Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-04
By Rev. Newell Dwight Hills, ID. ID.
lDeltvered i'm Plymouth Church,
Brooklyn. January 20)


You came to church to-day in a street
car that was pushed forward by an un-
seen power. Once there was n great
man In England named Matthew Arm
DID, Mr.. Arnold said: There is
power I'm the world. not ourselves, that
makes for righteousness" When you
ride home in street car to-day, say
10 yourself. there Is power I'm the
world. not this street car that makes
inns car move homcward. with your
eyes you cannot see the invisible cleo
tricity. and with your ears yau cannot
near the voice OF this unseen power
not ourselves, that makes for right
eousness. The difference between your
fathers world and your new age is
that your fathers depended upon thcii
own power and your age depends upon
TINS unseen power that We call God
your fathers depended upon their arms
70 cut down the tree. upon their legs
Tor travel. and upon hollow log for
crossing the river. The men OF 1918
nave borrowed power from this Unseen
Cod, SO that they do not walk but
travel on cars; they do not strike with
their arm. but with 4 trip hammer;
they do not ride in log canoe. but
nave borrowed power that gives them
steamship: while tho electricity sends
your fathers voice TO san Francisco
on the west and to London and Paris
you his omnipotencc You cannot see
electricity. but you can buy IL and sell
H. lou cannot zee gravity, bat YOU
can use gravity
"hen you have to bear heavy bur
dens and make long JOURNEYS YOU VIII
ma that this Unseen Father win loan
you MS wisdom for YOUR mind and his
strength foi your task. and his love
iof your need The car to-day stands
sun. until the power is turned on bv
and
much growth until life from this TN
seen Friend comes to you, and drives
YOU forward so that Gods wisdom
WIN make you scholar and his Jus
,Iee VIII make YOU patriot. and his
IA" VIII make you a statesman and
MS love Will make you Christian
Wnen, then Jesus WAS TALKING 10 Ntco-
demus. and told him that he must haye
\ ne" heart and be born again. /, was
like the conductor saving 10 rho o,ec-
III car trai cannot move by itself
You mus, have tho power OF ol.c,
TicitS turned On 10 hurl your home. j"
NEW HEART AND
LIFE THROUGH HE-BIRTII
When Jesus talked about the new
heart. he said something thar Won can
4 uhderstand from thar sweet apple tree
In the orchard DO you yeiuclIl,rr N, =,
last summer there wa one ire. under
which the boys stood L. shake down
s the golden p!2plnr The grass MAS un-
4 trampled under all the other trees
because their apples were sour. while
this one had sweet, dripping Juices
Now where did that rcd apple come
4 from" Wen. this Is the story once
there was 4 iittl. apple tree that had
very sour fruit; and when the farmer
| found another appl" that WAS swce,
ana juicy. he cut off 4 little t@iC and
4 grated II into the root OF that sou,
d apple. Then the new. sweet sap chang
ed the old bitter tree. just lump
4 OF sugar In the lemon water turns the
acid sweet. out in California lives a
man named Burbank lie has taken
1 many bitter oranges and tasteless her
ries. and 10y grating has Trough.
4 about what he calls the creative shock
Of new life" lie gives the nowcrs
the grains and the fruits = u"w heart
4 Mr.. Burbank said To :he little will,
i rose. single and pink, You mug, lie
4 born again" and by grating he emp
tied in a nea life. and he mad roses
double and Of every hue and perfume
He said 10 the little field daisy. You
must be born again" and soon there
was a Shasta daisy. The new heart in
the vegetable world explains the way
4 the wild rice became wheat. and the
wild sloe the danson plum. and the
hitter grapefruit the new fruits. This
Law explains all the new flowers and
the new grains.
Now this is what Jesus was talking
4 about for Your soul when He said &c
that wise man. NlCcdemuS, n e mus
be born again" This meant n great
deal TO bad men ia Jcsuss time. Man.
OF them were old and gray in sin. anC
| quite hopeless and very unhappy. Blu,
when Jesus came and whispered ''St
may be born again and have hearts as
young as when YOU were children Al
/ your mothers knee" something deao
in them became alive. 1t was as II
4 Jesus had hung star In the sky a,
night II was this chance of new
4 heart that turned a murderer named
! Saul into the worlds greatest hero
Paul. Next summer. when you stand
under that old apple tree In the or.
chard and taste the sweet fruit. re
4 member that once that apple was hit.
ter and sour. but that great mar
came. whispering. You must he borr
4 again." just "a Jesus came to men,
! hearts and told them that they could
he born again, out of seiishness anG
meanness into the spirit of the scholar
the hero and the lover.
JAPAN HAS BEEN HORN
AGAIN SINCE PERRY'S VISIT
Once in Egypt there lived a handful
4 of slaves, and Cod came through
! Moses and gave them new birth o.
freedom. And these timid serfs became
nation compact. strong and good
Many years ago brave American
3 sailor named Commodore Perry wen
u to Japan, and 10. within seventy year!
d Japan has been born again. China
y too. has had new heart. and sudden
~ has changed from slavery into lib
q erty. Florence was born into the
1 Kingdom Of art ana beauty through
great painter named Ciiotto, who pour
ed the spirit of beauty into the mine
II of the people The son of a coal miner
Il nailed paper on the door of church
y in WittenbcrE, and poured new life
into Europe. Patrick Henry and Fish
4 err Ames came to the people who want
4 ed to be free and gave them a new
heart, a Declaration of independence
! and the Fourth o: July. History /.
n full of these stories of cities that have
Il been born again. and of corrupt rulers
Il Mayors and Aldermen who have hat
the new heart and clcansed their city
II The story OF these sudden movement.
In cities and States and empires reads
n like the tale OF Aladdin's lamp
n What IL some time Your countr,
should call you to do n fine deed'