Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-26
LAST OF THE COURSE.
MT. Nichols Delivers she Last of the
 United Lenten Sermons.

OAkkOA AlVAkeOAA S0A AsAVAADs
 Rev. Harry P. Nichols delivered the last of the Lenten sermons yesterday evening in St. Pauls church. Among the clergy present were Dr. Harwood, Dr. Vibbert, and Messrs. Lines, Morgan, Birdsall, Brown and Cleveland. A large congregation was present.
 Rev. MT. Nichols subject was the ''Duty of the Strong to the Weak" and his text was II Corinthians xii, 29-3O, beginning "Who is weak, and am not weak" on which he spoke as follows: 'Strong and energetic as was Paul, the apostle, when Christ's touch was laid upon his life, he consecrated that strength to him. His strange boasting in the text has been wrung from him, not for his own glory, but for the honor of his master. He has been recalling his sufferings, long, long
 list of daily martyrdoms Sthese are St. Paul's proofs of power. The text gathers all into one-''Who is weak, and I am not weak for his sake? When I am weak, then am 1 strong" In this question of the duty of the strong to the weak, the Christian apostle teaches us He was weak when in full powers he per secuted Jesus' little flock, strong when, blinded and humbled, he went forth alone to convert the world for him. We must remember this, so that we will not think ourselves strong when we are weak, as the Pherisus did in scorning the widows two mites. It is the duty of those made strong by the grace of God to sympathize with the weak and enter into their weakness. In some such sense Christ bore our sins. Ours is not theme of ethics and philan- thropy, but of Christianity. Our duty is to minister Christ unto the weak, to bear him to them in our own persons and ex- amples. But it becomes a, man to find out whether he really is strong. Perhaps, complacently assenting with self applauding ear to our duty as strong, we are not strong. We may find ourselves with no strength to minister. The reason men have no sympathy for weakness is because they are not strong in Christ. If Christian people in the mass were devoting their strength to earth's weakness the aw- full problem of sin would be quickly solved. See your place and take it, and ask not what can I getp but what can l givea' What then shall the strong do for the weaks He must do something, if he have Christ's spirit; he must do all that he can do. Then men will reach out for his strength, feeling themselves weak.
 In days gone by the strong trampled on the weak, till men gradually began to realize the spirit of him whom they called their master, till to-day is an age of love of man. But there can be no ministering of the strong to the weak unless the strength be the touch of Gods hand. Giving is not charity, nor social order
 moral elevation. In how many countless
 ways does weakness appeal to strength
 Impunity, dishonesty, thriftlessness and
 want to stretch out their hands to us al | every step. There must be an answer, for the nations, humanity's, ou1 | own souls sake. Wisdom, courage and | patience are needed. Your accepted spirit
 ual leaders summon you. Rise up, in boundless sympathy to help your neigh
 bor and the world. Have @ message fol the coming generation that it may be | stronger for God and right as well as fo, ! civilization. Our theme opens out, tre | mendous questions present themselves fol answer To live with no share in Christ't | work is to be weak even to degradation o1 l our humanity. We are one with all good | men, but with power incomparably bet l ter than many have had. I cannot con
 ceive that the day of Christ's universal do
 minion can come not by his word of pow CT, but by the devotion of his servants What must be our gladness at the end oi
 our earthly course to be conscious of hay
 ing lifted, however little, the burden O.
 human weakness in divine strengtha Suf
 fering Christ! All that we are we cost be l fore the asking that thou wilt change oul l weakness to devine strength.