The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-01-09
"A SWORD AND A TROWEL' y
SUBJECT OF MIR. IRYINE'S ADDR ESS
YESTERDAY A FTERNOON.
Large Audience Listens to IA Most
Interesting Comparison of the Two
Lesson, at is BITTER to Build Up Than
tn nast

| Interesting Comparison of the Two
to Destroy"
A large audience of men attended the
Y. M. C. A. meeting at the Grand opera
sence of Secretary Lotze, who was at
Bridgeport delivering an address at the
Downs presided. The orchestra render
ed two selections and j. 7. Adams sang
two solos. The subject of Rev. Alex
ander It. Irvine's address was "a Sword
and Trowel." Drawing a long cav
airy sword from it's sheath the speaker
remarked that he had an ugly text, but
ne proposed to use 1t to cut some truth
into the hearts of those present I'm
Matthew X, "a, are these words spoken
by Christi Think not that / am come
to send peace on earth: I come not to
to send peace, but sword. During the
civil war many preachers spoke from
the text trying to show that the Christ
ian people were to win their way by
use of the sword. Mohammed took up
the sword and compelled men to ac-
cept his religion, and he has millions of
followers, but I cannot believe that
Christ meant this kind of sword when
| he uttered these words. The story of
the Moorish youth who had Just been
! presented by his father with a sword
occurs to me, Father" he said, II
cannot use this sword" why not?"
inquired the father. ut is too short"
replied the son, land not effective for
good fighting Make it longer, then"
replied the father" Wonderingly the
son asked how that might be done,
when his father told him to shorten up
the distance and step pace nearer his
foe The sword Is now of no practical
use in modern warfare. Science and
discovery have made it possible to fight
the enemy at a longer range, The
rough riders abandoned their horses
and swords and resorted to modern
methods of warfare. A great many
men have a sword about them. Haven't
you met them in business everywhere?
Why, l went to large factory in this
city and asked the manager if I might
hang card in his place calling the at
tention of his workmen to the Y. M. G.
A. educational classes. Immediately a
sword shot fron, his countenance and
the atmosphere had the aspect of a
cyclone. / drew back to get out of
the eddy | took pity on the man and
let him alone, but I might have told
him I'VE have a class in good man
ners, sir, and / earnestly urge you to
join" 1t only takes about as many
brains as a calf possesses to be able to
criticise. Think of that when you are
criticising. Colonel Ingersoll I don't
know if he has stood on these boards:
little do I care, comes to New Haven
at one of the lecture houses and takes
that long sword of his and slashes
away at you, you have paid fifty cents
at the door, tearing down all that is
pure, and noble-God and the church.
He builds nothing, nor does he offer any
substitute for that which he would de-
stroy. All! I think more of a poor Ia
boring man who, which his trowel is
building something. He may be poor,
but he Is the head of a Christian home,
and by his example he Is teaching his
boys to lead Christian lives and become |
respected citizens. If you must carry
a sword, if you find 1t necessary to |
criticise at times, pray have also a
trowel in the other hand building some
thing The sword that Christ brought |
was not a sword of steel but a sword of |
the spirit For the word of God is
quick and powerful and sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercing even to
the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, /
and is the discoverer of the intents of |
the heart. BY this sword man can con-
quer his worst enemy-self. Jesus puts
this sword into your hand and says
Bring forth this accursed appetite for
strong drink; bring forth the lusts of
the flesh; the pride and selfishness
from your innermost being, set them all
before YOU on the table and with this
mighty sword murder them. Will you
do it this afternoon? God help you to
decide"
Mr. Irvine will give another illustrat-
ed talk next Sunday afternoon on the
subject Candles"
TARIOUS ITEMS.