TUB SUNDAY ' OREGOXTAX,- PQRTliAND, SEPTEMBER -29, 1918.
CAPTURE OF NAZARETH BE THEME OF PASTORS
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' Rally Day Will Be; Observed in All Sunday Schools City-Wide Love Feast Takes Place at Auditorium.
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HE recent capture of Nazareth, byito the local history of the church as
the array led by General Allenby.
releasing- from the Turks' rule the
city In which Christ spent part of hi
life, will be the subject of the area
est number of sermons from Portland
pulpits today. The capture of Naza
reth touches Christian sentiment only
a little less than the oaptu-e of
Jerusalem in the early part of the
year and It Das been seized by th
clergy as an sot illustration of the
righteousness of the allied cause.
lially day will be observed in all
Sunday schools today. The opening
of the school year is followed by a re
newed Interest In church life. Sunday
school classes will be reorganized to
day and elaborate programmes given
to observe the beginning of the year's
work.
The annual conference of clergy and
laymen of the Oregon Methodist
churches has been of paramount inter
est in church circles for the past week.
Bishop W. O. Shapard. of Wichita, an
eloquent speaker of wide note, has
presided at all sessions of the con
ference. giving several noteworthy ad
dresses. The chorus of the Kimball
college of theology of Salem, unde
the direction of Rev. H. N. Aldrlch
has given a musical programme at
each session of the conference, which
has been held at the First Methodist
cbunhJ
Today a clty-wlde old-fashioned love
feast will be held at the Cttx Auditor
ium at 9 A. II.. and Rev. Joshu
Stansfield, pastor of the First Pre
byterian Church, will preside. At 10:30
this morning Bishop Shepard will de
liver a. sermon' at the Auditorium.' at
which all Methodist congregations of
the city will be in attendance.
All choirs will combine in a grand
chorus, which will be led by J. P. Mc
Fall, with Mrs. Gladys Morgan Farmer
as organist. The conference will close
with a . business session tomorrow
rooming. Following is the programme
lor this afternoon and tomorrow:
Today's Pregnaasae.
1:00 P. M. In First Church, ordlna
tlon of deacons and elders and conse
cration of deaconesses a great and
real evangelistic hour In charge of
Us bop Shepard. .
7:00 P. M. In First Church. song
service; J. C. Spencer, leader.
7:30 P. M. Anniversary of the Board
of Conference Claimants, Hiram Gould
presiding. Address. Dr. J. B. Hingeley,
. corresponding secretary Board of Con
ference Claimants. Chicago.
1:30 P. M. Anniversary of the Board
of Temperance. Prohibition and Public
Morals. C C. Rarick presiding. Ad
dress, Dr. Clarence True Wilson, cor
responding secretary Board of Tern
peraoce. Prohibition and Public Morals,
Washington. D. C
The committee recommends that Kp-
worth Leaguers and members keep
the home fires burning" by having es
pecially strong Epworth League meet
ings and evangelistia preaching serv
Ices In each of our churches Sunday
night. -
Monday's Programme.
J .30 A. M. Devotional service. Ad
dress by Bishop Shepard.-
a 9:00 A. M Business session of the
Conference. Adjournment some time
during the day.
The Kimball Chorus, Rev. H. N.' Al
drlch. director, and Miss Ruth Field.
organist, will be present during the
Conference. Chairmen of the various
anniversaries will please arrange with
the Rev. H. X. Aldrlch. Leslie Church,
Salem, for such special numbers as
they may wish.
Final Sermon to Be Preached
in Old Church.
Dr. H lasaa Officiates Today for Last
Time la Prrsemt Bonding.
pODA" will be the last Sunday the
X membens of the East Side Baptist
denced Its lack of room for a church
on Fast Twentieth and Ankeny streets.
The present edifice a year ago. evi
denced Its lack og room for a church
which doubled its membership durlpg
the first year of Dr. Hinson's ministry
and a new place of meeting has been
provided In the large and handsome
stone temple on East Twentieth and
Salmon streets, which will be centered
October S.
In consequence of the changed meet
ing place Dr. Hinson will preach his
last morning sermon from the theme,
"The Right and Wrong Uses of the
Past." -The sermon will have reference
well 'as to the general fact that the
past is universally capable of proving
a blessing or a bane.
This evening, the subject for the last
sermon in the old church will be 'The
House Not Made With Hands."
The ordinance of believer's baptism
will be administered in this churph
at both services. Nearly 10 new mem
bers have identified themselves with
this church during the present month.
Services begin at 11 and 7:45 with Sun
day school at 9:45 and the Young Peo
ple's Union service at 6:10.
Temperance Worker to Talk
at First Christian.
