The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-25

we're in Fathers house, where Ice may enjoy,
all the house contains.
How many ehurchmen understend this and
act upon it? How many of us use the goods
freely given us p? We are too modest or too
Enthusiastically very few of us get
half the good that we might cut of the
Church.
Consider the payers and thanl lsgivings
concerning sickness, travail, and distress.
The Church prays in general for ''all, in trou-
BILE, sorrow, need sickness, or any other ad-
vers.ty." But she offers special petitions for
individual cases. The humblest member of
any parish may ask the prayers of al his
brethren in the house ef God in any suffering
or distress. The humblest soul may ask all
to join with it in Thanksgiving for any good
that God has sent. The Church will take his
special petition or mis- special thanksgiving
and put il up as her common offering to God.
In this, especially, the fsInily character of
the Catholic Church comes out of the close
ness of the unity wherein, 'If one member
suffer, all the members suffer with it," She
makes common cause with ali her children
The loneliest sufferer is not alone. The most
single-banded toiler does not toll single
handed. She seeks to bind all in loving
bonds and knit together all her meubess in a
common life, with common interests, hopes,
and aims.
In thus setting before you, my brethren,
the ministration of the word and the saora-
ments of Christ in the Church as remedy
against sin, we would neither boast ourselves
too highly, nor would we undervalue those
who do not possess the same high privileges
We feel that the very greatness of our spirit
ual gifts is an abundant reason for our own
exceeding care that we do not, amid such
almost ljmitless means of grace, prove fruit
less and Improbable.
1t will be Erievous indeed to see those
who had far less advantages than ours out
stripping us in the heavenly race. Very ter
rible will be our condemnation if, in spite of
all our helps and blessings, we come short of
the prize of our everlasting race. Church
men, above all who profess and call them
selves Christians, ought to fear and tremble
the most in working out their salvation; and
while at the present day we are tempted to
bewail the many hindranoes which lie in the
way, obstructing the free energies of the
Church, let us srememberto to our shame that few
of us live up to and use the privileges and
opportunities we already possess. We have
not yet proved so faithful in few things as to
entitle US to claim the use of many things.
We are not so catholic in our lives as the
Church to which we belong is catholic in
her teaching, in spite of all her chains and
fetteIs.
Let us use what gifts we have, and God
will surely bestow upon us His larger bless
ings. Let us pray not only with our lips, but
let it be the living prayer of our daily walk
and conversation, that we may first daily
appreciate the means of grace already
offered u.s. that that which is good among
US may be strengthened by use; and then,
when we have shown ourselves capable of
higher and better things, that which is want
ing to us may, in the tender pity of the
grea} Head of the Church, be vouchsafed
to us.
Let us ask ourselves ''What is the work of
the Church in the world?" Is it to gather a
few respectable men and women in the
church once in week to henr the sermon? ?
Is il merely to be o useful institution in
providing for the wants of the poor? All, no!
1t is to grapple with the deadly power of sin,
to close with the devil in his own palace, to
drive him from his dwelling place, the human
heart
Is the Church in America really doing this
work? Is it exercising any real power in this
awful contest? We have well-illed churches,
but what proportion of the many hearers are
really doers of the Word? Do we not hear the
mournful plant every day Of the low state of
morals all through the land? What power has
! the Church of God to-day among the masses?
Is not the state of morals of large propor-
tion of this great city something saddeniu g
and terrible to contemplate? Three or four
hundred thousand people in this city to-day
| WHO nave not Shlu one prayer OF uytnueu one
word of praise to God. What is the Church
doing for such as these? What is the result
of the work of tue Church during the first
century of her existence on this continent?
We found the savage stranger lying in his
degradation, and, passing by on the other side,
we have allowed the pillage, rapine, and
murder of q so called Christian government
to scatter their bleaching bones on every
hillside in the land!
We call ourselves q Christian nation, and
yet we are nation of unbaptized, non-com-
municating, skeptical, unbelieving believers.
And yet we fold our hands with self-com-
placency, thanking God that we are not as
other men; boasting of our freedom of speech,
we shut our eyes to the fact that it has be.
come freedom of SANDER Our brethren on
every side, sick and wounded, weary and
helpless, cry to US for succor, and we 'pass
by on the other side"
o God of pity, help US Visit in mercy
this vine which Thou hast planted Raise up
we pray Thee, Thy power, and come among
us By Thy bountiful grace and mercy hell
and deliver us Cast us not away for oul
sins, o Lord but give us repentance and for
giveness through the blood of Jesus Christ
our Lord.