THE PULPIT. A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY THE REV. RAIMUNDO DE OVIES. Subject: The True Religion. a oe > z PTT ne i " Birmingham, Ala.—The following impressive discourse entitled ‘The True Religion” was preached in St. Andrew’s Sunday morning by the Rev. Raimundo de Ovies. His text was: St. Luke xxi.; 3: “Of a truth I say unto you that this pcor widow hath cast in more than they all.” Mr. de Ovies said: Because relig- ion is a feeling, an intuition, an emo- tion, many well meaning people mis- take other emotions and feelings for this one ‘divine stirring of the heart.” There are some minds that can never be led to believe that religion must become an ordinary, common- piace and everyday matter with the true Christian. They look for some remarkable display of feeling, some- thing beyond and above the daily and hourly emotions of life, in order that they may feel certain of “having re- ligion.”’ = In other words, they look for romance, not commonpiace. ‘“What!’’ we can hear them ery; “do. you mean to say that when some powerful and eloquent preacher has stirred our hearts and made us real- ize the depth of degradation in which we have been living, until we turn with disgust from our past life, make unnumbered good resolutions and feel good all over, that we have not got religion? What more would you command? There dis only one thing which we could ask, and yet what a difficult test, “keep the feeling alive.” No man is a Christian who must be converted and baptized once a year. Religion is for a lifetime, not a day, or a week, or even a month or two. There is nothing more decepn- tive than the enthusiasm resulting from magnetic, eloquent preaching. The politician, the lawyer, even the infidel, all exercise this compelling power over an audience, and in no case does it give religion. Religion comes into the heart from no man, it comes from God Himself. It is true, indced, that God uses human means, but when a soul is truly con- verted religious enthusiasm wells from the heart in a deep, quiet stream, not in-the bubbling, efierves- ~ cent spring of some momentary exal- tation. Such periods of excitement do seem to lift us outside the ordinary routine of life, and they have in them a touch of the romantic. But what really is romance, after all? It \ is merely the commonplace viewed from a distance. If any incident which excites our fancy and appears to be romantic were taken from the pages of one of our thrilling novels and introduced into our own lives we should look upon it as trouble, and what a deal of grumbling there would be. Don’t you see that this is true, and is not a romantic novel, simply the story of difficulties and trials overcome? There is this difference between a book and life: in a book petty details are left out and the ex- 0 citing events crowded together, one upon another. In life the petty de- taiis are all retained, and (in many cases) the thrilling passages omitted. When some of us sigh in our youth for stirring scenes and a part to play on life’s stage, which shall be full of thrilling adventures, such as we have read about in our favorite books, do we ever think about disaster to our- selves, and does the story not end happily? Yes, we all desire romance, but no trouble or hardship ever en-9 ters into the bargain. They are in- separable in the real business of life. So we see that Christianity is ro- mantic only in the true sense. It means trials and obstacles to be over- come. The very first requirement of ro- mance is courage, and here romance and Christianity agree. No coward was ever a Christian. There is no greater mistake in the world than to suppose that a Christian ‘must be a milksop, a poor, meek, wishy-washy creature, without stamina and with- out manhood. Among the heroes of history none were greater, none more glorious and godlike than the Chris- tian martyrs. They were not sup- ported by ambition, by the praise of men, nor the fear of ridicule, but calmly and with eyes that saw, with- out flinching, their doom, died for a feeling, that mysterious thing, faith. Pause a little, you who look with contempt upon the Christian life, and think which is the braver course, to float easily with the stream, to give unbridled way to base passions and weaknesses in our human hearts, to avoid the finger of scorn by joining the swelling ranks of the scoffers and the degraded, or that other path, to take the side of the minority, to bat- tle against cin, to acknowledge the standard of bonor and {reedom of conscience? Whoever conquers his besetting sin is man indeed. True religion, then, is brave as well as steadfast, but above all it is steadfast, it does not demand great sermons, it finds ‘‘sermons in stones.” It does not ask for great deeds to do, it is contented with its opportunities. Who shall say what things are small? Newton saw gravitation in the falling of an apple, and Galileo, watching the ~ lamp of a great cathedral vibrating from the movements of passing vehi- es, gave to the world the division time by means of the pendulum. Greatness lay in the minds of those two men who could grasp opportu- nity. So it is not the outward circum- stance but the heart which makes thinzs great or small. There are abundant opportunities for our be- coming heroic Christians. Oh, if we would only grasp them. We miss so much in this life, romance ard beauty, and all because we lack cour- age to do our duty. «. Duty is an ugiy word at first, yet within it lie all the best things of life. It is under the spell of that wicked fairy. the world, but it be- comes beautiful if we embrace it. Recall that story of your childinood, “Beauty and tne Beast.” You re- member how ugly the beast appearad to poor beauty. - Still, for the sake or her father’s life she embraced ig, wren, lo, a miracle, before a2r stands -.a Dan@zoms primce. So it is with: 1ife, duty, the daily task, the come monplace routine, when undertaken In the spirit of Christian faith takes the form of that; dear