The morning times., 1896-08-03
Washington Pastor Moralizes
on Its Use and Abuse.
RIDE THE WHEEL TO CHURCH
Rev. Mr.. Smith Of NJ. p. Church
Evolves Practical Lessons From the
SteelSteed-Christ Would Have Used
Such Similitudes-Raies OF Moral
Conduct From Fashion in Horses.

in a sermon the title OF which was: Les
sons from the BICYCLE
IL is proposed at this church to care for
the bicycles In the basement OF the church
of those who attend the services. Last
night the sexton, Charles ba bney, sat at
the gate of the outer entrance to the
Sunday school room as the curator OF
the bicycles that were placed in the school
room. The sexton said that every
bicycifst knows his own bicycle" and
that there was no use for tags or labels
or other checks. People simply put their
bikes in the school room; he saw That they
were not interfered with, and the owners
got them after the service and rode away
as they came.
There Was fairly good sized congrega-
ton in attendance at this sermon. = Rev.
Mr. Smith is u bicycler himself, who con-
fessed, in tn e course OF his admirable and
striking Sermon, that when he was a
learner, he ran into divers trees, people.
and things, also intimating by this that
ne / s now good rider.
JUSTIFIED HIS TEXT
He justified, rather than apologize1 for,
'asing the bicycle into the pulpit as a
theme. He selected as his text that
part OF the prophecies OF Hosea In which
the prophet rays: Il have also spoken by
the prophet and have multiplied visions
and used sin.ilitudes by the ministry OF
the prophet"
1t seems to me-" the pastor said,
that the highest ambition OF IA preacher
so far as preaching is concerned. is 10
preach as nearly US possible as Jesus Christ
would have preached If He were living in
the world today. 1 know there are some
people, perhaps. who Will say that the
Lord Jesus Christ would not have made
use of that which ! propose 10 consider
this evening in serious discourse, but
beg leave to differ with their conclu-
sions. l think If the Lord Jesus Christ
were living in these times He would talk
about steamboats,, the telephone, electricity,
electrical engines and everything that
could he utilized to teach an important
truth.
AS we look at His life we find that He
made use Of the most familiar facts TO
Impress truth. He looked at the lily; he
took the money that was in the hands
Of the people AMI made Illustrations o. them;
and, so, from the customs o. the people
and from. nature all about Him, from
VIA ttNCA ht lgibS ~
made the Illustrations he needed and
employed them to teach the truth
NO TRIF LING AFFAIR
Therefore, feel at liberty to speak
Of this subject, and when we consider
the immensely Of this great business of
bicycling it is not a matter to be con-
sidered tuflng. 1t may look trifling, but
when we remember that there are thousands
AMI thousands of men, women and children
in this city, In other cities, and all over
the country going over the land attending
to business by means of this late invention.
1t certainly is matter OF some coDsidera-
ton"
The speaker said the bicycle was not so
modern as might be ina gined. as there was
a species OF the machine IN Fra nee in ga
but that il required a great deal of per-
severance and patience to bring it TO its
present perfection.
This was the first lesson-that IL needed
perseverance and patience to succeed in
all things. The fact of learning to ride
involved patien and perseverance,
great domestic and moral lesson. He would
not consider the question OF the modesty Of
riding the machine. This had been set
that now l don't think there is the same
kisd Of riding that there was some time
ago."
ErectDess OF position was the next les
SOD. II believe tina. We should learn to
ride erect. 1 am Dot physician, yet II
does not seem to me to be necessary that
should be student OF anatomy or physi-
Ology to know that for a person to ride
twisted up like the wheel itself is not q
position that can produce good or healthy
body. So you should ride erect"
The preacher compared with the erect
position on the wheel the erectEess and
integrity of moral conduct. as necessary
among men and women whatever their
calling, mentioning particularly the poll
ticiaD.
FINDING ONES BALANCE.
Balance yourselves" was another
thought with moral. This is he said,
"a thoughtthat was suggested tome. Three
ladies were passing my door and they
were talking about the bicycle, which is
talked of every where, perhaps too much,
more than religion, and one OF them said,
You can't balance yourself if you ride
Slow
The speaker did not indorse the English
of the lady, but gave 1t for what it was
worth. The lesson was that ''if we are
to get OH in this age of rapid progress,
we must learn to keep the balance and
move along with the procession. To use
a common expression, the time has come
when you and / must get a move on us
and not be SO slow in our Christian ac-
tivity.
Then perfection in riding is, perhaps,
needed such a perfection as that we viii
not notice that we are riding. Perfection
of Christian living is TO be able to SO live
as that you viii not notice yourself, while
you do notice the world around you. This
is to keep near to Christ, to lie absorbed
in our work. So, If you see bicycler
who is continually looking at his wheel,
he is pretty apt, unless he is a skillful
rider, to run over something or somebody,
and SO make failure of his work.
This suggests that in learning to ride
there is tendency to run into everything
1t was SO with me would run into a
tree, or person on the street. There
vas nothing before m e that did not
want, it seemed, to go into And that
S the way in the world of Christian life.
We are ready to run into everybody and
until we learn the Gospel
bett"-. our souls are hroadened, our hearts
Il Z. ed- and when the time comes there
S the point when we are no longer an
,ffence to our fellow beings"
FACTOR IN TEMPERANCE.
The bicycle, the preacher said, has
essened the evils of intcppcrance IL
was possible for n man to be drunk in
arriage and so home safely. but he could
,ot ride wheel In that condition IT,