Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-02-15
Jesus as a Worker.

There is a characteristic of some modern |
christian work which is thus sometimes |
painfully obtrusive. There are persons
who can never help man, especially a
poor man, without giving him some advice
about his soul. Some, indeed, venture on
this only with the poor, as if they were nee
essarily farthest from the kingdom of heav-
en-. They are either afraid to say to their
equals or superiors in rank what they say
to a sick laSOrer, or they conceive that the
gift of some money or food buys right to
add few words about religion. They give
a ticket and a tract to the pauper, at aven-
ture, not knowing whether he is good or
bad. They bow and smile when my lord'
shakes hands with them, though they may
know him to be one to whom godly advice
might be useful, though not acceptable. =.
/ | do not, of course, mean to imply that
they are bound to take upon themselves
the Office of public censors, either of rich or
poor. l only protest against a one-sided
caricature of the christian rule, that in our
work and conversation we should look more
to Gods honor than human convenience
and courtesy.
Our example, Jesus, the Perfect Man,
though he came, and openly professed that
he came, to do Gods will, was frequently
content to perform good deed, and let the
good deed speak for itself Nay, when he
spoke of God, it was often rather when he
received than when he conferred an obi
cation. He taught the Samaritan woman,
whom he asked to give him drink. He
rebuked Simon the Pharisee, when he sat
at his table. But it is remarkable that in
many cases he did a kindness, and then
left those whom he helped to learn the les
sons which it might teach them. When he
healed leper he did not moralize on the
analogy between leprosy and sin. When
he raised the rulers daughter he command
ed that something should be given her to
eat. When he cured the impotent man by
the pool of Bethesda, it was not till after
wards when he found him in the temple,
that he said unto him, Behold, thou art
made whole; sin no more, lest worse
thing come upon thee"
, There was in him conspicuous absence
of that immediate accompaniment of pious
, language to good deeds which sometimes
characterizes the religious philanthropist
In this we may learn from Jesus. If the
love of God be warm in our hearts, it will
reveal itself without our always talking
about the connection between the human
and divine, or we shall find occasion t.
+ show it without risking the danger of cast
ing pearls before swine, and exposing it t.
needless contempt. We may thus lear
from the religious works of Jesus. w
u, may realize the aim of all religion. W.
should think more of this than of the detail
=. of it's form. Our work is to serve God; t
promote in ourselves, and therefore neces
sarily in others, the love of truth, ithtic
i and mercy. But if we stop to speculate to
= much on the forms of our religion, we ar
% like workmen who should spend so muc
al ldooI Oh inc shaI PShlnS Vi IHeit tooir as
have no time in which to use them. Or,
. we think our religion separate thin.
;. rather than one whose spirit should ente
o. into the whole duty of man, and be rad
~ caily Joined and interviewer with all tru
70 work, we are like those jealous member
e of a craft who prize the exclusiveness
"a their trades above the good results whic
!, skilled labor bestows on the community
The Perfect Man.