The Crittenden record. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1904-1907, 1905-04-14

o God, make me again love church
services and the prayer meetings and
the missionary gatherings and the con.
vocation OF the young people OF the
Christian EndeavOrers and Epworth
leagues and the brotherhood of An
drew and Philip! o God, may | de-
sire TO associate with thy disciples
more than to go with any other class
Of people on EARTH You think this
Is strange prayer TO make? do not.
When | make II, know that one Of the
surest signs of the true Christian life
II TO be found In the desire Of a Chris
tian 10 be where other Christians are.
Yet, II ! mistake not, some OF you new
or 90 TO the midweek prayer meetings
or TO Sunday schools or to our cottage
prayer meetings. You look upon these
meetings as bore, drudgery, a tire
some hour, wasted for duty's sake.
When you 90 TO these meetings you do
50 under protest.
Wrong Kind of Likes.
"Yes," you answer, II do look upon
these religious gatherings as a bore.
But | am not responsible for my likes
and dlsllkes any more than am TO be
blamed because my fayorlte color Is
blue, my fayorlte flower carnation,
my favOrlte musician Beethoven, my
fayorlte novelist Thackeray, my favor
lite artist Rubens and my fayorlte poet
Longfellow or Tennyson. like what
| like aud dislike what dislike, and |
cannot help II. Now, II / dislike to as
soclate with the class OF people who
make up our dlstinctlyely religious
gatherings. such az are found In the
missionary society, | am not 10 blame.
am no more TO blame than / am be-
cause dislike Goldfish or mackerel and
like apples and grape fruit"
All. yes. my brother. you are 10
blame You are individually RESPONSE
bic for your likes and dlsllkes. II you
do not care 20 associate with Christian
people In Christian gatherings. then II
Is high time that you learned to enjoy
their society, and the quicker the bet.
ter Because do not love them now
that Is no excuse why should not
learn TO love these people. Supposlng
! was n dyspepuc. supposlng had for
years been living on Holsters and veal
and ham and pork and cabbage and
highly seasoned salads and rich pas.
tries, suppOslng on account OF my dys.
PePsla ! was sent 20 q sani,arlum,
what would be the first order OF my
physiclansl Put that man on the
simplest diet" Because tell my
physician do not like plain toast and
milk and cold bread and good, whole
some beefsteaks and potatoes would
that make any differencei No. Ny
physician would reply: Then the soon.
er you learn 10 like them the better.
You have n diseased appetite You
must develop healthy appetite for
good. wholesome. simple foods"
Supposlng | 20 10 great musical
genius Ike Theodore Thomas, lately
translated 20 the harmonles OF heaven.
and say: mir. Thomas. want your
orchestra 20 play music that can sing
and understand. Please do not play
for me 80 many Of those musical rig.
maroles which cannot grasp" Mr..
Thomas would reply: Young man. II
you do not know what good music Is.
then the sooner you learn Il the better.
You have diseased appetite for mu.
sic. ! will develop for you a healthier
musical appetite" Thus the great mis-.
sion " ChIcago's late musical genius
was not 80 much 90 render good mu.
SIC a. TO educate the taste Of the PEG.
pie w TO the high musical standards
when they could appreciate aud de-
mand good music God bless the llfc's
work. well fulfilled. Of Theodore Thom.
~, who taught mankind how to apprc-
clatc good music!
Now, my Christian friend. by the
same law you may have diseased
spiritual appetite for spiritual associa.
tion. II you cannot Ind enjoyment In
communion with Christian people. then
the sooner you learn how 60 enjoy their
society the byttcr. You are exactly In
the position u the frivolous girl or the
dlssIpatcd boy growing up In a Chris
tIan home. Such Children are nevc,
happy unless they are oif az some par.
" Or visiting some neighbour or attend
Ink some thcatrr. Hut after awhll,
they viii hud that the sweet. gentle
fcllowshlps " a Christian home orIcr
the h'st Kind " enjoyment The quiet
reading " a book 10y the glowing hearth
In the sitting room j. one. The loving
carrss o. "a mothers or n wlfc's hand
Il another. The playful prattlc ~ d
little child. the quiet prayer. the sweet
memories ~ long years that are past
arr others. The hopes " the years &
come. hcing talked over, oficr the high
Cst joys this side " heaven. q man
do not think that assoclatlng with mer
u the world offers TO you the acme Of
pleasure II you cannot mud any en-
ioymcnt In the Fellowship Of Christian
people then the sooner by the grace Of
God you NH your diseased spiritual
appetite the better Tor your own en-
ioymcnt and the better Tor your life.
Learned 60 Leys Nusic.
That you can govern yvur love ~,
The eood and your dislike for the ba,
OF the Indifferent was Illustrated {,