The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-19
Splendid Sermon on Service
Sunday Morning.
MUSIC WAS ALL BY PEACE
Not to b. Ministered Un'o, but to Minister,
the Tex---A Grand Lesion Ably Tx
pounded by an Eloquent
Preacher.

|
vice, from the text in Matthew, chapter
20, verse %, ''Not to be ministered unto,
but to minister
The church was crowded with friends of
Peace The girls occupied the middle sec
4 ton of seats, and their white dresses and
fresh young faces made lovely scene.
The music was splendid. 1t was all by
Peace The choir was composed entirely
of Peace girls, and Prof. James P. Draw
! ley, of the Peace musical department,
was organist, and the congregation was
entranced by the power and beauty of
the voices and the grand notes Of the mag
nificent organ of the church.
Miss Louis Long, daughter of Judge
\ B r. Long. of Statesvlle, sang the offer
tory with rare sweetness and splendid
effect.
DR.. Smith read from the both chapter
of st. Matthew, and gave cut hymn No.
527. my soul repeat His praise before
| he gave out his text, mot to be minister
ed unto but to minister.
He said in part: I'm these words we
have rvealed to us fist of all the ideal
of character, the secret Of Christ's like
ness.
"oh. my friends. that the cross should
be the great symbol of our highest meas
ure, that that which stands for unselflsh-
ness, that that which stands for the di-
vine statement that a man does not live
for himself, and that a man loses him
sell when he does live for himself, that
that should be the symbol for loftiest
character, the sign and token of the per-
lection we strive for" 81
Of the character Of Christ, DR.. Smith
said: mo truer word was ever spoken
of him than that which fell from the
coarse lips Of his enemies as they looked
up into his dying face and cried: He
saved Others, himself he cannot save
Did you never find deep in the heart
Of the woods a stagnant pool, sunk low
under heavy banks, thicSly covered with
green slime. No lips disturbs it but that
Of cold blooded frogs that croa kand then
Jump into the suddering. water, 1t is use
less: it is dead, putrids Why? Because
nothing flows from it, It's only function
Is to receive It's motto is, Not to min
ister. but to be ministered unto.
with that stagnant pool contrast the
living stream that goes singing onward
through the meadows and among the
homes and hamlets of men fertilizing the
fields. cooling the hot lips of the cattle,
supplying a thousand human wants, and
carrying joy and refreshment to every liv
ing thing
I'm these words our Saviour gives us
not only the secret Of character but also
of happiness If We know these things.
happy are We if we do them The stag
nsnt pool is not only the impure
pool, but is also the dumb pool. 1t has
no voice of gladness.
''The night comes alike to all, the night
of sorrow. of sickness, of bereavement, of
i disappointment, but the life that flows
in the channel of loving service from the
exhaustless fountain its love. even though
the sun is hid, sings on under the stars.
solomon tried the opposite way of
life. He drank every cup of selfish en-
joyment, only to exclaim out of the depths
OF a withered heart: Vanity of vanities,
all is vanity. The brunant and admired
Chesterfield walked the same path and
reached the same bitter conclusion. By
ron cried it only to lament at 36, under
the shadow of a premature old age:
{" MY days are in the yellow leaf
The flowers and fruits of love are gone
The worm, the canker and the grief
Are mine alone
"Our own Whittier had not the genius
Of Byron, but he had the true philosophy
of living. and the divine secret of
: happy life he has given in three lines
than which no truer ever fell from poets
pen:
9 Hands that ope but to receive
Empty, close they only live,
) Richly. who can richly give.
'And now may God help me to i'm
press upon you this fact; that the doors
! of this blessed life of ministry are wide
: open before each one Of you. Some Of
you live in this beautiful city, whleetaon
you live in this beautiful city, while
some of YOU will soon return to loved ones
from whom YOU have been separated. You
are going back to your homes. Will you
let me fell YOU that a nobler sphere Of
ministry YOU will never find than that
bounded by the four walls of home.
"Help the mother who cared for you so
|, tenderly in the weary loving years gone
: by. Relieve her of the heavier half of
!. her heavy round of work. She will insist
! on. She will insist on still doing it all.
monopolizing the burdens, while you mo
nopolize the pleasures. Refuse to permit
/, it. Get her to read some of the bright
/ new books which she would enjoy if she
i only had time enough to read then and
0 give her heart free from care in the
: thought that the daughter gladly can
i really will and will really love to dc
n some of the needed work Then see the
e light come back to the dear faded face
IS and the strength to the step and the
t. mother bright and strong IN middle HE
y with much of the best of life before her
% instead Of being broken old woman a
s. fifty
l. Bring into the fathers lot, grim ant
s. drearv often something of the young, CIR
e fascination for which no true heart ever
n, gets too old. Help to keep him young il
t. heart as the mother in health. Let tn
IS happy thought be singing through tw'
" true hearts all the day long that tn
II dearest girl in the world is theirs.
fe BE the friend and conhdant OF young
ct er brothers and sisters. Let your educa
in ton make you not less sympathetic, bu
lonIy more helpful aid INSPIRING. II bar