The Alaska citizen., 1915-07-26
Sermon to the People
BY THE REV. c. c. BRUCE.


 they could not bear seeing it rent in twain. They loved the flag which was but bunting to them without sentiment, and they thought to keer all the stars shining in one fieIc of blue. Moved by such men as Lincoln and Grant, they won in a great cause where money was de throned by sentiment, and wrote some of the grandest pages of his tory.
 We may go even further. for here is the cardinal fact, the final force Tn the universe: For God so loved the world that He gave His only l beSotten Son that whosoever believ- eth in Him might not perish but have everlasting life" He did it while We Were yet sinners. His own common sense might have told | Him that we did not deserve it. His own absolute wisdom might have suggested that thousands have spurn- ed the offers of mercy Yet He did l it. because He "so loved that he gave He loved us not because we deserved it. but because We needed it. The constraining force was love.
 The three mighty men broke through the ranks of the Philistines and drew the water from the well Of Bethlehem by the gate You could not have hired them to do it. They would not have imperiled their lives for gold. They loved their king and went, and returned with water.
 1 The choicest things in life, a mothers kiss. the generOue affec- tion of an unselfish heart, the life blood of a patriot for his country l beloved these things are not bought and sold like corn and potatoes. They are always a gift of senti- ment, and given with no thought of reward. We cannot allow our min i istrations to the poor to become solely practical and utilitarian. They are not mere backs and bellies to be clothed and fed. They possess minds, and hearts and souls. The gift without the giver is bare" and shameful in it's nakedness.
 When the three mighty men 1 brought the jug of water to their king he would not drink it. Here it was, water from the well of his boyhood, clear and cold and refresh ing Holding out the jug to him were the three men who had haz- arded their lives to gratify his wish, They stood by to see the satisfaction of their leader and the flush of joy was creeping over them as they would witness his approval, for they loved their king dearly.
 But the king would not drink a drop of it, for it would have choked him. He said, "Is not this the blood l of those three men who went in | jeopardy of their lives? Far be it from me, oh Lord, that l should do this' The water had become like blood red wine through the senti- ment by which it was charged. It had now become too precious and sacred for him to slake his thirst, therefore, he poured it out as an of fering to the Lord.
 Here again the man of sense moves to scoff Why did he not drink it? When men offered their 1 lives to get it, why should he pour any good to have it poured out as an oblation?
 There are times when the soul of man rises higher than his pocket book or his stomach. His sentiments of devotion crave their expression | in ways that the materialist knows not of. The man who drinks this water will thirst again but the man who drinks of the water of life will never thirst but it will be in him a well of water springing up into eternal life.
 How mighty would be the power of men if they would see as David saw. Far be it from me, they would cry. All around us we see men in danger giving their life blood un- | appreciated. We hear the rustic of silk and the glitter of the dia- mond we see, but beyond is the sweat shop and the child laboring who should be in school. Can men rest while children suffer? Sentl- ment sends them into the slums, into the neglected homes to gather, to cleanse, to soften. Men should not compare gold with heartaches and pleasure with heart breaks. Senti- ment answers, no. What keeps men, thousands of them strong and pow erful. straight and clean in their re- lation with the gentler sex. Fear of contagion or dread of disgrace will not compel a decent man to be decent. He is simply too chivalrous to find pleasure in the degradation oS c 1ouobtor Or in tha iDfamV Of