The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-03-10
SELF DENIAL DUTY
SOURCE OF TRUE JOY
The Church and Philanthropy definition
Of Cons cience- Eloquent Sermon De-
|iveTed by Rev. Asbury {. Krom.


bringing as much disrepute. upon one OF
our largest and noblest denominations
than the practices during Lent OF M Mlarss
not in their closets, but I'm the cafes ana
bathrooms of Atlantic city. -,
Ii IL an Illustration or a form OF ser 20
denial that means nothing In relation 20
the higher life. All such self-denlal ~
badsIt begins and ends with itself. JUS
That more sane and true form of self
denial that is beginning 10 manifest itself
is OF the nature OF education, training IoI
primary in Christian life. u means hold;
ing in check the natural ,s instinSeds ,Ss,, ana ana
service. 1t may be Illustrated by the dam
thrown across the stream. The waters
flow on unobstrUcted and serve no end.
They follow their natural course. dam
IS built. The strength Of the river Is
accumulated A ficod gate is put in.
wheel is constructed. The gate is open
ed and the pent up energy OF the stream
bursts forth and turns the ponderous mill
ii is hard for ~ at times TO understand
why we should be sailed upon to e 1e forget fnls
desires we are doing Il for the sake OF
better ones We deny not our true self
but our false self. We deny this raise
self I'm the interest OF our true self.
The period when this Is TO be empha-
that does not teach the child the mean
ing OF the virtue OF this Is losing the
greatest opportunity ever given TO a pa
rent 10 make the child "A true woman or
man. Yet the necessity for this never
ceases. The very essence of life is desire
The conflict of life is a battle between
conflicting desires and the whole worth
OF life Is to continually give the victory
TO the higher desires as opposed to the
lower. This struggle goes on through
time. IL IL does not go on through eter-
nity then life there Will be utterly diner-
ent from life here There Is no use 10
dogmatize: we know nothing then about
But we are not to stop here. We must
ask why this self-denial I'm relation 20 the
practical affairs OF life. We can't be
monks. We must go out into the world.
Self-denial Is not an end I'm itself lt Is
this world his own salvation.
THE CHURCH AND PHILANTHROPY
Take up your cross. says the Master.
Just here we must make an observation.
I state the fact we shall then try 10 eX-
plain. III one has any experience In the
world of philanthropy and the church
where voluntary effort IL required IL is
soon learned that the people who ind the
most time TO do these things are the
busiest people. They are the people who
have the most work TO do. To be sure
there are many exceptions to this rule
but this is the rule.
If y task needs TO be done one would
not go TO some man or woman who had
nothing to do but amuse themselves.
which. by the way. is an extremely diff
cult thing TO do. They would be sure To
have some social engagement Just what
beyond my ken. But they do live all
about us.
be found i'm the fact that the people who
are doing most who are taking up life
crosses, are just the people who nave
learned the great lesson OF self-denial
These other people haven't the time TO do
what they ought to do because they have
not learned TO deny themselves Of thou
sand things they ought not TO do.
This illustration points out for us the
two great reasons why self-denial helps
a man to take up MS & cross. In the tn m tirst +,
Here Is a great moral duty in this
city that some man ought 10 assume.
that some man must assume IL IL is ever
done. For the great things of this world
are done not by the, masses, but by one
man through the aid, the inspiration and
| and Lincoln. Two men are called upon
20 assume the responsibility. one man
undertakes il and fails. He lacks the
sufficiently denied himself of immoral
| trained in the small moralities day by
| day comes to IL with all the reserve
| strength that belongs TO the man of self
sacrifice and heroic denial That man
succeeds. That man is your Luther or
The syrians in their attack upon the
Jews and in their final defeat explained
| the latter away by saying that the God
or the Jews was God OF the valleys and
not OF the hills: Since they had fought
hence their defeat; Consequently, they
said. I'VE will fight with them next on
! the high places"
one fact these men had overlooked in
| their Interpretation. The God who is the
! God OF the valley, the God OF lowly walks
| hills There Is no God OF the hills except
| the God OF the low places. for IL is only
as one knows God in the small things of
| life that he comes to man In life's crises
| and gives him aid.
The man OF self-denial Is the man OF
| true strength and the burdens OF life are
| light or heavy. not In proportion 10 their
weight. but In proportion to the strength
| we have to bear them.
| IL may be due to this I'm n measure
that Jesus said: Judge not"
| For IL Is IN proportion TO the crosses
men carry, the deeds they do that We
| Judge them. We condemn this man for
| doing so little. we praise that man for
| doing so much. We do not look down
tne ns'"r be Snd Ts ds
ment is by this standard. the other judg-
ment Is Judgment upon the surface OF
But II self-denial gives a man strength
! to take up his cross IL also rids a man
! Of great many unnecessary burdens and
| gives him the opportunity TO bear those
| that lie I'm the realm OF duty.
| Duty is relative term. IL is one thing
for one man, very different thing for
! always to a mans capacity for doing The
! duty OF the itch man Is greater than
that Of the poor man. Of the intelligent
a man then ought always 20 find him
| self In a position TO do his duty. There
| may be. 10 be sure, n great many things
| we would like TO do II we had moro
| strength From mans point OF view we
| ought TO do them. but not from Gods
| point Of view. They need to be done,
/ but they are not for our doing.
4 Yet we are conscious. nevertheless.
that we are not always In position Ia
| do "A great many things that we are un-
| able 90 make ourselves believe are not our
| duty. Study yourself IN some individual
| case. be honest with Yourself and see ff
| YOU are unable to do that which YOU are
: sure is your duty. because YOU are doing
| 80 many things that are unnecessary. un-
| profitable and that in no sense can be
\ called the things that are required % you.
We all would nnd the time 10 do every
/ dav some one thing that we ought 10 do
4 if we would put aside the small things
| which we do. which only minister 90 otr