The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-03-23

VIII give you rest. he udu no SYM
pathy either with the man who wants
more work than he pays for or the man
who wants mo-" pay than he works
for. / want you 10 see rom this life
that great deeds should 20 along with
common life. making It sublime. When
you read OF the great economies that
hal to he p-acticed in the homes OF
such men as Phelps and Alcott. Haw-
thorne and Emerson, you realize the
| advantage OF plain living and high
| thinking. There is too much high liv-
ing and meagre thinking.
The struggle after a more sumptu-
Gus life than we can afford takes the
strength out of us. and If we get it il
| takes the nerve for toll and self-denia,.
which are only other names for victory,
away from us. Our impatience takes
away our capacity and love for toll,
| and we are miserable and useless. Be
happy in humble home. You will
never have TO live so cheaply as did
Jesus.
Then make up your mind to work
Jesus the Carpenter taught us the dig
nifty of toll. He made tie saw AMI the
plane as truly the ensign of a noble
| life as the fasces or the toga of the
| Roman. There is an evangel of toll.
The shuttle and the hoe. the saw and
| the reaper have q message which the
world must hear. The workers make
| life glorious. the shirkerS make 1t de-
| testable. my father worketh hither-
| 10 and | work" was the challenge OF
the Christ to every indOlent and care
less soul. Virgil sings of men and
arms, but the song of to-day is "A song
| Of men and tools. | have n Saviour
who wrought the hot day through. l
can talk with Him Of quivering palm
and throbbing limbs and fainting
| heart and He will know.
You cannot imagine Him as making
poor joint or allowing Il bad knot in
| an important place. To meet your
| ideal. and that an ideal which He has
| founded by His own character, you
| will take nothing less than a honest
| attempt ut perfect product. The de-
| sire to slight ones work will lead to
compromise of character, and that
| will lead TO the loss of the soul. 1t is
not the work but the spirit you put into
it which makes the task ignoble or
| sublime. | would have every man step
| to his work tomorrow without dread
or envy. | would have him feel that
Jesus the Carpenter was the great
model. and that if He could lit Him
self for the conquest &C the world at a
carpenters bench any laborer may feel
| himself surrounded with glorious hopes
| and his dingy little shop become the
| habitat of angels. Paul stitching tents
| thought out those wonderful chapters
| of spiritual logic which move the
world. Carey, the shoemaker, thought
out the plan Of giving the Bible to the
| HindOos. Morrison. the laStmaker,
gave tie gospel to China. Burrett, the
blacksmith. became the most learned
workman of his day. Daily humble
life lived on high levels-this is the
| happy possibility of common men.
| What high discourse there must have
| been in that humble home when the
| days work was over what acts OF af-
| lection. what mutual condolences and
holy trust.
But He wh> made lintelS for the
doors Of Nazareth set up also the gates
! of the eternal city of God. He who
made humble houses for the common
people of His native town was the
Artifcer of the eternal home Of the
soul. 1t was not figure OF His inn
| aginatiOn when He pictures the unsafe
| foundation and the awful ruin of that
| insecure house. He had seen the tor
rent rush down the chalk cliffs OF Naz-
areth and sweep away the houses or
! His fellow craftsmen. Small wonder
that He looked upon that ruin from
| the standpoint of q careful builder.
| But when they drove the carpenter
from His bench at Nazareth He went
| out TO build for eternity. | want 70
ask you TO give your contract for an
eternal mansion to Jesus the Carpen-
! ter AS a wise master builder. He
! asks you 10 count the cost. Are you
ready to build? Are you willing to pay
| for a good foundation and will the Su
pPrstructure you rear be n sacred one?
He will not countenance the orna-
mentations that hide the lack of solid
worth. He will have no part in The
| consummate fraud of a life that is
built on the sand. He will not build
| with hay and stubble. If it were a
! house 10 sell it might be ont Of your
sight. but he = me when | say il is
the house you are to live in forever
| If there is a flaw in .r you will find
| 1t out. If when the winds blow and
the floods come it falls you will go
down in the ruin. Yes erday man
gaspin for breath said II am almost
ashamed TO ask God to have mercy on
me when / ignored Him for three
score years" aud you will feel the
same. To leave you in old age to the
mercy OF the wintry blasts would be
cruel. but the man who shirks in the
building Of his souls tabernacle does
that for himself Only Jesus knows
how to build for eternity. The old
Romans were great builders Of roads
and bridges. and the old Egyptians
were great builders of pyramids, but
want somebody who can build a
house for the soul that will outlast
pyramids and stars. No man save
Jesus can have my contract.