The Portland daily press., 1874-03-09

CONGRESS STREET M. e. CHURCH.

CONGRESS STREET M. E. CHURCH.
Rev. Mr.. Pitblado, the pastor. preached in the
afternoon from xii16: "Thou Fool" God says,
Thou fool!' to many man who thinks him
self wise. He says it to the mere scientist, as
well as to the ignaFamus-to the rich as well as
to the poor-to the moral as well as to the i'm
moral-to the energetic as well as to the lazy.
The rich goa head man of the text, was fool
for many reasons.
First. He was fool, because of his intense
worldliness and practical Godlessness. What
ever his theory may have been, his practice was
Goddess: If he did recognize God in sunlight
and fg-tree and wheat sheaves, he don't seem to
have thanked Him that the ground drought
forth plentifully." He seems rather to have inn
agined that he brought about the harvest by his
own talent and tact and industry To-day there
are workings just like him. They cultivate
their orchards, and why not have abundant
fruit. They till and sow, and why not have a
large return. No reorganization of Gods dew
and sun. No thanks to God for the life, the
intellect the hands He gave them. Thankless!
Goddess!
Second. He was fool, because his greatest
question was about barn-room. "What shall 1
do because 1 have no room where to bestow my
fruts?' What an awful question! Granaries
too small! No question about how to make his
possessions useful. Poor rich man! He saw
the ragged, but offered them no garment. He
heard the cry of the hungry, but proffered no
bread. This man lived for self To day the
world swarms with little selfish souls This
mans highest question, is the greatest question
with millions Of mind to-
the barn question is all-important
Third. He was fool, because his hopes of
future happiness were based upon greater
barns and much goods" As yet he was not
sensualist. His sins had not been beast-like or
fiend-like. He was not a Herod, or Nero, or
Savage or Byron. He had not wasted his
life in diabolical bestiality, or in mere wassail.
OF by Dante in his Inferno, who sold his DOS
sessions and bought mansion, wherein he ri
oted for year and half, and then lived in
poverty. He was man of industry and enter
prise who had wasted his life in mere farming
on large scale, that he might have good times
by and bye. To-day many are founding their ex-
pectations OF coming satisfaction, upon great
er barns" larger farms, vaster warehouses, hu-
ger steamboats,, larger railroads, more pay
Things good enough in themselves, but no bet
ter for the soul than bubbles or bran. Some
man tried to teach his horse to live on saw
dust. 1t did not learn, but it ded.-If you try
to feed your soul on barn-goods, it will starve
and die.
Fourth. He was a fool, because he made no
preparations for the dying day. His life ar
rangements and Gods did not agree He said
'many years J." God said Thou foul! This
night thy soul shall be required of thee" Poor
fool! The larger barns will never be built by
thee. Tomorrow the sun will shine upon the
''old barns" and on the stubble ridges, and on
the shocks of yellow grain, but thy soul will he
standing face to face with DOOM The shear
will speckle the pasture slopes, and 1.-THE oxen
browse in the dIngles, but thou wilt have gone
to Judgment. For the last time thou hast fold.
ed the fiocks and gathered the vintage and
wandered about the burrows. The last day of
thy life's setting Doomed! Today some Of
us are saying many years." God may be saw
ing mot many days, not many hours.'' Just
the pulpit will have to do without us. inst
lutte and we must leave these scenes for inJa-
ment. Suddenly the call may be heard. Sui.
denly souls are rushing to the bar of God and
bowling down the sleeps of torchless niont nr
singing up the slopes Of the fadeles, snmmer
time. Already death may be at the door. Al.
ready his icy breath may be on thy brow Al
ready his bony fingers may be at tbv heart
strings. Live not for Jesus and sudden doath
WIN plunge thee into sudden hell Accent of
Jesus and sudden death will lift thee to smdSo,,
heaven. w '"oueh
Fifth. He was fool because he wasted hi.
only opportunity for rich spiritual hnsbandru '
He accepted his opportunity to sow and rasn
and gather into earthly gamers, but he laid "t
no golden sheaf in the garner of the skies ~
may have been philosophic genius in t,omoIo'
gy. he was a fool in regard to spiritual frn;t
raising. Lunatic! Only she that soweth to
thesspirit shall of the spirit reap life everIast
ing" There are many like him to-day, who
are neglecting the only opportunity they will
ever have for laying up spiritual stores There
Is Is. not plurality of probations. Such doc
Urine tl is not found in the Bible. Gods doctrine
Is Today, You are here not only to sow and
reap Wheat, and plant orchards, and build lar
GERS ger, and weave faded garlands, and gather COL
e ee heaps put you are here specially to prepare
noa llcn ripe. spiritual reaping in the sunny
eternity. You say that you can find no time to
attend to tn the soul now. All! Better burn YOUR
barns or let your warehouses decav or nealoct
your laundry or your laurels. Than los nes,ect
soul. Man! Woman! To-day .snnN, ;So?r
thy opportunity. Don't waste It on " trssh Is
tri9es or trade To him who negiects # da.t or
is terror. "If ye live to the flesh We shall S;e,
To the ,uan who uses his opportunity by loving
Jesus and living for him, death is victory
Stand aside and let the dying victors speak.
DR.. Payson cried ''the victory is won forever
Robert Newton shouted "Praise the Lord"
Harvey, ITO die is gain" Senator Foote lift
ing his hands cried, Beautiful, beautiful"