Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-07-13

home with you to-day Say goodby to youi
friends in the neighDorng pews, and I'd
with him to any one OF a hundred churches
till his soul is saved and he joins you in the
march to heaven. More important thar
that ring on the third finger of your left
hand IL Is that your heavenly Father com.
mand the angel OF mercy, concerning you.
husband at his conversion, as In the para.
Die OF old. "Put ring on his hand"
No letter OF more Importance ever care
to the great city OF Corinth, situated on
what was called the Bridge of the Sea-"
ana glistening witt sculpture and gated
with style Of bras the magniflcence OF
which the following ages have not been
able to successfully initiate and over.
shadowed by the Aero Corinthus, fortress
of rock 20oo feet hight say no letter ever
came to that great city OF more Importance
than that letter in which Paul puts the two
startling questions: "What knowest thou,
0 wife, whether thou shalt save thy hus.
band? Or how knowest thou, O man.
whether thou shalt save thy wife!" The
dearest sacrifice on the part Of the one Is
cheap IL 1t rescue tae other. Better go to
the smallest, weakest, most insignificant
church on earth and be copar.ners in
eternal bliss than pass your earthly mem-
bership in most gorgeously attractive
church while your companion stays out
side OF evangelical privilege. Better
have the drowning saved by a scow or a
sloor than let him or her go down while
a..
iestic or Campania.
Second remark: II both of the married
couples be Christians, but one Is so natur-
ally constructed that it is impossible to
enjoy the services OF particular denom-
inatfon, and the other Is not so sectarian
or punctilious, let the one less particular
go with the other who is very particular.
AS for myself, l feel as much at home in
one denomination OF evangelical Christians
as another, and think must have been
born very near the line. like the solemn
roll OF the Episcopal liturgy, and like the
spontaneity Of the Methodists and I like
the Importance given to the ordinance of
baptism by the Baptists and like the free
dom OF the Congregationalists and 1 like
the government and the sublime doctrine
OF the Presbyterlans and like many of the
others just rs much as any I have men,
toned and could happily live and preach
and die and be buried from any of them.
But others are born with Il liking so stout
so bending, so inexorable for some de-
nomination that 1t is positive necessity
they have the advantage of that one. What
they were intended to be in ecclesiasticsm
was written In the sides OF their cradle, IL
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 Westminster Catechism or
the Thirty nine Articles. The whole cur
rent OF their temperament and thought
and character runs into one sect of relg-
ionists as naturally as the James Riverinto
the Chesapeake. II 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 infiexible and rigor-
Gus. Let the grapevine follow the rugos-
tiles and sinuosties of the cak or hickory.
Abram, the richer in focks of Christian
grace, should say to Lot who is built on a
NIL olp Tat tIAr ha ,,;r
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 sectarlan-
ism, let them attend the different churches
preferred. It Is not necessary that you
attend the same church. Religion is be-
tween your cons science and your God.
Like Abram and Lot, agree to diff
come out Of your home together and one
goes one way and the other the
other, heartily Wish each other a good
and a time of profitable devotion,
and when you meet again at the monday
repast let 1t be evident, each to each, and
to your children, and to the hired help,
that you have both been on the Mount of
although you went up by
different paths, anu that you have both
been fed by the bread of life, though
kneaded by different hands in different
trays and baked in different ovens. But
how about the children" l am often
asked by scores of parents. Let them also
make their own choice. They will grow
up with reverence for both the denomina-
tions represented by father and mother II
you. by holy lives, commend those de-
nominations. If the father lives the bet
70 hnx will hav ba fov
opinion OF his denomination. Ii the
mother lives the better life, they will have
the more favorable opinion of her demon.
lnation. 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 l saw
our neighbor and his wife, who always go
to different churches, going arm in arm to
the same sanctuary"
Well, 1 Will tell you what has brought
them together, arm in arm. to the same
altar. Something very important has hap
pened. Their SON is to-day uniting with
the church. He is standing in the aisle,
taking the vows ofa Christian. He had
been somewhat wayward, and gave father
and mother good deal of anxiety, but
their prayers have been answered In his
and as he stands In the aisle
and the minister Of religion says, "Do you
yourself to the God who made
nnd 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 indnitesimal. And the
daughter who had been very worldly and
gay and thoughtless, puts her life on the
altar of conservation, and as the sunlight
Of that Sabbath streams through the
church window and falls upon her brow
md cheek, she looks like their other daugh-
Ter, whose face was illumined with tho
brightness of another world on the day
when the Lord took her into His heavenly
keeping years ago.
should not wonder, If, after all, these
parents pass the evening OF their life in
tho same church, all differences OF church
preference overcome by the joy of being
in the house of God where their children
were prepared for usefulness ana heaven.
Bat | can give you recipe for running
your children. AuGrlly contend in the
household that your church is right and
the church OF your companion is wrong.
Bring sneer and caricature to emphasize
your opinions, and your children will
make up their minds that religion Is a sham,
4 tV,..x, vv-il hnx - - Tn, ha