Connecticut western news., 1900-09-27

throne of God, So that It may Ge said of us. as 1t was said of Luther, He got what he asked fort' We want, like Daniel, to pray with our face toward the Holy City; we want. like Stephen. to pray gazing into heaven; we want, like the publican. to pray smiting on the heart of conviction: we want. like Christ. to pray-the Christ who emp tied his heart of all its lifeblood and then filled 1t with the sorrows, the woes, the agonies of all nations.
 Cold mountains and the midnight air
 Witnessed the fervor of his prayer
 Shoulder Your Burden.
 The spirit of Christ, remark lastly, was a spirit of hard work. Not one lazy moment In all his life. Whether he was talking to the fishermen on the beach, or preaching to the sailors on the dock. or administering to the rus tics amid the mountains, or spending an evening in Bethany, always busy for others. With hands, heart, head, busy for others-hewing in the Naza- reth carpenter shop, teaching the lame how to walk without crutches, curing the childs fits, providing rations for the hungry host. Busy, busy, busy! The hardy men who pulled the net out of the sea filled with fioundering treas ures, the shepherds who hunted up grassy plots for their fiocks to nibble at, the shipwrights pounding away in the dockyards, the winemakers of En- gedi dipping the juices from the vat and pouring them into the goatskins, were not more busy than Christ. Busy. busy for others! From the moment he went out of the caravansary of Bethle- hem to the moment when the cross plunged into the socket on the bloody mount busy for others. Does that re- mind you of yourself? It does not re mind me of myself. If we lift bur den, 1t must be light; If we do work, 1t must be popular; if we sit in the pew. 1t must be soft; If we move in a sphere of usefulness, 1t must be brilliant; If we have to take hold of load, give us the light end of the log. In this way to heaven fan us, rock us. sing us to sleep Lift us up toward heaven on the tips of your fingers under a silken sunshade. Stand out of the way, all you martyrs who breasted the fire: stand out of the way and let this col ony of tender footed modern Christians come up and get their crowns!
 What has your Lord done to you, O Christian, that you should betray himf Who gave you so much riches that you can afford to despise the awards of the faithful At this moment. when all the armies of heaven and earth and he'll are plunging into the conflict, how can you desert the standard? Oh, back slidden Christian, Is 1t not time for you to start anew for God and anew for heaven?
 Now, have shown you that the dis position of Christ was a spirit of gen. tleness, a spirit of self sacrifice, g spir- 1t of humility. spirit of prayer, a spir- 1t of hard work-five points Will you remember them? Are you ready now for the tremendous announcement of the'text, If any man has not the spirit of Christ, he is none of hisY' Are you ready for that statement2 Can we stand up and say, "Yes; we have the spirit of Christi P Not one of us can make that answer to the full question. yet am to declare to you there Is no Encouragement in this subject for Christian people. You have the seeds of this character planted in your soul. Tt doth not yet appear what we shall be-"
 You might as well blame an acorn for not being an oak of a thousand years as to blame yourself because you are not equal to Christ. You have the implan- tation within you which will enlarge and develop into the grandest Chris tian character and there Is no discour- agement in this text for you to try to love and serve the Lord. Aim high. Sheathe not your sword until you have gained the last victory. Climb higher and higher until you reach the celestial hills. Crowns bright and radiant for all the victors, but death to every de- serter.
 Copyright. 1900. by Louis Klopsch-l