Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-06-21

No letter of more importance ever came
20 the Great city Of Corinth, situated on
what was called the "Bridge of the Sea-"
md glistening with sculpture and gated
With q style Of brass the magnificence OF
which the following ages have not been
,hadowed by the Aero. Corinthus, a fortress
If rock 1000 feet high-I say no letter ever
,ame to that great city of more Importance
han that letter In which Paul puts the two
startling questions: "What knowest thou,
wife, whether thou shalt save thy hus-
oand? Or how knowest thou, o man,
whether thou shalt save thy wife?" The
iearest sacrifice on the part Of the one is
,heap II 1t rescue the other. Better go to
:he smallest, weakest, most Insignificant
church on earth and be copartners in
eternal bliss than pass your earthly men,
oership in most gorgeously attractive
church while your companion stays out
side of evangelical privilege. Better
nave the drowning saved by scow or
,loop than let him or her go down while
you sail by in the gilded cabins of a Ma
estic or Campania.
Second remark: II both Of the married
,oup:es be Christians. but one is so natur-
lily constructed that it is impossible to
.njoy the services OF u particular denom-
nation, and the other Is not so sectariau
,r punctilious, let the one less particular
90 with the other who Is very particular.
L
)ne denomination of evangelical Christians
another, and think l must have been
OOrn very near the line. i like the solemn
:oll OF the Episcopal liturgy. and like the
,pontaneity Of the Methodists and like
:he Importance given to the ordinance OF
baptism by the Baptists and 1 like the free
lom'o the Congregationalists and like
The government and the sublime doctrine
of the Presbyterians and l like many OF the
others Just as much as any 1 have mem
Il md han Ia, live 4 apt,
and die and be buried from any of them.
But others are born with a liking so stout,
30 unbending, so ineXorable for somo de-
domination that 1t is 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, il
.he father and mother had eyes keen
enough to see 1t. They would not stop
crying until they had put in their hands as
plaything Westminster Catechism or
The Thirty nine Articles. The whole cur
rent OF their temperament and thought
and character runs into one sect Of reii,-
lonists as naturally as the james River into
The Chesapeake. It. would be a torture tc
such persons to be anywhere outside ol
hat one church.
Now, let the wife or husband who is not
30 constructed sacrifice the milder prefer
ence for the one more inileXible aud rigor.
ous. Let the grapevine follow the rugos-
ties and sinuosities of the cak or hickory.
grace, should say to Lot, who is built on
smaller scale: Let there be no strife, ]
pray thee, between me and thee aud be-
:ween my herdmen and thy herdmen. Il
lot 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 so or be miserable.
Remard the third: IL both the married
couple are very strong in their sectn ran-
ism, let them attend the different churches
preferred. 1t is not necessary that you
attend the same church. Religion is he.
tween your conscience and your God
Like Abram and Lot, agree to diff.
Ter. 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 good
sermon and time OF profitable devotion,
and when you meet again Mt the MONDAY
repast let it be evident, each to each, and
20 your children, and to the hired help.
that you have both been on the Mount oil
Transflguration, although you went up by
different paths, ana that you have both
been fed by the bread of life, though
kneaded by different hands in different
rays and baked in different ovens. "But
now about the ciildren?" am often
asked by scores OF parents. Let them afso
make their own choice. They will grow
up with reverence for both the denomna.
lions represented by father and 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, ley 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, 81
wonder what is going on to day, for saw
our neighbor and his wife, who always &c
20 different churches, going arm in arm to
he same sanctuary"
Well, will tell you what has brought
hem 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,
:aking the vows OF n Christian. He had
been somewhat wayward, and gave father
and mother good deal of anxiety, but
heir prayers have been answered in his
conversion, and as he stands In the aisle
and the minister of religion says, "Do you
consecrate yourself to the God who made
and redeemed you and do you promise to
,erve Him all your days2" and with manly
voice he answers, ~ do" there is an April
shower In the pew where father and
arches both their souls, that makes all diff.
'erences of creed infnitesimal. And the
laughter who had been very worldly and
gay and thoughtless, puts her life on the
altar OF consecration, and as the sunlight
of that Sabbath streams through the
church window and falls upon h,1' brow
and cheek she looks like their other daugh-
.er, whose face was illumined with the
brightness OF another world on the day
when the Lord took her into His heavenly
keeping years ago.
should not wonder, II, after all, these
parents pass the evening of their life in
he same church, all differences of church
preference overcome by the JOY of being
n the house of God where their children
we're prepared for usefulness AMI heaven.
Bat l can give you recipe for running
your children. Angrily contend in the
household that your church Is right and
me 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 n sham,
and they will have none of it. In the
1ortheast storm of domestic controversy
:he rose Of Sharon and the lily of the valley
will not grow. Fight about apostolic
succession, fight about election aud free
agency, fight about baptism, fight about
he 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 kingdom, for in your fight
you will lose the jewel of salvation for your
sntire household. This Is nothing against
the advocacy Of your own religious theo-
ries. Use all forcible argument, b:ing all
lacts, but let here be no acerbty, no sting
ing retort, no mean insinuation, no super
as though all others were
wrong and you infallibly right.
Collins in Russia are never covered
with black. If the deceased is a child,