The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-22

At one time In the year ana only one,
we are brought face to face with the ma
teriai needs for the support OF our
church
That the necessity to face this matter
ccmes but once in the twelve months
sur pose we are all grateful. we mght to
be I. is a matter for congratula,ion that
W. are so situ ated that we are rot oblig-
ed to resort TO the devices followed by
scr gsnizations 10 keep th.r financial
heads above water.
I can conceive OF nothing more trying,
end may say humiliating. than such a
procedure
That we are able 10 follow a different
method does not. however, rei,eve us OF
our financial responsibility. Indeed W
sniy enlarges II and makes II more i'm.
pers tive. While we may be grateful hat
this problem does not confront us every
month In the year we ought TO be CRATE
fll that Il does present itself as q does
and that an opportunity is given MS TO
look squarely into the face OF our duty
In this respect and to measurs our grat-
ltudL TO God and our interest in His
kinsdom In terms of dollars and cents
A MEASURING ROD LAID.
In our determining our gifts to the
r,a'r tenance OF the work of Gods king
dom we find measuring rod laid upon
our lives.
II may lead US 10 ask how much we can
sfrc RI to give and so throw 4 side light
on our purse. 1t ought TO lead US 10 ask
kow much ought l to give an so throw
side light on the needs OF Gods king
dom here and elsewhere. But above all
II will. lead us TO ask how much am
Willing TO give and so throw a side light
Gf, the dfmensiOns OF our
The captains OF war vessels frequently
SAL uncer sealed orders. They go In a
certain direction but are not sure OF
their goal.
us this morning On the one h1nd we
might deal with this question SD gently
and with such soothing rhetoric andcr
tho head OF some indefinite subject as &c
leav. us all In doubt as to just wnat IL
had all been about and uncertain as To
what goal we had reached or whether We
had reached any and were not still drift
ing in unknown waters.
FRANK DEALING.
I am convinced that this would be as
unsatisfactory to you as to me. IL ,hls
question Is worth dealing with at oil II is
worth dealing with frankly and plainly.
Ny interest In the matter Is identical
with yours. 1t is an interest In the King
dom OF Gcd.
The subject Is plain. We are not sail.
ing under sealed orders and let us hope
by Gods grace we will get somewhere.
But there still remain two ways OF
reaching this goal. Those ways are very
different. The point OF view is different.
We might discuss this question from the
standpoint OF the needs OF this church.
We should find abundant material for
such a discussion. But l desire rather 10
look at this matter from the point OF
l. t~k L. ~ rfot lat ne
direct our thoughts frst to the soul it,
self To it's needs To the tendency and
conditions OF our age and the duty OF the
Christian man under those conditions as
that duty Is interpreted by Jesus Christ.
In our application OF these principles we
can become more concrete and practical.
Every age has been characterized by
some distinctive spirit. II is this indeed.
this prevailing spirit that sets on one pc
riod OF history as against another.
IN MARKING OF THE AGES.
We have had one age distinguished by,
its martial valor. another by the spirit OF
chivalry. another by its theological bias.
This age has been called the age OF sci
entinc thought and investigation. Men
have rushed here and there seeking In
the heavens above them and In the
earth beneath them TO discover new mani
festations and finally new principles But
ond spirit that we may call commercial.
n is the direct and natural result OF long
and laborious scientific investigation.
Capital has been made of nature. Her
resources have been turned to account In
thc market place Each discovery has
added something 10 human wealth. and
this age and this people are commercial
not merely because we are practical but
because living In the noon day Of scien-
tinc discovery we have had practice
forced upon us.
This has given a material tinge 70 our
national and individual life. II has per-
meated the family and the church. N has
Impressed itself on us all and wherever
we 20 we carry II with US
FOLLY OF A MAD MAN
To decry the advantages that have ac-
crued 10 national and individual life
would be the folly OF mad man.
Our material prosperity II the nee
essary foreruner OF our intellectual
life one cannot read tho life OF Arthur
Hugh Clough without sigh OF regret.
Brilliant by nature. trained under Arnold
NJ Rugby, admired at oxford as one ~
the strongest and gentlcst souis OF that
great university yet going forth with no
bent for the practical things OF life and
oblised TO dissipste his genius In doing
the hard tasks that might have been
better done ny another. In order 10 earn
No one who knew him who did no,
mourn his early death and the trials Of
his life believing that the world hal lost
the best Of one ~ the greatest poetcal
eeniuses OF the time. Hs could only write