Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-02-02

to the scenes of bcatitudo and felicity
which the Bible depicts The man VIII,
cannot see this is wrong, either IN LIS
heart or liver or spleen Look at tn,
great Bible picture gallery. where Isaiah
has set up the pictures Of ar5oresccnce,
girdling the world with cedar and iir anC
pine and lockwood and tho lion led by {
child. and ST. Johns pictures OF waters
and trees. and white horse cavalry. and
tears wiped away. ard trumpots blown,
and harps struck. and nations redeemed.
While there are 10. 600 things do not
like. have not seen any encouragement
for the cause of God for - years. Tn,
kingdom is coming The earth is prepar
ing 10 put on bridal array We need e
be getting our anthems and grant
marches ready In our hymnology W,
shall have more use for Antioch" than
FOR "Windham, for Ariel" than fol
Naomi. " Let "Hark. From the Tomb.
Doleful Cry" be submerged Will
Joy TO the World, the Lord Is Comet
Really. if / thought the human race were
as determined TO be bad and getting
worse, as the pessimists represent,
would think it was hardly worth saving.
II after hundreds Of years Of gospcliza.
ton no improvement has been made.
let us give it MP and 90 at something
else besides praying and preaching
My opinion is that If we hnd enough
faith i'll quick results and could go forth
rightly equipped with the gospel call
the battle for God and righteousness
would end with this nineteenth century,
and the twentieth century. only five OF
six years off. would begin the millenni-
um, aud Christ would reign, either in
person on some throne set up between
the Allcghanies and the Rockies or in
the institutions of mercy and grandeur
set up by his ransomcd people. Discour-
aged work will meet with defeat Elk
pectant and buoyant work Will gain the
victory Start ont with the idea that all
men are liars and scoundrels. and that
everybody is as bad ~ ne can be-. ami
that society. and tho church. aud the
world are ON the way 10 demolition. and
the only use you will ever be TO the
world will be to increase the value OF
lots in q cemetery We need more
cheerful front in all our religious work
People have enough trouble already and
do not want to ship another cargo Of
trouble in the shape Of rcligiosity II
religion has been TO you . peace a dc.
Tense. an inspiration and "A joy. say so.
Say il by word of month. by pen in your
RICH: hand, by face illumiBed with 4
divine satisfaction. II this world IL ever
20 be taken for God, IL will not be by
groans. but by halleluiahs II we could
present the Christian religion rs IL real.
~ IL, in its true aftractiveness. all tho
people would accept II, and accept i;
right away The cities. the nations
would cry out: Give us that! Give IL
TO Us in all its holy magnetism and gra-
cious poweri Put that salvc ON our
wounds! Throw back the shutters for
that morning light Knock of these
chains with that silver hanincri Give
us Christ-his pardon. his peace, bis
comfort. his heaven! Give us Christ in
song. Christ in sermon, Christ in book.
Christ in living example,"
Religion ExempIIAed.
.,s n system Of didactics religion has
never gained one inch 81 progress As
q technicality il bcfogs more than il ir.
raiiatcs As "a dogmatism i; ia an awful
failure Bnt as fact. ~ a re-enforce-
moDt. rs a TRANSPORTATION. it Is tho
mightiest thing that ever descended
from the heavens or touched the earth.
Exemplify IL in the life Of q good man
or good woman. and no one can help
but like IT, a city missionary visited a
house in London and, found "a sick and
dying boy. There was an orange lying
on his bed. and the missionary said,
where did you get that Granger" He
said: "A man brought IL TO me. He
comes here often and reads the Bible 20
me and prays with me and brings me
nice things 10 eat What Is his
uamoy'' said tho city missionary II
forget his name. said tho sick boy
but he makes great speeches over in
that great building. pointing TO the
parliament house Of London The mis-
sionary asked. Was his name Air
"Oh. yea. - said tho boy.
that is his name Mr. Gladsiono" Do
you toll mo q man can scc religion Ike
that ard not like IL? There IL an Oh
fashioned mother in farmhouse. Per.
haps sine Is somewhere in the seventies.
perhaps 20 or &c. IL is the early even.
ing hour Through spectaclcs No s sho
Is reading a newspaper until toward
bedtime. when she takes Up well worn
book, called the Bible. know from the
III her face shc is reading
ono Of the thanksgiving psalms. or in
Revelation tho story Of the ~ pearly
gates. After awhile sho closes the book
and folds her hands and thinks over the
past and seems whispering the names q
her children. some Of them on earth ard
some OF them in heaven Now smile
Is on her face, and now tear. and
sometimes the smile catches the tear.
The scenes of q long life come back 10
her Ono minute she sees nil the chill
drcn smiling around her. with their toys
and sports and strange qucstionings.
Then she remembers several Of them
down sick with infantile disorders
Then she sees a short grave. but over it
cut in marble, Suffer them 10 come to
me. Then there is the wedding hour.
and the neighbors in. and the promise
of II will, and the departure from the
old homestead, then q scene of hard
times, and scant bread and struggle.
Then she thinks Of few years with
gush of sunshine and Fittings of dark
shadows and vicissitudes.
This Is Picty.
Then she kneels down slowly, for
many years have stiffcnod the joints,
and the illnesses Of "a lifetime have made
her less supple Her prayer is a mixture
of thanks for sustaining grace during all
those years, and thanks for children good
and Christian and kind. and prayer
for the wandering boy. whom she hopes
to sec come home before her departure.
And then her trembling lips speak Of
the land Of reunion where she expects to
meet her loved ones already translated,
and after telling the Lord in very sim.
pie language how much she loves him,
and trusts him. and hopes 10 see him
soon. | hear her pronounce the quiet
Amen. and she rises up-a little more
difficult effort than knccling down And
then she puts her head on the pillow for
the night, and the angels Of safety and
peace stand sentinel about that couch in
the farmhouse, and her face ever and
anon shows signs Of dreams about the
heaven she read Of before retiring. In
the morning the days work has begun
down stairs. and seated nc the table the