Connecticut western news., 1900-11-08

are like steamer that should go out of New York harbor. starting for Glasgow, and the next day should change for Havre de Grace, and the next for Charleston and the next for Boston and the next for Liverpool. These men on the sea of life everlast- ingly tacking ship and making 10 headWay. Or they are like man who starts to build house In the Corin- thian style and changes 1t to Doric. and then completes 1t In the Ionic, the curse of all styles of architecture. Young man, start right and keep on. Have decision of character. Character Is like the goldtinch of Tonquin; 1t is magnificent while standing firm, but loses all it's beauty in flight How much decision of character In order that these young men may be Chris. tians! Their old associates make sar- castle filings at them. They go on excursions and they do not invite them. They prophecy that he will give out. They wonder if he Is not getting wings. AS he passes, they grimace and wink and chuckle and say, "There goes a saint" Oh, young man, have decision of character. You can afford in this matter of religion to be laughed at. What do you care for the scoffs of these men, who are affronted be- cause you will not go to ruin with them? When the grave cracks open under their feet, and grim messengers push them into It. and eternity comes down hard upon their spirit, and con- science stings, and hopeless ruin lifts them up to hurl them down. will they laugh then?
 Take Religion Into Business.
 I learn also from my subject that men may take religion into their world ly business. This Is most appropri- ate thought at this season of the year, when so many men are starting out in new enterprises. Daniel had enough work to do to occupy six men. All the affairs of state were in his hands questions of finance, questions of war, of peace; all international questions were for his settlement or adjustment. He must have had correspondence vast beyond all computation. There was not man in all the earth who had more to do than Daniel, the secre- tary of state, and yet we find him three times day lowing before God In pray CT. There are men in our day who have not hundredth part of Daniels engagements who say they are too busy to be religious. They have an idea somehow that religion will spoil their worldly occupation; that 1t will trip the accountants pen, or dull the carpenters saw, or confuse the law yer's brief, or disarrange the mer- chants store shelf. They think rcli- zion Is impertinent. They would like to have 1t very well seated beside them In church on the Sabbath, to find the place in the psalmbook or to nudge them awake when they get sleepy un- der the didactic discourse, or they would like to leave 1t in the pew on Sabbath evening as they go out, clos ing the door, saying: Good night, reli- zion! I'll be back next Sundayw But to have religion go right along by then, all through life, to have religion look ing over their shoulder when they are making bargain. to have religion take up a bag of dishonest gold and shake 1t and say, Where did you get that?" they think that is an impertinent reli- zion. They would like to have a reli- zion to help them when they are sick and when the shadow of death comes over them, they would like to have re- hglon as q sort of night key with which to open the door of heaven. but religion under other circumstances they take to be impertiuence.
 Serving God Costs Nothing.
 Now, my friends, religion never rob bed a man of dollar. Other things being equal. mason will build a bet ter wall, cabinet maker will make better chair, plumber will make better pipe, Il lawyer will make bet ter plea. merchant will sell a better bill of goods. I say, other things be- ing equal. Of course when religion gives a man new heart, 1t does not propose to give him a new head or to intellectualiZe him or to change a mans condition when his ordinary state is an overthrow of the philosoph- ical theory that total vacuum Is impossible, but the more letters you have to write, the more burdens you have to carry, the more miles you have to travel, the more burdens you have to lift, the more engagements you have to meet, the more disputes you have to settle, the more opportunity you have of being a Christian. If you have thousand irons in the fire, you have a thousand more opportunities of serving God than if you only had one iron in the fire. Who so busy as Christ? And yet who a millionth part as holy? The busiest men the best men. All the per- sons converted In Scripture busy at the time of their being converted. Mat thew attending to his custom house duties, the prodigal son feeding swine, Lydia selling purple, Simon Peter haul ing in the net froSn the sea, Saul spur ring his horse toward Damascus, go- ing down on his law business. Busy. busy Daniel with all the affairs of state weighing down upon his soul and yet three times day worshiping the God of heaven.
 Religion In Politics.
 Again, learn from this subject that a man may take religion into his poli- | ties. Daniel had all the affairs of state | on hand, yet a servant of God. He could not have kept his elevated posi- | ton unless he had been thorough pol l itician, and yet all the thrusts of ofii- cials and all the danger of disgrace did not make him yield one iota of his high toned religious principle. He stood be- | fore that age, he stands before all ages, n specimen of godly politician. So ! there have been In our day and in the ! days of our fathers men as eminent In i the service of God as they have been | eminent in the service of the state. ! Such was Benjamin F. Butler, attorney | general of New York In the time of l your fathers; such was John Mclean of the supreme court of the United | States: such was George Briggs of Mas sachusetts; such was Theodore Freling- | huysen of New Jersey-men faithful to 1 the state, at the same time faithful to | God If fS ohc,IrH tn avnact thot ,,ap