The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-06-17

for at lsSst one service. goto ~ sane
church neneirhbouswinszy; -Iwon-
derwhatiSCoingontO-iz for saw cur
nsirhbor and his wife. who always 80
I o different churches gong arm Il arm
10 the sane znetuayf- Well. l viii
tel you what has brought them arm IN
.rm 70 the sane altar. Something very
important has happened Their son Is
standing in the aisle, taking the VOWS OF
a Christian. lie has been somewhat
Wayrari and gave father and mother
arooddsal Of anxiety, but their prayers
have been ansSered in his conversion,
and a. he stands in the aisle and the
minister Of religion says; DO You
consec-te Yourself to the God who
made and redeemed you, and do you
promise 10 serve Him all your days.
and with manly voice he answers 4
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 the difference of
creed ihdnitesimsL And the daughter,
who has been very worldly and gay and
thourhtlesS. 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
and cheek she looks like their other
daughter, whose face was illuminated
with the brightness Of another world
on the day when the Lord took her into
His heavenly keeping years ago.
I should not wonder II, after all,
these parents pass the evening of their
he in the same church, al differences
Of church preference overcome by the
JOY of being in the house Of God where
their children were prepared for use
fitness and Heaven. But l can give
YOU a 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 cariesture 10 emphasize your opin-
ions, and your children will make up
their minds that religion is a sham,
and they will have none of it. In the
northeast storm of domestic eoutro-
versy 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 surplice, and the re-
ligious prospect of your children will
be left dead on the field. You will be
as unfortunate as Charles, duke of Bur
eundy. who in battle lost a diamond
the value Of a kingdom, for in your fight
YOU will lose the jewel Of salvation for
your entire household. This is moth
ing against the advocacy of your own
religious theories. Use all forcible ar
Rument, bring all telling illustration
array all demonstrstive facts, but LEI
there be no acerbity, no singing retort
no mean insinuation, no supercilious-
ness, as though all others were wrong
and you infallibly right.
But do not reject Christianity, a
many do, because there are 20 many
sects. Standing in Westminster hotel
London, l looked out of the window
and saw three clocks, As near as l car
remember - one on the parliament
house, another on st. M~argaret's chapel
another on Westminster abbey ant
they were all different. One said l.
o'clock at noon, another said five min
utes before ~, another said five min
utes after ~. ] might as well have con
cluded that there is no such thing Al
time because the three timepieces wer'
different as for you to conclude tina
there is no such thing rs pure Christi
anity because the churches differ II
their statement oft.
But let US all rejoice that, although
part Of our family may worship o
earth In one church and part in an
: other church or bowed at the sam
altar in a compromise Of preferences
we are. II redeemed, on the way TO
? perfect church, where all our prefer
ences will be fully gratiied- Great ca
thedral of eternity. with arches Of am'
+ thysts and pillars of sapphire, wit
floors Of emerald and windows aglo'
c with the sunrise Of Heaven. VIVA
G s~tup4ndous towers, with chimes angt
koisted and angel rungl What myriad
. Of worshipers, white robed and corone'
? ed What an oficiator at the ALTA
| even "the great High Priest Of our prC
c fessionl" What walls, hung with tn
+ captured shields and flags, by tn
{ church militant passed up to the churc
P triumphant What doxologies of a
d nationsl Coronet to coronet, cymb;
&c to cymbal, harp to harp, organ to o
ganl Pull out the tremulant stop {
recall the ~sufferings pastl Pull out Il
% trumpet stop to recall the yictoryl
s. When shall these eyes Thy Heaven bui
l. walls
a And pearly gates behold.
= Thy bulwarks. with salvation strong.
le And streets OF shining gold7
Al Pretty girls. as a rule. are not fit 4,