The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-05-05
The Pulpit"
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON 6y
TIE REV. ALFRED H. A. MoRSEsQ
subj ecsr s~cr~t - Asfrisess.


There are two hidden hands, con-
trolled by the same intelligence. which
are constantly working upon the hu-
man heart. And these are pain and
pleasure, Man was made 10 be happy.
X sometimes he must eat the bread OF
sorrow IL is BECAUSE as Mr.. Beecher
said, Sorrow is medicine, Joy is
more divine than sorrow, and does not
belong only 10 these passing days, but
shall remain with US when all tears
are dried and sorrow is swept forever
from the universe ''i''' i'''t Hi
Now. Joy may be divided into three
classes. There is the Joy Of appetite. 3
merely animal condition. 1t comes
from the fitting OF goodly organism
into circumstances which are suited 10
supply its need. This. is the joy that
makes the child skip and play and 6ll
the home with laughter IL is the JOY
OF the singing bird, IL is simply pleas
ure.
But we are not always children. We
grow and come into the place OF work
and responsibility. And here also is
Joy, and this we may call happiness.
An earnest man finds JOY in his EN-.
ployment. The lawyer and doctor and
teacher enjoy their professions. The
minister enjoys 10 preach. The mer-
chant enjoys his business and the me-
chanic his shop in spite OF all its toll.
This is joy. but II is the joy OF the bee
that gathers the honey and stores II
away against the needs of a hungry
winter. .'i
There is the Joy OF living. and there
is the JOY OF working. These are ali
that many man attains. But IL takes
n higher JOY than these 10 fill the soul
OF man, as the sunlight fills the sky, or
the ocean fills the deep, There is joy
that Is known as "blessedness," which
arches these as the heavens span the
sea. 1t is the Joy OF love, the Joy OF
faith, the JOY of a good conscience. the
JOY OF doing right for the sake Of right.
the Joy OF sacrifice and Of service.
These are so far above the others That
they belong 10 another kingdom whose
law is obedience, whose JOY is right
eousness, whose fellowship is with
God, and whose entrance is by means
Of birth from above, And into this
kingdom there are certain well defined
steps -rra hvaU rO W. ~ sr- h...hr
Happy said Jesus, 'iare the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven And poverty OF spirit is ma
kedness OF Soul before God. He IL
happy who throws aside his own rags
Of righteousness and going TO God says,
"Clothe me, for l am naked; feed me,
for am hungry; guide me, for i am
ignorant; put Thine arms under me.
for ! am weak" As in the mountain
passes of the West the, traveller holds
up his hands before, the bandit, SO in
the presence Of God's righteousness, the
soul must throw up its hands and sur
render 10 God. Blessed are the poor in
spirit, the consciously bankrupt IN the
presence OF God 80 long as the young
ein son remained in the far off land, so
long as he was satisfied with the husks
from the troughs OF the swine, so long
as he wanted nothing. fhefather might
mourn, but there was nothing for him
to do. But when that son threw him
self upon bis fathers love and said. IL
have sinned. aud you see my want,
then the father could clothe and feed
and kiss; place sandals upon his feet
md give him the nlace of The son
Does a prodigalo soul wish for happi-
uessl know OF 30 chance, for him til
be fling away his Sin and standing IN
his naked need acknowledges his pow
arty Of soul, The bappiestmoment in
The prodigars experience was when he
B buried his face in his fathers shoulder
and said. II have sinned.p The hap
oiest man at the temple gate was he
who smote his breast and without so
much as lifting his eyes, said. God be
nerciful 10 me the sinner 100000 h.as Do
Happy are they who mourn for sin,
II is not enough to be ashamed or il,
but there must be an actual sorrow
therefor. This does not mean 20 mourn
,Or its consequences, nor for its pub
icity, nor for the misery ii entails
Sin is more than a blunder which one
nay regret Ii is more than mistake
which one would try 10 repair. 1t Is
open and fragrant and de6ant rebellion,
When a man mourns this. then God
fings above him IIis smile as the rain
bow spanned the food, and he Shall
be conforted." .r,s1slI tll
Happy are the meek. for they shall
inherit the earth, But who are the
meek? They who obey lhe law. Moses
has passed into history as the meekest
Of men. But Moses beDt the. neck OF
his manhood to law! and maybe tbnt Ia
the rea son that 10 this day. our best IN
stitutions are, all TO be traced to the
legislation in the w Wilderness. Only
)nce did Moses lose IFS tneekness, when
with an angry frown he smote the
;ock. That shattered his meekness
INTO q thousand pieces. and he lost the
promised land He ala not inherit the
earth. Jesus was the meekest man.
and He has fiupg out His challenge for
the world TO come to Him. He was
meek. for He was obedient, even 10 the
place of death,
Haprg are .he hungry Hupser and
thirst are spurs which are driven Into
men 10 drive ahead When men are
hungry they struggle. and there is
nope for q nation when times are hard.
But when men and nations are filed.
they lie down TO sleep and rise up 70
oiay. When n man Is Idle bis arm
grows weak with disuse. Hunger and
thirst are spurs 10 activity But the
loblest hunger Is the hunger for right
ness. for that is thesrbsanine Of right
sousness" To seek God and His
righteousness is 20 seek for God and
His rightress A mfan whose souI is
70 mished with this cons uniDg desire
nay well DC happy FOR be shall De
slIed"ea ~ ~ ~
Happy are the merciful. But mercy
does not always mean leniencys When
man is convicted cf some gross trime
IL IS no mercy 20 let him 20, 10 do the
tame crime again Mercy SOMETIMES
sxacts an awful penalty. for mercy IL
"A prerogativee of righteousness. and
mercy belongs 20 Cod Tie man STAND.
ng beside, God, poor in spirit, mourn
ng his sin, hungry for righteousBess.