"Prohibition and tke War" Subject
f Moralng Scmoa, '
CHORUS OF THE KIMBALL SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AT SALEM WHICH IS PROVIDING THE MUSICAL
' PROGRAMME AT EACH SESSION OF THE METHODIST CONFERENCE.
OLIVER W. STEWART, of Chicago,
representative , of the Flying
Squadron and a former member of the.
Illinois Legislature, will speak at the
First Christian Church,? Park and Co
lumbia, this morning al o'clock. Mr.
Stewart has been one of the foremost
leaders and orators in the temperance
work of America and his many Port
land friends will be glad to avail them
selves of the chance to bear him on
Mils occasion.'
His theme this morning will be "Pro
hibition and the War." In the evening
at 7:45 the pastor, the Rev. Harold H.
Griffls, will have for his sermon.-sub-
Ject, "The Minister in the Market
Place." The ordinance of Christian
baptism will be administered at the
close of the evening worship.
Sunday will be promotion day in the
Bible School and pupils have been urged
to be in their places at 9:45 A. M. to
receive certificates of - graduation and
ral3 for their Robert Ratkes diplomas.
The Sunday School W6rkers" Union
will meet Thursday, October 3, at the
White Temple. Luncheon will be
served promptly at noon and the nfem
bers are asked to bring sandwiches.
cake and fruit for two. The pro
gramme will begin at 2 o'clock and
will include talks, on "The Cradle Roll,"!
by Mrs. Mary Tobey; "Beginners," Mrs.
C. A. Mordeir. and "Round Table," by
Airs. M. B. Meacham.
'Old Age, Its Cause and Cure," will
be Dr. Beth Northlngton's subject this
evening at the New Civilization Church,
407 Tilford building, Morrison at Tenth
treet. Wednesday evening Dr. North
Ington will speak on "The Vibratory
Key to Lite." ,
'A-:' &
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Readlna- From Left to Right, Top Rorr F-arl B. Catton, Taomas D. Tarnea, M. A. Marey, C. L. Dark, C. M. Keefer. F.
Rorstoa. Alfred Bates. Lower Row X. Aeaesea. A. r. Jlanaen, ansa K.ntk Jf lria, . Aecompanisii . a. Aiancn,
Director Professor E. S. Hammond, E. G. Raatoaut ' . " i
Rev. Warren Morse, pastor of Atkln
son Memorial Congregational Church,
will tell the story of Nazareth, recently
captured by General ' Allenby, and Its
connection with the life of Christ. Rev.
Mr. Morse will illustrate his talk with
stereopticon slides.
This morning, in line with the re
newal 'of the church school, year as
well as public schools. Rev. Mr. Morse
will speak on the modern use of the
Bjble and the unequaled place It holds
today in 'the lives, of men.
The Third United Brethren Church,
at Sixty-seventh street and Thirty-sec-
nd avenue Southeast, will observe
Rally day in the Sunday school today.
A program me will be rendered and the
pastor will give a short address on the
value of the Sunday School to a Com
munity." In--the evening the pastor
will speak on the subject, "How Great
Waa Man Loved?"
.-
.No services will be held this morning
t the Hamilton chapel owing to the
absence of the pastor, F. J. Eppling.
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Rev. J. E. Thomas, pastor of the Cal
vary Baptist Church, will have for his
ubject at the 11 o'clock service today.
Why Is Church-going a Weariness?"
Sunday school Is at 9:50 A. M.
This evening at 8 o'clock a patriotic
service will be held and Corporal B. J.
Copp, of the Canadian army, will speak
n his war experiences.
Rev. W. E. Brlnkman, pastor of St.
James' Lutheran Church, Jefferson and
West Park streets, will preach this
morning on "Calling Out the Reserves."
This evening his subject will be "By
Their Fruits." Sunday School meets at
A. .M. and the Luther League at 7
M. Women of the church meet all
day Thursday In the church parlors for
Red Crosa sewing. m
Dr. A. It. Hutchison, of Piedmont
Presbyterian Church, was called to
Salem on Friday to officiate at the
urial of Chief Justice Frank A. Moore.
This Is Rally Day at First
- Presbyterian Church.
Memorial for Late Emersoa Dnaeaa
Feature of Prognrmnie.
rf"HIS is rally day at the First Pres-
X byterian Church, Twelfth and
Alder streets. The outstanding event
of the day will be the rally day ex
erclses of the' Sunday school at 12:15
o'clock in the church auditorium. This
service will take the form xf a memo
rial for Emerson Duncan, who died
recently in France from wounds re
ceived in action. Duncan was an ac
tive member - of this Sunday school,
and took part In the rally day pro
gramme last year. The programme
follows: ' -v
-:
Song "Amsrica."
Prayer Ttw superintendent.
Rollcall of classes.