dream that lies in the heart of us all. Who would imagine anything he- roic in the act of that poor widow when she cast into an almsbox her two mites of copper? It took the gracious mind of Christ Jesus to point out to the -vorld the beauty of that insignificant deed. Yes, and as long as the world shall last and while the gospel is preached to erring man- kind, the greatness of a poor woman's heart, shall point out to the world a lesson of beauty and heroism that shall never die. 1 Why He Cobbled Shoes. A characteristic story is told about Dr. Carey, the pioneer missionary in India, who, before he left this coun- try, was a shoemaker, or rather, as he himself put it, a cobbler. He used to go about from village to village preaching, for his soul was filled with the love of God. One day a friend came to him and said, “Mr. Carey, I want to speak to you very seriously.” ‘“Well,” said Mr. Carev, “what is it?” The friend replied, “By your going about preaching as you do you are neglecting your busi- ness. If you only attended to your business more you would be all right, and would soon get on and prosper, but as it is you are simply neglecting vour business.” “Neglecting my business?” said Carey, looking at him steadily. “My husiness is to extend the Kingdom of God. I only cobble shoes to pay expenses.” “The Iron in God's Sand is Gold.” If one should give me a dish of sand, and tell me there were parti- cles of iron in it, IT might look for them with my eves and search for them with my clumsy fingers, and be unable to detect them, but let me take a magnet and sweep through it, and how it would draw to itself the most invisible particles by the mere power of attraction!” The unthank- ful heart, like my finger in the sand, discovers no mercies, but let the thankful heart sweep througn the day, as the magnet finds the iron so it will find in every hour some heav- enly blessings; only the iron ib Cod’s sand is gold.—Holmes. Winnowed Wheat. To enjoy prayer we must be used to it. It is the mission of Christianity to enlighten. What we make our trust in, God often makes our shame. God’s house is a necessity, not to Him, but to His people. Prayer should be pillared on prom- ises and pinnacled with praises. Religion presents few difficulties to the humble, many to the proud and insuperable ones to the vain. Good prayers never come weeping home. We may be sure we will re- ceive either what we ask or what we should ask. Why Not Now? Now is the favorable time. duty no better time shall come. De- lay may deprive us of power. ‘In- dulge in procrastination, and in time vou will come to this—that, because a thing ought to be done, therefore you cannot do it.”” Or, if we lose not power, the action loses worth. A child of fifteen was postponing ac- ceptance of Christ; she brought some flowers for one who would have been gladdened by them, but was told to wait about giving them .a few days until they had begun to wither.—Pa- cific Baptist. For a The True Education. ‘A true education—what is it? It is awakening a love for truth; giving a just sense of duty; opening the eyes of the soul to the great purpose and end of life. It is not teaching to be honest because ‘‘honesty is the best policy,” but because it is right. it is teaching the individual to love the good for the sake of the good; to be virtuous in action, because so in heart; to love and serve God su- premely, not from fear, but from de- light in His perfect character.——Way- land. That Which Endures. A gigantic tree, shorn of its branches — tall, siraight, majestic— but torn and shattered at the top as by a mighty lightning boit. In the distance it seemed like the ruins of an old, gray tower, and sug- gested some strong and kingly char- acter whose life, stripped and blasted by some cruel! blow, still stands in majestic loneliness, a witness to tne glory of what has been and to the strength of patient endurance. Ram’s Horn. The Joy of Age. If the joy of youtn has more fon and sparkle, the joy of age has great. er depth and substance. One is like the reflection of sunlight on the lumps of ore, where there is much dross mixed with the metal, the othexr like the glance of tempered steel which has been through the furnace and beiween the anvil and the ham- mer, and has come forth wholly fitted for the Master’s use.—1I. O. R. Use is the Test. = It is not having that makes men great. A man may have the largest abundance of God's gifts—of money, of mental acquirements, of power, of heart possessions and qualities; yet if he only holds and hoards what he has for himself he is not great. Men are great only in the measure in which they use wnat they have to bless others.—Rev. Dr. Miller. imi ee ina The Key to the Soul. A clean heart makes a pure face, clear, calm eye, a strong hand, a rest- ful soul and a cheerful spirit. The inside of a man will manifést itseit on the outside. The inside conients of the soul will leak out through the face, eyes, tongue and hands. in the lonz run we will fird out waatl is really within a man.—2Ram’s Hora. No Lcok Ahead. To most ien the stern light of a si mines only th2 trazk iv has pa Coleridge. men —— I Melon Was a “Peach” [ Seeks to Improve Race On the estate near Perm, in north- east Russia, of a wealthy man named Reshetnikoff, a singular marriage took place recently. The bridegroom, Vasilieff, was a handsome peasant, the bride a beautiful girl of 18. M. Reshetnikoff gave them a large wood- en cottage and a plot of land, and at the wedding breakfast greeted them as the second generation of his nurs- lings “who are to make of holy Rus- sia an earthly Olympus peopled with Apollos and Hebes.” At the time of the Russo-Turkish war M. Reshetni- koff, struck with the inferior, ill- nourished physique of many recruits, set aside annually out of his large for- tune 10,000 rubles for the purpose of eliminating the unfit by encouraging marriage only between young people of exceptional beauty, health and in- telligence. He employed as workers on his