Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-12-01
SOME SUNDAY SERVICES
LESSONS FROM THE PuLPITs.
A Newiy-Married Pastor Weicom med
tiome-HElements of Maniiness''
A Sermon on Doubt.


of Rev. Marcus l.. Boeher's pastorate of
Mission Wood Presbyterian Church In
remembrance of this fact, and that il was
also 10 be his first Sunday at home after q
somewhat extended trip with his estimable
bride throughout the East, his church and
congregation made for him a most tender
and loving reception The little chapel was
entirely transformed inside. the walls and
ceiling were beautifully tinted and papered,
and many rich floral offerings and decora-
tions were arranged about the altar. Over
and just behind the desk was a framed motto
arranged from autumn flowers .'B, Welcome
Home" During the opening services the
pastor feelinely spoke of the happy surprise
and assured the congregation their tokens of
love for him and his were appreciated and
the love reciprocated
Rev. Mr.. Bocher read the fourth and fifth
chapters of Esther for his morning lesson
and took for his text Esther. v, 13-''Yet all
this ayaileth me nothing, 80 long as i see
Mordecai the Jew sitting at the kings gate.
The story of Haman and Mordecai Is faIlail-
lar TO everyone. Hanan grew in favor with
the king and was given promotions, granted
powers and received great riches and favored
distinctions-was even the choseL one who
alone could enter Queen Esther's banquet
With all these he was not happy, one thing
was still wanting-Mordecai sat in the kings
gate and had failed 10 recognize his great
ness, failed to reverence him. Christian
churches have M0rdecais sitting in their
doorways. Mordecais obstruct the path and
ruin the happiness of individuals. There is
single something to hinder full Christian
action and endeavor. Satan rejoices over
nothing more than he does over these little
stumbling blocks, little ifs" little Nor
decais in the pathways of men. Vic
tory only comes when these obs tacles
foI c@r.4 IN. -
king and queen for the removal of Mordecai
Christians should trust in the King of Kings
for the removal of theirs. The whole dis
course was full of apt illustrations of how
triies in the way have hindered great actions;
how trifies have affected lives of men, the
welfare of nations, etc. The pastor said
that two years ago, when he assumed the
pastorate of the church, Mission Wood had
but few members and the first congregation
numbered but forty-one people. Now there
is n strong society and the church is full.
He wished TO begin the third year by help
ing earnestly 10 remove every hindrance,
every Mordecai that in anyway obstructed
their full and free efforts as a Christian
church, and he made an urgent plea for
unity of Christian endeavor, more charity
and that no discordant element might come
in to discourage and destroy any work for
good accomplished.
"Some Elements of ManIiness."
This was the subject chosen by Rev. Chss.
Fluhrer .or his discourse last evening. The
text chosen was l Kings, III, 2.-"Show thy
self man." This was David's advice to his
son Solomon. Ii was the advice of age to
youth, the advice of experience to inexperi-
ence. 1t is the greatest and most significant
sentence that can be spoken from man TO
man. / look upon mans development In
hot fYadr d~l1I
within himself the grandest possibilities TO
which man may attain. There is the germ,
the nucleus which developed will form the
grandest possible man. To show oneself
man is to properly cultivate those mental
and moral germs the Creator has planted
within us. The age looks to the man, not
the position he fills: TO the person and his
character, not to the title or station. 81
consider received the greatest compliment
of my life," said the speaker, when, after
being cast out of an evangelical syna-
gogue in this city, was referred to as that
man." Not all ministers are men In Its
higher and broader sense. Young men are
to stand on their manhood. The age re-
quires of young men what they can show
out of themselves. II is a mistaken idea
that the highest measure of manhood Is some
title or station, or tue amount of wealth one
possesses. These things are we'll enough
when a man is greater than they. 1t is good
to gain wealth III MANHOOD Is mol lost IN
gaining it. An essential quality of manli-
ness is genuineness. A vice of the age is
the desire TO act like some one else, To ape
another's manners. to become an artificial
man. Better to wear your own true face,
disfgured though it be, than TO parade in
mask Another characteristic is Independence.
believe in Difference to age. but believe az
well il is a serious thing for youth TO be
sacrificed on the altar of age. Exercise
Independence of thonght; act out your
independent conviction. A young man
who exercises what he in his deepest con-
science believes to be true and right is far on
the way toward showing himself a man.
Another characteristic is humility. The
greatest men in history have been the hum
blest Never be so exalted you cannot come
down at times: never so set that you cannot
admit you are In the wrong. The best ap-
pearing man Is the one without self-con-
sciousness. The little girl walks across the
floor in her unconscious grace and beauty.
never can she appear more beautiful Age
creeps on apace, there comes The studied air
even the looking glass is resorted TO for its
acquirement-the beautiful child is trans
formed into a proud and self-conscious
woman. Think not of self; think of others.
Give your best thoughts. best efforts, best
energiest mankind. BE man.