The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-31

the church a place of equality The rich and
poor are met together-God is their maker
I believe fully in the utter democracy of Jesus
Christ that he intended as result of his work
to unite men. and women. and children in a
commonwealth. We here believe that the Lords
supper stands for this democracy St Paul, by
Roman slave and the Roman lady to sit
together at one table, and ST. Paul
understood what Jesus Christ meant
| have tried to enter into the life of this city
and have not shut myself up to this particular
church. | have used the church simply as
means to work on the city; a means for reach
ing all sorts and conditions of men
have made good deal of the life that now
is 1t has seemed to me that we need not wait
for eternity in order 10 begin any good thing.
have preached NOW is the accepted time and
to-day as the day for salvation" 81 would as
soon have five minutes now as five minutes of
the next millennium says Emerson Life in
the old world was disciplne life in the here
and now is an opportunity.
believe that the will of God will be done on
earth as in heaven He told us
to pray that it might so be done He would not
have told us to pray for an impossible thing so
l am hopeful for the outcome of the earth 1t
will perish in flood of water of fire 1t
will go and become day by day new earth
more and more kind, more and more righteous
L have preached blue sky over 1t. l have seen
thrown across the breast of the cloud the rain
bow of promise. | have been mindful of pre-
ventible evils; of the curse of poverty-a poverty
that intelligence ana love can wear away. ne
destruction of the poor is their poverty" That's
old, but it's good. It's Solomon. 1t has seemed
TO me that many of us reheaYily handicapped,
and that the weights might be one by
one removed. That intelligence working
worth with love might remove them.
So [ have not preached satisfaction
in this lot we find ourselves in, this lot in
which it has pleased God to place u.s." because
| God has not placed us in the lot in which we
find ourself. "Mans inhumanity to man makes
countless thousands mourn" | have preached
vigorous discomfort with things as they are, no
satisfaction until things are as they ought to be,
and the philosophy that things that ought to be
| will be-
Ihave not made wide division between the
secular and the sacred. | have seen how they
depend one upon the other. l have read Buckle
and agree with him that marriage depends on
the wheat crop. Also, that when crops fail the
designations of ministers begin to be frequent
and collections for foreign missions fall off, and
children are taken out of school and put in fac
tories.
have seen that slave may be passive
Christian-be remarkable in long suffering, pa
thence and self denial-but money, and the beast
of burden, and credit at hotel enables the Sa-
marian to be a good Samaritan, and when the
opportunity meets him on the Jericho road is
not only willing but able to be an active Chris
tian.
have thought great deal of the semi
hostility between the rich and the poor of this
country and of all the countries of earth.
Nothing, / believe will take that hostility away
but literal, painstakng obedience to the words
of Jesus Christ, who though he were rich, for
our sakes became poor that we through his pow
erty might be rich
The chief text in the New Testament to me is
this: HE that would be the greatest among you,
let him be the servant of all" A flower is not
lifted from tile earth by pulling at the blossom
or at the stalk. The dew and the sunshine must
find the roots. Power Obliges, wealth places
man under obligation. 1t is not his to sequester.
It is his to use Any gift to do or to be is gift,
1t is not yours private possession. 1t be-
longs to the commonwealth. What is good for
the bee is good for the hive.
have preached the life that now is as being
full Of opportunities in which to help our neigh
Dor have been mindful, though, that the life
that now is, is short The life that now is is
thirty four years and fraction long. So | have
have preached the life that is to come, notas
new and strange, and unnatural thing. but as a
sequel to this life in which poetic justice is
done and the outcome be calculated
from the start. l believe in the possibility of
death bed repentance
Between the saddle and the ground
He mercy sought and mercy found
And in the possible change of conduct and
character in old age. But do not believe in the
probability of such miracles. So have preached,
remember now thy Creator in the days of thy
youth, while you have strength, while you have
power to be an active servant
believe have tried SO to preach as TO make
the Christian religion creditable thing, and
thing to be desired by all those who like to
think upon whatsoever things are true, and
whatsoever things are lovely. l have thought of
Jesus Christ as an attractive presence / have
painted him as the old masters did as the center
of group, the children desiring to come to him,
and cutting their way through the ring of for
| bidding disciples to the blessing of his hand.
''And | if l be lifted up will draw all men,"
| But need not go on to tell you these things.
In seven years of life like mine, walking freely
these streets man gets to be known-the good
and the evil of him. You know what | have
/ done I know what 4 haVa failed in Won
have listened to what have said and have re
membered what failed to say. Ihave spent some
hours on the things l ought to have done and
ought to have said.
/ do not belong to the great army of the I'M
paid and unappreciated. The appreciation has
come from the people of whom l expected little.
have said the best things [ could and you have
taken them at their full worth. | have been
conscious that was speaking to intelligence, to
people of experience in life, to people acquainted
with the best thoughts of the best men.
No one is more surprised at
your great unwiningness to let me go
and your willingness to still listen than l am,
for what have to say has begun to have an
| tremely familiar sound to me- | assure you.
The art Of putting it may be new, but my
| thoughts are quite old, and have never been in
the slightest danger of being in love with my
| self, But the wages have come in. / have re-
| ceived and filed away many letters that will
| ever be consolation to me in dark days that
are sure to come; for God does not often allow
man two congregations like this in two cities
| like indianapolis.
/ For some reason or other have been able to
help the people, and the peoplo, who, as rule,
| find little in preacher to be desired, and little
in church to attract L have associated more
with mechanics than with ministers and per-
| haps that accounts for things shat are seen.
| And you have done me good. The religion of
Jesus Christ is more to me than when came to
this place-Inuch more. | see more clearly
what He desires to be done. l see more clearly
the value of the church as an institution. Men
may come and men may go, but the church goes
ON forever. A phalanX has an advantage of
mob l realize more the value of Il Christian
life. My evidences of Christianity have been
living. They have walked these aisles. We
have had, and have, in this church lives of
| men and women which adorn the gospel Of Jesus
Christ--lives of faith and works of aims and