Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1896 — Short Sermons. [ARTICLE]

Short Sermons.

The Nation’s Need.—The church’s opportunity is to supply the nation’s need by preaching Christ as the savior of society as well as of the individual. Also, to practice his teachings and obey his law in the world. We pray for millennial days; we shall hasten them when in business, social and political life we do the pleasure of the King. The world’s standard of business Is wrong, and our social caste is heathenish, riot Christian.—Rev. J. K. Montgomery, Presbyterian, Cincinnati, Ohio. Church Work.—The church attracts to it persons who are themselves attracted, and repels those who have nothing to do. Christ never sought any one. He was overcareful to repel them. He told them they would be stoned, cast out of the synagogue; men would speak evil of them, and they would even be crucified, as he was to be. All this they were to expect, he sought no one. The early church sought no one. He and bis church rested on an essential foundation.—Rev. S. D. McConnell, Episcopalian, Brooklyn, N. Y. Incompleteness.—ln field and flood, in plant and animal, his will Is done; but when you come into the realm of human life, there is rebellion, failure, disaster; you find men strong, brave and true, but incomplete, failures. Hence, you have the sad stories of the weakness of the strong man, the cowardice of the brave man, the folly of the wise man, the impatience of the patient man. They always stop short of God’s ideal. —Rev. W’illiam Tracey, Episcopalian, Philadelphia, Pa. Work.—God hath ordained that work along brings peace. Ask the laborer at the forge or factory, ask him who shapes his block of stone or molds his pillar of brass, or polishes his wood, or perfects his tool, and the workman will tell you that honest toil gives a sweet peace that wealth cannot increase norpoverty take away. For God hath ordained that the heart shall sing when the hand does honest and honorable work.—Rev. D. N. Hills, Independent, Chicago, 111. Profit and Loss.—We are continually considering the question of profit and loss. There is not a more perplexing question than deciding our choice or vocation in starting out in life, but a question of greater value is the all-im-portant question of our souls. Where is there really any profit outside of the question of our souls? There are things of the world that are valuable, such as wealth, glory, honor and pleasure, but they all pass away. Men often reach these, but what have they? They all pass away, but the soul exists forever. —Rev. Dr. Collins, Methodist, Louisville, Ky. God’s Way.—Life is a school in which souls are taught by the orderings as well as by the word of God. Man deserves punishment; he, no doubt, merits reprobation; even at his best he is an unprofitable servant; but God’s concern is wholly with the salvation of souls. He is not working bn the basis of judg ment. By various means he would purify and ennoble his children, and to this end he uses joys and sorrows, successes and failures, as well as Bibles and pulpits and sacrament and religious exercises. Trials are not punishment, but discipline. Pain is not the work of the Father’s wrath. Sickness, poverty, defect, disaster, may be God’s choicest gifts. At all events they are not judgments.—Rev. Henry Swentzel, Episcopalian, Brooklyn, N. Y. Charity and Sympathy—There must be a sympathy, love and companionship in all our gifts. There are hundreds and thousands rushing to darkness and doom for the want of a cheering word and the belief that some one cares for them, and for the want of the sympathy and love that might go even with the little gifts that we do give. People subscribe to funds to aid the poor in the slums, but they never go there themselves and see where their money goes. If those who are charitably Inclined visited the poor in person and added words of sympathy, consolation and love to their other gifts, there would be less misery in the slums, and a great many more souls saved.—Rev. W. R, Perrett, Presbyterian, CUnton, N. Y.