The Portland daily press., 1874-10-12
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

Yesterday morning the Rev. G. F. Dole
preached a sermon on energy, taking as his
text Fec. IX:10. Whatsoever thy hand fiudeth to
do do it with thy might.
The text gathers into the terseness Of a
proverb a thought which runs through the
whole Bible. 1t is energy. 1t is thought
distinctive of Bible religion. The Jews were a
people set apart to war forcibly with evil. 1t
is the men of action, Noses David, and Elijah
who are prominently their good men. Just
so it was energetic conflict to which the
Christians were called. Peter and Paul were
their representative men. Better yet an es-
sential feature in our Lords character was
his untiring and resistless energy There is
nothing now that impresses us like energy.
1t is by showing force in storm and ocean that
nature is grandest. 1t is in overcoming OBJ
stacles that man is most divine. We as race,
the children of Cromwelps Ironsides, the
brothers of the men who marched with Sher.
man to the sea almost demand religion OF
energy. have to point out to you to-day the
Christian ideal OF energy.
But what do we mean by energy? 1t IN
cludes three elements-enthusiasm, force and
pronptcess. 1t is thus more than industry,
more than patience, more than obedience.
way of economy. 1t economies power. LOOK
at the success of Prussia over France. 1t
economies time. The first trial is all that 1t
needs.
The way of energy is therefore the easiest
way. There is limitation here. Ii incidence
is ease then energy means bard work. But
if any soul is made wretched by failure, it
success is refreshment and delight then the
path Of energy is ease.
Furthermore for some things energy is es-
A. of froda sc pot
enough that man be merely industrious and
willing and honest. Knaves will ruin such q
man. But he must love bis work and throw
force into it, In fighting some kinds of dis
ease it is not enough that the patient shall
obey his physicians. He must throw his will
into the scale too.
Again energy is not special gift. Emergen-
cies, perls, friendships, love, religion, are con-
stantly developing energy in those who had
been thought lazy and feeble. There seems to
be in every mans nature store Of reserve
force. The things that he can do if he will Of
ten amaze us. Energy seizes hold of this re-
serve store. Stir the weakest soul with mo.
tive, throw obstacles in the way of his love and
you have energy.
Let us now look at the scope of our text. It
is the religious ideal of energy: You might
think it would bid man seek the kingdom of
heaven regardless of this world. On the con-
trary it is as broad as possible. It is an ener-
getic life. We have seen men who showed en-
ergy in business who were weak and listless at
home. We have seen men who put force into
their work and were negligent in their religion.
We have seen men who took interest in -elig-
ious duties and were inefficient workmen The
religious ideal of energy is energy throughout.
But this is more than an IDEAL 1t is duty.
Our lesson has here double bearing.
:. First. withiregard to our earthly life Re-
ligion comes to christianize it. And how shall
she do this? By intensifying it. Religion de-
mands of each man not only work, but energy.
Nor is it at all idle to preach energy in work to
American people. There is dishonesty, dis
comfort, waste all around us because men do
not see that energy is not merely worldly gift
to the few, but religious duty for the many. 1
believe we could put double the force into our
religion, if we would put double the force into
our business.
But more imperatively the rule of energy
holds with religion in itself. The idea of relig-
ion as life of pure meditation is passing away.
There is no sphere where all that has been said
of energy holds more strictly than here. Every
consideration of religion suggests energy. Love,
the central thought of religion, is the divinest
force in earth or heaven. Love nerves energy.
Love that lacks in energy just so far is not
love.
In religion, too, of all spheres energy is
economy. A half way religious life is pitia-
BILE waste Again and again Christ seems to
say: Be bad, if against all love and all warn
ings you dare to be bad, but if you choose to be
good, be wholly good. Ye cannot serve God
and mammOn.
Of all spheres, too, in religion, energy is joy,
peace land ease. The happy Christian is he
who throws force into his religion. The more
force, the more enthusiasm, the more prornpt-
ness in duties, Invariably the more delight and
the easier his way becomes.
But further in many directions, man may
live without energy. In religion energy comes
nearer to an memorable necessity. You have
seen an oarsman pulling against a strong tide.
n ic THAT hiS diraction hn
nor that he is patient in pulling. He must use
force enough to overcome that tide. just so
we are living in world of diffiulty. With
many Of us the tides of temptation set strong
ly downward. 1t is not enough that we mean
to be good. There are plenty of men who
the current They are in'the church as well
as out of it. 1t is nothing but energy that can
save such men.
But haveIto add word of application to our
church. There are some things in the world
that unless they are clear success, they are
wretched failure. One of these things is a
Christian church. I do not know anything
finer to see than a church that meets its ideal.
It is spring of honesty and truth. With all
its members it is preaching. love and hope to
men every day. 1t lifts the community. 1t
saves men from their sins. It draws them to
love their Father in heaven. But all this means
more than patience and work. 1t means
promptness, enthusiasm and force. 1t means
energy. The want of energy is no common
folly or blunder. 1t is sin and failure.
And finally the solemn conclusion of our text.
For there is no work, nor device, nor knowl-
edge, nor wisdom in the grave whittier thou
goest There is something deeper than idle
sentiment in the awe that comes over us when
we think Of the mystory to which we are draw
ing on, of the change which in any theory
must await us, and the final closing of our
earthly record with jail its mingled good and
evil.