The Washington herald., 1909-03-08

The official automobile rested idly n
its garage yesterday morning while
President Taft walked 10 All Souls
Church and attended divine worship. He
was accompanied by his brother. Charles
P. Taft. and two Secret Service men.
crowd OF several hundred persons
had gathered outside the church. ex-
pecting 10 see the new Chief Executive
come Up in an automobile. They were
taken by surprise when President Taft
and his brother suddenly appeared in
their midst and slipped quietly through
the door. The new Executive might
have been unnoticed If he had not lifted
his hat to salute friend. A craning Of
necks followed. but there was no demon
stration. nor had there been any on the
way 70 the church
For the first time in the more recent
history Of Presidential church-going the
Secret Service men wore double breasted
frock coats and silk hats. President
Roosevelt was more lenient with his
bodyguard, allowing them to wear what
they chose
AZ NtAEANu hdS packed Win a con-
gregation which completely filed the seats
and aisles. Outside. on the sidewalk.
hundred more men and women. who
were unable TO get through the doors.
waited TO see the President when he
came out
Sermon by DIR. Pierce.
Mr.. Taft and his brother listened with
close attention 70 the sermon by Rev. Dr.
Ulysses G. B. Pierce. pastor. They were
seated four pews back in the church
When the service was over, President
Tart passed out between waiting lines
OF admirers Men and women alike sa-
luted him as ne departed. Instead Of 20
ing straight 10 the White House, the
party made its way through the throng
and walked slowly across Fourteenth
street toward Thomas Circle The Presi
dent smiled and lifted his hat continu-
ally. to acknowledge the saIutes he re-
ceived- The party entered the house in
Dupont circle which Charles p. Taft and
his family have taken. The President
spent more than an hour there. and then
returned 10 the White House
DR.. Pierce's sermon contained no refer /
ence TO the President or 70 the inaugura-
ton The text was. Put OF thy shoes
from thy feet, for the place wherein thou I
standest is holy ground" He said, in /
part:
The need Of men to-day. as always. IS /
a fine sense Of reverence. In the haste
and press Of life men are prone 70 forget /
that business Is not the whole OF life
Men were not made for business. though
business has an honorable place in our
affairs But these matters are often so
engrOsslng that people sometimes forget
the end 70 which these things should con-
tribute.
whole World Included.
The old word 'wordliness' is sometimes
used TO describe this absorption in things
Of the senses. 1t is really too good a word
TO be so corrupted To be worldly |
should mean the inclusion Of the whole 4
world, and not merely the material phases 1
Of IL; for surely reverence for spiritual /
realities is entitled 10 the leading place
in a universe peopled by spiritual beings. I
The man who fails 10 see this is un-
worldly, because he knows little of the
larger world which lies beyond his senses /
TO be worldly, in the fuller sense Of the
word, should mean the recognition of 4
world in which material things have their
due place. but which IS not exhausted bv
these things.
It Is something to know what endan- /
gers our sense Of reverence. Here. as
elsewhere. TO be fOTeWarned is To be fore
armed Mere thoughtlessness is :. prAst
worker Of mischief n IS easv TO he so (
concerned with the things of time. so
preoccupied with matters OF sense. that /
II viii not occur 70 one that such things
as spiritual and eternal realities exist
But IN our best moments we know that !
the affairs of our daily life get their
meaning and worth from things not seen
It is the man who is transhgured on the |
SUBMITS or life who does the best work
when he descends to the common task
The Master was able 10 go about doing
good because God was with him. we
must not leave the sky out OF our picture. /
The first element OF reverence. there
fore. is the recognition OF the fact that
we are living in a real universe, not in |
some distant suburb We are in the midst
OF spiritual world. The place whereon /
we stand is holy ground. In this presence |
We should take the shoes from off our /
feet Beyond US and around. stretches a /
vast world Of aspiration and experience !
TO which we are heirs. To ignore this is |
virtually to sell our spiritual birthright. |
Personality Sacred
Another element Of reverence IS regard /
for ones own personality. Our personal |
ity is a sacred deposit; II IS a gift of I
which we are stewards rather than own |
ers. To cover. and cringe, and creep
that is not reverence. but servility. To |
underestimate OF distOrt cur own par- /
sonality is to sin against our own soul. |
and this is the essence of frreverence. To
nurture the soul and 10 give IL the frAes+
and fullest expression is a kind Of rev
ereEce we all need TO cultivate When we 1
consider the import of a human life what
1t has cost 10 produce IT, and what Il Is |
capable Of. we shall realize that here is /
indeed holy ground.
Another element OF reverence IS the
recognition OF progress as the law Of our
nature There is something holy in the
orderly unfolding Of our life It is be-
cause God is working in US that this
growth is possible To hinder this
growth. TO stunt our development. to set
ourselves against the progress Of the
world is really 10 be fighting against God |
This ground also Is holy ground
Every fresh discovery. every new dis I
closure OF the power OF man. every new
insight into the laws OF nature which are
in reality the habits Of God. should
awaken within US a deeper sense of rev.
erence. We have not learned the lesson /
of life nor really begun 10 live until we
know that the place whereon we stand /
to-day is, IN the profoundest sense, holy |
ground"
Mrs. Taft at 81. Johns.