The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-12-20
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
Or. NEHEMIAH BOYNTON.
Subject: The VIII and the Work.

ing, greeted by a large audience, he
/ preached on The VIII and the
Work. The text was from John
4:34: "My meat is to do the will of
/ Him that sent Me and 10 finish His
work Among other things, DR..
Boynton said:
The very essence OF a rational faith
In Jests is dependent upon His being
permitted to make His own impress
sion upon ones soul as a being who
met and mastered life in normal re-
lations.
IL you permit your fancy to dress
Him in the light fluffy and ethereal
garments of an airy mysticism you
add to your imagination but subtract
from His reality. If you array Him
In the blue and sometimes navy blue
homespun OF a provincial theology
your philosophy aspiring TO do the
task OF sympathy takes away half
His birthright. He recedes from the
heart and mind of the world. But
III you allow Him to be an actual resi-
dent in life and to live in the world
10 which He came, 10 work, to won
der, TO minister, TO suffer, to Joy and
TO love. you restore Him 10 men.
Again He lives in power, and by His
very mastery OF life indicates His
claim to be the chiefest among ten
thousand.
The supreme divinity of Christ, His
individual and unique relation to the
Father are best apprehended by set
ting His life in its ordinary and usual
human relations, permitting it to
tell its own story and make it's own
impression. Whether you compare
% Co ~ ta
with the astonished disciples His own
transcendant greatness is in distinct
evidence.
Here is travel-stained, weary and
thirsty pilgrim sitting by a well:
there a common water carrier comes
to fill his pitcher. Their interview
shows at once that they are not upon
the same level; they do not see life
from the same angle. The traveller
is evidently in full possession of
something for which the Samaritan
woman has only heart hunger, some
thing very high, noble, soul satisfy
ing.
The disciples who come as she
leaves are not much above her level,
so far as appreciating Christ is con-
cerned. They wonder that He is will
ing to stOop TO speak TO such a per-
son. They offer Him food Hospi-
tality is the only grace they can at
present afford. Master, eat!" How
slight an appreciation they have of
the really nutritive forces of life! II
have eaten. | have been refreshed,
says Christ. Can it be that anyone
has offered Him lunch in our alb
sence?" they inquire
My meat says Christ, lis to do
the will Of Him that sent Me and to
finish His work"
Here is strong meat, indeed, Here
Is spiritual mama, indeed! The will
and the work are the staples of that
perpetual feast which alone will sat
isfy the higher soul-life of mankind.
A first great teaching Of this incident
is the personal nature of real religion.
One of the pathetic visions of our
own day is that Of multitudes trying
10 find a place TO trust their souls.
Religions which the world has out
grown are galvanized into life again
and are made the repositories of rest
less spirits. New forms of religion
have for many mighty attractions and
for a time seem to satisfy the soul de-
sire, There must be some one thing
about the faith of Jesus which gives
it pre-eminence over all Otaer\formS
OF faith, however much of fragmen-
tary trust they embrace. And that
one thing is the sense of personal re-
lation with God My meat is to do
the will Of Him that sent Me-" This
is the great Christian contribution 10
religion. God is Father of all spir-
it's. To connect with His will is to re-
late oneself with Him and satisfy the
longings of ones deepest soul Il
know Jesus Christ" said Bushaell,
better than | know any man in the
city OF Hartford and if He should be
walking along the street and see me,
He would say, There goes a friend
OF Mine
The joy. the assurance, the GER
tainty of a Christian faith, root them
selves in the sense of personal rela-
tion between the soul and God, which
affords the comfort, security and in
spiration of living.
Jesus again is insistent in His
teaching that loyal will always ex-
presses itself in work: ITO finish His
work" personal relation with God
expresses itself through a social APP
probation and effort. Nobody ever
travels TO Heaven alone. Everybody
must help carry somebody else who
would mount the shining pinnacles of
the city OF our God The greatest
work in the world is to get ones will
in play-to establish goodwill among
men!
There is the race question. for ex-
ample. How are men of different
races to he treated in free America?
It is no longer n question Of the
colored man alone, but of the Indian,
the japanese, the Chinese as we'll
Indeed. il Is no longer mere Amer
lean question. IL is an international
question, hound TO become more and
more imperative and vital in coming
days. What is the solution? is IL in in
stitutions OF social sympathy like clubs
and settlements? Is Il in laws Drastic
and enforced? These can do some
thing, but the real solution waits
upon the will OF the people, upon dis
position and attitude. The deeper
reeognitions are In order. "A mans
n man for a that" The nobler fell
-