The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-09-21

| ouch tuo hiHuruhce3 We BrHuuiUe from
our theological Summaries oil stills, and
II takes five or six years before we can
some down and stand right beside the
great masses of the people, learning
their joys, sorrows, victories, defeats.
We get our heads SO brimful of theo-
logical wisdom that we have to stand
very straight lest they spill over. Now,
what do the great masses of the people
care about the technicalities of religion?
What do they care about the hypostatic
union or the difference between sublap-
sarian and supralapsarian? What do
they care for your profound explana-
TONS clear as a London fogp When a
man is drowning, he does not want you
to stand by the dock and describe the
nature Of the water into which he has
fallen and tell him there are two parts
hydrogen gas and one Of oxygen gas,
with common density of 30 F., turp-
ing to steam under common atmospher-
lc pressure of 2l2. He does not want a
| chemical lecture on water. He wants a
rope.
Gone Metaphysics Mad.
OH my friends tho curse of God on
the church, it seems to me, in this day
is metaphysics. We speak in an tn
known tongue in our Sabbath schools,
and i'll our religious assemblages, and
In our pulpits, and how can people he
taved rnless they can understand ms?
We put ON our official gowns, and VIC
think the two silk balloons Tapping at
the ell ows of "a preacher give him great
sanctity. The river of Gods truth flows
down before rs pure and clear as crys-
tai, but we take our theological stick
and stir it up and stir it up until you
cannot see the bottom. Oh, for the sim
plicity of Christ in all onr instructions
the simplicity he practiced when
standing among the people he took
lily and said, "There is lesson of the
manner I will clothe you, and point
ing to n raven said: "There is lessen
Of the way l will feed you. Consider
the lilies--behold the fowls
think often in our religious instruc-
tons we compel the people to stay ont
by our church architecture. People come
in, and they find things angular and cold
and stiff, and they go away, never again
to come, when the church ought to DO n
great home circle, everybody having a
hymnbook, giving half of it to the ono
next him; every one who has hand to
shake hands shaking hands-the church
architecture and the Understanding
saying to the people, Come i'll and be
ht home" Instead of that, l think all
these surroundings often compel the poo
pie to stay out. Now, let us all repent
of our sins and begin on the other track
and by our heartiness of affection and
warmth of manner and imploration of
the spirit of God compel the people to
rome in. How shall we lead sinners to
accept the Lords invitation? think we
must certainly begin by holy life. We
must be better men, better women before
we can compel the people to come into
the kingdom of Jesus Christ. There
are fine essays being written in this day
about science and religion l tell you
the best argument in behalf of our holy
Christianity. 1t is good man, good
woman, a life all consecrated to Christ.
No infidel can answer it. Oh, let us
by holy example compel the people to
tome in!
The Safe Path.
l read Of minister of the gospel who
was very fond Of climbing among the
Swiss mountains. One day he was climb
ing among very dangerous places and
thought himself all alone when he heard
a voice beneath him say: Father, look
out for the safe path; am following"
And he looked back, and he saw that lie
was climbing not only for himself, but
climbing for his boy. Oh, let us be sure
and take the safe path! Our children are
following; our partners in business are
following; our neighbcrs are following;
n great multitude stepping right on in
,ur steps On, be sure and take the right
path! Exhibit Christian example and
10 by your godly walk compel the peo-
pie to come in.
think there is work also in the way
Df kindly admonition. do not believe
there is person in this house who, if
approached in a kindly and brotherly
manner, would refuse to listen If you
are rebuffed it is because you lack in
tact and common sense. But, oh, how
much effective work there is in the way
of kindly admonition! There are thou
sands of men all around about you who
have never had one personal invitation
to the cross. Give that one invitation,
and you would be surprised at the alac-
Gty with which they would accept it.
have a friend, Christian physi-
rian, who one day became very anxious
about the salvation of brother physi-
clan, AID so lie left his Office, went
down t. this mans Office and said, "Is
the doctor in?" "No," replied the
young man waiting. ""rhe doctor is not
In. We'll" said this physician,
when he comes in, tell him / called
md give him my Christian love" This
w.rldly doctor came home after awhile,
aud tic message was given to him, and
be said ,-itl.a himself, "What does lie
mean by leaving his Christian love for
me?" And he became very much awalI-
ened and stirred in spirit, and he said
after awhile, "Why, that man must
mean my soul, and he went into his
back Office, knelt down and began to
pray. Then be took his hat and went
out to the office of this Christian physi
clan and said, "What can / 90 to be
saved?' and the two doctors knelt i'll
the Office and commended their souls to
God All the means used in that case
was only the voice of one good man,
saying, "Give my Christian love to the
doctor The voice of kindly admoni-
ton. Have you uttered it today? Will
you utter it tomorrow? Will You utter
it now? Compel them to come in.
think there is a great work also to
be done in the way of prayer. If we had
faith enough today, we could go before
God and ask for the salvation of all tho
people i'll our churches, and they would
all be saved there and then without a
single exception. There might be pro-
fessional men there, political men there,
worldly men there, men who had not
heard the gospel for 30 years, men who