Announcements and offering. '
Bong "The New America." '
Unveiling .of photograph of Emerson Dun
can, Dr. John H. Boyd:' "Emerton Duncan
as a iign ncnoot biuaent, ' m. m, Bcnwers
trauber; "Emerson Duncan as a Member of
My Sunday 8chooI Class." B. A. Thaxter;
"Emarson-Duncan as a Patriot," James F.
Ewlng. . . '.
Patriotic prayer exercise, group of inter
mediate pupila.
Hong ' Crusaders tor rreaaom."
At the conclusion of the service the
honor roll will be read for perfect
Summer atendance fend medals dis
tributed. ' .'..''
At the church services, both morn
ing and evening, the pastor. Rev. John
H. Boyd, will preach. In the morn
ing at 10:30 the subject will be "Atti
tudes Under the Strain of Life: A
Word to the Weary." In the evening
at 8 o'clock Dr. Boyd will preach on
"What the Times Are Demanding ofi
the Church: An ExplanaUpn and a
Programme.".. The evening service will
be preceded by an organ' recital by
Edgar E. Coursen from 7:45 . to 8
o'clock.
Dr. Angela L. Ford Warren has- re
turned from her Summer vacation
spent at Long Beach, Cal., and will
reorganize the work of the Warren
Bible class for young women next
Sunday, October (, at 12 o'clock, imme
diately following the -morning service.
At 4 o'clock in room: E of the church
house will be held the first Fall meet
ing of the vesper elass, composed of
young men and women. Anvexcellent
programme wU be rendered by the
Warren vesper orchestra, "led by Miss
Gertrude Hoeber, who has recently re
turned from a year's study in New
York City. Following the programme
refreshments will be served and an In
troduction social will be the main fea
ture of the "Friendship Circles." All
young people are cordially invited to
be present and enjoy this homelike
atmosphere with ' Christian fellowship
Dr. John H. Boyd and James F.
Ewlng will address the class.
Rev. R. W. Rogers will preach a
special service this morning at Cavalry
Presbyterian Church on "The Taking
of Nazareth For Thirty Years the Home
of Christ." Rev. Mr. Rogers will dis
cuss the significance of General Allen
by's victory as reported in the press
and will speak of the city as it was and
as it is today. '
At the evening service at S o'clock",
Rev. Mr. Rogers will speak on "The Di
vine Right of Kings to Govern Wrong."
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The first of a series of revival meet
ings will be held at the chapel, of the
Church of God,. Union avenue and. Fail
ing, street, this morning at 11 o'clock.
Rev. Martin Olson, of Centralia, will
conduct the meeting, and Rev, Mr- Neal,
pastor of the church, will lead the sing
ing. Revival tneetlngs will be held at
the chapel every evening at 8 o'clock.
Evangelist Dickson to Lec
ture Tonight, at 8. r
"After the War Whatf" Teple (
Address at Cbristeasea's Hall.
VANGELIST I K. DICKSON, of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church, will
give a free public lecture on "After the
War What?" at Christiansen's hall.
Eleventh, street, -between Morrison and
Yamhill, tonight at 8 o'clock. This lec
ture will be built upon prophecies of
the Bible written at different Intervals
in the history of God's people, some
going back as far as 2500 years ago,
which the evangelist will show to be
relating jto-our day. These, lectures are
for the public and are given under the
auspices of the Portland Seventh-Day
Adventist churches. Special music has
been arranged for this lecture. Ques
tions of interest generally on any Bible
topic will be answered cheerfully from
the platform by Mr. Dickson.
Annual Report Shows Work
of Deaconess Home.
Huadreda of Calls Made la Behalf
of Suffering Humanity.
M
ISS NELLIE CURTISS, superintend-
Home, made the following interesting
report of the years work at the Dea
coness' anniversary, held at the session
of the annual Methodist conference
Wednesday afternoon.
"We are very grateful for the Inter
est and financial help given to our
work. We can report for the Deacon
ess Home a year of much activity, with
some results, shown by figures, ,but
greater results to be left with God.
"So many people ask, 'Now, -just what
does a deaconess do? I shall read the
yearly report that you may gain some
idea of the work.
"Calls of all kinds, 7212; canvassing
calls, 781; parish. 4319; sick, 1065; busi
ness, 1045; letters and postals, 875; lit
erature distributed, 988; families given
relief, 207; persons given relief, 802;
garments distributed, 8727; money
spent, S222.65; bouquets distributed,
212; number of persons taught in Sun
day school, 3646; Junior League, 1019;
missfon and Bible study, 229;, hours
spent nursing, 2276; persons nursed,
114; meetings attended, 2174."
Rev. H. Edward Mills, founder and
leader of the Realization League, will
preach at the Realizations rooms,- 186
Fifth street. His subject at 11 A. M.
is "Vital but Neglected Truths"; at 8
P. M.. "Action and the Actor Behind
It." During the morning service a chil
dren's church for- the little people is
conducted by Miss Margaret Thomas.
