The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-17

ancient records where the Lord
spake unto Moses saying: "Speak
unto the children of Israel that they
bring me an offering. And this is
the offering that ye shall take of
them; gold and silver and brass, and
blue and purple and scarlet. and fine
linen and goats hair and rams skins
dyed red and badgers skins, and
shittim wood, onyx stones and stones
TO be set in the ephod, and in the
breastplate, and let them make me
sanctuary; that I may dwell with
them. And they came as many as were
| willing hearted, and brought brace
lets and earrings and rings and tab
let's, all jewels of gold" So liberal
were these people that they brought
much more than enough for the SER
vice of the work which the Lord COM
manded to make. Were these people
moved by animal excitement? Was
it a morbid stimulation of nervous
energy pumping the blood into the
brain, and throwing the faculties into
delirium?
We have a case nearer at hand,
found in the noble and heroic effort
of one of our most consecrated and
sanctifed clergymen, in planting a
Universalist church, in an eastern
city-Syracuse, N. Y.
Years ago Rev. A. A. Thayer, DID,,
in his wanderings came upon that
beautiful city in Central New York.
He found few devoted Universal
lists without religious home. Here
was an opportunity. This godly
man said 1 will rear church in this
place, church in which can gather
the little flock of believers. Times
were not encouraging. There was
little money to be collected from the
people. But, under the charm of
Bro. Thayer's enthusiasm, the people
in all that region made their contri-
buttons. Some could dc the excavat-
ing for the foundation; others could
draw the stone; others could give
lime and sand; others gave lumber;
others paint
So the contributions were made,
and in some instances at very great
sacrifice. The history of that work
will never be forgotten by the people
in that city. Of course it might have
been attended with little more dig
nifty had the people been able to be
stow their tens and twenties and .fif
ties and hundreds in money; but they
were not. They gave what they had
and to-day there is we'll organized
and self-supporting church in that
city as the fruit of these sacrifices. 1t
was DR.. Thayer's enthusiasm together
with his stirring appeals in meetings
held in private houses and public
halls that moved the people to make
the sacrifice We do not believe it
was animal excitement, or the morbid
stimulation of nervous energy pump
ing the blood into the brain that
moved this people. They were in
the presence of a great need, and
God gave them grace to respond to
the appeal with such as they pos
sessed.
What more inspiring theme than
that of the Christians obligation to
obey the Masters injunction to go in
to all the world and preach the Cos
pei to every creature? Once awak-
ened to the imperativeness of that
obligation, and what will a people
not doi Have they no money; then
such as they have must be sent forth
in the name of their Lord and. Mas
ter. The occasion must have been
one of great impressiveness and
power when men and women were
moved to bestow watches and brace
let's, and rings and other precious
keepsakes, that the name of their Lord
and Master might be known to the
uttermost parts of the earth.] What
we want-what we must have for our
own beloved church, is just such a
baptism before we can ever hope
to rise to our opportunity. When
the persuasive power of the spirit of
the living God shall once fairly
possess us it will not be,-What
wilt thou have me do, oh, common
sense? but, What will God have me to
do? l sincerely pray that some such
hour as came to the people at Old
Orchard-a luminous hour-an hour
of great excitement-an hour of great
precipitation, may come to the meet
ings of our Universalist Conferences
soon to be held. Excitement is not