Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-29
:. THE OPEN DOOR,

morning than that which has listened
to him ct either Of his previous appear
anees In the pulpit Of the church Of the
Messiah. The fame of his oratOry has
evidently gone abroad, and his return
for another days service was greeted by
an increasing circle of admirers. 1t is
the belief of many in the congregation
that If Mr.. Alger could be permanently
settled as the pastor Of this church, its
troubles would soon be ended, and
career Of prosperity open before it. The
trustees say they are still undecided as
to the choice OF pastor to be called,
and have, IS yet, done nothing beyond
securing q temporary occupant for the
pulpit from week to week. Next Sum
day Rev. John Ware viii ofliciate. 1t
was announced that the annual meeting
! OF the society would be held on Decem-
Der 9TH. The Thanksgiving-day exer-
eises viii be held jointly with the con-
gregation Of All Souls church at the
/ latter church, corner of Twentieth street
and Fourth avenue. Mr.. Alger's SER
mon was as follows, the text being the
eighth verse of the third chapter OF the
Apocalypse:
III have set before thee an open door,
| and no man can shut it." The theme
| suggested by these words from the Apo
calypso is the impossibility of a monOp-
/ olization Of the gifts Of God. The things
/ of mans production are the constant
| prey Of cliques and factions who seize
| them for the express purpose Of with
/ holding them from producing those gen.
1 eTsl benefits they were meant to accom-
| piish. One Of the oldest examples of
/ monopoly is that of Joseph in Egypt,
| while ne was ruler of that land. During
! the seven years of plenty he stored away
great quantities of provisions, and when
| the seven years Of famine came he sold
them unto the people, receiving their
money, their cattle, their persons and
land, until Pharaoh became sole owner
of the whole Of Egypt and the people in
it as well. In Athens Spectators often
| abused their privileges to buy up some
necessary article, until law was passed
that no citizen should purchase Of certain
articles more than a specified quantity.
In Spain and France monopoly ran riot,
with fearful results. Queen Elizabeth
granted to one individual the exclusive
right to import, export, and sell alum to
her subjects. Sir Walter Raleigh enjoyed
a monopoly Of the tobacco trade from her.
Not only were material things thus bar
tered away, but the matters beyond
form were put under exclusive control
in Roman Catholic countries. For a
long time the Jesuits had the exclusive
right TO the education Of the people, and
they never gave up that power without
dispute and struggle, while the people,
rushing from one extreme to another,
have often banished them from the
places they have formerly infested. The
wrong of monopoly is threshold. 1t in
cresses the cost, destroys the quality,
and limits the distribution of the pro-
H. - 4. L -
desiderdtd are to lower the cost, raise
the quality, and universslize the supply
of everything that man needs. Let
there be a monopoly of carpets or hats,
and at once all the evils l have men,
toned would follow in respect to those
two articles, and reflect on all other pro-
ducts; but if all are thrown open to COM
petition they will be more durable,
more moderate in price, as well as more
extensively put before the public. Just
so there Is found q class who would
make a barter and hold 10 themselves
the truths of religion, who would con-
jure up old dead and dying scraps ofthe-
Ological truth, no more nOurishiDg
than dried bones, and thrust these
dusty dOgmas each Sunday into the
thrOats Of their people, when men
thirst and die for the fresh grass Of reali-
ty, lit with the sparkle OF the spirit.
This contracted spirit OF favOritism APP
pears nowhere with greater improperly
than in religion, since God is that power
and spirit to which every person stands
in equal relation. Throughout the world
there is visible this bad tendency to mo-
nOpolize powers and privileges of every
sort, and when We turn away from this
exclusiveness to the relations OF man to
the divine government, we are confront.
ed by wholly different order of things.
We step into the very aroma of freedom
and universally. His fav0rs are flung
forth to all without favor. It was his
veritable impulse which made the an
cient prophet stand upon the mountain
and cry: f'Hot every one that thirsteth
let him drink of the water Of life freely,
and to him that hath no money let him
come" Everything that men claim as
peculiar TO themselves, is worthless when
compared with the gifts that God puts
before all mankind. This truth is whole
some, comforting, and inspiring, and
used to be enforced. The truth that
however much man may monopOlize
the artificial product, there is no mo-
nopoly Of the great original Blooms of
God. Let US Illustrate this great truth.
I take, too, a special pleasure in present.
ing this subject to you, because it is so
well calculated to fulfil the end which
the Sunday services ought to full
fil-to cheer the heart, expand the
mind, and inspire the soul of the wOr-
shipper to luminous and disinterested
deeds, instead of depressing him with
low and selfish views. First, then,
there is set before US the open door Of
material nature-the air, light, water,
earth, the armament. How fortunate
it is that these are Unprisonable, free to
US all, and great fortune it is that we
do not have to count our breaths or our
glimpses of the starry heavens, or our
dTaugbts OF natures inspiration. 1t is
the good God himself so lavish of his
gifts, and he himself comes near to US
III every pulse-beat so nigh that we may
see and recognize him. God is every
where or nowhere. He either gives US
all we have or nothing. God is the very
subtle, manageable essence of omnipre-
senee. Undoubtedly there are plenty of
men who would monopolize the air If
they could, and dole it ont TO their fell
IOw-men at exorbitant prices. God be
thanked that he put it out of their
power. The earth yields its productive
ness to none on special terms, TO the
rich and poor alike the seasons come
around, and all that is sublimest in the
creation is without charge perpetually
exhibited to every spectator. Besides
the broad door of material nature God
has set the door Of humanity to be open
before us, leaving us free entrance to
roam through every province in the
domain Of human nature. The entire
element and condition Of humanity are
virtually given in every man. The mental
rudiments Of any great genius lie in the
bosom Of the lowliest Of us. The mighty
ranges Of the imagination, the spotless
voice Of reason, the sweet hopes Of af-
fiction, all are waiting for US through
the open door of our common nature,
with no passport save the effort of grasp
ing them. By the exercise of these
powers and on our own efforts we can
enter into fellowship with the greatest of
every age. In this wondrous world we
can climb the highest reaches of philos-
ophy, descend the mines of affection,
examine province and province until all
have been explored, and the geography
of the soul may be as clearly laid down
and mapped as the geography OF the
globe, or one may refuse to go living in
the low strange blank Of vague chaos.
But no one can shut the door, since God
flung it wide open in making US men.
Third, the door of civilized society is
open before US. Civilization represents
the accumulated good of ages, and
transmitted by the foregoing genera
lions. Each child is as fully born into
this inheritance of art and science and
literature and all the current wisdom Of
the world as he is born into the open
universe. But in these the grasping ar
dor of selfish men can easily put mo-
nOpoly into play. Here we see
his efforts continually put forth.
From the old monarchies of HindOs.