The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-29

and drink OF the water OF life freely" He
ate with publicans and sinners and with
singing speech defended we'll his action
Today one OF the most potent influences
OF the Gospel Is the fact that IL is rec
ognized as message sent TO all classes
and conditions OF men
The masses have not forgotten this and
while they shun the church and even hiss
the name they pay reverence and respect
10 the name and memory OF Him. who
gave IL as one of the evidences of His
messiahship, that now through Him the
poor had the Gospel preached to them.
THE WORKINGS OF GOD.
May 1t not well be that these words Of
our text and this action OF Jesus instead
OF illustrating a doctrine OF choice on
Gods part that means selection and ex-
clusion, illustrate the working of God in
relation TO all men? May they not point us
TO the truth that instead Of our choosing
God God chooses us. The fault then with
the doctrine OF election is not that God
does elect men. Its fault lies In its too
narrow application. He elects, he
chooses. all men. Our text then as II re-
cords the action OF Jesus is an illustra-
tion Of the universal truth that God and
all our ideals OF life choose us rather
than that we choose them.
Jesus, as IL were, lays hold upon the
twelve and says, come and they follow
Him. They are In his hands. As the potter
shapes and moulds the passive clay so
they are taught and shaped and moulded
by Jesus.
THE PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
We begin TO see the practical signif-
canoe OF the text IL is as important to
know what is done for us in life, so that
diQpniaS .
II is 10 Know what we must do for our
selves. IL was this thought that Jesus
emphasized In His sermon on the
mount. Behold the fowls OF the air for
they saw not, neither do they reap for
gather into barns. yet your heavenly
father feedeth them. Are We not much
better than they?"
Consider the lilies Of the fields. how
they grow: they toll not neither do they
spin: And vet / say unto you that Solo.
mon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these"
There is then a true sense In which we
can dismiss the seeming duty on our part
OF having to choose the high ideals OF life,
even the highest and the sum of them
all. the ideal Of God. That this sounds
radical and even unreasonable at first
thought l admit. Yet look at the plain
facts OF every day life. youth reaches
the age when "a Is necessary to choose
his life's work. II often is a difficult task
But the difficulties involved are largely
those of external conditions His father
and mother have opinions as 10 what he
shall do. His friends OF the same age have
their influence. He may desire to pre-
pare himself for a profession and vet not
have the means
But grant that all these obstacles are
and let the youth feel free to fol-
low his own inclinations and Il will soons
be discovered that there is some one
thing that has particular charm for
him.
SOME IDEALS FOR LIES WORK.
Some ideal for life's work has laid hold
upon him. an ideal that he cherishes. al.
though he may toll along some other line
The ideal may be abandoned but Il still
sleeps in his heart. and there are times
natter years when he mourns over Il as
n lost friend and n Is nearer and dearer
to him than that other Ideal that he has
chosen for himself and for the attain
ment OF which he has spent his life.
Many of us have closets into which
from time TO time we gage and see such
skeletons
To choose an ideal Of life for ourselves
s often to. find ourselves In the wrong
place and a misht To be chosen by an
deal and then 10 follow IL. as Matthew
followed the Master. is 20 find ourselves
N the groove that God intended us
The old expression OF a man being call
ID to the ministry has fallen into disuse
md Is under a cloud II man has not
been called TO the ministry, to law. to
TO business or to the plough,