The Detroit times., 1910-11-07

Father hath bestowed upon us. that we
should be called children OF God. and
such We are, John, 3, l.
book has Just come from the press
on The Enduring Satisfaction OF Life"
IL IL collection OF essays by ex-Presi-
dent Eliot OF Harvard. II Is the gar
nered wisdom OF rich experience. An
OLD man Is anxious TO make younger
men realize what he thinks are the
genuine treasures OF life. lie does not
want them 10 miss 40 much, and then
wake up when AZ lis too late.
In somewhat the same way. the old
man whose words we arc studying to-
day IL anxious about tho younger peo-
pie around him. lie sees impoverished
nfn surrounded by amazing wealth,
which they may make their own. He
sees In the big city where he lives. rest
less. feverish men forge ting the spring
whence Issues stream OF enduring
satisfaction.
stop" he cries. and behold what
manner or love the Father hath be-
stowsd upon us. Give your spirit a
chance. Survey your inheritance. Let
tho glorious fact that we are children
OF God rise before you I'm It's beauty aud
power Let the wonder OF II all NIL
Whose souls? The souls OF the idie
rich md comforta BILE? Yes. for the old
man Says elsewhere that they are often
tho really wretched ones, miserable and
poor and blind and naked. and don't
know H. But for the most part he was
toll ard are weary and anxious. lie
lived I'm a city where extremes met. lie
was familiar with the labor guilds The
BOOK OF Acts tells of one not In this
city. lie himself knew the meaning OF
hard labor. He wanted TO liberate pow
ers withir a man that will help him
Shall we try to let the wonder OF 4
an our souls? The old gray road Will
Fears % be- Tss chin our OF
Vagrant doubts will be dispelled
Either there IL something more than
o have or there Is nothing was ON, one
week That was only mood but this
win help to Danish such moods. The
s,a tb bat nss o + 1Ss5
OF God. and such we are" Can't you
sec him put his pen down and say the
words asal !1vI and AGAIN nv IL Is c,, tTpe
of God"
Make Room For Reverence.
II we are going 20 let this wonder
nl our souls we must make more room
for reverence In our lives. Before we
prayed for conquest for the coming or
the Kingdom; before we prayed for food
or for forgiveness. Christ told us 10
ofer another petition. Our Father,
then, hrst OF all "Hallowed be Thy
Even In the earthly relationship. rev.
erence must enter. When IL Is absent
we instinctively feel that the relation
ship has been crippled or impoverished
In seine way. Dear old dad" I heard
a young girl say. She said IL beauti-
fully. No one could have objected TO
the words she used He- voice was full
OF loyalty and affection: shall | add.
run OF compassion, too7 But there was
no reverence in IL. There could be none
with that father. l can see the hand OF
ANOTHER young girl resting upon tho
noble head. snow white of her father,
and the gesture was full. not OF love or
pride or gratitude alone, but OF a GER
tam tnenable reverence.
This summer. a pilgrimage to Rugby
school was taken. not primarily to see
hne statue or the football field where
the first Rugby football game was
played and whore fine tablet
chronicles that important event. but,
primarily. 10 stand where n man stood
so years ago. and see what he saw as
his soul was stirred within him to
write what seems to me to be the finest
tribute OF "A son to his father In the
English language-M Matthew Arnold's
Rugby Chapel" All through those
noble lines thrills the note OF rev.
erence. 1t is in the poem. because II
was in the Relationship. All OF Thomas
bow in the S', school " WAS his enid loved
him. but IL was with love that made
them catch the breath sometimes and
bare the head at tho very thought OF
the great headmaster.
Gods crildren must not forget this.
We must cultivate the mood OF rever-
once more In our places OF public wor-
ship we mustlose no chance for doing
this. There ought to be something
which those who enter this sanctuary
should recognize as not OF men, some
thing which should make their souls
cry out. This is none other than the
house OF God This is the gate OF
heaven And that something both
minister and people must help 10 bring.
The portion OF the service that preCedes
the sermon, quite az much as the ser
mon. must be iealously sateguarded
The prayers and hymns are not prelim-
inaries. They stand for actual spiritual
transactions This Ia peculiarly the
time when the mind is to be freed
from its distractions. and the heart
from it's alterations and resentments.
and made ready for n message. II n
tho time when the spirit should be re-
freehed with n new sense OF cleansing.
when We grow sure again OF God
WIN can free VS. from the stain OF re-
cent sin IN all our public worship let
us deepen the word OF reverence That
hour should have in II much to solemn
izes and lift the heart. and give II sur
ceake from care.
Hut let US. as children OF God. Guilt
vate the reverential mood more widely
than In public worship OF private devo-
tions As we walk abroad I'm this won
derful world. which Is just one room I'm
our Fathers house OF many rooms, OF
many mansions there Is much that
makes us tread softly that reminds us
that all about us are the shores OF In
II Unity. Up In that beautiful English
II lake country WadswoTth was walking
one day when he saw single primrose
the rock he loved to clirNb up and sit
4 upon and which they call "Wadsworth's
Seat" After his fashion. he began 10
brood over the little flower. following
n out this aid that line Of reflection until,
n as He looked at the primrose. he said.
"Thpu hast become to NE the very court
OF Deity" / stood not long ago with "A
business man OF Detroit, near some fine
n trees at sunset. As tho light fell upon
n the autumnnl foliage. ne surprised me
by turning and saying with quiet feel
4 ing. This Is where I get near God"
But 10 IL among our fellow men that
We ought TO especially feel the pres
4 ence OF God, ought to move with care
and reverence. i notUed in all the
n great galleries this summer. that all the
old masters painted halos around the
"A heads of saints in their pictures hut let
the common run OF people do without.
Il That Is the trouble with most OF us.
We do not see the halos about ordinary
folk. But they are there. I saw one
4 upon n brow last Sunday. There was "A
saw last Wednesday night. a face that
A n very still today, still and old and
I worn. but full OF peace.
II The halo is I'm very many places. /
4 say it on the face OF a workman,
n strCken to the heart because his wife
4 had gone the way OF Hosea's wife. I
san II the other day. when n skilled
4chanic went deep into his pocket to
set an unskilled work man. who had
4 bepn foolish and weak, upon his feet
4 aghin. We teachers and parents must
ledrn 90 look fer the EalOs above the
heads OF little children, even the worst
n of the mischief makers.
More or reverence In every human re-
N lotiOnghip. Of Willingness n