The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-01-20
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
IS DUTY ADMITTED, DUTY DONE
Luke xvi: 1-12.

/ was led to remark last week how
much "the children of this world" in
the pursuit of their affairs, surpass in en-
ergy and management our Christian peO-
pie in their service of Christ.
And is not this true? Look The
followers of ''the world, the flesh, and
devil" put to shame the children of the
most High God, by running with more
feetness, willingness, earnestness in the
ways of death, than we do in the ways
of life. A thousand-fold more earnest
are they to win earth, than we are to win
heaven; a thousand-fold more prudent
in preparing to enjoy earthly things, than
we are about the heavenly. The SEN
tence is written against us in the Ian
guage of all kindreds and nations so that
all can read it-all can understand it
all can add something to the boldness of
the characters in which it is written, that
the world is so much better served by It's
children, than is God by his.
And it is yet more to the point when
we interpret the expression, Sin their
generation" as referring to the inter-
course of men with each other. Then
we see that men of the world profit by
such intercourse, and further their chosen
interests by it. Their policy is to keep
good terms with each other; to learn
something, to gain something, to help and
be helped in the work of building up
worldly interests. Their knowledge be-
comes the common property; for every
advance in knowledge is spread abroad
in the public prints, or otherwise import
ed. They hope for advantage in the
public works, and therefore, there find
enough capital to sustain them. Private
industry is encouraged, and surely meets
its reward. All are alive and awake to
the common cause, their great union be-
ing in the belief that the world holds
their best interests, their chief good, their
whole welfare.
But what and where are the works of
''the children of hght?" They proclaim
God as their father; Christ Jesus as their
pattern; the Holy Spirit as their teach
er; religion as their chief concern, and
heaven as their home. In these are
their hope, life, happiness, strength, sal
vation; even the end of their being
But what and where are their works
They have done much, and yet how little.
For their principal powers, time and
means have, with the worldling, been
given to the world, as the stream pours
ats main current over the precipice ;
while that which is given to the cause of
religion is scarcely more than the light
spray and spatterings which are thrown
off by the falling waters. Take the pro-
gress of century, and what special
wonder is felt in marking the advance of
religion? But when you note the differ
ence between what the world was one
hundred years ago, and what it is now,
your mind is bewildered, astOnished
You can scarcely realize that it is the
same world. AS the slow-creeping snail
is surpassed in speed and power by the
headlong rush of the locomotive, so is
the Christian, sustaining his part, sur
passed by the wording sustaining his.
These things ought not to be so But
are they not so? The worldling uses his
time to gain the worldly inheritance.
But how little time are Christians accus-
toned to devote to the heavenly inheri-
tance? The wording freely uses his
means for the support of worldly inter-
ests. But how backward and stinting
are Christians with their means for the
good of spiritual interests The Church
of God suffers by the comparison. Suf-
fers because Christians have Lot realized
that duty is a matter of action, and not
of words only. See ''the children of this
world" how busy they are. They have
something in view for which they think
it worth their while to labor. And they
do work for it, scheme for it, contrive for
it, economize for it. Night after night
they sleep, only to gain new freshness
and strength for the pursuit of their end
on the morrow. They never forget it.
They are in haste, lest it be neglected.
Strong, willing, active support they give
it always. But how hard, how almost
impossible to find Christians who thus