Show AN ELOQUENT SERMON Key Dr Aubrey of London in the Congregational Pulpit His Subject The Reward of a Good 1 Intention Beautifully Handled A Merciful Savior Takes Into Account Ac-count the Motive and Aim Yesterday the pulpit of the Rev J Brninerd Thralls church was occupied by the Rev Dr Aubrey of London England Eng-land whose brief visit to this city was announced in our issue of Saturday The auditorium was filled by an intelligent t and influential audience who listened with close interest while the Doctor discoursed dis-coursed for thirtyfive minutes on TIn UWAUD OI A noon INTENTION As suggested by the incident recorded of I David in 1 Kings vi 1719 The Doctor showed how the principle therein embodied em-bodied runs throughout the Old and New I I Testaments God judges not by visible I or tangible results which can be weighed in scales or ascertained by measure but by the impelling motive If this be right I and noble then the attempt to render service is recognized even though it may fail to accomplish all that was intended The Divine relationship to men is of the same kind as that of parents to their children though infinitely higher in degree de-gree as the Savior has clearly taught in the analogy laid down in the gospel by St Matthew Just as a father would not tantalize a hungry child by offering him a stone for bread so God does not withhold any good and needful things from children In like manner just as a parent accepts some little loving gift from a I child on a birthday without appraising ap-praising it by commercial value so God acepls human service according to the motive that inspired it even accepting the will for the deed where actual per formance is impossible The nrinuinlc was amplified and illustrated in a variety of practical and touching ways by the doctor who drew some beautiful pictures that helped to exhibit the subject in a vivid light He graphically described for example the widows two mites as furnishing a striking instance of the principle prin-ciple enshrined in the text and as he de lineated the incident the hearers could almost listen to the CHINK OF TIlE MONEY IN TIlE BOX So intense and realistic was the word painting He also showed how the Saviors teachings all tended to develop and apply the same great rule of how a good intention is divinely rewarded as in the promise attaching to the gift of a cup of cold water to a disciple and in the parable of the judgment day when acts and words of kindness done and said in Christs name shall meet with their full recognition and reward It was pointed out that even Christian people are sometimes inclined to despond when looking back upon their I lives because they have not succeeded in realizing the lofty ideals with which they set out or in carrying into effect the grand plans laid down in the glow and hopefulness of youth They may even be prompted to inscribe against their lifestory Till HITTEU WOltU 1AIMRE And yet the Savior does not so judge them because lie takes into account the motive and the aim They are perhaps timid and hesitating about the presenta tion of their lifeservice to the Savior because be-cause it appears so small and insignifi cant as to oe quite unworthy oi ms notice Jut lIe takes it and looks it through and through carefully scrutinizing scruti-nizing it to discern the intention If this I be good and pure the service becomes great and luminous far beyond its in trinsic value and it will be received and rewarded not according to its supposed worth among men but because of the motive that actuated it The discourse while thoroughly evangelical was intensely practical and was calulated to be of great service as encouraging and stimulating those who try to be and to do the right under adVerse ad-Verse and difficult circumstances It also abounded in exquisite touches of feeling I an J of pathos It was delivered wholly without notes and was the earnest utterance utter-ance of a man who evidently felt and I meant what he said At the lose of the seryice many of the hearers were intro duced to Dr Aubrey and expressed the high gratification with which they had listened to him although the unimpaired I unim-paired attention and the unbroken silence I I of the audience during the sermon were the best proof of interest and the highest I I tribute to the preacher |