The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-16
N'SNEEDSDEFINED
Equilibrium Necessary in
This Age, Says Pastor.
UNREST RENDING SOCIAL LIFE
Rev. J. y. ella ytOn Points 10 Christ's
Gospel as Kennedy Cor Greatest
ReStlesSneas World Has known.
Multiplicity OF Discoveries, Inven-
tiOns, and Uncertainties Blamed.

Services at Che First Baptist Church
yesterday morning were conducted by
Rev. J. 3. Clayton. who preached on
The greatest need OF the greatest age. %
IN which be dealt with the increasing
completely OF modern life and the ten
dency OF the people OF to-day to exclude
from their thoughts all things spiritual in
favor OF the material.
He said. In part.
I'VE are living In the greatest and best
age Of the worlds history, a Babel age,
an electric age. flying age. There is
little time FOR meditation, and the con-
templative mind finds neither quiet nor
leisure for a deliberate reflection. The
rattle OF machinery. the thunder OF the
lightning express. and the whirr OF thou
sand-fold industry fills the air. and we
are all IN q hurry. To keep I'D With the
procession we must jump. we must fly.
The hurry and hustle OF the day IS un-
settling our social life. our home. and
our church life. And Il is an age OF
unrest.
Four Things Blamed.
There are four things which con-
tribute 10 this resuessness: First the
multiplicity OF discoveries; second. the
multiplicity Of inventions. most OF them
utilizing electricity; third. the multi
piicity OF wants. not needs. most OF them
artificial; fourth, the multiplicity OF un-
.certainues.
The rapidly increasing number OF dis
coverles, inventions, and improvements
are bringing so much knowledge tc our
trembling minds that we are becoming
more or less unsettled about everything
IL is not only In the church. but in gov
eminent, IN politics. ia education IN in
custry, that traditions are disregarded
and old faiths destroyed with lightning
rapidity. our moral and social stand
ards are assailed and as the result OF
the accumulation OF more knowledge than
we can master and more criticism than
we can digest. the age, great IN its dis
coveries and knowledge. IS yet pre-emi-
nenuy an age Of unrest in religion. so
ciety. science. and politics One tradf-
ton after another goes down. and rs we
hurry on. gfsplng Tor breath we can
only think What next2
The greatest need OF the age is equi-
librium. The unsettling OF cherished be-
iefs and traditions has produced a great
er restlessness than the world has ever
known. For some Of this restlessness
there is no cure: for much OF Il there
is cure in Christ's gospel interpreted
not according TO the letter but accord
ing 20 the spirit which animated Christ,
the most far sighted religious teacher the
world has known. who furnished men
with principles Of conduct. which. II
..-
ligious problem that now veXes our rest
less age
Affords Intellectual Rest.
"Chrisrs gospel affords intellectual rest
There are a thousand things we do not
know; We guess about some Of them. hope
about some more Of them. and are IN
blank despair about others. No uncer-
tainty about what TO think or DO ever
seemed to trouble the mind Of Christ.
which. I'm all circumstances. was IN
state Of equilibrium. He never argued:
He never doubted. He spoke with GER
tainty, simplicity, and fnality. No guesses
about God can compare with His one
word characte-izing Him Father He
never guessed about men: Of all races
and bloods though they were. they were
yet brothers. He never guessed about i'm
mortality; He assumed II as the certain
estate Of the human soul
His parallels. with all their simplicity.
contained a depth and height OF teaching
which have never been equaled Who
has added a single word Of definite knowl-
edge in twenty centuries 10 His utter
ances about God. life. and the future.
duty, or destiny? Modern researches en-
braced I'm the term 'spiritism have added
absolutely nothing to His simple state
ments about the spirit world.
His grasp OF human life. with its man
fold hope. desire. longing, and need.
gathered about Him those who asked
vainly for some assurances as to duty
and destiny. If His teaching be rejected
there IS nothing 10 take it's place; II II
be accepted in a childlike spirit. II brings
rest of mind. not stagnation. but
wholesome peace"