, 1889-08-22
BISHOP BOWMAN.
The Venerable and Distinguished
Clergyman's Sermon in
Spokane Falls.
Instructive Commentaries on the
Text, 1T Is More Blessed to
Give Than to Receive"


Those who attended tho First NJ. r..
church on sunday morning had the
pleasure Of listening to one of the most
interesting sermons ever delivered in
this city. Bishop Thomas Bowman, of
st. Louis, senior bishop of the Methodist
Episcopal church, a man somewhere In
the ncighborhood of eighty years of age,
is ms erect in carriage, free and graceful
in motion, earnest and eloquent in
language rs though not more than forty
or fifty, while his enthusiastic manner
and clear melodcous voice hold the en-.
tire attention of his hearers, children
men and women alike from beginning
to end of his discourse; smiles and tears
following each other in rapid succession
rs he SO wonderfully blends the earnest
things of life with the amusing.
THE TEXT
was the passage of scripture, better
known in many instances than one
would infer from the manner in which
we profit by it-Acts xx; 35; at is
more blessed to give than to receive"
Among other of his preliminary re-
marks, he said ~ used to read that
passage us u child, and say to myself
don't believe that can be true.
wonder II deacon SO and so (some good
old Methodist believes that, wonder if
father believes it," And rs he grew older
he remembered there were few pas
sages which had been somewhat changed
during the many times the bible had been
copied and felt sure this must he one
of them, and still more of his experience
he had concluded was true in every
particular.
lie then caused smile to dawn on
the facos of his hearers by asking all
who remembered where the text was TO
raise their hands, About dozen were
raised. "Ah," said he, ~ knew it, and
if i had told you story from comical
almanac everybody in the house could
repeat every word of it,"
Once more giving the text he COM
mcnced the sermon proper, beginning
with the declaration that, blessed in the
text had three distinct applications,
first--A joyful return in our own hearts
which brought pleasure in the know
ledge OF good deed done; secondly--A
personal benefit which gcnerly comes
sooner or later for kindness done;
thirdly-A divine spiritual blessing to
the soul.
THE GENIUS OF MONEY MAKING.
He didn't wish any TO infer that he
was talking of money alone when he
spoke of giving; money was only one OF
the many gifts we might bcstow to aid
those with whom we come in contact.
Everybody does MT have money to give,
but we all have something, If its only
sympathy or kind word or smile.
The genius for money making Is only
confined to a few. lie had eight boys
and only one of them had this genius,
when the boy was fourteen ho loaned
him nine dollars, and he very quickly
made il ninety six and has been going
on that way ever since, while the Others
have all they can do to get along AID
make living.
"Iie has the genius of making money.
How he came By il don't know He
may have inherited 1t from his mother.
lie certainly did not from me-" Said
the bishop IN conclusion
We all have some talent or genius by
which We can aid and benefit somebody
else. Some the genius of painting, some
of music, Others for the pulpit, the bar
and so ON indefinitely.
"If we have money We should that II Is
God-givcn, and give II again not only In
church work, but to forward any enter
prize 10y which humanity. is to he i'm.
proved or benefited, physically, intellect
ually or morally"
He wished some OF our men here in Spo-
kane who have more money than they
know what to do with, would endow a
in tho college here in our
city. II would require twenty-five or
thirty thousand dollars, and begin
work that would 90 on and on, a source
of benefit to the world long after they
had crossed the river to the other shore.
A BUNDLE OF WANTS.
We are bundle of wants from the
crown of our head to the sole of our feet;
ana when these wants are properly and
ministcrcd to IL always rO-
suits in satisfaction and happiness. lie
wants food when he receives il he Is
content. lie wants sleep, and when after
II day of toll he lies himself away between
the fresh, cool sheets he says from Il
thankful heart Praise God for sleep"
When he is tired he wants rest. lie
wants clothing to protect him from the
changes.
Then ho wants Just as much intellect
ual food. One of the illustrations given
was the story of q student who
came to his study door one day and as
he called come ill.," entered.
Mr.. Bowman asked: what can / do
for your J want leave of absence for
Il number of months" "Why, is father
sir" "Anybony sick?" mo, sir; all
well but | want to go in order that | may
earn money to 90 OH in my studies"
lie explained to the young man that
he had fifty dollars to loan to any wor-
thy man who needed it for that very
purpose. And he said as the young
man raised his arms he really thought
he meant to hug him.
But he dropped his hands on the
bishops shoulders and said God bless
you and the man who donated the
money" That young, man was intel
lectually hungry, and happy because
his wants were supplied.
That fifty dollars was returned and
has been loaned TO one after another for
The same purpose ever since.
Then we want sympathy. He trav-
nled through the South directly after the
war and lie would gladly have emptcd
his pockets of every dollar in them for
smile from one face; but he didn't get
i. He gets them now though freely as
IN the North.
HE HAD THE BLUES.
There was a time when two of his
sons were in danger on the battle field
and he didn't hear from them; and he
had the blues; he never had them before
md thank the Lord, ho hadn't since.
But lac had them and he had them bad
ln thonght nobody cnrcd nnNlhinr