The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-05-13
New Pastor of the Barre
Congregation = Church
Preached esterday
LARGE ABSENCES
GREETED HIM
Church sis Been Without a
Minister Since Last
Fall

pastorate of the Barre Congregational
church Sunday, preaching before large
congregations at both morning and even.
ing services. His incumbency of the
Barre church had its beginning under the
most suspicious circumstances, for while
his first sermon was delivered before a
congregation made up for the most part
of strangers to him, it may be said that
his address and manner of delivery
amply sustained the expectations of
those who heard him several weeks ago,
when he came to this city, not as can
didate, but to supply for a single Sunday
pastor since last fall.
The clergyman took for his sermon
topic the subject, THE Vision and the
Debt" choosing his scriptural references
from st. Paul's epistles to the Corinth-
ians, to the Galatians and to the Romans
Il am the debtor" from the l4th verse
of the first chapter of the epistle to the
Romans, may be said to have been the
keynote of his homily, albeit there were
apt allusions to /. Corinthians, Is chap
ter, Sth verse and to Galatians, I'd chap
ter, goth verse. Prefacing his sermon
with a brief survey of motives which i'm
PEELED him to accept the local charge,
Rev. Mr.. Goodspeed said that he little
expected to become pastor of the Barre
church when he came here to supply the
pulpit in March. The issue of that visit,
he continued, showed that human plans
are always subject TO revision.
Two reasons were back of his accept
ance of the call. In the first place he be-
lieved that the call came providentially,
that it seemed to be a call of God. Sec
ondly, he came because of the opportu-
nifty TO serve. and service is the watch
word of the present age In these days
of momentous issues and of armed con-
flict it is especially necessary to keep the
pulse and the heart of the church beating
warmer. Our soldiers and sailors, our
Red Cross workers, Y. NJ. c. A. secre-
taries, etc, overseas are only an extern
sion of the American church. said the
pastor If we stand by them and they
stand by us, when the victory comes it
will be victory for all.
Faith always precedes good works, de-
Jared Rev. Mr.. Goodspeed, in citing the
,ase of Paul when he saw the great light
IN the road to Jerusalem. There are
,nly two persons in the universe, a soul
o be saved and a Savior to redeem the
oul. We are all debtors, and every
,reat figure in history has had his faith
trengthened by Calvary. The preach
r told the story of Gladstones excursion
through Paris with the president of the
french republic. When the great Eng
ish statesman was asked if the pam
rama from the Church of Notre Dame
vas not beautiful, he graciously acceded
he desired tribute, but declared that
'aris was lacking smoke. Napoleon had
ontributed Literally tos rich store of
rt and architecture, but the smoke
yhich industry creates was lacking. The
anne applies to the church Even as a
Ity without smoke is a parasite, so NAV
church, even though the building is a
oem in stone, even though its choir and
arvice are like the antiphonal service of
ne angels. if it does not do the Masters
ork and reflect Christ it is useless and
cad. Christ said: 81 know thy works"
eaven looks down upon the churches in
lis land and has no use for those that
re HOb pt1lHE titli ucuto' N'oou
orks are the smoke of our churches,
nd they alone are the answer to the
lallenge of Christ.
The clergyman, in canvassing the
uses who so many churches seem to
ii, said that distorted view OF lie IS
rgelv responsible. People are seeking
.ppiness and riches, instead of paying
eir debt" Il am the debtor" says the
e 4
e vainly seeking happiness who neglect
eir debt. Happiness, continued Rev.
r. Goodspeed, is by-produet flower
at always grows on the stalk of duty.
e stumble on happiness in the path OF
Ity. The way to find it is to live for
Q best things Search for it in the sat-
faction of service. Found there 1t
axes happiness, as many know, seem
.e tinsel bauble. After all, the guess
m is not one of happiness. not of sue
IS of the material kind but How have
met life, its temptations, its sorrows,
its opportunities 2" That is the SUI
sme question. In heaven the temple
IL have is the temple you are.
The apostles talked about their debts.
is an obsession to talk about our
hts. Crimes and iealousies and self
ness are ntHlHu oul Ndih dbtht hAt
hts The saloon keeper says that the
tie has given him a license to sell fire
ter, and he is exerting only his rights
selling il. Even the war had its in
tion in declaration that a certain
pile must have its rights. its place in
sun, and its place on land and sea.
l and His Bible never talk about
hts, but of opportunities. Of debts. OF
ones and crowns and consummations-
IS the spirit Of altruism and not ego
n that is going TO count. not what
] do for myself but what can | do
others The preacher said that We
much to our neighbors. even to Ger
~. now an outcast nation, wandering
a parasite upon the face Of ths
Ii. That nation gave us Goethe, Lu-
+. Schiller. Handel and Others. even as
derive much that is good in the world
4 England. France. Italy and even
sia-Russia with the ideslism that
ilv mastered her.
sncluding. the pastor said: He gives
Z who gives himself Give gifts that
you sonnet hing. that mean sacrifice,
not gifts that are easily spared Re-
iber tbe scripfural message. 7 am the
or. Remember that y0u are the