Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-04
AT THE CHURCHES.
Interesting Sermons Heard By
Good Congregations.
Excellent Religious Matters That Will
interest the Readers of the Leaf
Chronicle.
2 METHODIST CHURCH.

by Dr. BafDee yeSteTudy uiOInlhS,
the full meaning of which appeared
when, at its close, he took from his
pocket written statement from the
resident board of stewards. 1t was
seen at glance that the reverend
gentleman and the board Of
stewards had been conniving,
the result of which was a.
powerful sermon upon the subject OF
personal .benificence. He took his
text from the first six verses OF the
18th chapter of Ecclesiastes. DIR.
Barbee intended to preach altogether
q different sermon. To have been
practically an impromptu discourse
it was in many respects noteworthy.
From the statement above referred to
it was seen that the church was in
pressing need of 500, for which no
provision in the regular way had
been made. The sermon, therefore,
was an appeal to church members to
respond freelysof their substance to
Gods calls. In less than an hour the
preacher established scripturally and
beyond cavil that
/. Benificence grows out of be-
nevolence, and that benevolence is
kindness of spirit, good will, a dispo-
sition to human sympathy. Benifi-
cence is the work of the spirit upon
a somewhat broader scale. All men
are brothers; castles establish con-
ventional laws, which do not exist
naturally; throughout christendom
all men bear the same relation TO
each other-all men are brothers. 1t
doesn't matter whether we all de-
seended from one parentage or not,
the fact remains that we are one;
this is Dramatically attested by the
Bible itself.
.. The obligation rests just as
heavily upon US to help all men as it
does to help our mothers son. The
book very explicitly asserts that we
should lay down our life for our
brother.
3. Agrlrianism, communism, and
all other menac $ to organized
society have great truth
underlying them -- the blood OF
mankind. These extraordinary ex-
pressions are simply the utterances OF
men craving for brotherly sympathy.
Fanaticism is not different from
truth. Women will work more
harm than man knows how ;
they are naturally better. Every
evil has its origin in pious zeal. So
your agragrian, your communist is
only eAtravagantly stating u great
truth. Deny not to them brotherly
sympathy and strive to make wick
edness cease.
4. The second ground upon which
the obligation of beneficence rests is
the relation which man sustains to
his possessions. 1t is not yours in
truth; you don't own dollar, al.
though you may possess gold, green
backs, stock and bonds. Man struts
his 1iberality of conscious NUM-
ticence. Liberality to whom? Whose
money is it? You stand precisely
in the same relation as the
paying teller of a bank custodian
Of much and the owner Of
nothing-simply the almOner of God
Keep clear in your conviction sense
of your relationship to God.
5. When should we begin this
work ? land if the tree fall toward
the south or toward the north, in the
place where the tree falleth there
shall it be-" What have you done
is the question. Give an account O
your stewardship, and remember
that posthumous benevolence is only
an example of liberality with othel
mems money. Don't "give and be
queath" what you haven't got; It'll,
deeds then will all be disannulled
shrouds have no pockets. POSTUM
nous requests mean that the miser
able miser wouldn't practice benifi
cence il he could get round lit, ant
takes his money as far as he can ant
only puts it down when he must ant
would take it farther if he could
even through the fires of hell itself
If you've got anything to do, do i
now.
| 6. God blinks no discriminativ,
charity. Your parsimony is seeking
only loophole of escape. II yol
recognize the claims of God and tn
world, then you have light enough
Learn a lesson from the clouds, ant
give abundantly as do they copious
| ly. How long must you keep it up
From the morning of your life til
the evening thereof. You will neve
know when you may not need
friend yourself, or that your childreI
may not need them. God has en-
gagged 10 return to us whatever W
have used for him, coupled with a re
ward for service rendered.
Financially considered, this ser
mon was worth just $500, the amour