The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-26
ABOUT BURDEN LIFTING


League Movement of Which Mr. Bene
dict is President-A Strong Plea fol
Earnest Spiritual Endeavor.
The great interest aroused in the
Twentieth Century Wesleyan league
, movement in this city and other cities
and towns in southern New England by
the earnest and self-sacrificing efforts
of Henry H. Benedict of this city and
others has led to wonderful results in
the direction Of obtaining a fund big
enough to clear off the debt of the
Methodist churches of New Haven and
similar splendid results have been
achieved in other places where this spe-
cial effort has been made. What has
been thus accomplished makes nota-
Bile chapter in the history of New Eng
land Methodism. One of the most bril-
liant of the various very able addresses
! given by Mr.. Benedict, who is the presi-
dent of the New Haven Twentieth Cen
fury Wesleyan league, is given here
with for the first time in the columns
, of the press. 1t is a notable address
) for it's comprehensiveness ,terseness and
! vigor of thought and has called forth
+ the highest encomiums both for its
paramount Christian spirit and its
great force and literary strength. The
address follows in full:
I BURDEN LIFTERS.
The burden litter removes obstruc-
/ lions, relieves suffering, renews hope
revives faith, creates courage, dispels
gloom and clarifies vision.
1 am not to speak this morning of the
contagion of enthusiasm of the stimu-
1us of sympathy, of the helpfulness of
benevolence I'm not to talk of him,
who when he crosses the threshold of
the home is the inspiration of the
household, beautiful as is such char
acter, but I am to talk to him, who
when he enters Gods church ought to
see immense opportunities for service,
ought to live larger, happier and
purer life.
/ am confronted at once with this
statement: 81 cannot be a burden
litter" Well, you can SMILE can you
not? Browning says, "How soon
smile of God can change the world"
A sympathetic look of interest may
transform despair into confidence. Can
the Christian be Indifferent? Philan-
thropy stirs the world. Is not Chris
tianity larger than philanthropy;
should it not reform the world? All,
but you say, 81 cannot reform the
world. Who am I?'' You and I are
of God and ought to be for God.
There may dwell in us an unused ener-
gy that may shake the moral universe.
You remark, IT cannot serve. I can
not sacrifice" My dear brother, have
you ever seriously considered the mag
nificence of service and sacrifice. Ser
vice and sacrifice are inherent to love
and faith. Love has wooed and won.
Faith believed and realized. Upon this
duet has ever hung the fate of mankind.
Service and sacrifice are natural con-
comitants. Remove sacrifice from SER
vice and it becomes effeminate and
perfunctory. Separate service from
sacrifice and it degenerates into spas
modic endeavor
Society is divided into many classes
the very rich-the rich--the we'll cir
cumstanced-the dependent upon an an
nual salary, daily or weekly earnings
the poor and the suffering poor.
There are gentlemen and gentlemenly |
1oafers-professional and business men, |
compulsory and voluntary laborers, |
but In the last analysis there are really |
only two classes, workers and idlers.
Those who serve and those who are
served-those who sacrifice and those
from whom sacrifice is made. The
worker, whether a wage Garner or a
two 10 no r11h1io hlacc-
ing-the idler, whether attired in
broadcloth or rags, is often a public
leech
Disease, misfortune, old age do not
prevent work The service Of an octo-
genarian may not be as continuous as
that of the vigorous man of forty, but
the venerable citizen is by no means
an idler. No, he is a blessing to hu-
a stimulus to the race.
In the sick room plans are frequently
made-the buds of action are some
times born? Their blossoms, their
fruitage may not be seen until the de-
parture Of the creator. Removed per-
or temporarily by accident or
from the activities Of life,
the mantle genuine MANS not DOM
mated by environment He thinks,
plans. lives. The world is better and
bigger because he entered it.
But am not to speak of the sublim-
ty of service and sacrifice-of the mag
nifcence of love and faith, but I am to
talk of the blessedness of burden lift
ng-of the necessity of courage and
Lact-of patience and enthusiasm-of
'aith and prayer-and of serious Bible E
reading as Indispensable to successful {
burden lifting.
It is the Christians duty; it ought to !
)e his privilege to use for God his en- {
ire equipment of heart brain and mon
". Hearts magic, the brains push, !
power transforms chaos into
rider, changes the desert to a garden {
md impIants intelligence over the l
rave Of ignorance. '
Do you inquire, how can ] be a bur- !
len litter? First by willingness to 4
lift. Ali but I see no burdens. My I
'rother. film exists in your eyes and
-ou need the surgeons knife unless
gu can see the tyranny of injustice V
md oppression, Your ears are dull un 4
ass you can hear poverty's cry, suffer- S
ng's moan and misfortunes lamenta- Ii
ion. f