Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-11-15

God. . It means what the old colored
man said when he was accosted by the
colporteur, .tUncIe Jack, how are you?'
81 is very painful in my knee, but,
thank my heavenly Master, I'm cause
to be thankful. My good Master just
glib me nuf to make me humble
"And do you enjoy religion as much
now, Uncle Jack, as when you could go
to church and class Meetings. Eyes,
Joys him more. Den truss to de peo-
pie, to de meetings, to de sarment, and
when l hear de hymn sing and de pray
I feels glad. But all dis amt like de
good Lord in de heart, God S love here. .
It means sunrise instead Of shutdown. 1t
means the Memnon statue made to sing
at the stroke Of the morning light. 1t
means Christ at the wedding in Cana
It means the time Of the singing OF
birds is come. It means jeremiah s
.'well watered garden. It means Da-
vid's coil of gladness . It means Isai-
abs 'sbride and bridegroom. !" 1t means
Luke's bad boy come home to his IA
theirs house. Worldly joy killed Leo X
when he heard that Milan was captured
Talva died of joy when the Roman sen
ate honored him Diagora died Of joy
because his three sons were crowned at
the Olympian games. Sophocles died Of
joy over his literary successes, and re-
Hgious JOY has been too much for many
Christian, and his soul has sped away
on the wing Of hosannas
An old and poor musician played
SO well one night before his king that
the next morning when the musician
awoke he found his table covered with
golden cups and plates, and princely
robe lying across the back of a chair,
and richly caparisoned horses were paw
ing at the doorway to take him through
the street in imposing equipage. 1t was
only touch Of what comes to every
man who makes the Lord his portion,
for he has waiting for him, direct from
his King, robes, banquets, chariots, man
sions, triumphs, and it is only CUES
ton Of time when he shall wear them,
drink them, ride in them, live in them
and celebrate them.
Religion For All Times.
You think religion is q good thing
for q funeral Oh, yes! But Solomon S
orchard means more. Religion is a
good thing now, when you are in health
and prosperity and the appetite is good
for citrons and apples and apricots
and pomegranates. Come in without
wasting any time in talking about them
and take the luXuries of religion. Hap
Ply yourself, then you can make others
happy. Make just one person happy ev-
cry day, and in 90 years you will have
made 1900 people happy. I like what
Wellington said after the battle of Wa
terloo, and when he. in pursuit of
the French with his advance guard, and
Colonel Harvey said to him, General,
you had better not go any farther, for
you may be shot at by some straggler
from the bushes" And Wellington re-
piled: "Let them fire away. The battle
is won and my life is of novalue now. !"
My friends, we ought never to be reck
less, but if, through the pardoning and
rescuing grace of Christ, you have gain
ed the victory over sin and death and
hell you need fear nothing on the earth
or under the earth. Let all the sharp
shooters of perdition blaze away. You
may ride on in joy triumphant Reli
gion for the funerall Oh, yes, but re-
ligion for the wedding breakfast, re-
ligion for the brightest spring morning
and autumn's most gorgeous sunset.
Religion for the day when the stocks
are up just as much as when stocks are
down. Religion when respiration is
easy as well as for the last gasp; when
the temperature is normal as we'll as
when it reaches 104.
Tt may be bold thing to say, but I
risk it, that if all people. without re-
spect to belief or character, at death
passed into everlasting happiness, re-
ligion for this world is such a luxury
that no man or woman could afford to
do without it. Why was it that in the
parable of the prodigal son the finger
ring was ordered put upon the returned
wanderers hand before the shoes were
ordered for his tired feet? Are not shoes
more important for cur comfort than
finger rings? Oh, yes, but it was to i'm
press the world with the fact that reli-
gion is luxury as well as necessity.
''Put ring on his hand and shoes on
his feet. . 1t in sermOnic or eXhOrtatory
or social recommendations of religion
we put the chief emphasis on the fact
that for our safety we must have it
when the door of the next world is
opened, poor human nature will take
the risk and say, Il will wait until the
door begins to open. y But show them
the radiant truth, that the table of God S
love and pardon is now laid with all
the fruits which the orchards of God S
love and pardon and helpfulness can
supply, and they will come in and sit
down with all the other banQueters,
terrestrial and celestial Oh, fetch on
the citrons, and the apples, and the
walnuts, and the pomegranates of Solo
mon s orchard.
In Pilates Orchard.
But having introduced you to Adam S
orchard and carried won awhile thrOU oh