Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-04-29
NEW Passionate BEGUN.
Rev. Fred A. Wells Preached Strong Ser.
mon Without Notes TO Large conere.
cation In Methodist Church.

cation In Methodist Church.
Rev. Fred A. Wells. the new pastor Of
the Methodist church, preached his first
sermon to his Brattleboro congregation
Sunday and made a very favorable i'm
preston. He spoke entirely without
notes, and his delivery as well as the
way he handled his theme afforded much
satisfaction. An unusually large number
attended the service and all were much
pleased with the auspicous beginning of
the new pastorate. Rev. Mr.. Wells spoke
from / Cor. 40, "Ne are workers TO-
gether with God" He said. in part:
we were made to work We live in
working world. We were created under
a working economy. Christ COMPREHEND
ed the situation when he said: My Father
worketh hitherto and / work 1t /,
common to hear men speak Of work as
If 1t were the great curse pronounced
upon a SHINING race What a miscon-
ception, 1t is the greatest boon God
ever gave to man, and had our first
parents seen it thus they would never
have sinned and brought condemnation
upon the race. 1t wasn't the work that
cursed them, but the scarcity OF 1t, so
God gave them more to do. He caused
the earth to bring forth thorns and
thistles that labor might become impera -,
tive. Let il be remembered that Adam
was never intended for a blossom in the
flower garden Of Eden, or a painted leaf
of the autumnal forests. He was the
living product Of a working God.
But If our work Is to count for much
1t must not he desutory, detached, frag-
mentnrN it must be cooperative. CON
certed. united We are told that one
can chase thousand, but that two can
put ten thousand to flight See how
human power and effectiveness are in
creased when joined with others The
whole history of human progress has
been history Of Coopera ton and COM
hindtion. The great cry in all lines to-
day is back to nature. and the more
perfectly this great law Of unity is real
lied the nearer we are to the eternal
order of things. Nature knows nothing
Of separate. distinct and unrelated en-
| titles. and yet all nature is one 1t is
a universe. Now We are not alike. We
cannot think or act alike. but we can
live. think and act together We can.
/ Ike the universe, he an example Of unity
iu diversity In fact. unity were impos-
sihle without diversity. No two snow
flakes are alike. yet they are woven into
the same leccy blanket that covers the
form Of Mother Nature. No two rain
drops are exactly alike, hut they waste
/ little time over differences a tiny drop
/ falls upon some leaf of some tree upon
/ the mouutain-top and slips To- the rocks
| beneath. where it Joins other drops by
| its side and they trickic down the
I
| other rivulets in its path until il he
comes a dashng. foaminE mountain tor
/ rent which plunges into the valley be-
/ meath and flows silently on TIL il loses
! itself in the wideopen arms Of the ocean.
| So let us-the tiny individual atoms in
! Gods great economy Of grace-come
! down from the hills and mountain sides
! OF our selfish secluson and Join the great
swelling stream Of service in the valley
Of need Let Us turn the tiny streams
| Of our isolated lives out into the deep
| flowing channel OF the eternal purpose
| which is flowing on toward the great
ocean OF its final perfect contamination.
| But this is working with God. As the
sea is the source and goal Of every
! stream, so God is Alpha and omega.
| the beginning and end Of all human life
and activity If lie is our common goal
the nearer We, approach to Him the
nearer we come to each other and the
more tremendously and effectively We
! work together.
Working thus we shall he an honor
to Cod and blessing to the community
and We shall even now enter into the
JOY Of our Iord-the JOY that comes
alone through service