The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-09

Despite lho hot weather large cOnCre-
cation gathered in the First Baptist church
10 hear the Rev. j. b. Hawthorne. who will
lll that pulpit for this month.
He was listened 70 with deep interest.
lie delivered himself in his well-known.
forcbie and eloquent way. and after the
services was crowded around by bis old
parshioners and warmly greeted
lie was much touched by this he told me
afterwards 70 his room at Ford's Hotel. and
was pleased 70 be back with lis former
congregation.
AS TO DIXON.
The Doctor handled the Rev. Thomas
Dixon. Of New y ork. without gloves. as will
be seen
The reverend gentleman. announcing his
text from So. John vi. 49, which reads
For the bread OF God IS he which cometh
down from heaven and giveth life unto the
world said. Why did God choose as an
emblem of himself a food so cheap. com
mon and simple as bread, Why did he not
choose some dainty or rare luxury 20 be
found only on the tables of kings or million
aires, The answer SIS evident. IL Is the very
commonness and abundance of bread which
renders 1t a fiji emblem of Christ
just as physical humanity everywhere
needs bread So spiritual humanity every
terial food ~ so abundant as 20 be in reach
Of al men, SO Oh Iist the souls food, the
bread of life. is accessible T. all TO whom the
Gospel comes.
III Jesus were o mere adventurer. bent on
making himself great ia the eyes of the
world, he would never have said d" am the
bread or | am the water. or am the door,
or / am the shepherd He would have
used most impressive and astounding meta
pLors. In the simplicity and commonness
oi the article 20 which our Lord lkened
himself he has given proof Of bis wisdom,
sincerity and goodness and divinity.
THREE PROPOSITIONS.
The text contains three great PROPOSE
tols. First. Christ ls the bread of God
that is. the gift of God 20 man. lie was the
gift II Gods love. That was the limit of
Gods capacity. In giving this son he gave
himself and than this was nothing greater.
The second proposition IS that this bread Of
God comes from heaven. Christ was not
of earth but from above This world was
too poor 70 provide a Saviour for men. la
the great problem OF human guilt and de
pravity the worlds wisdom was folly and
its strength was weakness.
That problem had to be solved in higher
and wiser spheres. Hence mans Saviour
came from heaven.
The third proposition is that this bread of
God giveth life 20 the world. That means
that Jesus Christ is TO the soul what bread
Is o. the body He, like bread, Is a neces-
eity and not "a luxury. 10 IS 70 this truth
that your attention Is directed namely,
that Jesus Christ is the world greatest and
only necessity. IN the complex condition
of things about us many people have lost
SIGHT of the difference between necessities
and luxuues.
HGH-TARTF PRICES.
In the eyes Of the high tariff man every
piece OF everyday wear is luxury and
should be taxed: whereas 10 the low tariff
man even the champagne he drinks at sup
per is a necessity. Don't tax it, he says.
The American people will never settle this
troublesome question Of the tariff till God,
by famine or visitation Of distress, restores
to them the meaning between necessity and
luxury. This meaning can never be settled
so long as one great political party regards
wool and iron as Injuries and the other
holds seal-skin clOaks, French laces, Rhine
wine and Scotch whisky as downright ne
Cesslties
Food is a necessity. and under this plea
there are presented new menus mile long.
Schools are built for the education OF COOKS.
( Cooking is magnihed into one OF the me
Z arts because this luXury-loving age has
converted luXuries into necessities.
la times Of prosperity We think these
things are necessities, but we can learn IN
adversely that the hunger IS satisfied and
physical strength sustained with nothing
more than simple bread.
THK SOLDIERS KNOW,
The old Confederate soldiers, some of
whom may be listening to me now, Will re-
member when they could fight all day, and,
if need be. march all night with nothing TO
eat but q handful of parched corn. Their
definition of necessities would be a very
different one from that given by their dainty
loving and dudlsh Sons
shelter is a necessity. Man needs a
refuge from the storms the cold ana tn ne
heat But be amplihes tins necessity TIL II
passes away as q simple refuge as stated. IN
our craze for architectural ornamentatlon
and special magnitude the idea OF mere
shelter Is lost sight or
Clothing is a necessity, but who will at
tempt 10 name even every fabric of these
DAYS of extravaganza which comes under
the head of clothing
sometimes glance over book of fash
ions and am utterly bewildered at the de-
vices an d designs OF mllllners dressmakers
and tailOrs ! almost imagine nyseH mp
Van Wrinkle coming back 10 see 80 many
new things IN vogue thar anything IKE 5t.
technical description of modern dress
from me would be az unlntelhslDie as an
Assyrian tablet inscription.
In all this novelty and excitement now
far are we drifting from the original idea OF
necessity
During the latter part of the war which so
IMPOVERISHED the South j saw many 81 our
spun dresses. 49,,
Never were they more becOmingly attred
or never did any dress seem TO give more
comfort and pleasure. / do not object TO
reasonable 0rnamentation IN dress. God
who plumes the birds and adorns the tow-
era with exquisite colors. does not disap-
prove dresses of beautiful style worn WIN
nodesty and due regard to higher ana
more essential things, but he OBJECTS only
10 the deusion that outward adornment is
essential 10 life, comfort and happiness;
We can part with all these things ana sui
live prosper and be happy.
SPIRITUAL LIFE
Coming up into the realms Of higher
spiritual life and taking the Bible for our
outde we ind that Christ 10 the only neces-
sitv lie is the bread OF life. Take away
4. everything else that the soul wants 10 feed
upon and leave US this bresd OF God ana
We shall live and prosper. This is the cen
tral thought of the text-Christ the world b
necessity. IL. 49,.
But there are men incorporating before
the world as Christians repudlaUng the idea
t6at Jesus Christ Is a necessity 70 man.
Some put him in the category OF great
philosophers such as Scion. Dogehes'
Plato and Aristotle. They say ne was only
a great teacher 10 whom the world Is IN.
debted for wise and beautiful sayings but
they do not regard W hat he SAID ana a ii. as
d 81