The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-04-01
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE
CONGR A TTONALISTS WORSHIP AT
THE UNITED CT URCH.

| Avenue Congregational Church
Preached the Sermon on the Topic
Groom for God"- Discourse was an
| Able One-Very Large Congregations
The united services of the several To-
cal Congregational churches was held
in the United church on the green yes
terday morning. The attendance was
unusually large. Rev. Dr. Munger was
indisposed and unable to ofilciate and
the sermon was preached by the ReV.
]. Lee Mitchell, pastor of the Grand
avenue Congregational church. 1t was
on the topic Room for God" In
opening Rev DIR. Mitchell spoke of the
space given to God in every man $
heart. He likened it to Jesus exclu-
sion from the inn at Bethlehem, the
reason for which was lack of room,
not on account of any particular spirit
of exclusiveness. Had it been thought
that the Savior was being born to the
world of course He would have been let
in, or if He had been of a party of Ro-
mannobles He would not have been kept
out.
"A good many homes and hearts,
continued the speaker, "are in just this
predicament. God is simply crowded
out. If this is So" he continued, why
should not the run from New York
to Boston be made on Sunday, thus
saving a day for the business man.
Why not enjoy golf on this day? The
sight of the sky and fresh air Is just as
good as on other days Is God just
only above us all? Has He no place of
His own among us?
Answering these questions the speak
err continued mo; God is always with
us, and 1t would be much better If each
man made one room at least for God
in the midst Of his house that now is.
Proceeding, Rev. DR.. Mitchell spoke
as follows:
why should we not build these
rooms even at some expense? Let the
busiest business man close his office,
leave his calculations one evening in
the week and bark for God Let the
farmer in his very haying time stop one
day and let God fan his brow. Let no
minister write sermons, no artist paint
Madonnas, no master of music COM
pose symphonies in this room for God,
1t is a place not to speak, but to listen;
not to work, but to be wrought upon.
1t is vastly difficult to get men to al
low space for these rooms, gain and
pleasure tempt them, plausible argu-
ments furnish methods of evasion Even
thoughtful people distrust Sundays ana
prayer hours as mechanical contrivan-
ces. Christian business men do not APP
pear at least to be very unwilling to
have as directors and superintendent
Of their corporation men who will have
no scruples in pressing for any advan-
tagG in any way. Can you look over
young peoples society nesting Sunday
evening packed with restless, powerful
and manly innocent life and yet fail to
recognize that the majority are there
not because that is the room they have
set apart for God but be-
cause there are not as vet any whist
parties nor small dances on Sunday
evening, There lis nothing else to do.
Their room for God is built of that
which costs them nothing. The tangled
God tell plainly that If they have built
that house for Gods room they are
packing it full of their own furniture.
Theodore Roosevelt, in his account Of
the Rough Riders, said there was never
any question that the regiment could
fight; the only question was whether
that aggregate of tremendous individ- |
ual'sms could be SO disciplined as to
make their fighting tell T may be
wrong but 1t seems to me as though
the work we have mainly to do is the |
work of the training camp. No pastor /
who knows his people at all can doubt I
hat the regiment can fight; the only
question Is whether it can be trained to !
light that its fighting will tell Mems
aearts are bigger and their purses
lobler than their dlsciplne-the disci-
>line Of mind which gives God his room
md time, not alone His place over all
Ind in all, but His place among all.
But 1t will be said that this room
or God though of course possible Of
mechanical continuance and productive
If certain kinds of results will remain
IN empty habitation, It's results largely
MYSTICAL, To speak the truth, to pay
mes debts, to forgive sins, to love and
uffer for love; these are after all the
hings that count You can bring moth
ng better out Of your room for God
han these things. How prove then the
'alidity and value Of your room?
/ should think somewhat by just what
$ thus admitted, the need of it. Truth
nd forgiveness and love are not pro-
uced on this earth with any such ia
ility and force as to make any sug-
estion of a power multipler not worth
boxing into. 1t is an old argument,
ways to me q rational one that the
unger proves the bread. I may not
ct that bread in the delirium of star
alton beneath a scorching sun; I may
ven deny that bread is, and yet it is,
million times more than 1t is not.
len do want something to Increase
fe's power. With what glee the first
harmed man, bitter perhaps over the
dvantage which a stronger had taken
f him, observing the tough hickory
ranch react as the wild beast sprang
rom it, must have broken off that
ranch, fastened his own missile to 1t
nd eXulted as he beheld the range of
ards with all the advantage of an UNI
cen blow Not more eagerly Is the
rtillerist searching for new explosives
nd appliances; the aspiring clerk for
honey, the magic OF the market than |