The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-03-30

| demon was expelled, sorrow was done
away, the distressed through His
| strength was restored 10 peace. This
was the epitome OF His life. Then
| He set His face steadfastly 10 60 TO
| Jerusalem. From vision 10 service:
| from communion with God to service
| OF man: from TRANSPORTATION 10 cruci-
| tixiOn. His life was life Of service.
He came not TO be ministered unto,
! but TO minister; He was teacher,
| preacher, a setter forth of God and
man in word and life. He minlstered
10 mems bodies: He enlightened their
minds. He cleansed their souls; He
| strengthened them 10 realize the ideal
| which His whole life was pouring out
! for man in sacrihcial love, as He hum
! bled Himself and became poor that we
| might become eternal!y rich; He gave
| Himself up 10 death for us miserable
| sinners that we might have eternal
| life. The depth OF sin shows the
| height OF His love. The Cross OF Cal
| vary is the Offering up OF self for
! others.
As we know well there is wondrous
! strife OF tongues. From every quarter
there are qGestiOnings. Old forms OF
belief are losing power. hut the old be-
| lief, we know. is not. IL still inspires
and uplifts, because il is life in God.
| Change is on the face of the earth;
new and strange things are taught,
sometimes even us the gospel of Christ;
| the seething waters Of life rush TO and
| fro, and at times one * tempted 10 be-
| lieve that there is a reversiOn TO chaos
in spiritual things. We pass from this
church, where we are gathered 10 wor-
ship God with the voice Of thanksgiv-
ing and melody. the sound OF prayer
and praise. or we 20 from the quiet
silence Of Our meditation, which was
all filed with Gods voice. into our life
with other men. They may have no in
! terest in these things. or best ii may
be an intellectual or speculative inter-
est. They are very critical
In that babel 20 wh5m shall we
| listen. what voice Will still the deep
and make q great calm: What but
the old voice Of the TRANSPORTATION
This is my Son, bear Him Study
His words to ascertain the truth TO
meet the inquiries Of mans mind. But
with all the study rhat we can give it
| we can never come 10 he truth Of that
which lie taught until IN our life we
! live the l'fe of service. as lie; He
served: therefore is He great. 1t is a.
with God. but the vision must pass
into service, as we 20 down. and by
words and life declare the vision which
we have had OF truth and love. 1t will
mean cost. If lie found that service
| Of others meant cost. bitter trial and
weariness Of body ana mind. can we
| expect that as His followers we shall
| have naught to endure: May there
! not be for us misunderstanding
! temptations from fortune and power
! and ambition? May there not be hard
ships for us, does service cost naught?
| 1t cost Him the cross. And the dis
| ciple is not above his Master. The
nearer we come to realizing the vision
of the perfect man the closer we draw
| TO Calvary in the Offering up of self
| for others. This mount Of service and
| sacrifice is not far away, inaccessible
peak capped with the everlasting snow.
| The service is here, where throGgs or
| men pass TO and fro; it is 4 lowly
| mount, the mourt of service; in the
| turmoil and dust of the streets, among
| busy men thronging the city of man.
| which should be the city of God. 1t is
| lowly, yea, but hard to climb. Easier
| far to 60 up on mount of prayer and
| gain the vision of what we ought to
| be than in life of service to be what
we ought But thanks be to Him
| who is with us on Calvary as on Trans
| figuration. His spirit strengthens and
| helps us and enables us TO offer our
selves a living sacrifice, holy, accept.
| able unto God. my help cometh from
the Lord"
Is this all-vision, service, death?
| Nay, Christianity is not a law OF
death but law of life. Buddhism
may hope to escape life, but Christ
| came that we might have life, and
have it more abundantly. Christianity
is life, not death. A few weeks after
| the crucifixion. on another mount, was
q gathering of men with loving eyes
| fixed on Him who was the centre of the
| group; and His form was as the form
| of Him who had been nailed to the
cross, the same. yet changed. Giving
| them His command, and His benedic-
ton. He ascended into heaven. Vision,
| service, life--not vision, sacrifice,
death. Through His obedience to
| what He knew TO + right. through
His translation into a life Of service
| OF the perfect vision, which He had.
He had come into the higher life. and
is seated on the throne with God. 1t
was the fitting end and glorious con-
summation of such life. the crownins
with the glory of manhood, fulfilled
and ennObled TO its greatest height.
| The law of sacrifice is not the law
Of death, but the law of spiritual life.
| He that loseth his life for My sake,
findeth ii. He that humbleth himself is
| exalted. He that bendeth down in
love, ascendeth UP in glory.
For the truth of the Mount of Ascen.
sion is a higher life for man into which
he comes through vision and through
service. Is Il wrong 10 wish 10 use
Alright those powers which we feel
within: is it wrong to long for a fuller
life than that which now we have;
must we be content with what we are
in spiritual attainment. in character?
Nay. If we be Christians. we cannot
be content. as we behold the hills of
TRANSPORTATION and Calvary. of vision
and sacrifice. and on the hill OF Ascen.
| sion behold manhood crowned by God