Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-08-18

heaven-I pray we may all be there-I
believe we shall be very much sur
prised to find there some people who
never entered the church door and
never publicly professed their faith at
the church altar. Mr.. Beecher once
beautifully and POLITICALLY said: 81 am
glad that some gospel seeds have been
blown over the church wall and that
fruit trees and flowers most pleasant
to the eye are springing up outside the
church garden as well as inside, and,
though l wish they were within the
Enclosure, where the boars out of the
woods could not waste them and the
wild beasts of the field devour them,
yet 1 love them and am glad to see
them growing there"
The Spiritual Household.
But, though there may be Christian
men and women living outside of the
church fellowship, 1 for one do not be-
lieve 1 could be Christian and not be
protesting member of the church of
Christ. l do not believe that I could
turn my back upon my church and still
love my Christ as l love him today,
and, my brother and sister, neither do
1 believe you can turn your back upon
| the church of God and yet give to
| Christ your true and fervent love, be-
cause I believe that, as Christians, we
should look upon the church as a col
lection of Gods children. Therefore
we should accept and love it's men,
bers as our spiritual brothers and SIS
tiers, children of God, and we our
selves should long to be of the spirit
ual household.
| An old Boston merchant loved
young man from Kentucky, who was
the friend of his dead boy. This old
Boston merchants only son had enlist
ed for the civil war. Down at the
front in 1864 he was shot. Wounded
unto death, he was carried into the
home of southern lady and nursed
there until he died. But just before
his death he looked up into the sweet
face of the southern lady and said: 81
am the only son of a rich Boston mer-
chant. My father will be heartbroken
when he hears of my death. After the
war is over, and as your money Is all
swept away, want your son to go to
Boston and see my father. l want him
to tell my father that you have nursed
me for weeks and months. Then my
father will love your son for my sake"
And the dying boy with trembling fin
gers wrote upon a slip of paper: Dear
Father-I am dying. This young man
is the son Of the dear lady who has
taken your place and mothers. Take
her son to your heart for my sake"
Time passed on, and the awful carnage
came to an end. The home of the
southern lady was swept away. One
day the young man, armed with the
dead sons letter, started for Boston.
When he was ushered into the Office OF
the old merchant, at first the latter
would not even speak to him. The old
merchant kept on at his desk writing
But when the young man placed the
message Of the dead boy upon the mer
chants desk the broken hearted father
} arose and put his arms about the younl
! mans neck and sobbed, II will love
! you for my boys sake-yes, for my
, dead boys sake" Now, l do not be
lieve 1t is possible for us to love Chris
unless we also love his church for hi!
| sake. do not believe it is possible
, for us to love the church unless fol
, Christ's sake we also love Christi
children, who are members of tina
church, nor do believe it possible fo
: Christian man to be as good Chris
tan outside of the church of Christ al
: If he were true. hearty. active, con
scientious member of that church.
] Mark you we'll my statement. l dix
: not affirm that there were no Christian
t men outside Of the church of Jesus
e Christ, but did affirm that man can
j not be as good Christian outside o
Y the Christian church as inside. Their
q may be good Christians found outsid
n Of the church. There may be goo,
= Christians who prefer the society o
Sabbath desecraters and worldl
pleasure seekers instead Of the societ
f Of Gods children, who love to gathe
d in the house Of praise; but l frank
It confess have never found good Chris
S tians who prefer to seek the society O
= worldly pleasure seekers to the societ
: of those who delight in Gods house
e Jack roses may grow in cesspools, bu
n as rule the most beautiful rose
= blush deeper red and swing a swee
Is er incense in a flower garden tina
n among the thorns of wild hedge.
Is One Honest Reply.
d "Well," answers another man, II wi
u tell you frankly why l despise til
e church Of God. The reason l do NJ
Re join the church is because it is tc
II straitlaced for me, and / am not will
ing to give up my own way of living
e. My brother, l believe you have to-
e me the exact truth. | believe ninet
e. nine-hundredths of those who scott ,
y the church scott principally becaus
p they are not ready to surrender son
:" secret sin. But as you have given n
ID one honest answer / want you to gi'
e. me another to a question just as ii
st DOrtapt If you are not ready to SI]