The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-26

The worshippers who are wont to as
senble in the First Presbyterian
church had the privilege yesterday OF
listening to the Rev William NJ Paden
of the Holland Memorial church of
Philadelphia preach. Mr.. Paden is one
of the best known preachers OF the
Quaker City and is a man of culture
and. learning.
Yesterday he took for his text the
18th chapter and 2Sth verse, Come I'M
to me all We that labor and are heavy
laden and l will rest you" The sub
stance of the discourse was as follows:
When we wish to float an enterprise
We enlist the strong men about US, and
advertise for capital; Jesus takes hui
mainly as it comes. with a special God
bless you for the bankrupts. His bril-
liant pupils never crowd out the dull
lards With him able bodied men never
supplant the staggering neighbors; and
the man of fortune. who walks among
his fellows as q conquering hero, re-
ceives no more consideration than the
man of misfortune who hides away
with a broken heart. Jesus takes hui
manity as it comes.
Now none are more apt to distrust
this gospel than those who need ii
most. / have found a man within hear
ing of our church bell who said with
evident sincerity, Religion is not for
the likes of me-" He looked upon
Christ as one of you might have looked
upon Plato. and upon the church as
some of you would look on a Browning
society. Such knowledge, such fellow
ship, was too high for him; he could
not attain unto it. l have met others
who seem to think that if Christianity
is not q matter of culture. IL is a mat
ter of leisure; all very well for those
who have time for that sort of thing,
but beyond the reach of the hard
pressed, ordinary man. They are too
busy TO attend to religion, or, as they
say, they have too many other things
on their hands. And now and then
find still others with membranes of
quite another sort. They stagger under
the burden of the mystery and the
weary weight of all this unintelligible
world" Religion is all sery we'll, they
say. for men whose faith has never
been burdened to breaking with tragic
experience. but it stops short before it
reaches their worlds unrest.
So men with busy heads and bur-
dened hearts, cropping minds and bank
rupt faith, unite in trying to exclude
themselves from the society of Jesus.
There were doubtless such on the edge
of the crowds which gathered TO near
him preach. There were doubtless such
on the edge of the crowd to which
Christ was talking when he gave this
divinest of his invitations At whom
was he looking? Was it at a tired
workingTnan? Was it a student study
ing with the spectors of doubt and the
cynicism of disillisionmen6? Was 1t
sin burdened woman? Was it one or
was il all of these whose necessities
caught his eye and whose WEAKNESS
touched his heart? Was it one or all of
these VINO called forth the divine invi-
tation Come unto me and l Will rest
you: I Will give you rest.
"All We that Eoil and are burdened'
is the answer. No questions will be
asked concerning your pedigree or the
length of your family line. 1t is enough
if you wish to enter the society Of Jesus
and so become members of the house
hold of God No special leisure or Gull
ture is required Christianity mixes
best with hard work. 1t is good for a
Christian 20 work for living Honest
toll is a divinely appointed means of
grace Jesus himself was a working
man. and most Of his early disciples
were working people. When he said
Come unto me all We that labor" he
meant what he said. 1t takes no leis-
ure to be disciple OF Jesus. He is the
busy mans friend.
Yes, my busy and burdened brothers,
Christianity is meant for you. Christ /
is willing to meet you at your hardest |
work and in your working clothes. You !
may have audiences with the Son of !
God in your ove-alls or working aprons. /
Look to him for the struggles of life /
and he Will rest you. His recognition (
is just what you want to make you |
feel that your life is worth living; just /
what you want TO make you sure you /
are working together with God. You
know as you listen that you are not
mere wheels ''droning, turning" or you
would miss the music in the words