The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-22
Rev. E. F. Newell Preached
First Sermon Yesterday
SUCCEEDING DIR. E. O. THAYER
He Was Sent to Hedding Church by the
Vermont Conference, Having Recent
ly Been Engaged in Ministerial
Work at Waterbury.

The Hedding Methodist church was
filled with large congregation yester-
day morning, when Rev. Elmer f. New
ell, until recently pastor of the Method
ist church in Waterbury, preached his
first sermon. after having been trans
terred to the local charge at the last
session of the Vermont Methodist con-
ference. The usual order OF morning
worship was observed and the music was
rendered by the regular choir. In the
pulpit, Rev. Mr. Newell confirmed the
favorable reputation which has preceded
him in Barre, and his discourse Of thirty
minutes length was listened to with
close attention.
Taking as the subject Of his sermon
The Miracle Worker" Rev. Mr.. Newell
chose for his text the words from Luke
9:l7. which reads: "And they did eat
and were filed, and there was taken up
Of the fragments twelve baskets" In
the opening paragraphs of his discourse,
Mr. Newell briefly related the story of
the five loaves and twelve fishes, draw
ing therefrom series of lessons. which,
he said, could be applied in present-day
life. In His life upon this earth, said
MI NEWELL. our Sofu
were constantly demanded by all man
ner Of people. His presence was continu-
ally thronged by the multitude and there
were too many things accomplished for
Him to remain long in solitude. 1t was
these multitudes, then, that followed
Him as He went about doing good,
Turning to the lessons of the text, the
pastor said:
Perhaps the paramount lesson to be
drawn from the miracle of the losves and
fishes is the precept that true religion
can be fed to the body as well as to
the soul. How well our Lord exemplifed
this fact is shown in his miraculous
transformation Of the meagre food sup
ply into abundance for all III is written
of man that in the sweat of his brow
shall he eat his bread. The demand for
bread as daily sustenance must be con-
stantly met. God indirectly supplies all
OF the food necessary to supply His peo
pie, but each OF us must do a portion
Of His work that we may obtain the
whcrewithal to live. The man who win
not work deserves to starye. This Is one
Of natures laws and so God in His in
finite wisdom has said that he who sits
supinely back and denies His gospel shall
starve for want Of spiritual food. With
out first seeking the grace Of God in his
strivings for spiritual food, no man can
work out his own salvation,
"In its second application, the miracle
of the loaves and fishes teaches us thst
Christ loves order The poet tells us
that order is heavens first law and
the six periods in which God created the
world show eonchsively that the Maker
had well-defined plan in mind as He
perfected the world day by day, Time
has proved that the word of God is Sc
cure and its wonderful order has resisted
all encroachments.
whatever is worth doing is worth
doing well, is another lesson that we
may draw from the miracle. How care
full we should be in doing Gods work
and with what thought and study should
we prepare TO do our share in the uplift
Of humanity Viewing the same miracle
in vet another of its aspects, we learn
something OF the power of the Almighty.
The bread of life has multiplied won
derfully. even as the bread and fishes
multiplied at the will of Jesus. 1t is ~
power that has gathered strength all
along down the centuries. The light OF
has never ceased to shine
throughout all the world, Graded
through necessity in Egypt, il lived to
shine over the waves Of Galilee Even
the cross failed TO cause the slightest
flicker in its radiance and the ever
living light burst forth from the tomb
Of Joseph with renewing brillianey to
shine again on the day of Pentecost
The apostles gathered in the upper room
at Jerusalem felt its sustaining glow.
and it even penetrated the gloomy eata
combs of Rome in the reign of Nero.
Westward and northward the light of
the gospel made its way TO Scandinavia
and England, finding in the British isles
4 latter-day apostle in John Wesley.
''With the coming of the Mayfower,
the light came to America it crossed
the Allegheny mountains with the mis-
sionaries who were to follow the flag.
(Cnofiu1Yad on fourth rsre