The herald., 1893-09-11
At uhrIst,a Epiacopnl.


Rev. A. s. Clark OF Christ's Episcopal
church, corner Pico and Flower streets.
preached before q large congregation
yesterday. The choir rendered num-
Der Of excellent selections, with their ac-
customed finish. Mr.. Clark spoke with
out notes, and chose for his text the
following part of the eighth verse of the
tenth chapter OF st. Matthew: Freely
ye have received, freely give"
The law of reception and diffusion Is
the law of christianity. Why should it
not be so? 1t is the law of life. growth,
activity. A planet arrested in its course
results in explosion and meteoric stone I;
tree sap interfered by woodman's ak.
dead trunk and decaying branches; srti.
fetal circulation stopped, lifeless body,
inanimste form.
All life depends upon giving and re-
ceiving. Men and women give them
selves in loving sacrifice. 1t is seen in
fatherhood, motherhood and all rela-
tons OF life. What have we not re-
ceived from the gospel of Christ? Had
Christ refused to come down, what
would have been the result? The Jews
were dull and would not recognize the
Messiah, stupid and would not accept
His offer Of grace; ignorant, failed to
comprehend the fulfillmento OF prophecy !;
cruel, were preparing to cruelty him.
He knew all this and yet He came, and
in the same spirit His people have gone.
James might have refused the bishop of
Jerusalem, for fear of martyrdom. Peter
and John might have remained in
Jerusalem instead of proclaiming the
gospel to other peoples. Paul and Bar
nabas might have taken their ease at
home instead of travelling to foreign ma
tions.
How long the list which connects
those days with ours. A st. Columbus,
st. Aidan, st. Cuthbert, venerable
Bede, the Bishops, Heber, Chase.
Kemper. Pstteson, Selwyn. Harrington.
The time would fail to tell of the godly
men who, receivers of the gospel Of
Christ, have transmitted it to others.
They gave their toll, their sacrifices to
this end. Shall we fail in some measure
to respond to our own missions?
And yet we are confronted with cir
cumscribing process. One man will not
pay taxes because he has other uses for
his money. Another cannot do for mis-
sious because he has his own parish to
maintain. Another cannot give to the
parish because his business requires all.
Another cannot give in charity for he
hss family to support. Another fnds
J, hard to support his family for his own
wants are manifold. Another cannot
do for himself as the future is 30 uncer-
tain, and he knows not what day may
bring forth.
What is the end OF all this circum-
ecribing? Circumscribed currencv.
panic; circumscribed charity. misery |:
circumscribed missions, palsy; circumn. n
scribed christianity, death. Had our
forefsthers lacked missionary spirit we
would have been savages, half clad at
that, living in dens and caves of the
earth, digging and grubbing fruits alb
jectly kneeling to an idol like any other
pagan. {lEY
Thsnk God, there was no congestion
in the Christianity of other days, and
surely we can never afford to dam IN the
streams OF Christian benefcence. ga
Like the circulation of water evapor-
ated from the aea and showered UPON
the earth in its effort to reach the ocean
again, oozes through sandy loan and
gravelly deposits nourishing every blade
OF grass and every rootlet of tree and
prnsh, so Christian reception and diffu-
sion must be perpetual round of bless
edness to US and all mankind.