The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-03-20


t,an hope, resurrection hope, which shall
not 60 out until the last cerement is
taken off and the last mausoleum breaks
open.
Warmth and Hope.
All! l am SO glad that the Sun of
Righteousness dawned on the polar
night of the nations. And if Christ is
the great warmer, then the church is
the great dollhouse, with its plants and
trees and fruits of righteousness. Do
you know, my friends, that the church
is the institution that proposes warmth!
have been for 81 years studying how
to make the church warmer. Warmer
architecture, warmer hymnolpgy, warm
er Christian salutation. All outside ST.
berian winter, we must have it a princes
dollhouse. The only institution on earth
today that proposes to make the world
warmer. Universities and observatorles,
they all have their work. They propose
| to make the world light, but they do
not propose to make the world warm.
Geology informs us, but it is as cold as
the rock it hammers. The telescope
shows where the other worlds are, but
an astronomer is chilled while looking
through it. Christianity tells us of
strange combinations and how inferior
affinity may be overcome by superior
affinity; but it cannot tell how all
things work together for good. Worldly
philosophy has a great splendor, but it
is the splendor of moonlight ON an ice
berg. The church of God proposes
warmth and hope-warmth for the ex-
pectations, warmth for the sympathies.
Oh | am so glad that these great altar
fires have been kindled. Come in out
of the cold. Come in, and have your
wounds salved. Come, and have your
sins pardoned Come in by the great
gospel fireplace.
A Blessed Confagration.
! Notwithstanding all the modern in
ventions for heating, tell you there is
nothing SO full of geniality and social
ity as the old fashioned country fire.
place. The neighbors were to come IN
for winter evening of sociality. In the
middle of the afternoon, in the best
room in the house. some one brought In
a great backlog with great strain and
put it down on the back of the hearth.
Then the lighter wood was put on, arm
full after armful Then shovel of Goals
was taken from another room and put
under the dry pile, and the kindling be-
gan, and the cracking. and it rose I'M
| til it became roaring flame. which
filled all the room with geniality and
was reflected from the family pictures
on the wall. Then the neighbors came
in two by two, They sat down, their
faces to the fire, which ever and anon
was stirred with tongs and readjusted
ON the andirons, and there were such
times of rustic repartee and story tell
ing and mirth as the black stove and
the blind register never dreamed OF.
Meanwhile the table was being spread,
and so fair was the cloth and SO clean
was the cutlery, they glisten and glis-
ten in our mind today. And then the
best luxury of orchard and farmyard
was roasted and prepared for the table,
to meet the appetites sharpened by the
| cold ride.
Oh, my friends, the church Of Jesus
Christ is the worlds fireplace, and the
woods are from the cedars of Lebanon.
and the fires are fires Of love, and with
the silver tongs of the altar we stir the
flame, and the light is reflected from all
the family pictures on the wall-pic-
lures of those who were here and are
gone now, Oh come up close to the
hrebiaeel Have your worn faces trans
figured in the light. Put your cold feet,
weary of the journey, close up to the
blessed conhagration. Chilled through
with trouble and disappointment, come
close up until you can get warm clear
through Exchange experience, talk over
the harvests gathered, tell all the gospel
news Meanwhile the table is being
spread. On it, bread of life. On 1T,
grapes of Eshcol On it, new wine from
the kingdom. On it, a thousand luxuries
celestial Hark as wounded hand raps
on the table, and tender voice comes
through saying, "Come, for all things
are now ready. Eat, o friends drink,
yea, drink abundantly, o beloved -
My friends, that is the way the cold
world is going to be warmed up, by the
, great gospel fireplace. All nations Will
, come in and sit down at that banquet.
While l was musing, the fire burned.
"Come in out of the cold, come In out
of the coldp'