The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-02-27
The Rev. Mr.. Collyer,s sermon.


The Rev. Robert Collyer preached be.
fore large congregation at the First
Congregational church yesterday fore
room from Isaiah xxxyiii-S: "The sun
returned ten degrees, by which degrees il
had gone down" Mr.. Collyer, in sub
stance, spoke as follows:
Hezekiab, the king, came 10 the throne
about 726 years before our era. lie stands
for the instance of the truth that a good
father may have "A bad son, or a good
son bad father. HeZ skiah was an up
right man, but it would be hard TO i'm
aRine "A worse man than his father, or
his son. He re-established the old faith,
SO that the common folk learned anew
the story OF Gods past guidance, and OF
the lives of the noble men of our race.
At the age OF 40 the king found himself
on the point OF death. lie turned TO
God in prayer, and recovered, and lived
out the measure of his years His
strength was renewed, and he was young
again.
/ can think Of no truth that touches
human life deeper than does this. We cry
out, How swiftly the years pass and
how rapidly the shadows fit over the
dial. Tnen we say that our strength is
failing and we shall not live out half our
years This is the trouble and dismay
which may come on MS AS il came on the
king. But we should take courage and
strive 10 get out Of the shadows if W.
can, or at least make the best of what is
left US. While we may fear as this nau
did, that we are near the gates of death,
IL We still take coura % perhaps we NAV
push back the dial of our lives ten de-
grees- But deeper truth mey DC learned,
and we eau see how we should
make the best instead of the worst of
lite We give in too easily to this great
tyrant, Time. We should dispute the
ground inch by inch ana try To win back,
by revolution II necessary, what we
have lost. We are apt TO submit too
readily. We should not know when we
are bea, en-, and then the complaint which
W. often hear about the shortness OF
tire would tie little heard. Time is not
short If you know how TO meet it. Men
often try 10 kill time IN ways which do
not propose to mention. In my city
women often do this By riding up and
down the avenue nursing lap dogs.
There are no women like these ia provi-
dence, am sure.
In the more delicate reaches of the soul
we may push back the shadows aud re-
new our life. God help us," we cry,
bowling before the mercy seat. We droop
anu pale, aad fall back upon Him. God
will come 10 us and give us frt sh LIE
and a renewed existence. So we turn 90
God and lie helps US. It is half His grace
aud half our own resolution. We turA
TO the living God. not TO doubt, not Z,
a maybe, and we by-and-by learn that
although there are many shadows there
is one sun. We shall run and not he
weary. We shall walk and not faint. lie
Will guide and keep Us until we are safe
in the Golden Gates. Sometimes / like 10
take up my old sweet Bunyan and read
OF that closing scene s. here tue IA e. OF
Paradise are thrown oren Tor the pilgrims
10 enier, and the praises of the blessed
resound IN tne happ ness OF heaven.
In the West
The 1T. Rev. Ethelbert Talbot
preached yesterday forenoon at St.
Johns Church. lie spoke from St.
Mark, xvi: 10; go We into all the world
and preach the gospel 10 every creature"
in substance as follows:
Whether or not we go abroad, or West.
or anywhere else la person To carry Gods |
word we go In spirit. let us DE thank
ful that as the years 20 by there is a full |
ler appreciation OF the privilege Of mis-
sionary work.
am here 10 tell you something about |
the missionary work in the western part |
of the land. About five years ago Won |
sent me TO Wyoming aad Idaho. We |
nave jurisdiction larger than the New !
England states and the Middle States
together and Maryland thrown in, We |
have In Wyoming $1,000 square miles nm
ocrlaid With coal IL Is goJd bituminous |
coal. We have In that state large de |
posits OF iron ote. We have deposits |
81 oil.
In Idaho we have besides mines of sill
yer and gold large quantities of excellent
land. IL seems TO me that within twenty.
i've years, from an agricultural stand
point, Idaho will support large popula.
ton.
There were four clergymen in Idaho
and four Ina Wyoming when / first went
out there. Now we have forty-one work.
ing In the two states. The people seem
70 look on us as the pioneer mother
church. We have more churches aud
more clergymen than any other religious
demon ination out there.
The population is mostly native one
There IL n responsibility on MS as n
church: lt is In taking care OF our young
men who 20 out there. The work ~ car
ned on largely by the board VI missions.