estate only the handsomest immensely and healthiest villagers. These he encouraged to enter upon matrimony by grants of land, payment of mar- riage fees and an annuity of fifty rubles a year for every child born. He removed from his estate all de- formed and sickly persons and at- tracted handsome ‘giants from all parts of the province by granting them valuable privileges. Those who refused to. marry the partners he selected were unceremoniously de- ported. Since the institution of his scheme forty marriages have taken place, and over 100 children have been born, nearly all of tnem being superior to the average Russian peasant children in strength and beauty. Vasilieff’s marriage was celebrated with exceptional display, he and his bride being the first’ couple both of whom sprung from unions arranged by M. Reshetnikoff. The Origin of “Kickers” Gustam is truly a connoisseur, and the culinary feats he can perform up- on a two-burner gas stove in his apart- ments is the wonder of his friends. He has been on the lookout for de- lectable delicacies potent to cool and refresh. The luxury that tickled his palate most was a watermelon that had been doctored with rum and claret and cooled to the freezing point. Inspired by this work of art, Gustam forthwith planned a surprise for a few of his friends. He procured a huge watermelon, the necessary rum and wine, and, in accordance with the re- cipe, stirred up a mixture, plugged the melon, poured in the liquid, in- serted the _plug and set the whole in the refrigerator to cool for two days. Then, summoning his friends, ne cut the melon. ; Before taking a bite himself, Gustam proudly awaited laudatory remarks and exclamations of praise. His friends ate in silence. Upon tasting his slice Gustam could detect but the faintest flavor of rum and wine. What had become of the two quarts of liquor he had put in? . Much mysti- fied, he explained the circumstances, but all the comfort he got was the accusation that he had been “stingy with the booze” and the admonition “tc put more in next -time.” As it was, however, they got away with half of the melon and then Gustam called the janitor and gave him the other half. An hour or so later the janitor's wife knocked at the door, and as she faced Gustam and his guests she be- gan with a great show of righteous wrath: “Misther Chus (hic) tum, wot did yez put (hic) in thot malon? Me ouid mon (hic), me ould mon—me ould mon (hic), ish down there yellin wid (hic) th’ jimjams! Oi wanta know whash yez put (hic) in thot— in thot malon! Ish ut a joke (hic) —a joke thot yez put up (hic) on um? Oi wanta know (hic)——" The truth dawned upon Gustam. By reason of the melon lying two days in one position the rum and wine had all settled in the lower end and he had given that end to the janitor.— New York Press. ex- be of “I believe that the origin of the pressive bit of slang ‘kickers’ may found in the very lowest form occupation any member of the human race follows,” Mr. W. M. Robinson states. “Between Wormsley's and St. Hel- en’s in Cornwall, is an underground canal connecting the lower levels of the coal mines at Wormsley’'s with the surface station at St. Helen's, which. saves. a great deal of money for the mine owners in handling the coal, which is simply loaded on the barges in the mines and transported by the canal under the mountains to the harbor at St. Helen's. When the danal was devised, however, how to provide for locomotion for these barges was a problem. “Mules couldn’t be used, and there were circumstances which made steam impossible, but an inventive genius finallv solved the riddle by sue- eal gesting that cross pieces of timber be placed along the roof of the canal, which sas very low, and men could iie on their backs on top of the leaded barges and ‘kick’ the along. After the barge was once started this was found to be feasible. The men could easily keep the load in motion by the means saggested, and it has ever since been in use. There is -no question about the low grade of this sort of work, and even the men who follow it are constantly ‘kicking’ around the villages where they live. They were known at the mines officially as ‘kickers’ because of their work, and their vocal complaints continually indulged in, caused every one at Wormsley’s or St. Helen's, no matter what their station or employ- ment, who indulged in complaints to be called ‘kickers.’ I presume that the origin of the word, as we use it, is just what I have suggested.”—St. T.onis Globe-Demaocrat vessel Odd and Fanciful Idea An odd and fanciful idea is advanc- ed by Zona Gale, writing for Outing, in which she gives her reason for her “discovery” as ‘the coming of Semi- ramis.” Now Semiramis is evidently a cute, furry little kitten, and so the owner of this dainty feline says: “It has long been my belief that fairies are the little souls of some- thing. At first I was puzzled to know of what, but since the coming of i Semiramis it is’ quite simple. Her mysterious amber eyes and lithe little body of furry silver have taught me the truth; fairies are the souls of all little kittens. And let only him deny this who can cast the first proof to the contrary! “1 say. let ‘him’ deny it; for what- ever is fragrant to believe and pleas- ant to preach about the kittens of the world, every woman is fain to accept and to repeat. How gladly, then, will she welcome such a fair doctrire as this concerning the kittens that have left the world! And if her own ‘little 1all and dainty sweet,” be still her daily companion, she has only to sit with it in her arms for an hour some night when the moon is full, to understand that to all strange, sweet influences and potent, hidden presences the reticent, eerie little creature is akin. Especially will she feel this if, as I irust every woman who loves a kitten knows, it has been named for some: beautiful dead lion, sn queen.” order. all we say is true. is free to you. you without charge. 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