The Penn's Grove record., 1899-06-16

nation, n tho other Is not so sectarlai
or punotilious, let the one less particula
go with the other who is very particular
As Tor myself, I feel as much at home II
one denomination OF evangelical Christian.
as another, and / think I must have beef
born very near the line. l like the solemn
roll OF the Episcopal liturgy, and L like tn,
s~pontaneity OF the Methodists and I likl
the Importance given to the ordinance o
baptism by the Baptists and l like the free.
dom OF the Congregationniists and l Tx,
the government INT the sublime doctrine
OF the Presbyterlans n l like many OF tbs
others just as much as any I nave men
TONED and l could happily live and preach
and die and be buried from any OF them
But others are born with a liking so stout
so ~uAbending, so memorable for some de.
nomination that 1t is a positive necessity
they have the advantage OF that one. What
they were intended to be In ecclesiasticism
was written in the sides OF their cradle, II
the father and mother had eyes keen
enough to see It,. They would not stop
crying until they had put In their hands as
a plaything a Westminster Catechism or
the T~hirty-nine Articles. The whole our
rent OF their temperament and thought
and character runs into one sect of relig-
ionists as naturally as the James Riverinto
the Chesapeake. IT. would be a torture to
such persons to be anywhere outside OF
that one church.
Now, let the wife or husband who is not
so constructed sacrifice the milder prefer
ence for the one more lnflexible and rigor-
Gus. Let the grapevine follow tho rugos-
tiles and ~sinuosities OF the cak or hickory.
Abram, the richer In focks OF Christian
grace, should say to Lot, who is built on a
smaller scale: "Let there be no strife, I
pray thee, between me and thee and be-
tween my herdmen and thy herdmen. Is
not the whole land before thee?" As you
can be edited and happy anywhere, go
with your companion to the church to
which he or she must go or be miserable.
Remard the third: II both the married
couple are very strong in their sectarian-
ism, let them attend the different churches
preferred. 1t IS not necessary that you
attend the same church. Religion is be-
tween our conscience and your God.
Like Abram and Lot, agree to diff
fer. When on Sabbath morning you
come out OF your home together and one
goes one way and the other the
other, heartily wish each other Il good
sermon and a line OF profitable devotion,
and when you meet again at the MONDAY
repast let 1t be evident, each to each, and
to you children, and to the hired help,
that you haye both been on the Mount of
TRANSPORTATION, although you went up by
different paths, ana that you have both
been fed by the bread of life, though
kueduSu ny ulllefbnt MINUS III ullIeftut
trays and baked in different ovens. "But
how about the children" l am often
asked by scores OF parents. Let them also
make their W choice. They will grow
up with reverence for both the denominn-
tlons represented by father md mother II
you, by holy lives, commend those de-
nominations. II the father lives the bet
ter life, they will have the more favorable
opinion OF his denomination. II the
mother lives the better life, ttey will have
the more favorable opinion OF her demon.
nation. And some day both the parents
will, for at least one service, go to the
same church. The neighbors will say, II
wonder what is going on to-day, for | saw
our neighbor md his wife, who always 20
to different churches, going arm In arm to
tho same sanctuary"
Well, l will tell you what has brought
them together, arm in arm, to the same
altar. Something very important has hap
penei. Their son is to-day uniting with
tho church. He Is standing in the aisle,
taking the VOWS OF a Christian. He had
been somewhat Maynard, and gave father
and mother a good deal of anxiety, but
their prayers have been answered In his
conversion, and as he stands In the aisle
knd the minister of religion says, "Do you
coDsecrate yourself to the God who made
and redeemed You and do you promise to
serve Him all your days?" and with manly
voice he answers, II do" there is an April
shower in the pew where father and
mother sit and a rainbow of joy which
arches both their souls, that makes all DIFF
ferences of creed inlnitesimal. And the
daughter who had been very worldly and
gay and t~houghtless, puts her life on the
altar Of conservation, and rs the sunlight
of that Sabbath streams through the
church window and falls upon her brow
and cheek, she looks like their other daugh-
ter, whose face was illumined with the
brightness OF another world on the day
when the Lord took her into His heavenly
keeping years ago.
l should not wonder, II, after all, these
parents pass the evening of their life In
the same church, all differences of church
preference overcome by the Joy Of being
IN me Wuse OF Goo where their children
we're prepared for usefulness aud heaven.
Bat | can give you n recipe for running
your children. Angrily contend In the
household that your church is right and
the church OF your companion is wrong.
Bring sneer and earlcature to emphasize
your opinions, and your children will
make up their minds that religion Is a sham,
and they will have none of 1t. In the
northeast storm of domestic controversy
the rose OF Sharon and the lily Of the valley
will not grow. Fight about apostolic
succession, fight about election and free
agency, fight about baptism, fight about
the bishopric, fight about gown and sur
plice, and the religious prospects OF your
children will be left dead on the field. YOU
will be as unfortunate as Charles, Duke OF
Burgundy, who in battle lost a diamond
the value OF II kingdom, for in your fight
you will lose the jewel of salvation for your
entire household. This is nothing against
the advocacy Of your own religious theo-
ries. Use all forcible argument, bring all
telling illustration, array all demonstrative
facts, but let there be no acerbity, no sting
ing retort, no mean ~insinuation, no super
ciliousness, as though all others were
wrong and you infallibly right.