National Republican., 1882-12-04

This thing of giving for the pure love of God
is q luxury, and IL is an exquisite sensation.
You who get JOY out Of your senses, and you
ought to; you who get joy out Of your intel
lectual activities, and you ought to, IL S your
privilege; you who get joy out of your fami-
lies and your social positions, and you ought
to- it is your right; still, there is an exquis-
ite Joy that is more perfect and of more value
than any other. Benevolence, giving out of
pure love of God to his children. He sets us the
example.
Does this give us glimpse into The joy of
heaven? l think so. You who have enjoyed
the ecstasy of giving, not for the outside fame
of it, but for the love of God are blessed in
deed. God, who gave His only Son, must be
the happiest being in the universe; and 1
fancy that Heaven is just at that point where
man is eternally getting the joy that comes
from having helped another.
| appreciate what men with large wealth
have given. They have founded schools and
colleges, and they have secured great results
But Speakspeare has given more than money (;
he has given intellect of the rarest kind.
Shakspeare's philosophy is founded in the
New Testament His philosophy is the
philosophy Of the New Testament. He
teaches the sovereignty of God; he teaches
rewards and retributions; he has the New
Testament idea of conscience and of special
providence It was out of the New Testament
that he took the key with which he unlocked
the human heart. Shakespeare gave more than
money; he gavo genius, though his father
could not write his name. Paul gave more
than Shakespeare, because he touched the
human heart ut its center, turning men upon
new moral ways; turning men toward the
Lord Jesus Christ; saving nations and king
doms by the accumulative power Of his great
nature.
Every man can make his contribution TO
the kingdom of God. The poor give the
most. l suppose when we see things in the
new light, in the upper ether, we will see
that the grandcst opportunities of our life
are these privileges to help others.
Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, tells us of his sister,
who for twenty years lay on her back an in
valid. He said she would never speak of her.
self. He said he saw her character, and in it
the power of unselfshness, training her mind
until it was great. And he says, as he sums
up this recollection of his sister, "Oh, God, if
l can come within a hundred degrees Of her
in glory !"
Well, let us pass the contribution box
around. We will pass 1t to. Joseph of Ari-
mathea. lie gave q clean sepulchre and the
beautiful garden around it, and that was a
good gift 1t has helped him to an earthly
immortality. Nicodemus doubtless gave to
Christ out of his money. But l hear little
sound-the chinking of coin that comes
down through the noise of the ages. 1t is
the widows mite striking into the brazen throat
Of the receptacle of the temple. This shows
how small physical basis can express a sancti-
fed soul. Pass on the contributions
The penitent shrinking woman draws from
Christ this: "Let him that is without sin
cast the first stone" A valuable gift in the
spiritual education of the ages. Poor Mary,
with her boundless love, breaks her exDen-
sve aabastron, and filings its perfume down
the centuries, an expression of her boundless
love
Pass on the contribution box to this poor
woman who has nothing to give; no, nothing
she SAYS, but her tears to wash his feet and
her hair to wipe them. There is no fallen
woman since but who through her can find a
way into the Saviour's love. Then we hear
the poor publican putting in his contribution
saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner
Those of the lowest degree seem to be the
greatest. The paupers have given the most
My third observation why every man should
be a Christian is because thereby you can be
the most. After all, it is being that brings the
most pleasure, and not what we possess. 1t is
not what we possess, nor whence we come, MOI
whitherwo 90, but it is simply what we are
Christianity offers the only opportunity really
for man to be himself. 1t gives him th'
highest motives under which to work, and tht
highest deeds to do. The man who does no
work under those lofty inspirations has never
found himself out.
| can understand how a man can train his
body till he is a great ignorant physical hulk
and we can all conceive how man who ha
educated himself intellectually until he il
splendid in his acquisitions and training il
mighty power. But he is steam m-engin
| that may be turned right or wrong. And 81
all the spectators in the sciences have said
| What would you think of locomotive drag
ging baby carriage. Take the Corliss en-
| gine of Centennial days. and run it to drive
simple sewing machine, and most of its might,
power is wasted. What would you think o
Gladstone coming out of his position and be
! coming strect-sweeper? You would say thi
is a man who has wasted his energies and hi
| talents. He is capable of grander things. ii
| does not know himself So n man who fail
| to recognize God prostitutes his lOftiest pow
ers. My final remark is that n man cal
thereby expect the most. A well-grounde
expectation is a source of present enjoyment
The young man who enters upon his acad
emic year says, the time will come when
shall have passed my periods of study" ant
the looking forward to that time is II pleasur
to him every day. The waiting prince take
joy that he will one day be on the throne
The heir says, "Some day / shall come int
possession of this estate;" and he joys. An
he is entitled to it,
What is Christian? The Christian re
ligion is in the future. Those watching a
the bedside of an old lady who was dyin
said her life was passing away. She said, "No
il is lust beginning. / have been laying IL
an Inheritance; have beon accumulating
treasure; not here, but there" What is
man that has not that vista to his life? | tax
this ambitious youth What are you goin
to do? l am going to college. What next
| am going to get profession. What then
Through hard work | expect to succeed
What then? / expect a comfortable po.
session. What then? l expect publ
Office; | hope to be honored by my fclloN
men. What then? l shall grow old-and IT
tire. What then? When l get old l sha
die. What then? / have not looked int
that. / say that is cruel-that life is too shol
in its vista. 1t is not in proportion TO tn
being that it there. John Jacob Astor, til
first great accumulation in this country, had
majestic scheme. He dreamed about it. H
notion was to have great commercial roat
way to the Pacific, and then to pour the richt
of the East into his New York Golfers.
was n grand conception, / have converse
with man both great and rich, and carrie
him to the point where he said: Yes; lkno
it, but never allow my mind to look beyor
that. | keep it this way. | have no outloOl
no future" A man without future, liviI
in an age like this and in world like thi
with the eternal world brought so near us
our suffering experiences that we can almo
pierce the film almost feel the breath of ii
grand procession that tramps along the ma
gin. The Christian has well-founded fat
in the future. God kindles our imaginatit
, in this book. He calls it the New Jerusalel
n city with its battlements Of sapphire, eme
, aid, umethyst, its gates of pearl, and paV