Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-01-06

AoAA AkOAA Sb0 uAubt0x ipo wa tu6O puThee,
He that doeth the truth. That one original
word of Jesus was enough to distinguish His
church forever from school of the philoso-
pliers. That one expression of the Master
makes His religion no more a doctrine of
God, but q divine practice of life. The
truth Is the thing to be done. If a half of
the TRUTH which we have thought about the
year past had been done ia New Haven, how
much more Christlike would our lives have
been, and what religion of power our
Christianity would have become. That
word of the Lord, which has come to us say
ing: Repent, be reconciled to thy brother; do
| the right thing, the one true thing to be
done; clip not the wings of that generous
| thought and do not keep it Gagged in your
song to Others; that word from the Lord of
| kindness, of helpfulness, of charity,
or of religious service, which has been
trying to get itself done amid business
and cares; if these, if many another word of
the Lord which has come to us saying some-
thing better and more Christian had been
done by us-done when we heard it, and
without waiting, how much richer for others
and happier for ourselves might the world
around us have becomel And that word of
Christian intention, that truth of religious
conviction. which at times has come to some
of us, is likewise the truth which the Lord
would wish to see done by us in immediate
and decided confession to him. The church
would be enlarged with great enlargement
If all who thought of confessing the Master
before men should arise and do the truth of
their hearts. In short, every good deed is
some truth of the Lord finally come to
equalization; and the preaching of the Cos
pei was never intended simply as saturating
q congregation with truth, but to stir them
up to the point of Christian capitalization in
every good work.
I have been speaking thus fax of the APP
plicatiops which we make formally OF these
two truths for the new year. Surely, Ii we
look over the.course of our private lives for
the past year, and wish to understand Gods
| leading in them, We can find some word of
| the Lord which we may now arise and be
doing. The same text may apply also to US
in our collective capacity, as one of many
Christian churches, in these latter days. For
the word of the Lord comes likewise TO each
church or Christian congregation of men and
women; and that church word of the Lord is
| to be understood, mot by any outward sign or
any mans inner illumination, but by careful
and intelligent stndy of it's history, its provi
| Dental course, its present conditions. its
| special abilities. We may be cure that there
| business to know it we'll and to aim
| and do it. There is one way in
which it seems to me that we
| certainly cannot discover the word of the
| Lord for us; and that Is by looking at what
| is done by other people, under different con-
ditions, and then either thanking God that
we are not as other men are, or, what is just
| as mischfevous and perhaps at heart equally
pharisac, finding fault because we are not as
! others are. David heard the word of the
Lord saying something quite personal to him
in his own Jerusalem. The home word of
the Lord is to be listened for, prayed for and
carefully studied by any servant of God and
by each body of disciples. And we shall be
most apt to find that special and pertinent
word of God for us somewhere along the
lines, upon the heights, of our own bsst life
and work. Not merely by imagining what
might be or by scolding one another for what
is not, but by recognizing what arc the best
and truest things that any of us are saying,
thinking or doing, shall We hear the word Of
the Lord which is coming and to come to US
In this new aud last decade of the century.
So if wish to find out what the present
word of the Lord is<for this church I must
not sit with the scornful; or visit any cave
of discomfort; or listen to some discouraged
prophet in fit of unmanliness under O Juni-
per tree; or be numbered with those who are
content to build the tombs Of the proph-
cts; or End pleasure in the lamentations
Of those who love to hang their harps on the
willows while they remember the FORM
er Slories of Zion; I must find the
must discover the broadcast and farthest
good purpose which any Christian man
brings in his mind with him here; must hail
the most generous intention which anyone
who wishes to see things press on has con-
ceived; l must rejoice in all further devotion
of men, or still more human and helpful
ministry of women, in any and every Chris
tian service: I must be willing to let the
dead bury their dead: dead customs, dead
dogmas, dead traditions, bury their dead;
I must be content to let the dead church
membership mourn for the dead member
ship, If any such indeed there be, while I
must follow Him whom see living in the
members of His body. and leading them on,
taking them into His divine sympathy for
all classes and conditions of men, making
them sometimes feel burdeped and strait
ened until some better things be accom-
plished, but filing them also with joy, and
with hope, and with an efficient courage, be-
cause they know that the word of the Lord
comes to them, saying, what more
in his name here. So from the best and
largest and most Christian thought and
deed which is named among you, not from
the average sense of obligation, not from the
indifferent, nor from those who are religious
at their convenience, from the best, the
most aspiring, and the faithful, will hear
the word of the Lord saying what this
church of the Fathers is yet to arise and be
doing.
- Cur 1ppszsssai place in the church, it is we'll
to remember, is always a small place. I
have seen soldiers drop out, and the great
march went on, and only at the roll call
were the missing remembered for moment;
and even when generals fell others were
there to spring to the command. We are
soon gone. If any man in Center church
thinks himself to be something, tell him
k.xrE n, to- lnI T~Iw l.
is nothing. A mans pride is worthless
stock in the church of God. There are no
Christian dividends to be realized from such
stock. A mans personal sensitiveness does
no good In the Masters name. Many per-
sonal feelings have no valuation in the great
exchange of duty in the kingdom of God.
And wherever else vanity may find leave to
ptter, pride has no right, so much as to
fsp, in the church of the one true God.
lnly God is great" But that woman
did what she could, put her life at COM
a 1d interest in the gospel story. Each
i Q that man can, according as God hath
,e n him ability, counts in the multiplica-
n tables of Gods grace. The church of
d Is divinely prepared multiplication ta-
|, fol individual lives.
Seek ling to interpret, then, without pride
vain confdence the best that is said or
ought among You, may not hear happy
d stim ulating word for us as Christian
ncreoa zion? Think we may find provi-
utiai W ord for this church which holds
,ssipu That may reach beyond your days
d mind }; q word of the Lord given and
lied fol r this ancient church in its central
,atiop. from which influences may radiate
mo md my lines through a city; a word of
a Lord made more definite and unmistak-
le by the character of the congregation
,ich has been and for years to come may
oathere here; q word of the Lord tor us
,nyfying national faith. thoughtful worship,
en-eyed AL I'D fearless trust In all truths Of
ture. histof y and revelation; a word of the
nd Command ling among us catholic fellow
ip. universal| sympsthies and all helpful
ss: a word OF Y he Lord at once founding a
urch which ali puld belong to the town and
AXE ali civic IN ghteousness its concern;
,rd of the Lord which through these many
ars has confirme the church by the lives
Godfearipg end useful men and
aich is biesssi ing it that it may
come an instit ution of religion and
for a city; a plain, strong
ord of the Lord for his church here,
nich some of you Id I've already arisen and /
Q trying to do. MOI do I fear that We