An original hymn will be sung at the
morning service, entitled "Trie Message
of the Silence. The words are by Mrs.
Julia Schaefer and the music by Mr.
M1U3.
Our Savlprs Lutheran Church will
hold .services . in English at 11 A. M.
Rev. M. A. Christensen, pastor of the
church, will include an appeal for a
generous support of the liberty loan In
his sermon. . ' (
Rev.' Clara G. Esson, of Forest Grove,
state superintendent of Bible schools,
will occupy the pulpit at the morning
service at the East Side Christian
Church, East Twelfth and Taylor.
"Heart or Brain" will be the subpect
of the evening sermon, when the pas
tor, Rev. R. H. Sawyer, will speak.
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The semi-annual conference of the
elders of the Church, of Latter Day
Saints will be held today at 810 East
Madison street. Melvin J. Ballard, pres
ident,, and missionaries of the Oregon
conference will be in. attendance, and
reports will be made on the progress
of work In 'different pa,rts of the state.
Sjinday school will begin at 10 A. M.,
followed by an open meeting of the
conference at 11:46.- A special service
will be given at 7:80 this evening.
. '
Scandinavian services will be held to
day In the Vancouver Methodist Church
at 3 o'clock. Rev. John Ovall will preach
the sermon and special music will be
given. '
Rally day will be observed at the
Highland Baptist Church and Sunday
school today. Graduation' exercises
will be held by the primary and Junior
grades. The rally service will be held
at 11 o'clock, when the cantata, "The
Flag of the Cross," will be sung by
the school. The Young People's Union
will hold rally services at 7 o'clock this
evening, followed by an evangelistic
service.
Wilhelm Pettersen, on "Life Sacrificed
and Life Gained," and after the service
a dinner will.be served in the church
parlors by the Young People's Society.
The dinner is free, to all soldiers at
tending the service.
Is Christ a Tribal God?'
Sunday Sermon Topic.
Church of Oar Father Active in Be
half of Soldiers.
Two "Liberty Get-Together"
Meetings to Be Held.
Major T. A. Mills Speaks at - First
Congregational Church Today.
Christ a Tribal God will be
Rev. William G. Eliot, Jr.'s, sub
ject this Sunday morning at 11 o'clock
at the Church of Our Father.Broadway
and Yamhill. The sermon will analyze
the Hohenzollern religion and give the
fundamentals of a universal religion.
The free kindergarten and kitchen
garden has resumed, meeting In the
chapel Saturdays at 2 P. M directed by
Miss Lolita Holmes and assistants. The
reading-room- is open until 9:30 P. M.
The Church of Our Father Bulletin for
October will be issued October 8. Mon
day evening is "Church of Our Father
evening" at Irvlngton Club for work in
the sphagnum moss. Friday is "W om
en's Alliance day" at the Worcester
building in the same work.
An interesting and inspiring series of
Bible messages will be given hr the
Rev. G. D. Watson, D. D., of Los An
geles, Cal., In the Gospel Tabernacle,
East Ninth and Clay.streets, from Sep
tember 29 to October 6 inclusive.
The general theme will be "With
Christ in the Rapture." Today at 11
A. M. the subject will be, "The First
Resurrection"; at 2:30 P. M., "The
Rapture," and at 7:30 P. M., "The Judg
ment of the Saints."
From Monday to Friday, at 7:45 each
evening, kindred subjects will be dealt
with.
Mount Tabor Presbyterians
Hold Rally Today.
All-Day Programme Opens With a
Sunrise Prayer Meeting.
mODAT is rally day for all depart-
JL ments of the Mount Tabor Presby
terian Church. The programme for the
day begins with a. sunrise prayer meet
ing at 7 A. M.. which will lst 30
minutes, conducted by the Christian
Endeavor societies. A Sunday school
rally and promotion of classes will take
place at 9:45 A. M., and a church rally
will be held at 11 A. M.. at which time
the Rev Ward W. MacHenry will
preach on "The Challenge of This Day
to Our Church,"
A union meeting and rally of the In
termediate and Senior Christian En
deavor societies will be held at 7 P. M.,
and an evangelistic rally is scheduled
for 8 o'clock.- The day s programme
will close with a consecration prayer
service at 9 o'clock
Church Night occurs on Thursday,
when a dinner is served in the church
parlors at 6:30 o'clock, followed by a
meeting of the teacher training com
mittees at 7:15 and the mid-week serv
ice at 8 o'clock.
Lutheran soldiers ,are cordially in
vited to attend the morning service to
day in the Bethlehem Norwegian Luth
eran Church, Fourteenth street, be
tween Couch and Davis streets. There
will be communion beginning at 10:45
A. M.
English sermon by the pastor. Rev.
