The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-03-08

gOepel. Inc teAt IS 10 many ways the
strongest text Of inspiration In the
whole bible, and the one thing that
keeps 1t from being proof text Of in
spiration is that It does not affirm that
Bezaleel was inspired to write book Of
the bible. But Of what prophet is it
said anywhere that he was commanded
to write, for what book is any such
claim made? There are claims Of in
spiratiOn, and very broad claims, but
none so sweeping as this. In many
cases we have to infer the inspiration
from the work itself. which stands and
claims by Its existence the inspiration
in it.
''Bezaleel was an artihcer, newer OF
stone and carver Of wood. That was
his trade and God inspired him to do the
work, and to do it well. The task was
connected with the building Of the Tab
ernacle, but this work did not exhaust
the power of the inspiration. The work
in the Tabernacle was his masterpiece,
but God inspired him for his whole life's
work.
Force OF Inspiration.
mo inspiration Of the Spirit could
have excused a mans failure to do his
work, but, other things being equal, the
man who puts Christianity, or inspira-
ton, into his work, turns out the better
work. You all know paintings, music,
that may be technically perfect, but
which fail to thrill, and other paintings,
other music, technically imperfect, per-
haps, but which are recognized as con-
tanning some Of the authors realization
of what is wanted. ANY great work
calls for something more than real
brains. The danger 10 Bezaleel was
that he might have thought that as he
did his work better than any one else in
that region, that this was enough, and
that he did not need the Spirit Of God
No matter how perfect the work, you
expect always man to put his hear
into the work. which represents the
spirit of God prompting to earnestnes'
and fidelity Of purpose.
"We can more nearly approach thu
work of God, and live God-like lives II
secular things than in sacred, for TIN
sacred exist only to sanctify the secular
God counts what we call religion as 6
means to an end, to make all life
religious, so that all work is religious
duty.
What Men Need.
'1n counting progress, we are apt Il
J answer all the problems, the immigra
tiOn problem, the race problem, tn,
Indian problem, with the remedy 'educa
tiOn.' But il education means only tn
learning of facts, without the inspira
tiOn behind, education is radically de
fective as solver Of these problems
There is nothing that is any sort o
substitute, for this impulse from God i
near, and part Of their own lives
! There is need for what we call religion
there is need for education, but the neet
for these is that men may be trained vi
in GOdliness, may be nurtured In tidel
, ity, may be trusted to be TO the best o
their ability blacksmiths, hewers o
stone, carvers Of wood, painters or must
clans.
There are M lwo Bpirits Of Gad, on
for sacred things and one for secula
, things. There are not two kinds 0
inspiration, one for things called great
and one for things called humble.
After Service.
When the evening service was done
the people still stayed in the pews, an,
, lined the aisles, reluctant to go, reluC
, tant to shake hands and say goodbye
To this one and that one, to the yOunI
men who had joined the church, in tn
morning, and the ladies who brOugh
some last little scrawled tribute 0
esteem, DR.. Barton said a few words
The lights went blinking out one by one
and finally, calling to Mrs. Barton, tn
doctor went out from the church for tn
, last time as its pastor. 1t might b
, taken as typical Of DR.. Barton and hi
, character that in the middle of this las
service, catching sight Of young ma
! in the congregation to whom he ha
promised one of his own books, DR.. Bal
: ton remembered to hurry from the pul
pit to catch the young man, and to max
an extra trip to his lodgings to fulfil
the promise.
Practically everything is ready nov
for the pastors departure. His parsOn
Iage in Jamaica Plain has been given up
and lodgings down town, near to tn
church, have been taken. Boston JOuI
nal, Feb. %, 1899.