, 1877-12-03
The Rev. DR.. Thomas Talks Eloquently
Concerning Gods Best Gifts
to Man.
Dcdlcatory Services ut Grace Methodist
Church, and the New Jewish
Synagogue.
The Twenty-fifth Anniversary
or Plymouth Congrega-
tiOnal Church.
RESPONSIBILITY.


Keep thy hcart with nll diligence. for cut OF Il
arc The i.tues Of lfc.~-rror.. ir:, q.
lat tho unr'ghtcous man forsake his shonghts'-
Charity lhinknth no cvIl.-L. Cor. 1I.l.. 5.
There have been persons and times tint look
cd inward too constantly. There have been
Christians who 80 markcd the operation Of their
own mind, that not only did they cut oG the
Wide Landscape Of the unlYcrsc, but they saw
Too much Of the email md untmlortant of self.
The gloom Of mcdlmval Christianity cunc largo
ly from this intense scliscrutiny, and from the
doctrine Of total deprayity, which compelled
the mcdtativo mind 10 sec more inward evil
than inward good. Thomas Kc'npls led cvi-
IDENTIFY holy life, but d narrow o1lc--opc full OF
painful sclt.denial md self-scrutln7. 1t might
have been both holy aud broad, for righteous
nets Is not narrowness, but breadth.
The paet, however, was cot wholly wrong, nor
IL the present wholly right. Each illustrates
the injury done by extremes; for while the past
studied self too constantly mud too sally, tho
present marks too little tho attton OF sell, and
bcttows most Of Its attention and iOrc upon tho
things away from the "nc.h
man to God for himself, not only for conduct
among men AMI toward God, but for the
thought, even tho secret Imagination. Of tho
hcarL- Let our theme be the responsibility OF
each hcast fof It's prevalent thoughts aud be-
1ets. ...
(ll 1t should be presumed from analogy that
man's thinking powers arc subject to come la".
and arc perfect cml,lre TO be ruled by sotne
wisa throne. The garden OF the sfMVcard which
Eoloulon saw Ia ns broad as the world. Each
nrt, each science. each relisLoa, is eardeu;
whose beauty and fruitaRo depend upon the toll
OF tho owner. and, when The owner Of the garden
In any manner ncgiccts the precious planta, then
tho thorn and the brIcr CONC, and the wills arc
broken down. In such world the mind Is IN
important garden, to be most waclT cared Tor,
and garden which Will show quickly the results
OF ncgect. Hence, although tho medieval
Christians Eazcd up0N sell too much, yet the
great Inv remains, that man must eafc fur Ills
ora soul, and must answer here and hereafter
for all shortcomings In This part ui the earthly
vineyard.
ts) Not only was the old introapect!on too
most purt a looklug attcr sinful thoughts; It
was perpetual comparison between the carthly
conduct and the supposet heavenly CONDUCT.
But the mind sustalns otlcr fclattonE besides
thnse 10 tho ten commandments, aud hence Its
1r!rospcct!on must cover wltlcr grounl than
tlat Travelled over by the meditation Of the
old sain,s. MINIS relation to spnt,es.
regard 10 tllo laws Of food and sleep, he viii
have too little health To make Ills Inoruls
valuable, or le Will dtc before uny llfe.wurk
shall have hccn tlonr. The relations uf st.
Dcrnara to sunehinc ana food wcre Us rtal Us
his relations IL Gotl; but he atloptca only thu
lattrr, md e1pungcd tho others from the grrat
statutc.book u Nature. Too narrow was NIL
xcai In urc direction, mi oblivion uf all else.
The responsibility loE Thoughts nlu} Icetngs
must m Sc far Wider e. tl.an il seemed to tie
ollen times, aud ,nust ile!uae not ui'iy "'nn's
iIs rrintious l., nil cnllitys and pursitN ind tn
nil tho 0,alttles alnl quantltirs VI tlis nature.
Nun Is Naturally plcasurc-scels:r, but bis love
10 cultivated, lest liz hccoiuc an asrutir, d
gloomy, ulurose nlurtal: It must be restrained.
lrdt III abandon tho useful anl becomu u con.
fashion or ylc.. or pIuttun. Or a irt,nkur.i,
Nn,, /. trufh.vcrrur bmt hi. isln,ui in lid suul
,must hnvr IL r,,ycrn,,r Ia m1ltninjstcr inv AMI
nvrrt calamity II nnrcnrs thut INN /. II ,In!un
81 mnnv statcs and ilut III, is IN q scnsn KIM
nj Nil AMI ia ,,utfrr oath 10 Nntrc that no statu
~ hs' h' x;man,n a sa,i .e,Ivc 'istrim"nt '3o '">s
SELF shoulI no Longer he stuuietl night and
5av IN t"nrs .uI IN sa,,kcitun' nS in ti,G ,,ast
MI II II tuuat rcr..5v. .n.,ra I'm, lfs.inn,,
,"s,e"t ~ ,uar, IN, t,as ss,,,.. tj,nuoht ThIs
human hnrn has many strings, fnlrs.i, but vel
CtI rxuwcts rr,u,l 10 keen ID in tune, Aals,ru
makes th. tn.k rasy tn th,s, win VIII mt trcnt
her kiuJnrss viii, litter cnntctnit.
What ir.s,n 10 many suicttIcn leacn ux mira
,,ainiv TIM, fhi.it,at tusu rruiixu fn, frei,Iv
tnr!r power over their oan thoughts ur,l emo
that thcjr coniItIon Is uurcssitT md q Oart Ut
this nrcscnt wi wori,ii HuVn Miller l. a,nonv
tha .uri.ies Of cur mctnory. CMn W. not ali
i'rId him resnnna,t,o fnr ths MASTERY Or InI,.
1nastrrv' nf Ill thourbt anI iiIurn1tIou} lie
was cuinablc In presence OF man auI God for
ra1inr nntwartf aiI the whiln nj rocks. nnti
5srn. oni si,eI,s. ani lar giving M ria1,.,, n1
1us. harp Of ay str!axs :, y hs nssn s
wbtle thcy wv d,sa irua, looking within, lluah,
i fuSnd hin u stMdyInr % % fos.l stcpss. or toinr -
r.,nncic pe.,lnvy ",ri I;cnrta. whila his nncc
nob!o iramr and nubo MUD were begging for
moTo resi- and slecu. Thu pursuit. ii truth h.
Tlo H. 20, SsiI % .uat ooGt' a = ~ isnSs a.