The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-05
THE SDIANAro1Is JOURNAL. SUNDAY. OCTOBER s. 1885.

Christians are to be like Christ We are build
ers, together with God. and If co-workers we
must be bnsy with that which engages Him. His
greatest worE is the work of salvation, restora-
ton, and that is ours, too. For the Christian
that Judgment aid Is permissible which has this
end in view. You have right to know just
how bad another is. You have right to call
his badness by the proper name, without gloss
or sophistry. Call lie lie, n
crooked business transaction cheat fiery
word and an irritable remark bad temper.
You are not making good use of the cloak of
charity if you throw it over the man who must
60 to Canada nowadays because meeting with
80 many acquaintance wears on him. 1t IS not
charity for me to say of the young scapegraee
who jumps my fence and steals my grapes that
he is only borrowing 1t is not charity to say of
him of him who comes home and makes every
body uncomfortable with his selfish Tritability
that he is SO worn out by business and does not
mean it. Call everything by its right name, but.
as Christian your work is by every means in
your power to restore the fallen to strengthen
the weak, to build up ruins. The Bible is plain
and emphatic on this point Brother, if man
be overtaken in a fault ye@which are spiritual
restore such an one in the spirit OF meekness.
considering myself, lest thou also be tempted.
The example of Christ is very clear in this
department of Christian practice. Ee never
CLOSED over wrong-doing Quick as an arrow
to its mark he struck at the root of evil at once
So did John the Baptist But the difference
between John the Baptist and Christ is this. that
the great forerunner laid the at the root of
the tree and hacked down and left as it fell in
ruins. Christ. the great husbandman, came with
sharp pruning knife, and having, without mercy.
cut away the evil he healed the wound by the
tender graft of grace which he implanted Many
one coming up out Of Jordan, with the water
of Johns baptism still wet upon him, knew that
though the AK had cut true and quick, yet it
left gaping wound that needed the tender balm
and the soothing touch of Christly hand. All,
friends, to hold this attitude to the world is,
indeed to be the true disciple of Christ. This is
Christly work indeed-to seek such relations
with men wherein you may help them, brighten
their lives, and bring the kingdom of God nigh
unto them. There a hundred ways in which
you can do it. Scarcely two people were APP
preached in the same way by Christ.
He knew how to do it because he knew
what was in mamie understood inner feeling,
disposition, previous history and surrounding
circumstances You, too, ought to know much
about people, for by their fruits We shall know
them. And the highest, best use Of your &C
quaintance ought to be thatyou may be a blessing
to them, channel to them of Gods grace help
ing hand to bring them to Christ. You cannot
do this thing by rote and rule Every man de-
mands a separate and special course of treat
ment. Study Christ's methods Ye are fishers
of men, and a fisherman ought to know that
some fish are only scared by splashing the net
heedlessly. You need skill, adroitness, large
knowledge of human nature. larger portion of
Christly wisdom. Above all, you need an over
gives up because love is so tenacious, that never
is discouraged because love is so heartenng
that never rests because love is so indefatigabe,
that never yields because love is so unconquera-
BILE. that in the end always succeeds because
love is so triumphant.