The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-18
PRESUMPTION.
Rev. Mr. Nutting'S Sermon
at Union Church.
An Eloquent Discourse on a
Very Timely Subject.
Easy to Drop From Faith and HUI
mility Into Presumption.

discourse at the Union congregational
Church yesterday was Presumption" and
he took as his text "aallowed Be Thy
Name," Mathew VIC.
person who addresses the Most High
as "you" but is particular to attach the
title "Honora BILE" to an ex-member of the
City Council, said the reverend speaker
may be said to have a short-focus eye.
Our blessed Savior perceived this ten
dency in men, because He Incorporated
in His inimitable model prayer a clause
expressive of deepest reverence. The
commandment against profanity was
deemed by Him of sufficient Importance
to be included in this brief petition, con-
tanning so much In 80 little.
take 1t that His reason Is based on
deep and common neea-ef mentor IA
truer estimate of values. In the business
world the main object of education Is
this: To learn values. Extend this idea
to all gs,-material and immaterial,
and you have the true object of educa-
tion, which is TO be able to place just
estimate on all things. AS the Host High
Is the great All, ii follows that a just
estimate of what He Is becomes in the
last analysis just estimate of everything.
A great part of the Lords training of
men is evidently for the purpose OF re-
moving their self-conceit. They propose
something, and they fail, because they
did not propose 1t with God. They have
not measured the weight of the eternal
purpose, and are brought up short, with
time to consider that a man " Working with
out God is presuming upon rights not his
own. Failure is to keep men from pre-
sumption. keep back thy servant also
from presuptuous sins"
This is a prayer showing remarkable in
sight into the dangers OF men in in
fiuence. You remember that tn re was an
Israelitish king who tnought, since he
had become SO great, that he might usurp
the functions of the priests, and who,
when he entered into the sanctuary, and
took incense before the altar, was struck
with leprosy. A severe punishment, we say.
Evidently an appalling instance OF pre-
sumption-he was too familiar with God,
I'm the wrong sense. This is like feter's
case, who, when the Lord Jesus stated in
outline His crucifixion, took the Lord and
began to rebuke Him. The Pharisee stood
and rehearsed his merits before the Lord
in prayer. His fault was that he pre-
sumed too much. With his state Of heart
he was altogether too much at ease with
the Most High.
Moses, standing before the Burning
Rush, put his shoes from off his feet. The
Oriental nations think 1t a disgraceful
thing to wear their shoes inside their own
doors, or carry within the homo the
nameless contagion OF the street; and
therein think them more civilized than
we. How mucn more does human soul,
coming into the presence of its Maker,
require spirit of deepest veneration,
and all possible concentration of thought.
/ know an old man, who seldom prays in
public, but when he does SO ne prefaces
his prayer by The quaint and beautiful
words. ''Oh Thou before whom angels
bow, and arch angels veil their faces!"
n I'D Of hfa far
years since was reading sermon by
Phillips Brooks from the remarkable text.
referring TO the wings of an angel: "With
twain he did cover his face; with twain
he did cover his feet and with twain he
did fly" humility, modesty and service
being combined. And certainly after
thoughts like these, IL is painful to hear
grace before meat said az IL the petitioner
were anxious lest the soup should COOL
I believe Charles Lamb in his essays, has
somc pungent words on this subject.
1t is possible TO mistake faith for pre-
sumption. One saws: "The mercy of the
Lord is very great" He remembers his
narrow escapes, soul snd body, out of
near destruction, he recalls the tender
dealing that kept him from being re-
probate. He sings:
"Thy marcy DER my life has flowed
That Mercy adore -
Another man says: "The mercy OF the
LOfu IL very Il Will SEQ NOW l1uCn
He will bear" This Is the man who,
when the Lcrd forgave a great debt, went
out and took poor debtor of his by the
throat and said: "Psy me that thou
owest.'
Now some of tho most familiar things
are so near MS that we lose n sense OF how
they appear TO others. From faith we arc
liable to drop into presumption; from
humility, how easy is the step to pride
in ones humility. IL Is common to hear
men boast OF their humility, forgetting
that 1t vauishes with the very mention OF
II.
once asked lady II she was chris
tian. "Why, certainly" said che, 81
was baptized in infancy" IL was very
convenient 20 he made a Christian then.
and never afterwards TO give anv ntten-
ti,n to the matter. But presumption ISM
faith.
My friend Blank thinks the Lord win
deal gently With sinners like him, But
the question arises can the LORD bring
out any strong character in him by deal.
ing gently with him2 Undoubtedly the
Lord's mercy far surpasses our imagina
ton. What then3 shall we continue
In sin that grace may abound? The truth
Is that TO calculate on the lords mercy
as bad boy counts ON that OF his
mother, Is about SIS base n thing as human
nature often does. Ii Is creditable 10 the