National Republican., 1882-12-04
THE SACRED DESK.
Sermons by Several Of Washingtons PrOmi-
nent Divines
The Rev. Alvin Bartlett on Goodness
With Contentment.
Gods Method Of Saving Men Considered by Rev. DR.,
Rankin.
Rev. MIR. Ward on Human Redemp-
ton.
GOODNESS.

IHt UlOTllnS ubltuubuCb db but NCW 1OTR
Avenue Presbyterian Church was large, as
usual and the Rev. DIR. Bartlett was listened
to with marked attention. He said:
-. But godlness with contentment is great gain-I
Timothy, vi 6.
The body is good, but it may be so teased,
veXed by disease as to become an annoyance
and trial. Christianity is the supreme pos
session, yet it may be so sourcd by spiritual
dyspepsia that its value may become largely
deprecated, Paul, in his first epistle to the
Corinthians third chapter, twenty first verse,
says, "All things are yours" and in Philip
plans, third chapter, eighth verse, he says,
count all things but loss for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord"
This is title deed to the Christian of all
things. God comes with infinite bounty, not
as n beggar.
Our opinion Of any law of the universe will
not change it. Whether we accept or reject
Christ will not altar trait in his character.
As consider what the Christian religion
is, its source its experiment, its adaptation to
men, and its fruit, am astOunded that every
intelligent human being does not conscicn-
tiously and professedly set up before him that
ideal. And propose to give you four reasons
this morning springing directly out of the
bosom of this scripture why think every
man should be Christian-four amongst the
many that might be given
My first reason is that because thereby man
can gain the most Acquisitiveness is natural
and divine. There is not function of the
body but what desires its supplements there
is not an activity Of the mind that does not
hunger for more; and God, who owns all
things sets us the example. From the lowest
to the highest quality of the intellect there
is n hunger, desire, an acquisitive impulse.
The Lord in his providential handling of
men has appealed to this desire for more--for
POSSESSION. With it he has managed the mi
grations of the race from the early Aryan
tribes, OF which we are. God made appeals to
them, bringing them to their highest con-
ditiOn-irst, in the Persian Empire, and then,
crossing the steppes of Middle Asia and Asia
Minor, this Aryan family came to the higher
! results in Greece, then in the Roman Empire,
and to-day in the modern Empires of Europe
and America, but always with this appeal for
something better for their higher interests.
God desired to populate the western coast
of this continent. Word was sent abroad that
there was gold in California, and the thing
was done. According to Livingston's esti-
mate there were 15,000000 of human beings
killed in Central Africa in the slave hunts
from the beginning, ana through the cruelties
of the middle passage, and at this terrible ex-
| nense the African was transported to Amer
ca and brought into contact with higher
civilization This impulse is one Of the great
| Gulf streams in the mass of human motives
with which he handles communities
| This age itself is an age of acquisition. 1t
it an age for acquiring money, and for acquir-
| ing power and influence. ! noticed the other
| day that the aggregate wealth of Great Britain
was $4l, ,4000OO,0O0. l noticed that the aggre-
gate wealth of France was $36,700, 0,000,000
| These United States, so young and fresh, comes
next with 49,, 000,000,0O0. l noticed that the
average income Of the citizens of the United
| States and Great Britain alike is $l65 u year.
| SO that C,ny ciyzen WHO has more than that
| lp= 81, ,uNlt tl,pNf L.,
! yearly accumulation in France is 1915 100000; !;
in Great Britain 1926 100000, and this country
$3.50, 100000 l noticed that it is said with
| every sunrise we are 900 richer.
Now, these are coarse figures but they
mean more than they appear to mean. They
mean tremendous activity; they mean an age
of great comfort; they mean an age of maics-
| tic enterprise; they mean an age of herculean
thought; they mean an age of great fellow
ships they mean that we are living in an age
where Christianity reigns and where men
love each other; they mean an age of foreign
missions, which means an age of n grander
mission than hitherto. These are the fruits
of Christian civilization.
Christianity teaches temperance; it teaches
perseverance; it teaches economy, industry,
brotherly love, fricndliness. These little
moralities out Of the New Testament alone
perhaps are sufficient to account for this re-
suit.
The Christian man who lives deeper in the
condolences of God gets the most after all. He
gets larger enjoyment of each thing and
thought. There is an outside value and an
inside value to everything. A dollar has an
outside value and it has an inside value. TC
one man it means q certain comfort; to an.
other man it means q certain other comfort
To the Christian man the dollar comes from
God, and he thanks God for it. He is the only
man who lives according to the laws of God
N,sl 10 4gff
verse. He alone seems satisfied with God, and
all Gods ministries are glorifed in him. Not
only is the individual man Christian acquisi
tor, but the ages give him most.
Where are the Pharoah's to-day2 We heart
from one of them last week. There was
scientific gentleman in the pyramids who hat
a Pharoah in his mummy condition; and, fol
fear that he might be stolen in the war, con
veyed him into one Of his cities. The grant
Pharoah Mencnra, who built the loftiest pyra
mids, the Pharoah whom Moses declined Il
take as his grandfather, preferring to suite
ailicton Wits the people of God than to bt
called the son of PharOah's daughter. lie i
subjected OctrOi under the classification
of dried fish. Shade of the pyramids
Could not the River Nile rise up and resen
this indignity to the majesty of that King o
Egypt? What are his power and influence
to-day compared with that man of God
Moses handled great people. Moses wa
rich, for every morning he got mamma from
the treasury Of the universe. He had sup
plies for the good. He smote the rock 70
drink, and before him went the pillar of fire
l open up the monuments Of Moses to yol
this morning: Thou shalt not steal. Low
the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt tho,
serve. Remember the Sabbath day and kee
it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commi
adultery. Thou shalt do no murder. Tho
shalt not he9r false witness against thy neigh
Dor. Is this old power fallen? Is it in tn
mummy condition? No, 1t is as fresh as
= June rose with the latest dew of Heave
upon it,
Moses was the richest, the most famous, and hG
, brought the greatest results. There are two way
Ofacluiriug riches: One is ms the pack horse, th
| other us an orange tree, What is the matter viii
i this treasury wagon that is carrying the none
c from the treasury vGults2 II needs repair Yo
can pile on bags Of gold and kegs ofcoin, but it
no use; the wagon Is broken; and, until it is rC
| paired, the gold holds the wagon, the wagon doc
4 not hold the gold see men taking money in tn
y same way aud carrying it as burden. II
breaking them down, because they have no assin
ilative power to mako. 1t part of their charnctC
and life. They need first to be repaired. The
need TO be sci right with the laws of the univers
@ and Of God. When that is done they can take Q
i, wealth ana all kind Of influences and powers an
u assimilate them to their character.
A man has heard that heefsteak is yer
: nourishing, that It is good for the body. Ce
t tainly it is. But if you are just coming dow
A with fever it is not good; for you must fir
be cured of the fever. When that is dor
tn en- it is good for cbnyalescent.
:, The orange tree, assmilating from the so
/ beneath and Che utmOsDhure around, cnrichi