Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1914 — Wednesday Evening at The Presbyterian Church. [ARTICLE]

Wednesday Evening at The Presbyterian Church.

“Freely ye have received, freely give,” were the words chosen for the text of the sermon delivered by Rev. Hoffman Wednesday evening. He said in part that these were words found in Christ’s charge to his disciples when he sent them forth to teach and work miracles of healing. He cautioned them that they should not expect reward or remuneration, but as they had freely received so were they freely to give. He had not bestowed this knowledge and power on them that they alone might be benefited but that they might bestow blessings on others. And so in proportion as God has given to us, so should we use these blessings to serve humanity. Nature all about us teaches this truth; the flower receives the sunshine, the rain and all the elements that contribute to make it a thing of beauty. The bird is given the power of song, not that it may enjoy Its own music but that all nature shall be made joyful. The sun does not exist that it may retain within itself all its heat and light, but that it may, by its lifegiving rays, impart life and vigor to the earth and make what would otherwise be a cold, lifeless, uninhabitable mass, a great planet teeming with life and beauty. The moon does not exist to reflect the light of the sun, but it does its part in the great plan of nature. ss This law of service is not only a law of nature but a law of men and nations. More and more we are coming to see that nations are interdependent. In the days when Rome was mistress of the world it was said: “All roads lead to Rome." and it was because of this that this great city began to decay and finally fell. She drew unto herself all that the known world had to offer, and because of her selfish desire to take all and give nothing her very selfishness was the means to her own destruction. The Dead Sea, which receives the rivers from the surrounding territory and has no outlet tor what it receives, becomes a thing of death instead of a means of lifs to everything that comes In contact with its salty contents. The given of the law in the Old Testament recognized this truth and made provision tor its observance by requiring that every man give one-tenth of his increase as an offering to God, and in the New Testament the Master called attention to the same law, when he gave the parable of “The Rich Fool.” Christ called him a fool, not because he had accumulated great possessions, but because his interest had stopped with these things. His thought was entirely self centered and instead of thinking of how he might use these great gifts for the benefit of humanity he felt secure in himself.

Not only is this law of giving universal but it receives the endorsement of all thinking people. When we receive largely so should we give generously of our talents, money and time. When we see a large, powerful horse we expect that he should be able to do gi eater tasks in the world of work than the little shetland pony. And so in the world of man who has received far greater things than any of the other of God’s creatures, should we not expect great service? Then man’s intellectual gifts the great possibility for development through the five senses. All the beauties of color and form that speak of the infinite goodness and wisdom of the Creator through the eye. The world of sound that is opened to us through the sense of hearing and the pleasure and protection of the sense of taste and smell. Not only physically and intellectually have we received but spiritually as well, for not only is man noble in reason but God has given him a soul which has infinite posslbill ties. Surely we have freely received, and because this is true we should as willingly give to God our hearts and lives. A missionary was once asked by an Indian if he could be a Christian by giving his pony or blanket or other possessions, but he was finally led to see that only by giving one’s life can one be a Christian. Then we have the gift of the Son of God, who gave his life for us. “Freely we have received.” Let us therefore freely give if we would attain to the perfection which God Intended for each of us.