The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-01-27
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
DIVINE cOMPaNlCNshlp."
The Rev. Charles p Benedict Makes a
Beautiful Commentary on the Briefest
Yet Nost Comprehensive biography
Ever Written-Retain God. Love.

TOOK MN, and hebrews Nl:5. Before hls
translation he had this testimony, that he
pleased God. Mr.. Benedict said
This is one OF the briefest yet most com.
prehensiye biographies ever written These
passages Containing twenty.three words,
tell us about all We know concerning this
man tnoch. Imagine the story 81 your
lie told IN three sentences He walked
with God, he pleased God and he was
translated. This j. the record OF Enoeh's
hie 1t reads more ike an epitsph than a
biography, yet l would rather have those
hrsi two statements true of my life than
10 have the most eloquent tributes or euio-
glste praises ever written OF spoken by
men. To walk with God and ;o please
Him Do you know Of anything more De.
sirablcs
II Is said that a mans walk is indicative
oi hrs career. Manner and gesture ar, an
'ndeN 10 character. IL Is possible 20 make
an estimate approximately correct oi the
type of men you meet on the street by not
ing the poise and bearing of the average
pedestrian. One walks with a firm, quick
step. head erect, shoulders back, and YOU
teel insuuctvely that he - an energetic
'esolute, selirespecting man, bound 20 sue
Seed. Another shambes by with shiftless
gait, dragging his feet rather than hitting
them, and You put him down for a loaier
\ third ghdes along nolselessly, threading
IL
you know lntuiiivcly that he Is a sly
'chemine trickster. Another walks with
unsteady gait, stepping carefully. as II the
pavement were rolling and humping against
his feet, and as with pitying glance YOU
watch him stageer along you say, The
poor fellow j. drunk so a mans gait be-
trays hlm. HIS walk signifies the manner
OF his lfe
One Is likewise known by the companv
he keeps. We are largely what our friends
and companions are. Tell me the sort Of
persons with whom you associate. IN whom
YOU colhde, 10 whom you go with all your
troubles and with whom YOU share your
every JOY, and | viii have no difficulty in
estimating your character. To retain pur-
Ity OF character If ones associates are base
and lguobie IS an impossihihty. And II
would seem equally impossible 90 hive an
impure, vicious, wicked life II all our asso.
crates are noble and Virtuous We are IN.
hucnced unconsoiously by the words and
actions OF our friends Like the Chamc.
leon, we take on the hue oi our surround.
'ngs and reflect the likeness Of our com.
panl0ns.
The human heart under normal coudi-
uons Graves companIonship. From The be
ginning II was so. God saw that n was not
good Tor man 10 be alone. 30 He gave him
companion and helpmoet We are so
constituted that we must have some one
with whom TO share our happy hours
some good, true friend who enters into
our experiences with sympathetic apprc-
claton, whose heart aches IN our sorrow
and reloices IN our Joy
The strangest truth contained in al
Gods wonderful volume of truth IL that
lie who created the universcs the Lord
God Omnipotent, whose wisdom is omnis-
;Ience whose goodness Is perfection. whose
name u love. that lie should cOndeeccud
10 become the companion and associate of
man, His creature. ! said that tins le the
strangest truth. Let me take 1t back
There Is one truth more astounding vet
Ils this-that man should refuse the
friendship and disdain the companionship
Of Jehovah, his God
Oi all the divine humlhations what could
be geater than tins, that He should seek
the friendship OF mortal man and find IL
notE That He should offer Himself for the
,losest and most intimate relationship. as a
companion Tor lie's pilgrimage, a comrade
Tor hies 'trugRles. an associate and conf
dant amid all hies changing scenes, and
set be rejected
The trouble Is and has ever been when
men have rejected God that they love the
darkness rather than the light. because
their deeds are evil From the opening
chapters of human history until now II
has been true that man. the creature has
been out OF harmony with God, the Crca-
tor
II is refreshing therefore. 20 find in the
inspired record, amd the gencalogIcs Of
ancient nObodles who lived long. bore chill
dren. and eventually died. the story OF one
holy hie man who walked with God and
who pleased God. From this iragmeutary
sketch OF Fnoch's HE reading between
the lines and penetrating beneath the sur.
lace OF the words which contain his bio.
raphy, We may discover some helpful
truths concerning divine companionship
TO walk with God imphe-, first Of all,
reconciliation with God Man by nature il
not on good terms with hs Maker Time
was when the most loving intimacy and
harmonious relationship existed between
them. Adam walked with cod IN the
garden IA the cool Of the day" Not be
lore Him as a herald, nor behind Him az a
slave but beside Him. as His companion.
and ! had almost said Irs equal But
something came between them They had
falling out. Az one has expressed IT.
SIN came and opened the mighty ehasm 81
separation, and SINCE then the carnal mind
has been enmity against God
The Fathers heart has yearnei io- rec.
oncilIatIon. but how could reconciliation
be made The heart OF man was wholly
estIanged An impossible gull yawued be.
tween hIm and ms Creator He had
'oited the Divine favor But
The love of God .s broader
Than the measure OF mau'g mind.
And the heart Of the Eternal
l. most wonderfully kind"
Therefore, God. who IL rich in mercy.
ior HIS great love wherewith lie loved us.
even ,"hcn We were dead ~ SINS deter.
mined 20 bridge the chasm 10 heal the
breach and wan back the affections alien
ated by SIN. Ic sent Christ INTO the world
ss Mediator. And He. who is our peace
hath made both one. and hath broken
down the middle wall oi partition between
NJ. having abolished in HIs flesh the enmi.
~ ana reconclled us unto God by Hig
death on the cross
Acceptance oi Jesus Christ is the basis
oi reconciliation with God On no other
terms can our estranRement be healed
he trouble began when men insisted upon
turning every one 10 his own way The
difficulties are perfectly and satisfactorily
ADJUSTED when man D. willing 10 turn back
INTO God way. And whenever one reaches
the point 81 willingness % accent .Iesus
CHRIST, then he beg<s 20 walk iD nc,ypess
oi lie. and walking thus be- makes dis.
coyefy. lie discovers that "Oid things are
passed away. and al thing are become
new
Patrick Daley. oi Boston. had The right
idea 4 the new birth s.e W. a Cath0.ic
BY profession, but drunkard Dy practice.
lie attended an eyaHgclistio service and
Tor the hrst time 10 be liie heard the gos.
pei. lie made a comUlete surrender ia
Christ. and wa delivered from the band
age of drink 4 few weeks afterward lie
appr0a -hed Dr.. 4. J Gordon with prob.
lem Wbich had perplsRed him greatly.
said he You see your reverence. / know
9 good thing when ] get d.. and when
found salvation ] couldn't keep BE- % rny
sell. Peter Murphy lived w. stairs in the
same Tenement rrffh mo IL ~e.r 4 .-r..,