Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-05-13

70 serve him the motive OF all / do.
| Whatever else l must surrender or what
ever fail to support, l will keep myscl?
true to Him and court any hard work 1
may do for His sake.
Second, ] am determined to lay my
reputation at the foot of the Cross. If
| gain any reputation hereafter 1T it b.
the gift TO me from my Savior for what
l DO in his name and for His sake.
Like all ministers l have had the ex-
pericnCcs when / have felt that what |
have done has not been appreciated, and
| then, too. when l have feared the blame
of those who have not understood me.
l recall tonight one such experience in
| these 10 years. which ended in my sur
rendering it all to my Master. From
| that moment my opportunities have null
| tiplied, my influence has broadencd my
| friends everywhere have increased. ana
| the results of my work have been deeper
and more satisfactory. All | ask IN the
future is like situations in the certainty
| that my reputation will take care of it
| self, if I keep my motives pure, and am
| not afraid.
| Third, am determined that my ambi-
| ton shall he to attain the character, not
the condition of my Christ. The work of
| the ministry is twofold. First to be-
| come a living revelation To the world OF
what Il Christ-man is; and second. to win
| as many others to the imitation of Christ
as The may. This and this alone is the
| primary work of a minister of the Cos
| pei. The temptation to which he and all
Christians are open is to fret if the gilt
| of n character like the Lord is not ac-
companied with other blessings of a ma
tcrial and a temporal kind. To this temp
tation most people yield so that they be-
come honcycombed with discomfort and fl
nalIy fair to attain both the condition and
| the character of the Savior Christlik1-
ness is the supreme gift of Christ to all
His servants and is reward enough for
noble souls. Contentment, growth and
power in service are repcndent upon the
possession of it. Strong souls count
nothing else. They aspire TO the natural
gifts the Lord may bestow and feel
cheated without them. Discomfort, cessa-
ton of growth, and weakness in service
are the consequences.
Fourth, / am determined to give to
| the churches 1 serve a large policy, 50
large as to engage their energies for
years. it may be, and comprehensive
enough t. use all their numbers.
THE sin Of the church IS littlcness. The
few Christian people are uncXemplary IT.
| life and conduct. but they are often and
! small. Their sins are not dishonesty, Ii
ccntiC usncss. drunkenness, greed and tn.
whole list of fragrant sins except in oE-
ceptional cases and so exceptional that
| they are consequently prominent. BIt
| the effect of all these exceptional cases
| is no more injurious to the cause Oh
| Christ than the littlencSs and the 1litT-
rowness in the large part of the member
shin of churches. Goodness is ncces-
sary equipment of a minister and of 2
church official aud a Sunday school su
| perintcndcnt, but not that alone. Such
| Dccple must have vision, courage and
| f1ith. the recklessncss of faith, To make
| their goodness effective. Church quar-
rels and divisions and fuses always
grow out Of little insignificant things, I'M
worthy of grand souls, and too little to
be treated with anything but Indifference.
| az uastor must Ec q man Of affairs,
with q vision and n policy large enough
| TO cnnoble his people and to hold tier at
tention and to engross their time and en-
| DN'''N-
ed with advisors of large hope and stou-
courage what could he not do! The pity
is that such is scldor the case.
| ard last, | am determined to give the
human touch TO all L do. Man Is tho
| greatest work of God and the end Of al
creation. The revelation of Himself is :!
human personality and IN human lift
! contaminated all other self revelations q
God. The gradual publication and eleVa-
| tion and the final redemption of human
| tv is the work God is now carrying on
| in the world.
| "For this reason a follower of CHRIST
must be interested i'll and devoted TO Ms
| fellow men Mankind, all sorts and con-
ditions of men, mon of his own kind and
of onnos;te kind, men of his own race AMI
IF foreign races, good Nor and bad men.
educated men and ignorant men, AL pc"-
ple because they are pcoplc-a CErisuah
| flied with the spirit o Christ finds inter
astirc and worth serving. The ohlcct q
| education is the DEVELOPMENT of manhood.
Tho most necessary of all studies is So
GEOLOGY. The Christian must be citl-
zcn and the conquering type of CHRIS
tianitv is the servant. All Divine actiV.-
ties through innumcrable centuries culmi-
mated in man. All human activities WhLi'
human history lasts must be spcn+ in th2
| rndcp,ntion of souls and the Improvement
Of society.
"Ten years ago the third day Of jan
uary last came to this city 70 become
the pastor Of the Congregational church
IT was the week of prayer. The Baptist,
| the Methodist and the Congregational
churches were holding union meetings
! that week. My ministry began in most
delightful way in a union attempt TO IN
cite the churches to now interest ana to
bring the mconvcrted to decision.
at is significant to me that my minis
try has come to its practical ending in an
other movement of much greater proper
tons and Importance, and that the first
attempt | have made In my now parish
was in a similar union evangel. | also
feel exceedingly happy that my last ser
mon is preached tonight in this union
meeting. May these facts Of the begin
ming of my life in Watcrvillc be pro-