Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-05-07

dignity Of labor, of the worth and the
rights of man as man, without reference
to birth, or race, or color, Or situation,
or culture, or wealth, all have como
from the Bible. And there, too, we
have learned about the law OF co-opera-
ton, of mutual sympathy and aid which
enables men to unite in brotherhOOds,
and to stand by each other to resist OPP
position. Take away the Bible and the
world would soon drift back to that con-
dltion OF poverty and slavery for the
masses, when might was right; whom
selfishness ruled supreme. There are
clouds still in the sky. But they are
being scattered by the Sun of Righteous
ness. just SO fast and so far as the
Bible prevails wealth ceases to be AFRO
CANT and oppressive and poverty ceases
to be bitter and hopeless. In the new
and holy light that radiates from the
cross, the rich learn to be humble and
charitable, the poor learn to be patient,
self-respecting and to trust in God. On
the one side we have the revelation that
wealth comes from God, that those to
whom He gives it are His stewards, and
must give account to him for their use
or abuse of it. On the other hand wa
have the revelation that the poor are
the children of the same Heavenly
Father-that they are the wards of the
rich, and can claim from them portion
of the common inheritance. But this
claim they are to present, not to the
rich themselves, But to God. They
are to 90 to him, and trust to Him to
open the hearts and the hands of their
brethren.
So generally recognized is the fact
that Christianity has brought in a new
social law that the word charity which
expresses the spirit of the Gospel has
come to be used for all kinds of aims
given. The benevolence of which skep-
tics sometimes boast, they derived indi-
rectlv from the Bible. 1t was never
dreamed of in their philosophy. What
is moonlight with them is sunshine with
the church of Christ. Their humanita-
rianism is pale ard cold, ours is warm
and vivifying Theirs is the philan-
throphy of words, ours is that of deeds.
And now since these things are so,
how cruel is that skepticisrn which tries
to prejudice the poor against the word
of God. How snake-like, cold and ven
omous is that spirit which crawls among
the workingmen, lifts up its head in their
shops aud homes and club rooms, and
above all in the saloons, and Kisses in
their ears: ''The church is the ally OF
the capitalist and the oppressor, the
Bible is the rich man book" That hiss
is satanic. 1t comes from him who is
father of lies, and the deadliest foe OF
the human race. He would take from
poverty and toll their true solace and
hope. And how shall we counterfeit
this insiduous influences? We must get
these men to read the Bible for them
selves, and not to take the false reports
of its enemies and theirs. But above
all we must try to illustrate more fully
in our lives the spirit of our Master and
of His book. In our intercourse with
the poor and with all who are, or think
they are oppressed we must be living
epistles. We may not be able to induce
them to read the Bible. But they will
read us. And if we are true witnesses
for God we shall not fail to secure in
time verdict in favor of the Gospel
Chicago Interior.