The Portland daily press., 1896-04-24

"oJ1 VI purifying SocIeby AroAA 1uS oFAiSs
of redeeming the country from misrule.
That it can only be done by the persist
ent. transformations practice Of those
Christian principles of those civic and
neighborhood virtues, SO commonplace
and homely, and conspicuous only when
absent Now all this means self saori-
fice
The value of this day does not rest in
an abstention from necessary food, but
In the invoking of the divine blessing up
on our country our state and its institu-
tions. and in emphasizing and enforcing
the principles of sacrifice and service for
the public welfare. 1 desire, therefore,
to make some remarks upon the proper
observance Of this day. And, first,
would have it continue to possess a
strongly marked Christian character.
The Christian ministry should stand in
Christian pulpit is not moribund, its
power was nsver greater or more glorious
and it should give to all these days of
national interest and social Importance,
not narrow seotarian treatment but O
broad and profound Christian leadership.
President Lincoln said that Gin the dark
est days of the war. the sheer anchor of
the cause of the Union chung to the pull
pits of the Northern andWestern States, %
and we have just seen another exhibition
of its influence in a matter Of grave i'm
portance during the late strained rela-
tions between England and this country
Secondly, would have this day an ap-
peal to the heroic element in men. Man
often seems but the slave of passion, a
poor, weak, contemplate creature. Yet
how often in the presence of some great
danger or distress does he rise to the
height of an undreamed of courage. A nd
fast day should appeal to the heroism of
men. l am sometimes amused, and Of
tener Disguised by the recurring cues
tion, "Why do not men go to ohurchp"
And I would like to say here that often
1T is because they do not hear anything
when they do go. Men want a man in
the pulpit who can use some words which
are not found in manual on the s"Lan-
guage of Flowers" One who can call a
hoe hoe, spade spade, and who can
tell the devil that he lies when he is in
the presence of his numerous friends.
Some one has said that when Christ
would enlist Saul of Tarsus in His serv-
ice, he sent one to show him how great
things he must suffer for his sake. And
he got the man. am heartily tired and
sick of that theology SO current in some
quarters, the doctrines of which are sick.
ly sentimentality; its hymns empty effu.
sions of sound its service doing moth
ing, and its heaven we'll furnished
tenement in pretty park, a white dress
with big sleeves, and some kind of mu-
sioal instrument We want a religion
which will demand more r Us than ire
ligion, a Savonr who 81 j US strength
to climb the glittering heights of service,
a leader who calls for the very bestand
and the very las there is in u.s.
Thirdly, / would have this day an ap-
peal for the conservation of individual
effort for the publication of society.
Now in a subject of suon magnitude as
this it cannot be expected that l should
say much in the moments which remain.
shall content myself therefore in blaz-
ing few paths through the wilderness
along the lines which l think the great
highway of future progress will follow.
The speaker briefly discussed under
this head, the family, standards of life in
the community, and political life, NUM-
cipal and national.
The conclusion of the sermon was as
follows: In the construction of all these.
and all other highways which lead to
the city of our God, righteousness will be
the engineer in chief, the Christian yir-
tues will bring all needed material, and
the hands of love, unwearied and tireless
love. will build stronglyand we'll. "And
the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come with singing unto Zion; and
everlasting joy shall he upon their
heads" Beloved this day should be to
us q holy day. sacred to the principles of
sacrifice and service. of individual self
denial for the blessing OF men. We should
learn the lesson which it has taken SO
long to teach, that, it is DOT the sacrifice
of our sheep and oxen, nor the depriying
of ourselves Of needed food that God de-
lights in. But that we serve one another
in love and govern all our lives by the
law of kindness. Emerson once said:
"Every man takes cara that his neighbor
shall not cheat him. But a day comes
when he begins to care that he do not
cheat his neighbor. Then all goes we'll
He has changed his market cart into a
chariot of the sum-" 1t is for this plead
today, for the changing of all our lum-
bering. creaking market scarts into
'chariots of the sum-"
sThe benediotion was pronounced b yRey.
DR.. Jenkins.
Among those who listened to The able
sermon of Mr.. Bean were Governor
Cleaves and Mayor Baxter
Bids Awarded.
At the meeting Of the board of over
seers of the poor Tuesday afternoon the