The Newtown bee., 1894-08-03

IF MAN USES WHAT HE ALREADY HAS, GOD
 GIVES HIM MORE.-ANGELs MIGHT
 WELL ENVY MAN HIs WORKMAN CAN
 ONLY WORK WITH WHAT HE HAS, MANS NEVER.F FAILING HELPER.-A SER MON PREACHED AT THE CONGREGATION
 AL CHURCH, JULY P, BY REV OTIS W. BARKER.
 Text, Luke Q 13 "But He said unto them, | give ye them to eat"
 You could hardly imagine more sur prised set of men than these twelve dis ciples were when Jesus gave them this command. What had they just said? "Send the multitude away, that they may % into the country and towns round about and lodge and get vietuals." The disciples had thoroughly human hearts, they were touched by the sight of great need, those hungry folk made strong ap- peal to their sympathies, they keenly wished to help them; but then there were perhaps ten thousand of them | Give thousand men and an equal number of women and children); the need was too great, and their means for satisfy IL we can do nothing for them." Not a word of explanation Christ gives; no suggestion that they had not looked well enough over their own resources, that they had not stopped to think that He, who at word could accomplish things wholly impossible to man, was with them, and this made all the differ ence in the world; no suggestion of this, I say, but only the blunt, direct com, mand, "Give ye them to eat" No won- der the command set the disciples to counting their money and looking after their stock of rations, and perhaps shak- ing their heads despairingly over the magnitude of the task.
 You see that Chrst's disciples are of ten called upon to go ahead, not know ing where the way is to be, nor where the resources for the journey are to be found; they are simply to go because Christ has commanded them to go, Many times during the ,late war vessels steamed out of Hampton Roads under ''sealed orders,' the command to Uhe cap tain of the ship being that the seal was not to be broken and the orders read till the land was left many leagues astern, So you and l, my brother, are asked again and again to go into this difficulty in life, into that trouble, into that valley of shadow, when we cannot see the way oug, when it seems as if the flood must , surely overwhelm us. l know of nc grander way than this
 TO GAIN FAITH AND HOPE
 and courage and light. The disciples did not see how things were coming out they probably thought it prepOsterou' that those five small barley loaves anC two fishes should be expected to feeC g that mighty host; but Christ had com g manded, and that was enough. They n caused the multitude to sit down in com IS panies of fifty upon the green grass a they took the food from Christ's hand IS they passed it through the lines-all thu 'f time, no doubt, wondering and thei g faith in Jesus power increasing. And le when the hunger of all was appeased Al they took up of the fragments that re TO mained twelve basketfuls-far more thal 1 there was in the beginning. Faith use' ie always means more faith. The way t
 accumulate treasure in the Bank 0
 Heaven is to keep drawing it out. Tn
 way that baby becomes a man is b. v growing out of babyhood into childhoo
 and into manhood--slowly growing, i'm
 preceptibly growing-not by leapin - with one bound into manhood; the wa
 to gain strength in Gods service is t |, begin by using the strength you have. II A young man, whose life had bee
 spent amid the very best influences,
 lovely Christian home, a devoted mother
 a wise, kind, consistent Christian father l. was asked in the inquiry room during , season of revival what he felt to be hi
 greatest need. "More light, !" he earnest
 ly and quickly replied. Oh, no,
 wasn't; the young man had a
 the light he needed; if he ha N lived up to that he did have, h would have lived one of the purest C
 lives. How many good people neve
 take an earnest stand as Christians sin
 ply because they cannot persuade then
 selves that they feel just right. Bu
 what is the best way to acquire the rigf
 sort of feeling? by making no use of, an
 neglecting the little that one alread
 has? The first word spoken for Jesu
 makes the second word easier. Tn
 halting, stammering tongue and broke
 accents of the lips, if the servants of
 good, clean heart, will yet sing clearl
 in praise. The way to have a beautifl - flower is to nurse the tiny bud. l
 heavenly things losing means saving, in N- parting means enriching, and the onl
 way to keep that which is worth keel
 ing is to give it away.
 a "GIyE YE THEM TO EAT"
 But why did not Christ go on with u = miracle Himself? It would all original with Him; nothing could be done apa
 from Him. How easily He could hay " caused mama to ram from Heaven as
 did in the olden time! How easily coul
 He have spread food sufficient at eac
 one's feet! Why call in the aid of tt disciples at all? Just because it has a ways, everywhere and under all circun stances, been the plan of God Can
 Christ was God) to work with an through men. This is my point, put
 in the Driefest space: God uses mel u and not angels, to do His work on eartl
 cannot hope to tell you with wh,
 force that has come to me of late; nee e~1 l. .& t.1 AZ