The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-01-07
At The UNIT.D CHURCH
DIR. HAYNES MAKES A PLAIN
TALK TO HIS PEOPLE

First of Series of Evening Sermons to
be Delivered During the Coming sum
days-SpOke From the Parable of the
Fig Tree.
The Rev. ARENAS j. Haynes, pas
tor of the United church, preached the
first of a series. of evening sermons be-
foee q good sized congregation at the
United church last night. The sub
pest which Mr. Haynes spoke on was
"a Plain Message to Our Own People,"
1t was more of talk from the nastor
to his people than of the nature of a
sermon reminding. them of their duties
and responsibilities as Christians and
of what was expected of them. Mr..
Haynes chose as his text the parable
bf the fig tree. He related the story
OF the parable and the relationship Of
the tree to the individual. Every man,
he said, was responsible to God for his
actions, and it would be a sorrowful
daS for them when the ceased to re-
member this. He reminded them that
/ much was expected of the fig tree be-
cause it was fruitful And the parable
had an individual application to them.
We overlook the fact, said Mr.. Haynes
every day Of our lives, that a great
deal more is expected from some geo
pie than from others, and shat we can
not expect the same from those
brought up under poor and wretched
circumstances as we can from those
who have enjoyed all the privileges,
surroundings and influence Of the
home, the church and the school.
In such a community as ours every
man might be equal in the eyes of the
law, yet he was glad to see that
| judges sometimes took this matter into
consideration The speaker reeited the
fact of a judge who recently had the
case Of two boys before him, one of
whom was poor and the other brought
up under more favorable circumstan-
ces, and when appealed to on passing
sentence gave it as his opinion that
the misdoings Of the second land were
more aggravating than those Of the
first because he had been brought up
to know better. Mr.. Haynes also recit-
ed the answer of President Roosevelt
when appealed to on behalf Of the col
ored soldiers recently expelled from
the army. The appeal was made be-
cause they had been useful and faith
full soldiers in the past. The presidents
answer in effect being that they were
all the more responsible. No one, said
Mr. Haynes, is fitted to be a leader or
a teacher unless he recognizes the fact
that more is required Of one man than
another The most tragic thing in the
whole church to-day in his mind was
the fact that there were so many
church people whose lives were un-
fruitful. 1t was quality that was re-
CURED, not quantity. The church need
cd faithful and enthusiastic members.
There were SO many people that en-
numbered the ground of the church.
They not only failed to lift themselves
up. but acted as a barrier to the up
lifting If others.
Mr.. Haynes scored the fashionable
church, and those who used it simply
because they could meet people of
their own social standing. He did not
think the United church was classed
as a fashionable church. He then re-
ferred his hearers to the great respon-
slbility that was laid upln them as a
congregation. He promised them that
he would at least try to do his share
of what was required during the COM
ing year if they would do theirs. nc
sometimes wondered If all the preach
ing amounted to anything Yet he was
compelled to believe it else he could
not continue it and go on with his
work.
Mr.. Haynes concluded by appealing
to those present in the words Of the
prayer, Make me, O God, more real
to live my life; more fruitful in the
vineyard of the Lord"