The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-01-25
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE Rev RAlMUNOO De OWES.
Subject: The True Religion.

was. oN. l<uAt AL, Va 81 lLGln L
say unto you that this poor widow
hath cast in more than they ALL"
Mr.. de OWES said Because relig-
ion is a feeling. an intuition, an emo
ton, many we'll meaning people mis-
take other emotions and feelings for
this one divine stirring of the
heart
There are some minds that can
never be led TO believe that religion
must become an ordinary, common
place and everyday matter with the
true Christian. They look for some
remarkable display OF feeling, sC.ne-
thing beyond and above the daily and
hourly emotions of life, in order that
they may feel certain of having re-
ligion." In other words, they look
for romance, not commonplace.
What" we can hear them cry,
"do you mean to say that when some
powerful and eloquent preacher has
stirred our hearts and made us real
ize the depth of degradation in which
we have been living, until we turn
with disgust from our past life, make
unnumbered good resolutions and
feel good all over, that we have not
got religion? What more would you
command?
There is only one thing which we
could ask, and yet what a difficult
test, keep the feeling alive"
No man is a Christian who must
be converted and baptized once a
pear. Religion is for lifetime, not
3 day, or week, or even q month or
two. There is nothing more decep-
tive than the enthusiasm resulting
from magnetic, eloquent preaching.
The politician, the lawyer. even the
infdel, all exercise this compelling
power over an audience, and In no
case does ii give religion. Religion
comes into the heart from 70 man,
it comes from God Himself 1t is
true, indeed, that God uses human
means, but when a soul is truly con-
verted religious enthusiasm wells
from the heart in a deep, quiet
stream, not in the bubbling, efierves-
cent spring OF some momentary eXal- !
'tatiop.
Such periods OF excitement do
seem TO lift us outside the ordinary
routine OF life, and they have in
them touch Of the romantic. But
wnat really is romance, after all? It
is merely the commonplace viewed
from a distance. II any incident
which eXcites our fancy and appears
TO be romantic were taken from the
pages Of one Of our thrilling novels
and introduced into our own lives we
should look upon it as trouble, and
what deal Of grumbling there would
be. Don't you see that this is true,
and is not a romantic novel, simply
the story Of difficulties and trials
overcome? There is this difference
between q book and life: in a book
petty details are left out and the eX-
citing events crowded together, one
upon another. In life the petty de-
tails are all retained, and Tin many
cases) the thrilling passages omitted.
When some OF us sigh in our youth
for stirring scenes and a part to play
on life's stage, which shall be full Of
thrilling adventures, such as we nave
read about in our favorite books, do
we ever think about disaster TO our
selves, and does the story not end
happily? Yes, we all desire rOmaucs,
but no trouble or hardship ever en-
ters into the bargain. They are in
seDarable in the real business Of life.
So we see that Christianity is ro-
mantle only in the true sense. It
means trials and obstacles 10 DE Over
come.
The very first requirement Of ro-
nance is courage, and here romance
and Christianity agree. No coward
was ever a Christian. There is no
greater mistake in the world than to
suppose that a Christian must be a
milksop, a poor, meek, wishy-vashy
creature, without stamina and with
out manhood. Among the heroes Of
history none were greater, none more
glorious and godlike than the Chri5-
tian martyrs. They were not sup
ported by ambition, by the praise OF
men, nor the fear of ridicule, but
calmly and with eyes that saw, with
out flinching. their doom. died for
feeling, that mysterious thing, faith.
Pause a little. you who look with
contempt upon the Christian life, and
think which is the braver course, to
float easily with the stream, to give
unbridled way to base passions and
weaknesses In our human hearts, to
avoid the finger OF scorn by Joining
the swelling ranks OF the scoffers and
the degraded, or that other path, 10
take the side of the minority, TO bat
tie against sin, to acknowledge the
standard OF honor and freedom OF
conscience? Whoever conquers his
besetting sin is man indeed.
True religion. then, is brave as
we'll as steadfast, but above all It is
steadfast, it does not demand great
sermons. il finds sermons in stones"
IT d~es not ask FOR great deeds 70 do,
II is contented with its opportunities.
Who shall say what things are small?
Newton saw gravitation in the falling
OF an apple, and Calico, watching the
lamp OF a great cathedral vibrating
from the movements OF passing vehi-
cles. gave 10 the world the division
OF time by means OF the pendulum.
Greatness lay in the minds OF those
two men who could grasp opportu-
nitv.
So II is not the outward circum-
stance but the heart which makes
things great or small There arc
abundant opportunities for our be-
coming heroic Christians. Oh. r. we
would only grasp them. We miss 50
much in this lif,, romance and