A "LIBERTY get-together meeting"
at the First Congregational
Church, Park and Madison streets, will
be held this morning at 10:30 and this
evening at 7:45. "The Damnation of
the Kaiser" Is the subject upon which
Major T. A. Mills will speak in the
morning and "Fiddles and Fortunes"
will be his subject. In the evening. Ma
jor Mills, who was in the Congrega
tional ministry before entering the serv
ice in connection with the Spruce
Plane Division, was to have been pas
tor of the First Congregational Church
of Denver.
A big part of this patriotic Sunday
will be the music under the direction
of IUcien E. Becker, organist and direc
tor. The personnel of the choir is as
follows: Mrs. Dudley Clarke, soprano;
Miss Beatrice Palmer, contralto; Ray
mond V. McKalson, tenor; W. E. Rob
inson, baritone. The Bible school will
begin Fall and Winter work in earnest
with a great rally at noon to which
all are Invited and urged to be present.
The pastor of the Highland Congre
gational Church, Rev. Edward Con
stant, announces sermons for today of
practical value and present-day inter
est. In the morning he preaches on "A
Religion for the Times." In the even
ing there will be a stirring song serv
ice followed, by an address, "Beware of
Camouflage."
Sunday school will be held at 11
o'clock this morning and services are
scheduled for 8 o'clock this evening at
Universal Messianic Church, 414 East
Everett street.
This morning at 11 o'clock the Com
forter Truth Center will hold union
services with Rev. William R. Reece at
the University Club on Jefferson street
and Broadway. Rev. Mr. lteece will talk
on "The Spiritual Significance of the
Fourth Liberty Loan."
In the evening at 8 o'clock Rev. Mr.
Reece will speak under the auspices of
the Comforter Center in the assembly
roorn of the Portland Hotel. His subject
will 'be "Unconditional Surrender as
Applied to Natural and to Spiritual
Warfare." During the week the Tues
day Bible class at 3 P. M., and the
Thursday healing meeting at 8 o'clock
will be held as usual.
m m
At the Rodney Avenue Christian
Church. Rodney and Knott street.
Evangelist Fagan, who has been as
sisting the pastor, Rev. J. F. Ghormley,
in a series of meetings during the past
few weeks, will deliver his closing mes
sages Sunday as follows: 11 A. M., "The
Ultimate Test of Our Christianity," and
"The Sin Against the Holy Spirit." Mrs.
Fagan will sing "O Ye of Little Faith,"
and "I Want to Go There."
The Anabel Presbyterian Church ex
tends a cordial invitation today to the
neighborhood to which it ministers to
hear W. G. Asher, evangelist. Rev. Mr.
Asher will preside at a series of meet
ings which will begin today and con
tinue for two weeks.
. Sellwood Spiritualist Church of the
Soul services will be held In Strahlman
Hall, corner. Spokane and Thirteenth
streets, today at 3 P. M., conducted by
local mediums. At 5 P. M. circles will
be held. At 8 P. M., L. D. Norris will
lecture on "A Solid Foundation." fol
lowed with messages by Mrs. M. Barber.
At Sunnyslde Congregational Church,
East Taylor and East Thirty-second
streets. Rev. J. J. Staub will hold serv
ices at 11 A. M. and 7:45 P. M. Sunday
school will be held at 9:45 A. M., Junior
Christian Endeavor at 3 P. M., Inter
mediate Christian Endeavor 6:30 P. M.,
senior Christian Endeavor 6:15 P. M.
Subjects of sermons are: Morning, "The
Glorious Hope of the Gospel," and eve.
nlng, "The Gospel in War Tlmes."
m
Rev. Robert Murray Pratt, pastor of
Pilgrim Congregational Church, has
chosen for his subject this morning.
Meditation, the Path to Power." This
evening he will preach on "The Game
of Life."
JOURNEY OF LIFE IS MADE IN SHORT STAGES, SAYS PASTOR
, ' ' Dr. John H. Boyd, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, DeUvers . Stirring:-Message to Congregation.
BT REV. JOHN H. BOYD.
Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church.'
" Gen ixl:li: "Oh. Lord God of my mas
ter. Abraham, sead mo sood speod tnts day."
THE picture presented to us Is rich
In Oriental form and color. .The
text Is a superscription' to this
picture. ' ri
The. trusted servant, Ellezer, has
crossed great mountains and lone des
erts, and now camps, with, his caravan
beside a well of water.. He has come to
bis destination the land of the kins
men ot his master. He Is seeking a
wife for Isaac The success of his mls
. iion is uncertain. There is a great
delicacy in the situation. Momentous
issues hang upon what he accomplishes.
Realizing the inadequacy of his own
iT isdora and appreciating the complex
- ity of his duty, he lifts up bis soul at
the beginning of. the day. and cries:
"Oh. Lord God of my Master Abraham,
send me good speed this day!"
