Appleton Chapel.

The Rev. George Hodges, D. D., preached last evening in Appleton Chapel from the text "I lifted up mine eyes again and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand."

In all our aspirations we are too apt to be thwarted by the obstacles which the over cautious or suspicious thrust before us. The man with a measuring line comes to us and lays down in accurate terms all the mountainous obstacles which lie in our path. The twelve disciples were sent out to convert the world; the same surveyor presented to them a careful estimate of the great indifference of the human race towards religion, the pagan armies of the mighty Roman Empire which must be overcome, but the little band of twelve did what they could from year to year until gradually the mountains crumbled away and the road lay level before them to the converting of the world.

The same trouble confronts us today under different aspects, in the struggle between labor and capital. The man with the measuring line comes with his same answer, the difficulty is insurmountable; it lies in human nature, but God is with the right and order will of necessity grow out of this perplexed struggle.

We look at the different sects and denominations which have grouped themselves under the name of religion; we see nothing but conflict and bad feeling, each party accusing the others of heresy or inconsistency; but Christ is watching over the struggle and will direct man to that ideal time when each lover of Jesus shall count his fellow Christian as a brother.

If we would attain this longed for period of perfection we must begin by overcoming the difficulties which lie at our feet. We all want to begin at the top of the ladder without climbing up round by round through every obstacle and disappointment until we reach the goal.

We are too easily satisfied; it is so easy to build a wall just ahead of us and work with some application until we have reached it and then consider that we have achieved perfection. But God forbids this wall, God is omnipresent and if we trust in him all will go well.

The choir sang the following anthems: "Go Forward," by Smart; "Teach Me," by Moir; and "Judge Me," by Mozart.