Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-12-02
UNION SERVICE.
Sermon Delivered by Rev. ELS
StackpoIe, Thursday Eve.
At Services Held by Augusta Churches
in Congregational Chapel.
An Able 0iscourse-Remarkable for It's Great
Strength and Originality.

! Key. r. 5. Stackpole occupied the pull
pit at the Congregational chapel Thurs
day evening, at the union service that
was held by the churches of Augusta
| Key +. +. Newbert and Rev. J. NJ. wy
| man assisted in the service and Mr..
Stackpole delivered the sermon which
was one of unusual strength and thought
1t was discourse that contained original
| thought and views that were deserving of
a much larger congregation than the one
that had gathered to listen to the union
services.
| The pastor took for his text. Psalm. CHI
?: Bless the Lord Oh, my soul, and for
get not all his benefits. He said in sub
stance:
The one hundred and third Psalm is a
joyful outburst of gratitude for material
| and spiritual personal and national bless
| ingS. After magnityng Gods grace i'm
| the forgiveness OF sins and in the proVi-
| dental supply Of all good things the writ
| er recalls the divine faithfulness to the
| covenant made with His people ana ends
| with q prophetic glimpse of His universal
! Kingdom. The Lord has prepared His
| throne IN the heavens and His kingdom
rueth over all He calls upon the hosts
above and all Gods works to unite WITH
| him in blessing or praising the Lord
| Such expressions find a response in all
devout hearts. II matters not whether
|
| What circumstances it was written. The
| Psalm Is ours. the utterance Of our
| Thankful! hearts. We use its language as
| descriptive Of our times and feelings #
| is the vehicle of thoughts and emo;io:.s
| inspired in us just as truly ~ in the
| original writer. Especially ON such occa-
! sions as this, when We meet To remind
ourselves once more of Gods goodness to
Us. We call upon all within us to bless
| His holy name.
Though the day was originally apnoint-
! = al nf IN nix G,ril inc I'm
benefits, We will not dwell long upon
| these. The Psalmist did not but passed
on to Larger causes for Thanksgiving. 1t
| is good to remind ourselves that We are
| dependent upon the heavenly Fathers
| bounty, and that every good gift comes
from Him. To think and to thank have
| a common origin, since reflection leads to
gratitude. Having uttered our Give US
this day our daily bread" We are eX-
horted to building up the Kingdom u
God in the earth, with the assurance that
all things needful shall be added unto us
That eXhortation is as good for nations
as for individuals. In material goods our
nation was never 50 rich now We
have abundance of everything and are
supplying the earth. The pressure IF
hard times has been relaxed. For some
the times are always hard on account
| of ignorance and incompetence. selfish
competition and unjust distribution. some
are always suffering in the midst Of
for more. but that His stewards may use
more wisely and more unseltishly the
gifts entrusted to their care The poor
We shall always have. The strong must
bear the ntirmities of the weak
| Our gratitude is greatest when We see
the accomplishment Of the purpose for
which we have striven, when our hopes
are being realized and our prayers ans
wered. We who have been seeking first
the Kingdom of God and His righteous
ness are rejoiced to see any signs of its
advancement throughout the world and
especially in our own country. Among
the encouraging signs We may notice,
| A nf uha hat
kingdom is designed to be. Instead Of a
future, millennial, post-mortem kingdom
of disembodied spirits or of resurrected
and spiritualiZed bodies the church at
large is getting every year nearer to the
conception of Jesus and the Apostles that
God wants to develop down here on earth
and joy in the Holy Ghost. The taber-
nacle Of God is already among men The
Heaven. To make men molly and happy
here is coming more and more to be the
aim and endeavor Of all leaders in Chris
tan thought and activity, knowing well
that the result of such endeavOr will al
so be best for the life beyond. 1t is a
kingdom whose fundamental law is love.
The brotherhood of all men has been a
philosophers, and reformers. but the idea
has not found much practical expression.
except on the part Of those who have
licences that His life and teachings are
being better understood, and that His
spirit is permeating the church and to
some extent all civilized society. The in
creased agitation to extend the doctrines
| of the Sermon on the Mount into com
mercial industrial and political life is 1
being supplemented to an increasing eX-
| tent by the law of cooperation and Of
mutual helpfulness. The nations have
not Vet laid aside the barbarOus customs
Of waging war but the drift of thought
among civilized peoples is in that direc-
ton. and soon. we have reason to hope,
international arbitration will settle NJ st
disputes. Bad nations as well as bad III
dividuals will for some time need the ser
| vice of the police and it looks as though
an alliance Of English speaking peoples
| will ere long be doing the police duties Of
the world. If we agree with Cecil Rhodes
that God is manifestly giving over the
English people TO be well governed we
will cheerfully cooperate with the Al
mighty to this end We accept the trust.
not for what we can get, but for what We
can give. {-.
2 one Of the most hopeful signs Of the
times Is the growing unity Of the church,
Not much has been done toward organic.
outward union. but all EARNEST lovers of
eye to eye. They are agreeing that "a
practical religion, of any value in the
world, must succeed in making bad men
good and good men better. All that does
not tend to this result may be left to the
discussions of the theoiogians, who are
often more philosophical than practical.
conduct Belief: i. e.. intellectual assent
to statements, is coming to be regarded
as of little Importance compared with
| character and life. The long creeds are
being greatly modified and beautifully
shortened. IntuitiOnal theology and
IChriStian ethics are taking the place OF
the old bodies of divinity. Moral in
struction has superseded the long cat
echism in the family and in the Sunday
school. Doctrinal controversy has de-
parted from the pulpit. Old Pan and Cal
viniSm are dead. We not trying so
much to defend and maintain a future
hell to get rid of a present one. 1t is
| difficult to find person who is willing to
avOw his belief in endless sin and suffer-
| ing. We do not insist so much upon how
| the person and work of Christ shall be
| defined. but We lay more stress upon low
ing Him and being like Him. Indeed the
representatives Of all shades of Christian
belief. and we might almost say of relg-
| ious thought. are gathering about the
| feet of Jesus to learn of Him. Witness
| the Worlds Parliament of Religions
| where persons of all faiths unite in de
vOutly repeating the Lords prayer. He
being lifted up, is drawing all men unto
| himself
8. The unity Of purpose running
| through all branches Of the church is de-
| handing more and more the organization
| OF societies for cooperation in good
| works. We have united Bible societies
| for scattering the healing leaves among
the nations. The Young Mems Christian
/