Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1901-05-04
THE JOY OF RELIGION
DR.. Tainase Urges Ali to Try Its
Uplifting Power.
ne Chzra-teri-c- Reii.ss-n n Coda
pssnht~r sermon from The
r.xt. ~u~r Ways Arc Mays
90 pieasantocss.~
.copyrisht. 1871. ~ Louis Kiopseh. y. II
Washington. April H.

VT az RSOEAN - ~ Nt't-A~+A-H
power; text, Proverbs 3. Il: Her
ways are MAYS OF pleassntncss-
You have al heard % Gods only
bego;ten son. Have you heard Of
Gods daughter? she was bern in
Heaven She came down over the
hills OF our world. She had Qucenly
step. On her brow was celestial
radiance. Her voice WAS music. Her
r~me is Religion. Ny text intro
duces her. Her ways arc ways OF
pleasantneSs. and ali her paths are
peace" But what is religion? The |
fact Is that theological study has had /
different effect upon me from the /
effect sometimes produced. Every /
year I tear out another leaf from /
my theology, until have only three |
or four leaves lest--in other words. |
very brief AID plain statement OF |
Christian belief.
An aged Christian minister said:
when I was = young NAV. knew
everything. when / got 20 be IS
years Of age. in my creed had only
hundred doctrines Of religion. When
got 10 be sc years OF age, had
only 90 doctrines OF religion When
a kOt TO % Na-AN "a fN--t@
only ten doctrines of religion. and
row I Am dying a. s years OF age.
and there il only one thing l know,
aud that i that Christ Jesus came
into the world 90 save sinners" And
80 Ihavs noticed IN the study Of Gods
word and IN NV contemplation OF he
character OF God and Of tho eternal
world thst e l. necessary for me 20
drop this part OF my belief and that
pa, OF my belief as being nonesSen-
tisl while I cling 20 the one great doc
triue that man H. a sinner and Christ
Is his Almighty and Divine Saviour.
Now I take these three OF four
leaves OF my theology. and ind that
IN the fr.t place and dominant above
ell others - the sunshine OF religion.
When 20 into room. I have pas
sion for throwing open all the shut
tcrA That Is ~LAs want 20 do this
/ morning We are spa 20 throw so
much 81 the xepulchral into our. re
| lizion and 70 close the shutters and
/ "a pull down the blinds that ia il only
4 through here and there = crevice that
the light streams. The religion OF
the Lord Jesus Christ is = religion OF
! joy indescrihehie and unuttcrabl
i>Wherever ] can find bell mean 10
ring "a.
| II there are any in this house this
morning who arc disposed 20 hold on
20 their melancholy and gloom. let
thcm depart this service before the
fairest and the brightest and the most
radiant being Of all The universe comes
81. Gods SON has left our world. but
/ 80. "A. 4. l..
Hail. princess Of Heaven, Hail. daugh-
Ter OF the Lord Almighty, Come in
and make this house thy fhroneroom
In setting forth this idea the domi-
nant theory OF religion Is one OF sun
shine. / hardly know where 20 begin
Tor there are 80 many thoughts that
ru~h upon my soul. A mother saw heI
little child seated Oh the aoor I'm tn,
sunshine aud with q spoon in her hand
She said: My darling. what are yot
doing there" "Oh," replied the child
= am getting spoonful OF this sun
shine" Would God that to-day
might present you with gleamln,
chalice Of this glorious, evsrlas lin,
Gospel sunshine.
? First OF all. I find a great deal o
, sunshine in Christian society. / d.
. EOt know OF anything more dolefu
? than the compenionship OF the mer
, funmakers OF the world-the Thoma
, Hoods. the Charles Lambs, tn
Charles Mathewses of the world-th
, men whose entire business Il Is Z
make sport. They make others laugh
but II you Will examine their suts
biography or biography you will fin
. that down In their soul there was
terrific disquietude. Laughter is q
: siga OF happiness. The mania
laughs. The hyena laughs. The loo
+. among the AdirondAcls laughs. tn
drunkard. dsshing his decants
against the wall. laughs
There is a terrible reaction from a
sinful amusement and sinful mers
ment. Such men are cross the ne,
/, day. They snsp a. you on exchsnG
or they pass you. not recognizing 20
Long ago / quit mere worldly sociei
/. for the reason IL was so dull, so inaI
y and so stupid. nv nature is voraciol
OF JOY. ] must have IL.
! always walk on the sunny side
the street. and for that reason ha'
> crossed over into Christian society.
like their mode % repartee better.
like their style Of amusement bette
- They live longer. Christian people.
sometimes notice, live on when BY
81 natural law they ought to have die
I have known persons slso have co
finned In their existence when q
doctor said they ought TO have be-
,y eead ten years. Every day OF tbs
a. | existence was a defiance Of the In,