The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-11-25

weep. and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow its
mirth.
But has trouble enough of its own.
We hear great deal OF discussion
now all over the land about why peo-
pie do not go to church. Some say It
Is because Christianity is dying out
and because people do not believe In
the truth OF Gods word, and all that.
They are false reasons.
The reason is because our sermons
are not interesting and practical and
sympathetic and helpful. Some one
might as well tell the whole truth on
this subject, and so will tell 1t. The
sermon OF the future-the gospel SER
mon to come forth and shake the ma
tions and lift the people out Of dark
ness-will be popular sermon just for
the simple reason that 1t will meet the
woes and the wants and the anxieties
OF the people.
That sermon OF the future will be
an everyday sermon, going right down
into every mans life, and it will teach
him how to vote, how to bargain, how
to plow. how to do any work he Is
called to, how to WELD trowel and pen
and pencil and yardstiCk and plane
And it will teach women how to pre-
side over their households and how to
educate their children, and how to i'm
itate Miriam and Esther and Vashti
hn Of hN
and Mary, the mother of Christ, and
those women who on northern and
southern battlefelds were mistaken by
the wounded for angels of mercy fresh
from the throne of God.
Yes have to tell you the sermon Of
the future will be reported sermon.
II you have any idea that printing was
invented simply to print secular books
and stenography and photography
were contrived merely to set forth sec
ular ideas, you are mistaken. The
printing press is to be the great agency
of gospel proclamation. 1t is high time
that good men, instead OF denouncing
the press, employ 1t to scatter forth the
gospel Of Jesus Christ. The vast ma
jority OF people In our cities do not
come to church, and nothing but the
printed sermon can reach them and
call them to pardon and life and peace
and heaven.
Do you exhort in prayer meeting? Be
short and be spirited. Do you teach in
Bible class? Though you have to study
every night. be interesting. Do you
accost people on the subject OF religion
in their homes or in public places?
Study adroitness and use common
sense. The most graceful. the most
beautiful thing ON earth Is the religion
OF Jesus Christ, and II you awkwardly
present 1t it is defamation. We must
do our work rapidly, and we must do
1t effectively. Soon our time for work
will be gone. A dying Christian took
out his watch and gave 1t to a friend
and said: Take that watch. have no
more use for it. Time has ended for
me, and eternity begins"
Oh, my friends. when our watch has
licked away for us for the last mo-
ment and our clock has struck for us
the last hour, may it be found We did
our work well, that we did it in the
very best way, and whether We preach
ed the gospel in pulpits, or taught Sab
bath classes, or administered to the
sick as physicians, or bargained as
merchants, or pleaded the law as at
torneys, or were busy as artisans or as
husbandmen or as mechanics, or were
like Martha called to give a meal to a
hungry Christ, or like Hannah to make
a coat for prophet, or like Deborah
to rouse the courage OF some timid
Barak in the Lords conflict, we did our
work in such a way that it will stand
the test OF the judgment And in the
long procession OF the redeemed that
marches round the throne may it be
found there are many there brought to
uod through our instrumentality and
in whose rescue We are eXultant. But,
oh, you unsaved, wait not for that
coming sermon. 1t may come after
your obsequies. 1t may come after the
stonecutter has chiseed your name on
the slab so years before Do not wait
for n great steamer OF the Cunard or
White Star line to take you of the
wreck, but hail the first craft, with
however low mast. and however
small hulk, and however poor rud-
der, and however weak captain Bet
ter a disabled schooner that comes up
in time than a full rigged brig that
comes up after you have sunken In
stead Of waiting for that coming SER
mont may be 20. SO years off-take
this plain invitation Of a man who, to
have given you spiritual eyesight.
would be glad to be called the spittle
by the hand of Christ put on the eyes
OF blind man, and who would con-
slider the highest compliment Of this
service II at the close 500 men should
start from these doors, saying:
Whether he be sinner or no, know
not. This one thing know-whereas
was blind. now l see." Swifter than
shadows over the plain, quicker than
birds in their autumnal flight, hastier
than p1aS IN fhatr nrnv bia yp,, IN a