The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-06-26
OF Christ and he dared TO say II. HAd
he was right. because he knew tha1

he was right. because he knew hat
his life was close 10 God.
The first time l preached In this
pulpit several weeks ago l went out
the next day from this city 10 neigh
boring place and visited the homes OF
people who travelled extensively, and
talked with the mistress Of that
mansion who had spent some time In
personally visiting the people who
took parts in tfrf~ Passion Play at
Oberammergau. She did not go 10 the
play, but she went afterward in their
homes, and l shall never forget the
incidents she related. She went 10
the home OF the man who took the
nart OF Jesus Christ. She saw his wife
first. and after making known her
errand the husband was summoned.
and this woman said that the very
moment he entered the room she
could not repress the feeling that she
was In the presence OF Jesus. His
whole appearance. his whole manner
conveyed the lifelike impression OF
Jesus. And this not when he was on
exhibition, but when he was sum-
moned from his workshop into the
house. without knowing that anyone
was there or why he came. And the
1
her husband was absolutely perfect:
that he had so studied the life OF
Jesus: that he had so put his heart
into every part of Il: that he had so
| striven 10 perfect himself I'm playing
the part of Jesus, not only on the
cross, but of the cross, and that he
had. so far as she knew in the inti-
macy of family life. mastered life aud
/ overcome every temptation, and in Ill
| earnestness and humility she said she
did not know one single thing In all
his life that was not just as she would
| like TO have it, Husband. can your
wife say that? IL shows. dear friends.
the possibility of living so near Christ
that His example and life. not in its
| glorified perfection, but in the pure
ness of heart, shall enable us to put
| every sin under our feet. Now,
| friends, II II is possible to follow
Jesus example as literally as that.
is IL not necessary 10 rise to IL when
so many people are following your
example?
Why did Jesus wash His disciples
| feet? Not because IL was necessary,
nor because IL was an Oriental GUS
tom. think He washed their feet
because He saw that the disciples
were too proud TO do It for one an
| other. IL takes a manly character to
| do a menial task. ! fancy that IL We
tried to initiate some of Jesus exam
pies, we would find that IL would bo
better 10 go apart into a mountain
and pray and come down to the orig
inal channels of life and love
| strengthened before we could do the
| acts Of service that Jesus did. i be-
| a
that His disciples did not yet under
stand or comprehend the ideal that
He came 10 establish. What is the
| law, the ideal. the essential of Gods
| kingdom? | know that some would
say that IL is love. That is the right
answer If you understand what love
| is. II is not merely a love that con-
templates and does nothing; that is
we'll disposed and stops there. If you
think that you are obeying His COM
mandment to love your neighbor
when you do not hate him, you have
not got the ideal OF Jesus. Love that
Is love at all finds its expression in
service. The mother tolls late into
| the night that her bov NAV be neatly
| dressed and educated. That is the
mothers love. If God only loved us
| by only looking on us comDlacently.
| deliver me from that love. But wha.
wonders nath lie not wrought; what
! hath He not done for us that we
might have life, joyful lives and USE
! fll lives? If you are going 10 love,
| you must serve, and / venture TO COM
mend that definition of service whicn
says that it is the fundamental rule o.
I Gods service. But tn disciples did
not eaten the idea. DO you worder
that Jesus said TO them, whatsoever
will be great among you, let him BE-
your minister, and whosoeyer will be
ehief among you, let him be your
servant" In His parallels He taught
the idea of service, but though the
disciples listened they did not seem
To comprehend. and so on that last
night Jesus did something they did
comprehend and clinched all His
teaching by girding Himself and min
isteriDg TO them, and said, IL have
given you an example"
Let me close by calling your atten-
ton 10 the last part of the text: THAT
we should do az I have done TO you"
Arc you doing what Jesus did, or is
IL only contemplation? Are you car
Tying out His example, or have you
encountered some obstacle that is too
hard TO do? In the great galleries the
artists sit and strive to reproduce the
masterpieces, and so in the gallery OF
life you and / are sitting at the feet
of Jesus. Are we reproducing per-
fectly? He is the example. Are We
doing as He did? a., -