The St. Louis Republic., 1900-07-30
CREATOR WISHES MAN
TO BE A BLESSING.

AT Lindell Avenue Methodist Episcopal
Church yesterday morning. the Reverend
Doctor Jesse Bowman Young preached from
the text. Genesis. XII. II viii bless thee;
and thou shalt be "a blessing. He said:
The call of Abraham. which summoned
him TO start out into an unknown region
and undertake the responsibility OF leader
ship in a new venture for the human fam
lily, was one OF the turning points OF his
tory. Out OF II came. directly or Indirect
". the establishment Of the Jewish nation.
tine writing Of the sacred books which we
call the Old Testament, the birth OK the Re
deemer. the preaching OF the gospel 10 the
world. Few other critical events In human
history have had such far-reaching conse-
auences this one incident in the life of
this notable man. Ii ought. therefore. 70
repay TO study the command and prom
ise which given to him at the outset
OF his career: ! will bless thee, and thou
shalt he blessing.
commands our attention. He was called
into Gods service. not simply on ids own
account. but that he might be n minister
of good to others: he was not only to re-
ccivc. but he was 10 dispense blessings. He
was to oiffuse through the earth some OF
the blessings of which h. had become the
recipient. This element IN his career de-
serves the closest study. He was to be an
instrument in the divine bond for dinusins
went. the truths. the promises. the COM
forts. the revelations which had been COM
mitted to him. He not only was TO be blessed
himself but he was to be a blessing. He
was endowed with grace not merely that
he might himself enjoy its benefits. but thai
he might confer them upon others. that he
might make others to enjoy them. His
name was indeed TO ba great. but IL was to
be great chiefly a dispenser OF blessings
to the world. When he said. This heritage
IS mine ne was to reflect that IL was not
his simply 10 keep and enjoy. but II was his
TO transmit. To hand over To his fellow
men.
This principle accords with and i< illus
trated In all Gods hicher dealings with
men. He gives US blessings in ORDER that
We may now use them for others. He fur
nishes us with advantage so that we may
be of advantage TO our fellows. Even in
tho material universe this rule holds good.
EXAMPLES multiply in all directions. The
sun. for instance. IL made glowing and
wonderful orb of light. not on its own ac-
count. but for the sake OF the solar sys-
tenn to which II ministers. II when il was
created it had been conscious Of its vast
size and peerless splendor. suppose II had
begun 20 plume itself on these qualities az
though il had no relations to other worlds.
Suppose II had said: "Yonier moon is not
lustrous; the planets have no self-luminous
powers: none of them can shine. l am as
great all Of them together. How great
/ am" How quickly would angelic lips
have rebuked II. Sun. thou art made TO
shine for Others. to illumine yOnder moon
and make her light up the night; to shine
on the planets. and thus send thy rays by
reflection through space; TO become the
center of light and growth and sladness
for all this system of which thou art the
center. even out yonder to the dark spaces
where Uranus and Neptune revolve. Thy
light is given thee that thou mayest be-
come a blessing.
so the ocean il made salt, and wide. and
deep. in order that. it NAV bear ships upon
its bosom. temper the colder regions of the
North with its warm Gulf Stream. send
back to the land again in rains and show
efs the watery treasures which the rivers
pour into its basins. Thus. also, the noun
tains exist. not that they may be simply
embodiments of COTS majestic masonry,
but that their springs and melting SHOWS
may fill the streams that fatten lower
lands: that their peaks may condense
moisture from the passing clouds: that
their rich mineral deposits may furnish
man with the coal and precious metals that
he needs. and that sight Of their attitudes