Connecticut western news., 1898-11-24

pleasure of religion? David, unable to describe it in words, played it on a harp. Mrs. Hemans, not finding enough power in prose, sings that praise in a canto. Christopher Wren, unable to de- scribe it in language, sprung it into the arches of St. Paul's. John Bunyan, un- able to present it. in ordinary phrase ology, takes all the fascination of ale gory. Handel, with ordinary music un- able to reach the height of the theme, rouses it up in an oratorio. Oh, there is no life on earth so happy as really Christian lifel I do not mean a sham Christian life, but real Christian life. Where there is a thorn there is whole garland of roses. Where there is one groan there are three doxologies. Where there is one day of cloud there is a whole season of sunshine. Take the humblest Christian man that you know angels of God canopy him with their white wings; the lightnings of heaven are his armed allies; the Lord is his Shepherd, picking out for him green pastures by still waters. If he walk forth, heaven is his bodyguard. If he lie down to sleep, ladders of light, angel blossoming, are let into his dreams. If he be thirsty, the potentates of heaven are his oupbearers. If he sit down to food, his plain table blooms into the Kings banquet. Men say, "Look at that odd fellow with the wornout coat. The angels of God cry, Lift up uour hoodS ua ouarIactinn oatoc and let him come inl' Fastidious people cry, "Get off my front stepsp The doorkeepers of heaven cry, "Oome, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the king domi" When he comes to die, though he may be carried out in pine box to the potter's field, to that potter's field the chariots of Christ will come down, and the cavalcade will crowd all the boulevards of heaven.
 bless Christ for the present satisfac. tion of religion. It makes a man all right with reference to the past; it makes man all right with reference to the future. Oh, these neither springs of comfortl They are perennial. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal, "The Lord knoweth them that are his, "The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kind ness shall not depart from thee. neither shall the covenant of my peace be re- moved, saith the Lord, who hath mercy upon thee. Oh, cluster of diamonds set in furnished goldl Oh, neither springs of comfort bursting through all the valleys of trial and, tribulation When you see, you of the world, what satisfaction there is on earth in religion, do you not thirst after it as the daugh- ter of Caleb thirsted after the water springs? It is no stagnant pond, scum med over with malaria, but springs of water leaping from the Rock of Ages Take up one cup of that spring water and across the top of the ohalice will float the delicate shadows of the heav- enly wall, the yellow of jasper, the green of emerald, the blue of sardonyx, the fire of jaointh.
 The Source of Happiness.
 I wish could make you understand the joy religion is to some of us. It makes man happy while he lives and glad when he dies. With two feet upon chair and bursting with dropsies, l heard an old man in the poorhouse cry out. "Bless the Lord, oh, my soull [" l looked around and said, "What has this man got to thank God for?" It makes the lame man leap as a hart, and the dumb sing They say that the old Puri tan religion is juiceless and joyless religion, but I remember reading of Dr. Goodwin, the celebrated Puritan, who in his last moment said: "Is this dy- ing? Why, my bow abides in strength I am swallowed up in God P Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Oh, you who have been trying to satisfy yourselves with the "south land" of this world do you not feel that you would, this morning, like to have access to the neither springs of spiritual comfort? Would you not like to have Jesus Christ bend over your cradle and bless your table and heal your wounds and strew flowers of consolation all up and down the graves of your dead?
 Iris religion that can give
 Sweetest pleasures while we live.
 'Tis religion can supply
 Sweetest comfort when we die.
 But 1 have something better to tell you, suggested by this text. It seems that old Father Caleb on the wedding day of his daughter wanted to make her just as happy as possible. Though 9th. niel was taking her away and his heart was almost broken because she was go- ing, yet he gives her "south land ;' not only that, but the neither springs not only that, but the upper springs. o God. my Father, thank thee that thou hast given me ''south land" in this world and the neither springs of spiritual comfort in this world; but, more than all, thank thee for the up- per springs in heavenl
 The Gates Ajar.
 It is very fortunate that we canot see heaven until we get into it. o Chris tian man, if you could see what place it is we would never get you back again to the office, or store, or shop and the duties you ought to perform would go neglected I am glad shall not see that world until I enter it. Suppose we were allowed to go on an excursion in- to that good land with the idea of re- turning. When we got there and heard the song and looked at their raptured faces and mingled in the supernal socie- ty, we would cry out: "Let us stay We are coming here anyhow. Why take the trouble of going back again to that old world? We are here now. Let us stay!" And it would take angelic vio- lence to put us out of that world if once we got there, but as people who cannot afford to pay for an entertainment some- times come around it and look through the door ajar, or through the openings in the fence, So we come and look through the orevices into that good land which God has provided for us. We can just catch glimpse of it. We come near enough to hear the rumbling of the eternal orchestra, though not near enough to know who blows the cornet