Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-10-22

struction, by persuasion may all these
things be brought to bear upon the ma
lures and lives of his associates. And
ten thousand opportunities for such SER
vice present themselves to every man,
woman and child. Opportunities which
can not be turned over to any other, nor
shared with any other, and, moreover,
which being allowed to pass will never
come back. Nor does the magni ude of
these services so much matter. What
the world needs, more than anything
else, is the spreading abroad of the
Christ-sprt. Only give us that in
politics, in business, in literature, In
art, i'm science, in the household and the
whole round earth will be redeemed,
And by most insignificant means can
this spirit be disclosed and impaired to
others. Typhoid fever germs are very
small, but they may become nightly
effective. And there is a cOntagiOn of
goodness Just as surely as there is of
disease. No true kindness, no genuine
self-sacrifce, no devotion of the lower
nature of life to the higher nature of
life, no conservation to the cause of God
and humanity shall ever fail of an i'm
mediate purpose, nor be without in
fluence in commanding the imitation of
others. Opportunities for service lie
thick about us on every hand.
But the most definite thought pre-
scented by this bit of Scripture is yet to
come. We have that when we remember
that our jricHcgcs and our requirements
are ARRAYS erdctE oqudl. Opportunity
measures responsibility. And this point
demands very little argument. Indeed,
we may say it is self evident. 1t is IA
i
piled. In the home certain things are
allowed from the child which would not
be tolerated i'm the youth. Duties are
laid upon the youth which would not be
cniOinpd upon the child. In schools,
tasks are assigned and tests applied ac-
cOrding to the term of study. The civil
law governs the actions of the citizen
not by virtue of his knowledge or igno-
rance. but by virtue of what he may
rightly be expected to know. Paul said
God would Judge the heather in keeping
with the use made of the spiritual illumi-
nation offered. SO i'm the Gospel of
Christ. By what man hath-never by
what he hath not-is the rule. If am
to be measured by your proper standard.
then ! must have your chances. And
how this puts men upon level The
pauper may be as great as the king.
The unlettercd man may be as noble as
the sage. The boy or girl as loyal to the
master, to friends, to self as the patri-
arch. The spirit determines the charac-
ter of the act. The Gift is valued accord
ing to the love which lies behind it.
Purpose, motive, disposition decide
everything. Everywhere obligation cor
responds to opportunity. Just that
nothing more, nothing less.
And then see to what, according TO the
operation of this law, the matter of
squaring requirement to privilege is re-
duced. 1t is never question of can, or
cannot. 1t is always a question of Will,
or will not. 1t leaves it with every per-
son to decide whether or no he shall
gladly receive the helps God gives him.
Whether or no he shall build up royal
manhood. Whether or no he shall rem
der holy service to his Lord and his
fellows. May the year upon which we
have already entered be one of growth.
May it be filled with tokens of the divine
presence and power. As individuals,
and as a church may we be pleasing to
Christ. Wherever privilege presents it.
self let US gladly receive and improve it.