The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-01-25

JOoAS lhlhlhlCl W III ldhCS u DIOheu
down church upon side street. 1t is
almost mission. Suddenly the power
of the Holy Spirit comes down upon
that little congregation. 1t grows and
grows. 1t widens its influence. 1t be
gins to gather In the young people by
scores and hundreds. The little church
Is now packed to the doors. The grow
ing congregation has to move into a
larger building. Its influence grows
wider and wider until it spreads out
over the state and the nation. Do that
old minister and that old established
church clasp hands and rejoice at the
multitudes which are being saved In
the church just around the corner
Perhaps so. But as a rule, such old
established churches act very much as
Jonah did when Nlneveh was being
saved. They act just as did most of
the old conservative churches of Lon
don when Charles II. Sturgeon started
his work there, and when Joseph Par
ker started his work. and when Row
land Hill started his work, and when
John Wesley started his work. These
old conservative churches wanted sin
ners to be saved in their own way or
they did not wish them saved at all.
seIhshness In Churches.
oh, that we could one and all so sink
our selfish personalities in gospel work
that we did not care by what means
the sinners should be led to the cross.
as long as the hayward and the lost
were able thereby to find Christ! Hen
ry Ward Beecher once gave this beau
tiful parable of how we should all get
above our own selfish contentious and
live only that Jesus might be glorified:
Zone day three nature philosophers
went out into the forest and found a
nightingales nest Immediately they
began to discuss the habits of the bird,
it's size and the number of eggs it lays
One pulled out of his pocket a treatise
Of Button, and another one of Cuvier
and the third one of Audubon. They
read and they disputed till at length
the quarrel ran so high over the empty
nest that they got red in the face and
LhC "OOuS lch9 Win lllCll COuulCl'
when, 10, out of the green shade of
a neighboring thicket the bird itself,
reused and disturbed by these noises,
begins to sing. At first its song is soft
and low; then it rises and swells, and
waves of melody float up over the trees
and fill the air with tremuIous music.
Then the entranced philosophers, sub
dued and ashamed of their quarrel,
shut their books and walk home with
out word. So men around the empty
about the forms of religion, about
creeds and doctrines and ordinances,
when Christ himself, disturbed by their
discords, sings to them out of heaven
of love and peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost till they are ashamed of their
and go quietly and meekly to
their duties" May we well heed the
message of the great poet-preacher of
Plymouth pulpit May we be enabled
to cease our sectarian conflicts. May
creeds above the cross. May we cease
to be bigoted and selfish Jonahs. May
our one joy be to see men and women
come to the cross. May we care not
by what means sinners come as long
as they are saved. Lord God, teach us
to sink self that thy Son, our Saviour,
may be glorified before men.
why Jonah Fled.
But why was it that Jonah fed away
from Nineveh, and why did he sail for
Tarshish? | want to show you why
ne shirked his duty. To show the cause
Or why a sin is committed is often to
show us how we may fee the results
If that sin. Jonah wanted to be Gods
prophet, but he wanted to be a gospel
soldier without having to meet the
hangers and trials and sacrifices Of a
gospel warrior. | believe all this can
De substantiated by studying the geo
graphical position of the great capital
If Sennacherib, whose palaces in near
1y Kuyunjik were one of the wonders
If the world.
Jonah was then living at the beauti- |
'ul seaport town Of Joppa, the present
5hll dllNC W AAOlJ IhC wv II
tits upon the high cliffs. 1t is one of
he most beautiful spots Of the world |
To the west are the broad waters of |
he Mediterranean. The waves were
flashing over the rocks and tumbling |
n spray at his feet. To the east rose |
he mighty mountains. There were the |
,ardens and the vineyards and the or
lizards. There were the ships coming
ind going. There was everything at
Toppa to make life pleasant and happy.
Lovely people, Edenic surroundings,
Ill, all were there. for, as the poet
wrote. Joppa was
Oldest of cities, linked with sacred truth
And classic fable from thy earliest dawn,
BY name THE Beautiful"
In other words, Jonah was Gods sol
Iier doing barrack duty. His barracks
we're in one of the most delightful sea-
'ort towns Of the world. But after he
ad stayed there awhile and made his
ircle of friends and was just begin
ling to enjoy himself the word of the
ord came to him and said, Arise, go
o Nineveh, that great city, and cry
gainst ii, for their wickedness is come
p before me-" In other words, God
aid unto his prophet soldier: "Gird on
by armor, mighty prophet. Go forth
0 battle. Draw the sword of faith and
trike at my enemies. Go into the cita-
eel of sin called Nineveh, the great
apital of the north"
Now, what happened? Jonah began
o make excuses. | think | hear him
ay: Lord God, why dost thou COM
nand me to go to Nineveh? Dost thou
want to kill me? DOst thou want to
estroy me? Nineveh is at least 700
niles to the northeast of Joppa. In
rider to travel toward it will have to
ross the deserts AMI be attacked by
be wild beasts and be hunted by the
pobharc Who ora mana ,,,o,,;