Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-04-15

i FLIS liz 9. llCE NdlS III "dg >
of pLe1sSutness."
You have all heard of Gods only be-
gotten Son Have you heard of Gods
daughter She was born in heaven.
She cK1se down over the hills of our
world She had q~ueenly step. On her
brow WIS celestial radiance Her
voice WSs music. Her name is Reii-
gion. Ny text introduces her. Her
ways are ways of pleasantnesS. and all
her paths are peace" But what is re-
Iigion2 The fact is that theological
study has had 4 different effect upon
me from tie effect sometimes pro-
duced. Every year | tear out another
leaf from nay theology until | have
only three or four leaves Beft-in other
words, n very brief and plain state
ment of Christian belief.
An aged Christian minister said:
"When / vas Il young nan ! knew
everything; when l got to be 30 ear
of age. in my creed / had only a hun
bred doctrines of religion: when | got
be 10 years of age. / had only 80
doctrines CT religion: when ! got to be
40 years of age. I had only 10 doctrines
Of religion: and now | ana dying at -
years Of age. and there is Only
thing know. and that is that Christ
Jesus caH,e into the world to save sim
nerS-" AMI so | have noticed in the
study CT GfsI's word, and in my n
OF the character of God
and of the eternal world, that it 10
for me to drop this part OF
my bpiief and that part of my belief
being nOnessentiaI. while | cling to
the ons great doctrine that man is a
an9 Christ is his Almighty, and
aiXine Saviour,
Nov, take tisse three or four leaves
Of my theology. and | find that. in the
first place and nonatnant above all 9th
ers. is the sunshine Of religion, When
I &c into a room. | have q passion for
open all the shutters. That
is what / want to do this morning. We
are apt to throw so much Of the sepul-
chral into our religion and TO close the
and to pull down the blinds
that it is Only through here aud there q
that the light streams. The re-
ligion Of the Lord Jesus Christ is a re-
ligiQR of Joy Understandable and unut-
terable. Wherever | can find a bell l
TO ring tt.
Sunshine of Religion.
If there are any in this house this
morning who are disposed to hold OF
their melancholy and gloom. let
them now depart this service before
the fairest and the brightest and the
most radiant being of all the universe
comes in. Gods Son has left our
but Gods daughter is here.
Give her room! Hail. Princess of
Heaven! Hail. daughter of the ord
God Almighty. Come in and make
house thy throneroOm,
In setting forth this idea the dOmi-
nant theory of religion is one of sun
shine. | hardly now where to begin,
for there are so many thoughts that
rush upon my soul. a mother saw her
little child seated on the floor in the
sunshine and with a spoon in her and
She said. My darling, what are you
doing there?" oh" replied the child.
Il am getting a spoonful of this sun
Would God that today l might
present you with a cleaning chalice of
this glorious. everlasting gospel sun
First of all, | find a great deal of sun
shine in Christian society. | do not
Know of anything more doleful than
the companionship of the mere fun
makers of the world the Thomas
Hoods. the Charles Lambs. the Charles
of the world-the men whose
entire business it is to make sport.
They make others laugh. but if you
will examine their autobiography or BIZ
0graphy o will inc that down in
their soul there was a terrific Dispute
tude. Laughter is no sign of happiness.
The maniac laughs. The hyena laughs.
The loon among the AdirOndacks
The drunkard. dashing his de-
canter against the wall. laughs.
There is a terrible reaction from all
amusement Inc sinful merri-
ment. Such men are cross the mex
day They snap at you on exchange or
they pass you. not recognizing you
Long ago / quit mere worldly society
the reason it was so dull, SO inane
and 50 stupid. My nature is %voracious
or JOY. / must have it.
Promotes Longevity.
/ always walk on the sunny side OF
the street. and for that reason | nave
crossed over into Christian society. [
like their mode Of repartee better. 1
like their style of amusement better.
They live longer. Christian people. |
sometimes notice. live on when by all
natural law they ought to have died.
i have known persons who have con-
in their existence when the loo
49, xoSa fhnu oYYnhf to ho rn hoon dn06
ten years. Every day of their exist
enee was a defiance of the laws of anat-
Omy and physiology, but they had this
vivacity of the gospel in
their soul. and that kept them alive.
Put 10 or II Christian people in q
room for Christian conversation, and