Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-01-11

again never to bo talked of again. Pollu-
ton all gone; darkness all illumincd; God
reconcicd; the prodignl home! Put a
ring ON his hand
Every day | find happy Christian peo-
pie. find some of them with no second
coat, some Of them in huts and tenement
houses. not one earthly comfort afforded
them. and yet they are rs happy rs happy
can he. They sing Rock of Ages" as no
other people in the world sing il. They
never wore any jcwelry in their life but
one gold ring. and that was the ring of
Gud'S undyiug affection. oh, how happy
religion makes us Did it make you
gloomy and sad? Did you 20 with your
head cast down. / do not think you got
religion, my brother. That is not tho
effect Of religion. True religion is joy.
Her ways are ways Of plcasantness, and
all her paths are peace
Why, religion lighjcns all our burdens;
IL smooihs all our way; it interprets all
our sorrows; it changes the jar Of earthly
disoord for the peal of fcStal bells. In
front Of the flaming furnace Of trial it sets
the forge on which sccptcrs are hammered
out. Would you not like this hour to
come mp from the swine feeding and try
this religion. All the joys of heaven
would come out and meet you, and God
would cry from the throne, Put a ring
on his hand
Uncertainty For Assurance.
You are not happy. sec it. There Is
no peace, ana sometimes you laugh when
you feel a great deal more like crying.
The world Is u cheat. Ii first wears you
down with it, follics; then it kicks you
out into darkness. Ii comes back from
4 ftE..
the destruction of your soul today No
peace out nf God, but here is the fountain
that can slakc the thirst. Hero is the har-
Dor where you can drop safe anchorage.
Would you not like, / ask you-not per-
funciurly, but as one brother might talk
to anu,hcr-would you not like to have .
pillow of rest to put your head on. And
would you not like when you retire at
night. To feel that all is well, whether you
wake up tomorrow morning at q O'Clock
or sleep the sleep that knows no wakingf
Would you not like to cxchange this awful
uncertainty about the future for a glo-
rious assurance Of hcavenf Accept Of tho
Lord Jesus today and all is we'll II ON
your way home some peril should cross the
street and dash your life out, it would not
hurt you. You would rise up Immediately.
You would stand in the celestial streets.
You would be- amid the great throng that
forever worship and are forever happy. IL
this night some sudden disease should
come upon you. ii would not brighten you.
II you knew you were going, you could
give calm farewell To your beautiful
home on earth and know that you are GO
ing right into the cuinpaniOnship Of those
who have already got beyond the toiling
and the weeping.
You feel on Saturday night different
from the way you feel any other night OF
the week. You come home from the bank,
or the store, or the Office and you say,
"Well. now my weeks work Is done, and
tomorrow j. sunday" 1t is pleasant
thought. There are rcfrcshment and recon-
struction in the very idea. oh, how pleas
ant IL will be If. when we get through tho
day Of our life and we 90 and lie down In
our bed Of dust, we can realize. We'll.
now the work Is all done, and tomorrow
Is Sunday-an everlasting Sunday.
Oh. when, thou city ot my God.
Shall thy courts ascend,
Whore consrog cations ne'er break MP
And saLbaths have no endf
There arc people in this house today
who are very near the eternal world. IL
you are Christians. bid you be Of good
cheer. Bear with you our congratulations
to the bright city. Aged men, who will
soon be gone, take with you our love for
our kindred in the better land, and when
you see them tell them that we are soon
coming. Only few more sermons 10
preach and hear; only "a few more heart
aches; only a few more tolls; only n few
moro tears. And thcn-what an entranc-
ing spectacle will open before usl
Beautifr! heaven. where all Is light:
Beautiful angels. clothed in white:
Beautiful strains that never tire.
Beautiful harls through all the choir;
There shall join the chorus sweet,
Worshiping at the Savieur's feet.
And So approach you now with gen.
eral invitation not picking out hero and
there "A man, or here and there woman,
or here and there child, but giving you
an unlimited invitation. saying. Come,
for ali :hisgs arc now ready" We invite
you to the warm heart 81 Christ and tho
inclosuro OF the Christian church. l
know great many think that tho church
does not amount tn much; that IL is obso-
lotc; that it did its work and is gone now,
SO far rs all usefulness Is concerned 1t
Is the happicst place | have ever been in.
except my own homo.
The One Tes'
know there arc some people who say
they are Christians who seem To get along
without any help from others, and who
culture solitary piety. They do not want
any ordinances. do not belong To that
class. | cannot get along without them.
There are 50 many things In this world
that take my attention from God and
Christ and heaven that | w;.lt all the
helps Of all the symbols and Of all tho
Christian associations, and want around
about me "a solid phaanx OF men who love
God and keep his commandments. Arc
there any here who would like to enter
into that association: Then by "a simple,
childlikc faith, apply for admission into
the visible church, ana you will be rccciv-
ed. No questions asked about your past
history or present Surroundings Only
ono tcst-do you love Jesus
Baptism docs not amount TO anything,
say great many people. but the Lord
jesus declared, lilo that bclievcth and is
baptized shall be saved" putting baptism
and faith side ~ side. And an apostle de-
clarcs, Repent and be baptized every ono
OF YOU" do not sickle for any particu-
lar mode of baptism, but put great en-
phasis ON the fact that you ought to be
baptized, yet no more emphasis than tho
Lord Jesus Christ, the great Head of the
church, puts upon it.
Some of you have beer thinking ON this
subject year after year. You have found
out that this world is "a poor portion. You
want to be Christians. You have como al
most into the kingdom Of God, but there
you stop, forgctful of the fact that to DO
almost saved is not To bc saved mt all. oh,
my brother. after having come so near 20
the door Of mercy, if you turn back, you
will never come at all. After all you have
heard of the goodness of God, if you turn
away and die 1t will not bc because you
did not have n good offer.
Gods spirit viii not always strive
With hardened, self destroying man
Yc who persist his loyc TO gricvc
May never hear his voice again.
May God Almighty this hour move upon
your soul and bring you back from tho
husks of the wilderness Ia the Fathers
house. and set you mt the banquet, and
put ring on your hand"
The Electric Lamp In "a New Light.
Attention has lately been drawn to tho
sanitary results of the installation of cleo
triCity in the city of I,onflnn he lr Sam