The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-03-04
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN INTERESTING DISCOURSE HY TIE
Re-. Or. n. c. SNENTzEL
Subject; The Divine Carpenter-Christ Be
longed Ia the Grand Army of sslf-Rs.
speeting WoTkingmen-His Lite Com
demns the slnfulnr of Idleness.

demns the sinfuln nsss of Idlensss.
BRooKLYS, y. Y-An interesting and
forceful sermon wac preached Sunday
mcrning by Rev DR. Henry c. Swentzel,
rector OF 81. Lukes Church, Clinton ave
hue, near Fulton street. The subject was
The Divine Carpentei' and the text st.
Mark Y3: Is no: this the carpenter:
DIR. Swentzel said:
The glorious Son Of Man was a mechanic.
Ii Is well worth while 10 consider those
eighteen years which He spent at Nazar-
eth, concerning which we would dearly
love 10 know so much but OF which 1t is
possible 10 learn so little. Whether He
were rich or poor, whether He devoted
Himself exclusively 10 the exercises of re-
lgon OF was occupied with other concerns
as well; whether he were, SO 10 say. a
man among men. OF lived a strange weird
lie as a reciuse IN the wIlderness-these
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 tempe 20 the Gallean home
TO prepare for His pubic life there l. only
one blt Of definite information concerning
Him, and that j. furnished almost acc!-
dentaliy IN the text.
The people VINO had known Him all
along were astoEisheG when they heard
HIS sayings and saw Hs mighty works
The record which Ht made among them IN
bygone years was worthy OF Him and
ought 10 have prepared them TO expect
large things OF Him sooner or late-, but
they could not forget that He had lived
among them a. a common artisan. When
He returns 10 them with all the fame He
had won and was about 10 spend a brief
season with them IN order that HIS former
friends and nelghbOTs might not be neg
lected IN His ministry, they recall His an
tecedents, and they ask with mingled won
der and scorn, Is not tins the carpenter"
The question establishes the fact that
Jesus had been known as village carpen-
ter. From the days OF youth until He set
ont 70 DO the stuperdous work for which
He was sent, He accepted the trade of His
rcputed father and was occupied largely
with its ordinary employment. lie be-
longed TO the working classes A de-
scondant OF the royal David He most sure
ly was, and yet lie thought not of the
throne Of HIS renowned ancestor. He was
indeed a king, bu; not after the worlds
fashion, for He came 20 be King OF men,
to rule the heart and conscience OF man
kind. lie seems 10 have had no ambition
10 attain unto d lofty station, and the par
aphernalia OF earthly greatness had nc
charms for Him. HIS masterful purpose
was TO save the world, both the classes and
the mAsses, and He would, therefore, iden-
tliy Himself personally and actively with
the multitudes and not only with privii-
y
without beng prince, and He would ben
EFT the hosts Of mankind by allying Him
sc!t with the conditions and experiences of
the many. He understood full well that
no political contrlvauCcs could bring the
kingdom of God TO Tins earth, and He con-
sIdered that the needs o! the millions could
be served IN no ether way than by the
moral and spiritual democracy which 1t
was HIS MISSION 10 establish.
Our Lord was a woIhingman. IL must
not, therefore, be supposed that He held a
brief or thundeTed a hlll of eXcommuHica-
ton against riches. He had something 10
say against mammon worship, and He
warned against the temptations of opu-
lence, bat He never branded wealth a. os-
sentIally evil. lie taught cmphaticaiiy that
the responsibility of people Is IN exact pro-
portion TO what they have, and that, mas
much as money entails numerous obiIsa-
tions, they who have II can be saved only
through the most devoted regard for their
duties. Some OF His disciples were well-to-
do, and both the midnight inquirer and the
good man OF ArmGthoa were dear TO Him
The common people heard Him gladly"
but others were not excluded from Ills
blessing simply because they had posses
sions. The gifts OF the Magl at the begin
ning of His career and the rich man s tomb
wherein His manged corpse reposed at the
last, indicate that His mission included
both the many and the few. He advocated
none OF the insane social or political here
sizes which some believe in now, but, TAX
ing full account OF human inequalities, tie
taught the world TO do ITS best, TO live
manfuly amid the strains and stress OF
life, to use the present situation with all
its lis for the glory Of God and the we'll
being of the human family. No Croesus
could have been the Son Of Man. The real
Son Of Man must bc typical and represen-
tative In every noble way. He must be TIE
brother of the tolhag millions who earn
their bread IN the sweat OF their face and
who deal every day with the urgent prob
lem of livelihood.
And vet Jesus did not accept the state
OF squald poverty. He was no paUpe:.
The purpose OF infinite love which brought
Him hlther could not prompt Him TO ac-
cept the state OF suCh a foTlorn character.
1t would be Impossible for any individual
who was poor through his own guilt to be
other than an lnCouguous and repulslvc
figure. or to stCnd a. the model OF perfect
manhood Pauperisn is an evil in every
sense; and Whine society IS bound to help
it, II ~ too degrading and pollutIng to
merit eEcoL. agemcnt. and an enlightened
state VIII wisely make laws by which, If
possible, to crush It, Guilty poverty should
be rebuked and shamcd The Son Of Man
could choose Il not. for then He would
have disgraced Himself and presented an
inferior ideal for His followers. Never by
allowing Himself 20 be a burden 20 others
or by becoming an object OF pubic charity.
could He have spoken TO men and e.evated
their standards and raised the tone of,their
thought. Neither a high social degree nor
dlscreditable beggary would have been in
harmony with Himself or the interests
which He had in view; for in either case
He would no: have been IN position from
which He could touch the minds and hearts
and lives OF the nations. The Son OF Man
must be where He can speak 10 all with
equal advantage where He can reach their
affections and WELD His blessed power
over the sphere Of their practical questions
and activities. He could not have been one
who was arrayed IN purp.e and fine linen
and Jared sumptuously every day, neither
could lie haze adopted the portion of a
squalid and self-infic,ed poverty. He would
not be either rich OF sintully poor, but an
honest. industrious royal workingman.
is not this the carpenter in tins on
vious and half reproaChiul question OF Ills
acquaintance IS a happy revelation Of the
ideal OF the Son Of Nan for all the world
IL was IN JOseph's shop that lie spent all
save three years OF HE manhood. IL was
at the bench and with rhe tools ~ a me
chaEc that He chose TO live IN order that
HIS example might speak lessons OF truth
and inspiration 10 all human souls. The
Scriptures lay stress upon His humble CIR
cumstances. but they do not pace Him on
a par with the thuftless sluggard who DC.
serves TO feel the pinch OF want. No ef-
fort of ours can fathom the derths Of His
humiliation who, being the Son OF God, be