The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-09


His greatness is measured by his capacity
TO stoop. People have read what Jesus
said. "He that would be chief among you
let him be Your servant" and they have
thought that his words. were meant to APP
ply To certain age OF the world, or to
particular period OF life. A greater mis-
take we could not make. The greater the
man, the greater his capacity to serve.
A little man builds common county
| road; when he is greater be builds rail-
road; and when greater still he must
throw a steel bridge across mighty
river. When Roebling was overworked
aud had reached the pinnacle of fame as
be excused from further work. But worn
with rain he watched from the distant
heights where his home was perched, the
erection of the Brooklyn bridge-watched
through telescopes; and had photographs
brought him of what he could not other
wise see; he exhausted his remaining
strength in this asst mighty effort, and
when he saw the great cables stretched
across the current where passes the COM
merce of a world; when he saw the
two greatest cities bounded by his magic
skill, and when his life vanished away
from the sight of US, then he must have
known the truth of what Jesus said:
"Whosoever ould be great among you
let him ecome the servant OF all. "
The fellow who held his head high and
strutted about the streets OF New York,
and ella med that society ought to support
him, and that the world owed him liv-
ing; the man who actually made good his
intention and got living at the public
expense, whether in or out of jail; the
man who walked over the bridge and
groWled because he was charged one cent
for the privilege-this was a lord among
men-the servant of nobody, and there
fore remembered by nobody, loevd by
none, buried in forgotten grave.
Some have been accustomed to say that
service is essential to greatness. We
shall be more exact to say that service is
greatness. 1t is
NOT A STEPPING STONE TO GREATNESS.
1t is not something to be borne until
we can get into the position OF ruler, for
then serv ce will be still further incumb-
ent upon us, and more vigorously re-
quiTea of US; we shall every year OF our
growth in Gods work have more people
TO serve, more to care for, more to think
of, and more to do. There are thus two
sides TO all high positions. The employer
who lays out work for many men, who
plans netting for men to do, who
studies TO enlarge his business so
as to feed as many mouths as
possible, who considers the improve
ment of his men in all things who
dares to employ capital, and borrow
ore, and advance as rapidly as he can.
this man is a public benefactor, and works
as hard and worries lar more than his
men. The employer who merely inherits
his business, who never looks into II,
who manages it by agents, when he
could do it himself; who never comes in
to touch with his men, and merely lives
from his income, there is no intentional
benefaction in his spirit, though God
often rules that he shall be benefactor
- ~ a oh. hoo
will only believe it, they are the servants
of the race. "We preach not ourselvea,
but Christ Jesds as Lord, and ourselves as
your servants for Jesus sake" The
church is or ought to be the servant of
the world, not the worlds puppet, not
its machine, not its political cat'spaw |;
net its quantum of moral effect, whose
edifices are to bs pointed at with pride
by the real estate dealer, but still its
hun bic, faithful servant, to carry ont
every good Office, TO furnish 1t with food
for its spirit, to answer its questions, to
till its ideal; to perform its lowliest
offices, and to give its life ransom for
the world.
The church should be the
INTELLIGENT SERVANT OF THE WORLD.
The more intelligent the slave, the
more he Is worth. In many ages the slave
was the masters brains; his medium OF
language, the teacher of his children, the
painter of his pictures, and indeed, the
Christian religion worked its way up
ward in the palaces Of emperors from the
slave to the monarch. Beginning under
Paul, who made disciples for his Master
from among the household OF Caesar, 1t
progressed by service
The intelligent servant thinks for the
world, for it is only too true that the
world does little thinking for itself. Be-
yond his own generation nobody Is more
than that child OF business age-the
man engrossed in affairs who never has
time to pray.
Still there are people who think that
the church has done enough They say
with easy confidence that it has erected
gathering places for the people, and be-
come responsible for the mortgages; 1t
says that 1t has so placed the gospel te-
fore men that IL man Is lost he must
wish to be, and il Is often impatient of
other burdens. 1t is the easiest thing
possible to forget that most people in the
world have never SO much as heard that
there is such blessing as forgiveness
with God, that he may be feared. The
grey dawn of Christianity is scarce break
ing upon the world. The mixed and i'm
pure light which our imperfection trans
mits barely illumines the darkness, and
makes the wickedness of Christian lands
visible and horrible. IL does not pre-
vent wretched misgovernment in any
great city OF America; 1t does not hinder
outbreaking crimes, and iiagrant and
frequent family vices; IL has barely touch
ed the mass of men. and the great ma
jority of them never heard of ii.
Yet when you come 10 think OF II the
church is the most wonderful and COM
plete organism for service that ever could
be imagined. In different ages different
commanders have changed the SIZE and
the drill of the regiment or legion--the
unitary organization of the military life.
And as often as the great commander
arises he changes the numbers and the
methods again. The church Is such an
unitary organization, elastic, that l.,
capable of contraction into the narrow
est limits and most unobtrusive compass
whenever 1t is rudely borne pom; and
on the other hand capable OF expansion
until one local church.
SPREADS ITSELF OVER HALF A CONT
NENr.
Its first great commander made no arhi-
trary rules in regard 10 il. Its various
uniforms from the first pries;ly habit to
the salvation Army Were human inven-
tions; the naming and fighting against