The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-10
FUTURE THRONE.
And When He Was Come
Near
He Beheld the City and Wept
Over II.
Opportunity and DiSaster--SermOn
by Rev Wesley c. Haskell.

at Auburn:
land when be was come near, he be-
held the city, and wept over H., saying, IL
thou hadst KNOWN, even thou, at least in
this thy day, the things which belong
unit ny peace, but now they are hid
from thine eyes. Luke 19:41-42.
Jesus is s anding upon the Mount OF
Olives. About him are gathered the dis
Siples; just byond a multitude IL waiting
40 receive him. lie il on his way to
Jerusalem to enter upon the final scene of
the great. tragedy of his life. To one ac-
cu'tomed TO look only at outward circum-
stances 1t would seem that the hour Of
his victory was at hanu. The enthusiasm
OF the crowd gathers and deeLens until
at breaks into one grand shout of tri-
ump-"Blessed be the King that cometh
~ the name OF the Lord 20
A King. A King over jerusalem! The
disciples hear the cry and looking into
the future see a throne. Jesus hears the
cry and looking into the future sees a
cross. so completely did 1t seem TO him
thai ne had fai ed in winning Israel to
God, that out from the deep anguish OF
his heart was fairly wrung the cry; 'Oh,
Jeru alem, Jerusalem, which killest the
prophets, and stonest them that are sent
unto thee, How often, Oh, how>pften
would L have gathered thy chilnren to-
gctber as n hen gatpereth her chickens
under her wing, and We would mott"
Jesus came preaching the gosCel Of re-
%yentance; Israel's opportunity had come
but she thrust II from her. That which
was true OF Israel Is true OF every nation.
There is always the time of opportunity
which, If not improved, is followed by
disaster.
We might develop this thought In its
relation to individual life, and snow how
opportunity and disaster are closely aud
intimately associated with human affairs;
hut | wish TO apply the thought this
TmnFntnV IN tho Iifa nt tho nhnrah aud
community in which we we live, and
STOW how right here in Aurbun there IL
always the opportunity before the dis
sister. Il II not true that whenever in
church life there has been a season of re-
ligious decline back somewhere in your
history God held forth opportunity which
you neglected? We hear much today
about tee people not coming TO the help
of the church,; it is time we began TO
talk about the church going to the help
OF the people . The community does not
exist for the church; the church exists
for the community.
God doesn't hold the world responsible
for the failures OF the church. lie holds
the church responsible II We neglect
the opportunity We must tear the turuen
of oeleat. God sent his church into the
world IS a dynamic power. He meant
that she should conquer, and whenever or
Wherever the church has improved her
opportunity and moved forward in the
name OF the Lord she has conquered.
now holding very closely the relation
between opportunity and disaster, let US
go back to the text: "And when lie
was, etc.
This was the day of Jerusalem's oppor-
tunity, put she was blind to the things
which would have made for her peace.
If we look into the cause of that blind
ness, ! think we will find it to be the re-
suit of two things, namely: bigotry and
selfshness.
Ii was bigotry. narrow-mindedness,
which caused the Jewish people to reject
Christ. They had a worship OF there own.
Ihey mad theie customs and rrejUdices,
their forms and cree1s, and they de-
handed that the Rlbbis should conform
to their customs, honor their prejudices,
and adapt themselves TO their methods.
Their religion was a dry, hard, base
rega I've, made up Of n thousand thlngs
one must not do, and when Christ with
his great treadth OF soul came walking
down through that Judean country, the
whole land was aDlaZe with the tires of
an intense bigotry. How dare this young
str ping, this fanEtical reformer, tear
into shreds their customs and trample
under foot their prejudicesl
SO blinded were they by the narrow
spirit OF the age, tho spirit of bigotry.
that they could not see into the spirit
that overlooked all their little sh.m OBJ
servances Of traditional Judaism, They
ACNN "a ADPAA III - as al IIAtNNItuAs III
cody Kind of man. They called him a
Sabbath breaker. They could not under
stand the lofty spirit of his life. He came
talking 10 them about justice, me. cy, and
love. Holding with tender sacredness
the great truths OF life, he was sublimeIy
indifferent to their cheap plraphernalia
OF religious obserVances, ana brush ng
aside the things which trey had consider
Ell great, he said there was nothing
great but righteousness. He asked them
t. feed the poor; visit the sick; lift up the
fallen; TO 10 give the erring 10 be merci-
full, pure in heart, peace-makers; TO re-
turn good FOR evil; TO pray for their
enemies; and at I5st summed un he
wealth OF his teaching in those memora-
BILE words; BE We therefore perfect as
your Father which Is In heaven Is per-
1ect."
Now, when you assail a mans sham
righteousness, he VIII always ret late by
attacking Your true Righteousness, and
so they charged upon Christ, saying that
he was a ~tlasphemer, that he did rot OBJ
serve the SaJbath, that nc was a re'ei
sti ring up edition. They called him a
wine bibter, snd more than this they said
that he associated with all classes of peo-
pie, and even made friends OF publicsns
and sinners. OF course he did That is
exactly what he came fer; and whoever
the teacher is at tries TO make this
world better, and tring il a little nearer
God, must me [ the same spirit Of orpo-
81 ion today. The most notable illustra-
ton OF this fact is found in New York
civ. The growing power Of that city il
today, as 1t has been for years, q burning.
disgrace 20 the whole nation. Dr. Psrk<s
hurst ent red the light for : onest govern
ment and right enforcement OF JUS; law;
but no sooner had he entered the conflict
than a whole horde OF little. narrow
-mindtd, small-soul q me1 assailed him
with bitter iny~ective-'He's a p%reacherv'
fhnN nNnluannHA I 81 him Ln.. III.
place. He should leave politics and
government and pr ctical affair. to prac-
iical men; his business Is TO preach the
gospel
Yes, sis business IL to prepch the COS.
pei; il - The business OF every minister
OF the gospel not only TO preach but to-
apply the gospel, and IL the preacher
does that he mus. come into practical re-
lniions with every department of hsman
life. Because a nan Is n preacher he 10
not different from other men. AS an
American citizen he has precisely the
am rfrhFa "a aux = far 80 a 10 l. -