Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-03-03
THE DIVINE CARPENTER"
4 Brilliant Sunday Sermon By the
Rev. Dr.. II. E. Swentzel.
.frist Belonged to the Grand Army Of Self.
Respecting Workingmen.

forceful sermon was preached Sunday
morning by Rev. DR.. Henry q. Swentzel,
rector of st. Lul1e's Church, Clinton ave-
nue., near Fulton street. The subject was
"The Divine Carpenter" and the text st:
Mark vi:3: "Is not this the carpenter"
DR.. Swentzel said:
The glorious Son Of Man was mechanic.
1t is well worth while to consider those
eighteen years which He spent at Nazar-
eth, concerning which we would dearly
love to know so much. but of which it is
possible to learn so little. Whether lie
were rich or poor, whether He devoted
Himself exclusively to the exercises of re-
ligion or was occupied with other concerns
as we'll; whether He were, so to say.
man among men, or lived strange weird
life as recluse in the wilderness-the
are queries upon which we may reflect
with profit.
During the period which began when the
Christ Child went down from among the
doctors in the temple to the Galilean home
to prepare for His public life there Is only
one bit of definite information concerning
Him. and that is furnished almost accl-
dental.y in the text.
The people who had known Him all
along were astonished when they heard
His savings and saw His mighty works.
The record which He made among them IN
bygone years was worthy OF HIM and
ought to have prepared them to expect
large things OF Him sooner or later, but
they could not forget that He had lived
among them as a common artisan. Nhen
He returns to them with all the fame lie
had won and was about to spend brief
season with them in order that His former
friends and neighbors might not be neg
lectcd in His ministry, they recall His an
tecedeEts, and they ask with mingled won.
der and scorn, is not this the carpenter
The question establishes the TACT that
Jesus had been known as village carpen'
ter. From the days Of youth until lie set
ont to do the stupendouS work Tor winch
He was sent. He accepted the trade OF HIS
reputcd father and was occupied largely
with its ordinary employment. lie be-
longel to the working classes. n de-
sccndant of the royal David He most sure,
" was. and vet He thought not ot the
throne of His renowned ancestor. lie was
indeed king. but not after the worlds
fashion, for lie came to be King OF men,
10 rule the heart and conscience OF man
kind. He seems to have had no ambition
TO attain unto n lofty station, and the par
aphernalia of earthly greatness had no
charms for Him. His mastcrlul purpose
was to save the world, both the classes and
the masses, and lie would. therefore, iden-
tfv Himself personally and actively with
-
the mutitudes and not only with prlvli'
cged few He could teach prince,y VIRTUES
without belnS prince, ana lie Would pen
eilt the hoSts oi mankind ny as'Ntu% nun,
sell with the conditions ana experiences OF
the many. lie UNDERSTOOD ln,i wei 'Ial
no political rontrVances t4mh nring inc
Kingdom ot "od TO ms eaIth, ana he con,
sdcred that the needs OF the IN hiiIlohS cou'"
he served IN no other way than bV the
moral and spiritual demr(racy which it
was HIS mission to establish
Oar Lord was WorkIngman' 1t hH''
not, therefore; be supposed mat lie heiu
brief or Numbered bull OF eXeonmoh'ea'
ton against riches lie hau something 10
say against mammon worship and lie
warned against the temptations, n' opu.
renee put re never ot"hneu M."nr I,,. a. ~,
ten'laIy evi1. ne lsus. xa, ,"o. rn
.ne iesponsno..'tS . w pfup,e pa AID that ;p,s.
po! !''on " "na. Wy -; Ia' n,nrons n,i nhI;g,.
inuch as hion'H en'a' Wv. W. I'D nni,
.hna,,,,, i' tho nnSt doyotoG reoard for their
th,oueh .ne n'oSi 1 .''re mcii'tn
aulies' So'ie ~ llis u.sL.l' M... ,L,
uo, 1tu n'.H y'v .thnas "'ihs. ,o,'n ina, a. u;m
ee1Tu eeT nl"n ", a. ,In to,rd H. o,dIv "
ihe Cpn,,''o'' p'"l,.t 'I"lnI trnn, Ills
pnt olIeia W. o '", thnr h,J masses.
n,ess'ne h.'np!t "F ,ho M,a; a. tLe Lna;n.
s'ohs. iHe i enls " "a. wa a, s o" "8, |Hr
mug OF '1Is 'alee "'i'' ',, onu ,ansnd ~ tbn
%hereih nus n'a1e,eo Ioi Pse ;n,5nI ~,
ias', ,""'o".' .n"I H., ~ H., oduonoioJ
potn 'ne ,'dnl anu '''. 'i", ,i;,;noI haro'
none ol ,ne ,nsa"e ,i;o,a I"a' " nnv hnt tal..
ses "n'cn soll,e ,ei,one ', ~ noM Ii,;os Iio
ing iu'i aeVouh. VI l"n,"" '' t, ~ ,;,o
tauent .ne NJ'tT W ~" ,nI stro,s ~
iha"lul'E anii'i 'nc ,."''E, :,s,;, n ,.;,h I'll
me- TO use lhe Plesent '3 S'9',,"' a ti nou
US Ills iot thc e'ory OF "Tu '"t w Troasms msn
uells ol .ne h".nN" ,"''''tH ,, NV Tho roaI
Sou'u NY oeen t"t ''D, t,,n,,i ~ ani renrosen.
coli oi man mus nc vSp''"l IL, o ,,,,st ho tho
,at,Ne III every noptt way. ,;,,nrs M n'u who oa"n
prother oi .he 'o'l,ns i,,'I s p,. fano anI
snell preao III Wy VIII " o'v. ,nat nrnG
VINO aeal every d'! Win '"e "'s'N' f'0'
lem OF livelihood
And vet Jesus did not accept the state
OF squalid poverty. lie was no panpSr.
The purpose OF infinite love winch brought
Him mther could not prompt nun 10 "c'
cept the state OF such torIorn ch3rac,er;;
1t would be impossible for any lndNldual
who was poor through ms own gu''t TO DC
other than an ncongluous and repuIsNe
figure, or to stand as the model or Periect
manhood, Pauperism is an evil IN every
sense; and while society is bound TO heIp
it, it is too degrading and pollut,ng to
merit encouragement, and an enlightened
state will wisely make laws by which, II
possible, to crush it. Guilty poverty should
be rebukcd and shamcd. The Son OF Man
could choose it not, for then He would
have disgraced Himself and presented an
inferior ideal for His followers. Never by
allowing Himself to be burden to Others
or by becoming an object of public charity;
could He have spoken to men and elevated
their standards and raised the tone of their
thought Neither high social degree nor
discreditable beggary would have been III
harmony with Himself or the interests
which lie had in view; for in either case
"a. f,,,