The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-02-11

Silver and gold, however, are not the only
| gifts which men and women can bestow.
The precious metals are not the only
things which individuals can give. The
Individual who is destitute of these OBJ
jects, or who possesses them only in small
measure is not thereby cut off from
spheres of usefulness, nor debarred from
other means of doing good Peter had
neither silver nor gold by means of which
he could minister to the needs of the poor
cripple, who was laid at the door of the
temple which was called Beautiful, but
he possessed that which was of incon-
ceiyably greater worth to him, the power
through Jesus Christ to make the lame
walk. That which was true of Peter is in
measure true of all men. Though one
may be destitute of silver and gold we are
not in consequence bereft of all powers of
usefulness. That which we have, that
we can give. Some who have neither
silver nor gold, have sympathetic hearts,
kind and loving words, gentle and loving
ministries, which they esteem it a pleasure
to give to whomsoever is in need. At
missionary meeting when the collection
was taken young man put in a card on
which was written Myself" He could
not give gold or silver, so he gave himself.
l knew man in the days of my youth
who was familiarly known as "Father
Hayden At the time when knew him
best he must, judge, have passed the 10th
milestone of life's journey. 1t could hard
ly have been easy for him to take long
journeys, or be much on his feet; but from
morning till night he went from house to
house in loving and faithful attendance
upon the sick and suffering showing as
great interest and fidelity in the discharge
of these loving ministries as if he had
been drawing salary as city mission
airy. OF silver and gold he had but little,
possibly sufficient to keep himself and
wife comfortably housed, clothed and fed.
He certainly had not much of either which
he could give to help the poor and needy,
but he gave them time, sympathy, kind
words and loving deeds without measure.
recall with deepest interest the helpful
ness of two kind friends, who though they
never gave me money yet by the excel
lence of their own characters and attain
ments and by ever watchful interest gave
me impulses. ideals, and purposes which
in the subsequent years of my life and
ministry have been to me of immensely
greater worth than silver or gold could
have been, and not only to me, but to at
least one other young man who became
useful Christian minister. And that which
4 oNeAi
| true OF thousands of others. Many of the
most helpful influences which have been
| thrown around my own heart anu life
have emanated from individuals who have
been practically destitute Of silver and
| gold. | have been acquainted with many
who were poor IN this worlds goods and
| could not give either silver OF gold, but
that which they had, that they gave,
thought, time, care, toll and a hundred
others ministries too costly for money to
purchase There are other gifts besides
money, things of greater worth than silver
and gold. Some have given their lives
to the work of enlightening the heather
Sin his blindness and bringing him to
Christ Many have given the best years
of their lives to the work of the Lord in
the frontier towns and States of the Union.
or to the rescue of the fallen in our large
cities. Sumner, Phillips, Lovejoy, and null
titudes besides, risked everything, includ-
ing life itself, in the effort to secure the
liberty of the slave. AS ministers of the
gospel, presidents or professors in schools
Of learning, physicians OF nurses, many have
said to the needy one ''silver and gold
have | none, but what have, that give |
| thee The history of the world is full
of the record of the generous ministries
of the poor Those who have made the
deepest impression upon the centuries in
lifting the burdens from the shoulders of
the oppressed, or lifting men and women
toward goodness, have not been for the
most part the millionaires nor the scions
of the aristocracy, but the poor in this
world S goods. Jesus Christ had not "a
! place on which to lay his head" Paul
! toiled with his own hands to minister unto
his necessities, Zwingli, Luther and Me-
1ar,n hon, "a
Wesleys, Milton and Robinson; so too We're
| Homer and Socrates and Dante. Had the
world been dependent upon any or all of
these to furnish the financial sinews to
/ carry forward the work which was given
! to their ages to do, what lamentabe
failure would have been the result. They
had neither silver nor gold which they
could give, but what they had that they
| gave and in most cases their gifts We're
more costly, more precious, more useful
and more enduring in the results attained
than would have been millions of gold and
silver. Are any of you So poor that you
can honestly say with Peter, ''Silver and
gold have l none?" 1t is privilege to
assure you that you are not debarred from
the privilege of giving. That which you
have you can give. Time, influence, en-
ergy, character, thought and loving min
lSllleS CdL dill UC ldlu upOu IuC iditdi VI
sacrifice and oftentimes these things are
worth more than money.
Ill. The third thought suggested by
the text is that fellowship with Jesus
Christ is the source of mans greatest
power. 1t was not the eloquence, learn
ing, or physical power of Peter which inn
parted strength to the poor cripple. Peter
had no power in and of himself to heal
the man. 1t was not by their town power
or godliness' that they had made the man
to walk. They were the instruments
rather than the cause of the cure. 1t was
in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
that Peter babe him walk. 1t was be-
cause they were endowed with his spirit,
because their hearts had been touched by
his love, and their minds illumined by his
truth that they were privileged to be the
instruments of so great blessing. Per-
sonal fellowship with Jesus Christ is the
source of mans greatest gift for the good
of others. The influence for good of any
man or woman in community is largely
increased through fellowship with Jesus
Christ. Nearly all the great men and
women whose lives have been the source
wee ,;al- +ho 60,