotiei 1t seems that the
sommer was coming on, and the sun
was getting hotter and hotter, and there
was danger that the whole icefield
would break up and flow away, so tho
tallest and the coolest and the broadcast
of all tho icebergs, the very king of tho
arctics, stood at tho head Of tho oonyen-
ton, and with gavel Of leo smote on q
table of ice, calling the convention to
order, But the sun kept growing in in
tensity of heat, aud tho south wind
blew stronger and stronger, and soon
all the ioefiold began to grind up, ice
berg against iceberg, and to flow away.
The first resolution passed by the con-
vention was, Resolved, that we abol-
ish the sun. I"
But the sun would not BIO abolished.
The heat of the sun grew greater and
greater until after awhile tho very king
of the icebergs began to porspire under
the glow, and the smaller icebergs fell
over, and the cry was: "Too much ox-
oitementl Order, order!' Then the
whole body. the whole field, of ice be-
gan to flow out, and thousand voices
began to ask: where are we going to
now? Where are we floating to? We
will all break to pieces BY this time
the icebergs had reached the gulf stream,
and they were melted into the bosom of
the Atlantic ocean. The warm sun is
the eternal Spirit. The icebergs are frig-
id Christians. The warm gulf stream is
a great revival. The ocean into which
everything melted is the great, wide
heart of the pardoning aud sympathiz-
ing God.
A Word About the Ministry.
But l. think, after all, the greatest
obstacle to revivals throughout Chris
tendon today is an unoonverted minis
try. We must believe that the vast ma
jority of those who ofiiciate at sacred
affairs are regenerated. but l suppose
there may float into the ministry of all
the denominations of Christians men
whose hearts have never been changed
by the grace of God. Of course they are
all antagonistic to revivals.
How did they get into the ministry?
Perhaps some of them chose it as re-
spectacle profession. Perhaps some
chose it as means Of livelihood. Per-
haps some of them were sincere, but
were mistaken. As Thomas Chalmers
said, he had been many years preaching
the gospel before his heart had been
changed, and, as many ministers of the
gospel declare, they were preaching and
had been ordained to sacred orders years
and years before their hearts were re-
generated. Gracious God, what sol
emu thought for those of us who minis
ter at the atari With the present min
istry in the present temperature of piety
the world will never be enveloped with
revivals. While the pews on one side
the altar cry for mercy the pulpits on
the other side the altar must cry for
mercy. Ministers quarreling. Ministers
trying to pull each other down Minis
tiers struggling for ecclesiastical place.
Ministers lethargic with whole congre-
cations dying on their hand. What a
spectacle!
Aroused pulpits will make aroused
pews. Pulpits aflame will make pews
aflame. Everybody believes in revival
in trade, everybody likes a revival in
literature, everybody likes a revival in
art, yet great multitude cannot un-
derstand revival in matters of reli-
gion. Depend upon it, where you find a
man antagonistic to revivals, whether
he be in pulpit or pew, he needs to be
regenerated by the grace of God.
could prove to a demonstration that
without revivals this world will never
be converted, and that in 100 or zoe
years without revivals Christianity will
be practically extinct. 1t is matter Of
astounding arithmetic. In each Of oul
modern generations there are at least
$4,000, 900 children. Now add 80, 900,
900 to the worlds population, and then
have only 100, 900 or 200, 600 converted
every year, and how long before the world
will be saved? ENTHUSIASTICALLY never
We Cannot Afford to BE Fools.
During our war the president of the
United States made proclamation fol
$4,000 troops Some of you remember
the big stir. But the King Of the uni
verse today asks for 500, 900, 900 more
troops than are enlisted, and we want
it done softly, imperceptibly, gently, nc
excitement, one by one!
You are a dry goods merchant on q
large scale, and am merchant on Q
small scale, and come to you and want
to buy 1000 yards of cloth. Do you
say: "Thank you; I'll sell you 1,00C
yards Of cloth, but I'll sell you 30 yards
today, and 20 tomorrow, ard 20 the next
day, and if it takes me six months I'll
sell you the whole 1000 yards; you
will want as long as that to examine
the goods, and I'll want as long as thai
to examine the credit, and, besides that,
1000 yards Of cloth are too much tosell
all at once?' No, you do not say that.
Ou OahO AiO lhtO thC OOuAtAh5
and in ten minutes the whole transac.
ton is consummated. The fact is, we
cannot afford to be fools III anything
but religion!
That very merchant who OH Saturday
afternoon sold me the 1000 yards Of
sloth at one stroke the next Sabbath in
church will stroke his beard and won.
der whether it would not be better fol
1000 souls to come struggling along fol
ten years, instead Of boiling in at one
service.
We talk good deal about the good
times that are coming and about the
worlds redemption. How long before
they will come? There is man who
says 500 years. Here is man who says
200 years. Here is some ono more conf
dent who says in 30 years. What, &C
years? Do you propose to let two gener
ations pass off the stage before the world
is converted?
We Must Pray and Toll.
Suppose by some extra prolongatior
of human life at the next 90 years YOU
should walk around. the world, yor
would not in all that walk find one per-