Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-11-17
SERMON.
Preached at PIysnouh Church. Mil.
waukee, by Rev. J. l.. Dudley, Sum
day Jane 10th, 1872.

reported by Roby h Burke)
Whatsoever re do. do it heartily as unto
the Lord.
This is a good text in itself it is not
damaged by being found in the Bible. 1t
is Just as good here as it would be in anv
other book; just as good in any other book
as il is here, and I hope that will not dis
iurb YOU Oae Of the most mournful aud
hurtful facts connected With our IL ought of
religion, is the fact that it is supposed 10 De
In itself distinct. special and separate avo-
cation, life outside of life and essentially
distinct from it. This idea las shed its
gloom and its blight upon the world, like
the scattering of some dark, tell wing pass
ing over 1t has left protested Righteousness
to stinted portion, and made the special
tv of profession the speciality Of lack.
Whatsoever ye do-how much is thar?
And here is it? And who does it? And
who omi,s it? Whatsoever We do, do that
heartily, for The highes: reason, which is
the true God. Life then is religion, the
actual life made up Of whatsoever men do;
and religion apart from that bath in it the
damageof fiction substi suted for TACT. There
is nothing of religion good or bad, but the
way we do what we do. How much better
is man who retreats into cave, into
cell, with his beads aud with his PROPOSE
tons, it may be, with a skull near him and
bones and relics all around him, trying 20
work himself up to devoutness-how much
better is he than live man, doing whatso-
ever he finds to do, heartily, for the highest
and BEST reason, scattering light and bene-
icence aud help and triumph everywh ere7
How much better is that fras ment of hu-
manlty, than the whole live world living
unto God?
Usefulness, usefulness in The highest
sense 20 oneself and everybody else, that is
ths Christian religion. And it is the true
religion anywhere, none the better for being
called Christian; names are nothing. A
man who believes the truth is no more
truthful for wearing my rosary than yours.
A man whose life is pure has no more puri-
ty, btciuse be lives in America rather than
in India. A man who is broad and mag
unanimous and affiuent enough, not only to
help himself, bat all mankind, is just what
he is by virtue of his position and qualities;
and not because he is ticketed this, that or
the other, or because somebody else stands
sponsor for him, trying to get him through
as a decent nah, when the angels would
not breakfast with him. Jesus never pray
Cd that men might be sequestered from the
world. 1t is not Christianity that remands
them BACK from life to death, from life to
$50 latlon. But the prayer of the great
Teacher AMI the great Prophet was and
is, that men should keep themselves from
the evil in the world, and do Whatsoever
they do for that highest and best reason and
motive, unto tee Lord. Misanthropy is M
part of goodness, no part of virtue, no part
OF religion; it is hateful thing, it is an
abomination in all sacred places. Philan-
th-opy is the right idea, the lore of man,
that SO throbbed away back in the infinite
and eiarnal pafefutt9 tea he worfd Is
been feeliog he 9ase -.r sinee CHRIST
nsref ~sked nor aia o0e OF HIS iaspired
Apostles. shst uso might sneak out OF the