I take Eliezer to.be a business man.
standing at tbe beginning of bis day's
journey, looking across the unknown
hours which' Tie between him and the
setting of the sun. earnestly facing the
difficulties and . responsibilities which
inevitably arise,' and then commending
himself unto the guidance of the great
God who cares for his earthly, children.
I am speaking to you this morning
of a day's Journey In the life of a busi
' jesi man. The Journey of life is made
in short stages. Every 'night-is the
ten! Ing time ofter the short day's
travel. - Tbe tasks of lite come not to us
In massive bulk, but are given in infin
itesimal Installments. The duties, the
weitrhty responsibility and exactions
af life, the Joys and the sorrows, which
constitute the contents of life, are all
brought to us. little things, one by one,
by the toiling hours. It is the mass of
these little things which, constitutes
the bulk of our life.
Every day is a little life, and every
life is but the repetition of a single
day. Tbe problem of the whole is the
' problem of the part. The possibility
of taking each day and making it full
and true and good demonstrates the
possibility of making all life a bar
mony and a glory. i
I am addressing you who : are ac
complishing the great journey of lite'
by these little stages of . dally, living,
and I come to commend unto you three
things which you are to bear, with you
m yon start in the morning for tne
dj'j Journey across the unknown
huus. Jbe Xir ja, a sacred set, Joe
second is. a great thought. The third,
a noble Ideal.
The sacred act is the simple act of
morning prayer, when at the beginning
ot the unknown, untried day, you com
mend yourself to the help and guid
ance f the unseen Maker and Father.
"Oh, Xord God of my Master Abraham,
send me good speed this day!"
Whatever may be the difficulties as
sociated with the Question of prayer,
the crjr for help out of human need,
whatever its subtleties this fact is
not open to dispute, that where a man
earnestly and reverently enters into a
hushed silence, invoking the presence
of the enfolding spirit of the divine,
and lays his burden of anxiety and the
vast issues which belong to life before
Almighty God, he comes .out of that
hour strengthened and calmed. There
Is no question about that.
Henry Drummond emphasizes again
and again the truth that five minutes
spent in sweet companionship with the
unseen Christ or two minutes, if he
be face to face and heart to heart
changes the whole day. Every thought,
every feeling becomes .different.
. Men of work, men of responsibilities,
whatever may be the exactions of your
life, liowever crowded your day's
schedule may be, you cannot afford to
begin the day's journey without open
ing the mystical avenues of your spir
itual self to the presence and the
helpfulacontact of the enfolding spirit
of God.
This cry oat of the heart sanctifying
the individual life Is but a preparation,
a precuior of a ministry which be
longs to every man In the sacred pre
cincts of bis own home, to bring -the
family circle Into the presence of the
unseen Lord and God of all. Men, there
is a duty of priesthood belonging unto
you which you cannot escape. Every
child has the right .to . see his' father
minister at the altar of the home in
the simple act of devotion. The homes
of America today are needing that
hushed, separate hour, when the fa
ther, in the -attitude of invocation,
brings down the atmosphere of sanc
tity, as he cries- out, "Oh, Lord God,
give us good speed thlsv-day!" .
I know-the pressure of the morning
hour. I know how unaccustomed to
the attitude 'and to the words of prayer
you men are, bht if you realize the
duty and sanctity, of your position
within the home, there are 'many de
vices and many words in the Bible
which can be simply used,. If I were
the head of a prayerless home, from
this hour 1 would take such words as
these from the 143d Psalm, beginning
with lt eighth verse, and .would bang
them upon tne walls of the dining-room,
where, before the meal is eaten, the
family might lift up their voices to
gether and say this:
"Cause me to hear thy loving kind
ness in the morning, for in thee do I
trust. Cause 'me to know the .way
wherein I should walk, for I lift up
soul unto thee. Deliver me, O Lord,
from mine enemies. 'I flee unto thee
to hide me. Teach roe to do thy will,
fr thou art my God. Thy spirit ' Is
good: lead me into tbe land of up
rightness." Let that prayer breathe across the
table. Let it fall into the hearing and
Into the hearts of your children. Or
else take our Presbyterian "Book of
Common Worship" and from its pages
read a brief prayer, or even repeat
the words of Robert Louis Stevenson
at Vailima.
Oh, men, you who are going down
along the . trying ways of stress and
temptation,- where every hour Is a
temptation for you to forget- the di
vine values of yourself and your life
and tbe spiritual realities of the uni
verse, how dare you enter upon the
great issues "of each day. how dare
you attempt -to meet the', burdens and
the stress, without that cry out of
your heart which came from the lips
of Eliezer: "Oh, Lord God of my Mas
ter Abraham, send me good speed this
day!" ThJs is the sacred act which 1
commend to you.
