Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-08-04

collections for the poor. And James
wrote: Hearken, my beloved breth-
rem, hath not God chosen the poor of
this world, rich in faith, and heir of the
kingdom?" The primitive church chose
deacons on purpose to take care of the
poor. The whole history of Christiani-
ty shows that it is the friend of tho
poor All our asylums, hospitals and
intirmaries are the oulgrowth of the
spirit which it has inspired. Every
benevolent and charitable institution OF
the age is noted in the Bible. Such in
situations We're unknown until Jesus
came, and they flourish now only where
the Gospel has gone.
But we may 90 farther than this. Our
modern ideas of human equality, OF the
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 come
from the Bible And there, too, we
have learned about tho 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-
dit'on of poverty and slavery for the
masses, when might was right; when
seltshncsS ruled supreme. There are
clouds still in the sky. But they are
being scattered by the Sun of Righteous
ness Just so last and so far rs the
Bible prevails wealth ceases TO be AFRO
giant and oppressive and poverty ceases
TO lie 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,
sclf-rcspecting and to trust in God On
the one de we have the revelation that
wealth comes from GId, that these Ia
whom lie gives it are His st,'wa ds, and
must give account 10 him for their us
or abuse OF it, On the other hand We
have the revelation that the poor ART
the children Of the same Heavenly
Fathcr-that they are the wards of the
rich. and can claim from them n port IL
of the common inheritance. But this
claim they are to present, not 10 tao
rich themselves, But 10 God. They
are to 90 to him. and trust to Him 10
open the hearts and the hands OF their
brethren.
So generally recognized is the fact
that Christianity has brought in n new
social law that the word charity which
expresses the spirit OF sc Go pei has
ONE 10 be used for all kinds Of aims
given. The benevolence of which skcp-
lies sometimes boast, they derived indi-
rGctly from the Bible. 1t was never
dreamed of in their philosophy. What
is moonlight with them is sunshine with
the church of Christ. Their humanitt-
rianism is pa.e AID cold, ours is WARM
and vivifying. Theirs is the phian-
throphy OF words, ours is that OF dc1cs.
And now since these things are So
how cruel is that skepiicisln 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 its head II Their
shops and homes and club rooms and
above all in the saloons, and Kisses i'll
their ears: 1.-The church is the ally OF
lUo cap ldliSt ullu lnC OpptC@oOl. VIC
Bible is the rich mans book. That hiss
is satanic. It comes from him who is
father of lies, and Tho dcadlieSt foe OF
the human race. He would take from
poverty and toll their true solace and
hope. And how shall we count1rac;
this insiduous influence? We must gel
these men to read the Bible Tor them
selves, and not to take the false report
of its enemies and theirs. But above
all we must try 10 illustrate more fully
in our lives the spirit of our Master ant
of HIS book. In our intercourse will
the poor and with all who are, or think
they are oppressed we must be living
epistles. We may not b. able to induce
them to read the Bible. But they will
rcad W.. And if we are true w,tnesse
for God we shall not fail to secure il
time verdict in favor OF the Gospel
Chicago Interior.