Connecticut western news., 1900-08-09

goinK up anu themselves going down. but they keep their patience and cour- age and their Christian consistency, and after awhile their success will come. There Is generally retribution in some form for greediness. The owners of the big business will die, and their boys will get possession of the busi- ness and with cigar Ill their mouths and full to the chins with the best liquor and behind pair of spanking bays they will pass everything on the turnpike road to temporal and eternal perdition. Then the business will break up and the smaller dealers will have fair opportunity. or the spirit of con- possession of the large firm, as recently with a famous business house. and the firm will say: We have enough money for all our needs and the needs of our children. Now let us dissolve busi- ness sand make way for other men In the same line" Instead of being star tied at solitary instance of mag nanimity 1t will become com mon thing. I know of scores of great business houses that have had their op- portanity of vast accumulation and who ought to quit. But perhaps for all the days of this generation the struggle of small houses to keep alive under the overshadowing pressure of great houses Will continue. Therefore, taking things as they are, you will be wise to preserve your equilibrium and your honesty and your faith and throw over all the counters and shelves and casks the measuring line of divine right. And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb line"
 TheoloRies Need Rectifyinn.
 In the same way we need to rectify our theologies. All sorts of religions are putting forth their pretensions. Some have a spiritualistic religion, and their chief work Is with ghosts, and others religion of political econo- my, proposing to put an end to human misery by new style of taxation, and there Is humanitarian religion that looks after the bodies of men and lets the soul look after itself, and there is a lGhkloAi lhuL pIopoStS bo rectify all wrongs by enactment of bet ter laws, and there Is an aesthetic re- ligion that by rules of exquisite taste would lift the heart out of its deformi- ties, and religions of all sorts, religions by the peck, religions by the square foot and religions by the ton, all of them devices of the devil that would toEo tho baort ouvoy frnv,, tho only ro ligion that will ever effect anything for the human race, and that Is the straight up and down religion written In the book which begins with Genesis and ends with Revelation, the religion of the skies, the old religion. the God given religion, the everlasting religion, which says, Love God above all and your neighbor as yourself" All re- ligions but one begin at the wrong end and in the wrong place. The Bible re- ligion demands that we first get right with God. 1t begins at the top and measures down, while the other re- ligions begin at the bottom and try to measure up. They stand at the foot of the wall, up to their knees In the mud of human theory and speculation, and have a plummet and a string tied fast to 1t, and they throw the plummet this way and break head here and throw the plummet another way and break head there, and then they throw 1t up and it comes down upon> their own pate. Fools! Why stand at the foot of the wall reetifying up when you ought to stand at the top rectifying down? I was in the country, thirsty my child was blowing soap bubbles, and they rolled out of the cup, blue and gold and green and sparkling and beautiful and obicular, and In so small a space I never saw more splendor concentrated But she blew once too often and all the glory vanished into studs. Then I turned and took a glass of water and was refreshed. And so far as soul thirst Is concerned l put against all the blowing. glittering soap bubbles of worldly reform and human speculation one draft from the foun- tain from under the throne of God, clear as crystal. Glory be to God for the religion that drops from above, not coming from beneath! And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thouf And I said, A plumb llne."
 Religions to Suit Conditions.
 I want you to notice this fact, that when q man gives up the straight up and down religion of the Bible for any newfangled religion 1t is generally to suit his sins. You first hear of his change of religion, and then you hear of some swindle he has praeticed in 8 special mining stock, telling some one If he will put In $10,0O0 he can take out $10O.0OO, or he has sacrificed his Integrity or plunged into irrsmediable worldliness. His sins are so broad he has to broaden h1s religion. and he be- broad as the souls darkness, as broad as hell. They want religion that will allow them to keep their sins and then at death say to them, Well done. good and faithful servant" and that tells them, "All is well, for there is no he'll. " What glorious heaven they hold be- fore us! Come, let us go in and see It. l MtES dIc I1CIOu huu dlx tue DdDeS uU massacred. There are Charles Guiteau and Robespierre, the feeder of the French guillotine, and all the liars, thieves, house burners, gnrroters, pick pockets and libertines of all the centu- ries. They have all got crowns and thrones and .harps and scepters, and when they chant they sing. Thanks giving and honor and glory and power to the broad religion that lets us all Into heaven without repentance and without faith In those humiliating dog mas of ecclesiastical old fogyism."
 My text gives me grand opportuni- ty of saying a useful word to all young men who are now forming habits for a lifetime. Of what use to a stone mason or a bricklayer Is plumb line Why not build the wall by the unaided eye and handf Because they are in- sufficient, because if there be a defiec-