The second thing which I want you
to carry through the day's journey is
a great truth, a great thought. The
Psalmist standing yonder in his Syrian
environment, with the roasslye moun
tains and their eternal serenity about
him. or looking along the distant, shlnvTliness.
terprUes- of man, nothing comparable
in value with a single individual soul!
That's the great thought I want you
to take with you. When you - have
crossed the threshold of your home,
after you have sanctified yourself and
your family in the sacred act of prayer,
you are to hold the thought that there
will be nothing In all tha day's round,
no sucoess, no failure, no enterprise,
ho contract, no- profit, no gain, no ex
pectation, no enlargement inothing
that is comparable to the worth - and
dlvineness of your own Individual per
sonality. That you yourself are the
greatest thing in all tbe world around
you!
Why-are you great? Why this infi
nite valuation? ItVt because of what
is taking place in the spiritual, im
moral self! With all its mystical pro
cesses of growth, of ascension and ac
cumulation, with all these possessions
of thought and feeling and willing and
accomplishment, which make your life
and mine character is forming. I want
you to see that that business woid into
which you are descending each morn
ing is in its last analysis a maker or an
un maker of manhood. Yon molder,
dealing with the molten Iron, who has
cunningly shaped his matrix and pours
the liquid stuff to take form, Is not
more surely determining the destiny
of his iron than you, as you go down
into your business world, are being
molded into shape of character by the
things that you meet with, the influ
ences that ply you, the choices that
you make, the things that you accom
plish. Your business Is a mold into
which your living self is being nodred,
to be shaped Into manliness or unm&n-
n erins horizons of the desert, or ' at
.night up where tho stars hung in the
halr-murainated abysses or the Syrian
sky, -cried out. as he felt tha littleness,
the insignificance of man: "What la
man that thou art mindful of him?"
So we. in these days, when geology has
given infinite scope to the horizons of
thought, when the telescope has opened
up the unsearched depths of the uni
verse, as we "realize tbe stupendous
forces acting'around us. eel ourselves
to be but motes. Infinitesimal things,
on the great currents of the universe,
or blown about by wind breathing-out
of chaotic blackness. The individual
seems an insifmiflcant thing. What are
wr In this Infinite universe of God?
The Psalmist discovered that God had
clothed the individual with glory and
honor and power; and we too should
find out that in all the universe there
1j nothing, .in that great world of busi
ness, nothing; among thee e massive ea-
From my remote point of view, man
of business, your world presents tragic
aspects. How my heart often groans
as I look out upon tbe places where
you are, and see the awful 'waste of
life. Some move on to greatness and
success of character, while others have
been cast, broken and wrecked, upon
the shores of life. One has found the
competitions' of business too strenuous
for him. His own powers were not
competent in the world as it exists to
day. He has gone down to defeat. He
has turned sour. He Is embittered. All
the eternal harmonies of his nature are
broken. He has turned against his
God and his brother man. He stands as
a rebel, breathing out bftter utterances
against .all society and all success. Is
it not a tragedy, for a man to be over
whelmed in that way?
Here there is another man, who, ven
turing to win success at any price, has
honor, his purity, his brotberlineis, hjs
kindness. He has squeezed all the sweet
juice of his nature out and left himself
hard and cold and withered. And when
he' finds his chance, he plays the game
roughly and unjustly. His soul has
,gone from him.
There is another man, who has cast
aside the affection of his wife, the love
of his children, tho confidence of
friends, and all the finer values of life
his love of art, his capacity for po
etry and beauty has thrown them all
upon the counters of gain. He has won,
but in the midst of his amassed fortune
he is a shrunken, shriveled- personality.
No one has any interest in him for
what he is, but only for the things that
he possesses. That is failure. Char
acter has been sacrificed, and character
is everything. -
In your world-of business, when a
proposition is put up to you, you say,
"What am I going to get out of this?"
Do you dare to ask that question of
me? Then I answer: There is but one
thing that you are getting out of your
business. All the transactions of to
morrow, all the -profits of the year, all
the coupons or your holdings, all the
contracts that have been signed1, all the
interests 'which have accumulated,
mean nothing but this that a char
acter has been made or- marred by it
all. That is all you are getting. That
Is the meaning of your life. Is it not
glorious to see a man who has traveled
across long days and has made the
the Journey well; has maintained the
Integrity of his selfhood, has grown to
largeness, has been ripened by his experiences-until
his strength Is so de
veloped that he can resist the tempta
tions of the world? Around him lie the
accumulated assets of manly power
call it acres, call it money, call it men
tal force, call it experience, call It
honor and position it means endow
ment and endowed personality. The in
dividuality raised to the high power of
selfhood and accumulated assets is the
noblest thing in the business world.
