The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1903-09-25
THE UNITED OPINION FRIDAY MORNING, SEPT 2s 1903:

be gathered the old and the young, the
rich and the poor, the white and the
black, the Jew, the gentle. For them
the applications for membership do not
need the Endorsement of a wealthy
mans check. They are not restricted
to social caste, as is the famous pri-
vate school near st. Petersburg, which
was established only for the sons and
daughters of the men who are the ia
vorites of the Russian car. Did say
the future gospel classrooms must be
built for all people alike? l misquoted
myself They must be especially built
for the poor and the helpless and the
| weak and the lame and the blind and
the outcasts, social and spiritual. The
command Is given unto us in emphatic
terms, go We out into the highways
and the hedges and compel them to
come in" These are the words Christ
uses, Compel, compel, compel them to
come in"
Message to the World.
What a message it is that the stu
dents in Christ's school are commits
stoned to deliver to the world! 1t trans
forms the whole aspect of life This
world, in the light of our Lords teach
ing, is no longer the scene of meaning
less suffering, of useless struggle and
inevitable disappointment. 1t Is
scene of preparation, of discipline, of
education, in the highest sense of the
word, for a larger, fuller life. AS the
children who are now assembling In
our school-houses are being prepared
for manhood and womanhood of use
full service, so the men and women in
Christ's school have reached higher
grade. They, too, are being educated
and trained for a grander career. The
lessons are hard to learn, the discipline
Is often painful. But we go to our
tasks with brave heart when we dis
cover that there is a purpose in it all.
We can bear hardship and persecution
and afliction when we know that they
are developing in US qualities which we
shall need in better world than this.
Thus trials come to us with new faces.
We can understand now our Divine
Teachers inaugural message: BLESSED
are they that MOURN" BLESSED are
they who hunger and thirst" for I'M
der his blessed teaching we have learn
ed that "all things work together for
good to them that love God"
Thus, my Christian friends, by the
words Of my text, l open to you life
Of endless gospel activity. First, as
student you are to come into touch
will IN hn
great Divine Master. This will not be
very difficult if you will only come
near enough to Christ, if you will only
live in his presence day by day. 1t
has often been said among the alumni
of Williams college that each student
who ever lived under the influence Of
Mark Hopkins had a distinctive stamp
placed upon him which marked him
as "Hopkinste." So if you live near
to Jesus you will have his stamp upon
you. You will become Christlike; you
will become good" or like God. You
will not, as did the ignorant country
boy, copy chrome stamped on daily
newspaper page and call that art"
You will be as one who studies a great
original masterpiece. Your model will
be Jesus. Intuitively, consciously and
unconsciously, by walking in his pres
ence you will absorb his personality in
your life.
The second purpose of this text is to
send you forth as gospel esangelists.
You are TO SO els~,.Aat dnyv-f the street
and preach everywhere the sweet sto-
ry of Jesus. You are to do this because
If you are true gospel students you will
as naturally talk about your Divine
Teacher as a bird Matched under a
wing will sing; as a seed
cropped from rosebush will develop
into a rose; as a dewdrop first touched
of the morning sun will sparkle like
diamond; as a dying sunset will gid
the overhanging clouds with passemen-
teries of gold. May this sermon be the
means under the power of the Holy
Spirit to lead you into the gospel class
room. May it also be the means of
sending you forth. one and all, as COS.
pei teachers.