The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-06-17
rruit.
THE REPUBLICAN,
Dy rev. W. II. " u
BELFAST. THUPe congregational Church,
.-== Arkansas, Sunday morn

htpisget them trults Of increase" Psalm
The contents of the Biole cluster very
largely around the spiritual interests of
humanity. Its great theme is Christ. Sin
and salvation, the life which now is, and
that which is to come" are the chief
topics TO which ii invites our thought.
And in Christian church, on the Lord S
day, it is important that these topics should
engage our attention to the almost entire
exclusion OF interests which are less i'm
portant. The attendants upon the SER
vices of this church tor the past tW years
and more will also bear witLess to the fact
that | have seldom departed from the con-
temptation OF themes which pertain to
the interests OF mans spiritual nature.
The material interests of man aye too
fondly cared tor; the race tor wealth is
too persistent to make il necessary to en-
phasiZe, to any considerable extent, at
tention to it as a Christian duty, and the
class OF people who may need admonition
upon these lines the most are not likely
10 lie present in large numbers in our
Christian churches. Sermons. therefore, on
topics OF material interests, in God $
house. on God : day, are not often desiIa-
able.
There are. however, moral and spiritual
aspects which pertain to material interests.
There are obligations which devolve upon
us i'll relation to material things. 1t is not
the duty OF every man to devote his best
energies to the acquisition of wealth In
the case of many, other interests ought to
engage their attention. But it is the duty
Of every man to make the best of both
worlds, although the best in the case of
some may Involve a life OF self denial and
sacrifice tol the good OF Others and the
glOly OF GOct As was said at the PRAYER
meeting on Wednesday night: ITO be in
the place i'll which God would lave us be,
and TO do the work which God would have
us do, represent the highest type of use
tulness and life which it is possible for
man to realize and this highest type of
usefulness and life, while in all cases it
involves the highest type of Christian life
and character, IN the case of the large ma
Jointly must largely cluster around what
Is popularity telmed secular pursuits.
Under the Jewish economy the energies
of one tlibe out of twelve We're devoted to
the promotion OF man spiritual interests.
The other eleven tribes devoted their en-
ergles mainly to the promotion OF the in
terests Of time and sense. Some were
soldiers, some We're merchants. and some
were mechanics, but the great mass of
them were agriculturists who ''sowed
nelds, planted vineyards and got them
fruits OF increase"
As class the agriculturists of the coun-
Try represent the highest type of moral
lite. CITY lite has its peculiar charms, but.
alas, its peculiar dangers, too. Life in
most OF our large cities is full of snares
10 young people, and multitudes of them
60 down to ruin. The Sunday newspaper,
the sunday excursion, the base ball games,
and thousand other things. have a ten
denoy to weaken the conscience, to enervate
the manhood and ruin the soul. The very
collection OF masses of people together,
by hundreds OF thousands in a small area,
is inimical to the development of the high
est type of certain forms of life 1t has
tendency to rob life OF some of its most
important ministries and means of devel-
opment In many Of our large cities the
bessedness of social lite is an almost I'M
known quantity, except as one becomes
lutntlhed with sOlUe church OF other OF
gamzatlon. In many cases your nearest
Deighbols die and are buried before YOU
know it.
Mary child in large city grows up
10 know practically nothing about trees.
plants OF lowers; grows up destitute OF
those llnel sensibiIities which are awaken
81 and developed by intimate acquant-
Huee with the love OF the beautiful and
lie magnificent i'll the fields of nature.
tlty lille tends to exhaustion, to the
dlmlnutlon OF the vital forces: and were
1t not fol the stream of vitaiized energy
which is constantly flowing into the CITY
from the country it would soon collapse
The country is the salvation of the city in
more than one sense of the word With
Ont the country the city would starve to
death. How little any Of our large cities
coulu contribute toward its own subsist-
ence. 80 lie farmer feeds the world'
wan to present to your attention this
morning few thoughts and facts relative
TO the material interests of the communi-
ty IL which we live
For four years past the times have been
somewhat trying. To many the conditions
OF life have been severe. The business of
the country through all its lengths and
oreadths has been PROSTATE. 1t has been
serious problem to know how to live
Many individuals have been driven to the
wall; multitudes have lost their homes:
hundreds OF thousands have lost their
positions, while many have been reduced
to such eAtremities as they never dream
ed would ever come to them.
ne year 1896 was a most irving exneri-
ence Tor people in this section of the
country. The scarcity of rains, the heat
OF the sun and the warmth of the winds,
was paralyzing to our agricultural and
horticultural interests. The crops were
short, and IN consequence money has been
scarce and business dull. All kinds of
enterprise have been at standstll, and
many had almost lost heart and hope for
the future, but during the past few weeks
new life and hope have come into the
hearts of multitudes who for months have
been sitting in the shadows of despair
The culture of small fruit has begun to
awaken hopes for the future of this sec
ton OF country which are of the most en-
couraging character, and if it is permissa-
BILE for me on this day, and in this house.
to speak a few words on this subject /
want to do SO.
Let me say then, first of all, that the
thoughts of the people are, in my judg-
ment, being turned in the right direction;
in that direction which promises the arg-
est possible success. The soil which is
most abundant in this section of country
does not promise the best results in the
raising of the staples of life. The States
in the corn belt will be more than a match
for you in the raising of corn. You can
hardly compete with Minnesota. the Da
or hen ba ,ic;, &