And it is a great thing to see a man
who. has so succeeded.
But It is just as fine a thing to see a
lowly man, whom the world never
looks upon with interest, nor sets him
at large valuation. His plans never
could be -wronght- out; his thinking
could - never reach far etrough, was
never clear enough: his energies were
never potent enough for him to suc
ceed. Life has disappointed him; plan
after plan has gone down; 'defeat after
defeat has come to his enterprises; and
yet in the midst of it all he has main
tained bis honor, be has kept his
sweetness, he touches his fellow men
with gentleness, every act Is kindly, and i
Just. That man, too, has succeeded.
Both have wrought, out a charactei
one upon the high places of worldly
honor and recognition and success, and
the other in the lowly places of failure
Both have succeeded in making a life
Let us look at the third 'thing: a
noble Ideal, the ideal of a tender, help
ful life. I have known business men
who have felt that they were under
limitations, preventing them from the
best service in the world. I have
heard men wish that they had turned
to the ministry as a place of unselfish
endeavor. They look at some college
president, or head of some institution.
or turn toward. the avenues and places
of reformation and envy men whose
walk Is in these. wide, open places of
helpfulness.
But, men of business, I as a minister,
that president of a college, yonder
earnest reformer, have no such oppor
tunity as yourself to do good in the
world. I often regret that my ministry
is not in such intimate contact with
the world's needs and the opportuni
ties of helpfulness as the life of the
ordinary business man. You have the
opportunity of manifesting your faith
la revealing worthy living In its nor
mal and most winsome form. You can
lift yourself above the sordid ambitions
of life, febove the common lower mo
tives that animate most men. You
have the opportunity to see and to De
spise and escape from the men selfish
ness which marks the business
world; to touch men with gentleness
and kindliness. ' There is not an hour
la the. day when such opportunities are
npt presenting themselves to you. You
can manifest forth the Christian life as
a, minister cannot do it. or as a re
former cannot do it, or as a head of a
college cannot do it.
The faith of men in God and human
ity is not created in the sanctuary,
under the touch of the minister's dis
course.-It is fashioned and strength
ened, or else marred and broken in the
places where men are living their com
monplace business lives.
It was my privilege to enjoy the
friendship of a noble Christian man,
Robert Scott. 'At the. funeral, while the
body was being placed in the hearse,
I stood beside a young man, an em
ploye. He was deeply moved. Tears
were flowing down his cheeks. I "ald.
You. knew Mr. Scott well and his go
ing is a loss to you?" "Oh, yes," he
said. "I am only a common clerk, but
It was easy to do right with him sitting
in the office." Isn't that a splendid
thrown upon the counters of trade his
tribute? "It was easy to do right with
him. Bitting ia nis orfice.'i 4 ; j
It 13 said that the face of Edward
Simmons carried the Ten Command
ments in every feature.
The opportunity Is yours to use your
wealth, to consecrate your trained pow
ers and Invest your endowed personal
ity In the work of uplifting endeavor.
The business man who dedicates him
self to that task is the highest type of
man.
It is a shame for a buBines man to
sit in his office and be asked for money
or to give himself to some worthy
cause. There is something better than
that, and that is for a man to realize
what he has become, how life has
grown strong and competent, and then
to assume the aggressive, to be con
structive, to invest himself and his
money for the good of the world with
out any man's begging or enticing or
coaxing.
Then there is the matter of sympathy,
the opportunity ot kindliness In a
world of defeat, where sore hearts are
everywhere about vou. where lonely
people are discouraged and almost ready
to give up the hard task or. living, you
meet them. They come to your desk,
they knock upon your office doors and
oftentimes you turn them aside; but
that opportunity of kindly human con
tact and helfulness is Sent from God.
You strong -business men should know
that youngr men Just startlnp out upon
the untrodden ways of ambition prize
a simple word of advice, a glance of
recognition or a handshake Irom you.
Do you give It?
Ruskln asks the question: "What are
fools made for, anyhow?" Then he turns
and says: "They were made for you
wise men to guide." The strength of
the strong was not given that he might
exercise nis powers ior seitisn ends,
but that he might provide for and sup
port the weak.
What are all or tne incompetent men
thronging the ways of life, the great
masses of unled, wandering children of
the earth? They are not competent to
think out their problems alone. They
are fools, but .they are responsibilities
upon your Intelligence and your kind
liness. This Is my message. Begin tomor
row's journey with the sacred act of
prayer. Go down upon the highway of
life with the great thought that you are
working out a character. Hold before
yourself the great ideal that the best
use of all your competent energy and.
acquired endowment is to drop words
and deeds of kindliness and helpfulness
into a lonely, tempted, sorrowing, fall
ing world.
"Oh, Lord God of Abraham, send these,
thy servants good epeed this dujj'i ,
1