The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-01-10

| u- OnStrdte IOuTln
dimension. AS far
back as Plato's day the idea was sug-
gested, and recently a twelve-year-old
boy attempted mathematically TO
demonstrate IL before the professors
OF Harvard university.
When, however, we pass from the
realm OF the physical TO the spiritual.
we find this idea clearly expressed in
our text The humble bowling OF the
! Apostles knees at the beginning OF
this matchless prayer. and the limtless
| heights OF glory" transcend our hui
man capacity OF comprehension. In
the center OF this stands the text, as
though Paul, pausing at some vantage
point, would look TO the right and the
left, backward and upward. and ex-
claim, "Oh, that you might compre-
hend the breadth. the length. the
depth and height OF the love OF
Christ" Let us apply these four meas
| urements to our lives.
!. Breadth We pride ourselves upon
breaking from provincialism and mar
rowness. and that the world is laid
ing; but unless our activities are also
quickened OF what benefit is our
worldwide vision? Our big cities are
provincial. Many New Yorker thinks
the world begins at the Battery and
ends at Yonkers. There are scores in
Chicago as absolutely ignorant OF the
! resources. need or people OF China.
Ia hnt Of
the planet Mars. yet they say take
care Of the home field before you do
anything for foreign missions" We
need not only a world vision. but more
breadth OF vision OF the problems of
labor social and civic life.
H. Length. Persistence, stick-toit-
iveness A gentleman was asked why
so few great clergymen in America,
and his reply was, America Is in too
great a hurry" or course perspective
leads to a wrong estimate OF great
ness. but certainly we need more min
listers who are "forth-tellers" OF Gods
message TO lost men. When clergy
and laity learn TO think through to a
conclusion these questions OF ethics.
reform. world needs and. most impor-
tant of all, the needs OF the human
soul, and will apply themselves TO
these problems with persistence and
abandon, we shall have clergy and
laity whose leadership will never be
called in question.
III. Depth. Americans are fond OF
good 'front.'" but have we correspond
ing depth? Study our cheap front ar
chitecture, music, business and waste
Are we right on fundamentals? Our
thinking must stand upon a better
foundation than the shifting sands of
philosophy. Our statements OF life
be based upon more enduring ground
than the nebulous unstable assertions
OF false science. Our commercial fab
ric must be built upon a more stable
basis than that Of expediency. Our
moral code must be less concerned
with pleasure seeking externals and
consist more OF rectified purified. re-
deemed lives OF honesty and integrity
" But Paul had a fourth dimen-
sion, the heights OF glory"-the God
side OF life. We all respond to the
suggestion OF a world vision because
of our business relations. We spell
success with a dollar mark. Material
success does demand a world vision
and n concentration that is sapping
the vigor OF our manhood. But We
do urge upon all 20 measure his life
by his fourth dimension. the love OF
God that passeth knowledge. Who
can span the extent OF BREADTH Who
can find the ultimate end OF length or
plumb the lowest bottom OF all depth
or measure the uttermost limits OF the
heights OF Gods love for us in Christ
Jesus? A love that was willing 20
empty himself and TO become obedient
unto death. even the death OF the
cross.
when I survey the wondrous Cross
on which the Prince of glory died.
Ny richest gain 7 count but loss.
Ana pour contempt on all my pride"
Let US lift our eyes from the ma
terial 10 the spiritual. This vision is /
the Transforming vision that led forth |
the prophets Of old and that moved |
Martin Luther and every other great 1
reformer. This vision was the power |
giving vision OF Dwight l. Moody. |
Frances Willard and all OF the rest
This was the peace giving. healing
vision OF Florence Nightingale and
that has comforted the hearts Of th'
saints throughout the ages amidst al
The vicissitudes OF life.
Measure your life by this and 20
Ill indeed be filed unto all the fu
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