St. Paul daily globe., 1888-06-25
WHAT is CHRISTIANITY?
Rev. Samuel G: Smiths Ideas and
Sentiments

Rev. Samuel G. Smiths Ideas and
Sentiments.
The announcement that Rev. Samuel
e. Smith would preach his last sermon
for the summer, prior to taking needed
rest for couple of months, attracted a
large congregation to the Grand opera
house yesterday morning, and the dis
course was very able and instructive
one. Mr.. Smith chose as his subject,
"What is Christianity? and said:
Many difficulties attended any at
tempt to apprehend the essence of the
Christian religion, as definition exact
and true up n any subject required
very great care. The majority of dis
putes between men upon speculative
subjects arose from the fact that they
used words in different senses, and in
practical matters they looked at facts
from different point of view.
Men have no difficulty in saying in a
certain broad realm Christian man
will do this and will avoid that, but
when they attempted to settle what it
was that constituted this determining
factor, Christianity, they were usually
very FAR from agreeing. 1t was impOS-
Sible for even so broad a man as Dean
Stanley to escape from the fact that all
the roots of his being were planted in
the Anglican communion, and in his
mind Hebrew history
WAS ONLY AN ANCIENT ENGLISH
CHURCH.
Christianity was a revelation and not
discovery. Its material was human
and earthly but its power and ideals
were out of heaven. Christianity might
be summed upin the words ga new and
living way" 1t was new factor in
human history. 1t entered manifestly
ticable.and the earliest preachers dwelt
upon facts and not speculation. This
was the method of Jesus Himself.
He sought no proof of speculation, no
agreement to any sermon or parable.
Like building made after most
splendid patterns but constructed of
shabby material and put together by
clumsy wOrkmen, so the ideals of Chris
tianity had always been greater than its
visible results.
Christianity had never been cor
rupted, or made venal, because the spir-
itual could never be heimpure. 1t was
of the eSSenSe of Christianity to receive
the message of Jesus, Il and My Father
are One." as the promise to all who
would be His disciples,
"a tllllu ClClISuG III buo lOICt, IldtllGu
christianity, was found in the statement
that
1T REVEALED A NEW STRENGTH IN
MAN.
Paul fastened to say that letters of
cOmmendation or even instruction were
only secondary. Men and women were
to be the living epiStleS, the real Bible,
the animated gospel. The most sig
nificant thing about the projection OF
Christianity into the world was the i'm
mediate change it wrought in individ-
ualS.
Silver and gold have we none, said the
apostle at the beautiful gate to. the
cripple, but in the the name of Jesus
rise up and walk. So to men crippled
by old habits, palsied by manifold. sins
fever Smittem through generations OF
hate, there came the command, "Rise
up; be strong, Making of sound men
out of spiritual cripples had been the
constant work of Christianity in all ages
as it is its chief glory to-day.
But these men and women, moved by
new motives to new work, in a new re
| lation to Goo, d,also had new fellowship
for the social idea was of the very
essence of the gospel. The kingdom Of
| God was new commonwealth.
/ These were some of the leading feat
| ureS of Christianity. 1t represented
| the highest activity as well as the high
est aspirations of manking. The enc
| of Christianity would be no earthly
funeral amid the stricken
| SOBS OF BROKEN-HEARTED MEN AMI
WOMEN.
The purest and best among the re
| ligions of earth, it would absorb anG
! glorify the strength of the nations, an6
Christianity would pass away when the
earth passed, not into a new chaos, bu
to new heaven and new earth. L
| would be translation into that fina
| and perfect religion when the Son Him
| self finished His work and became sub
| ject to His Frther, that God might bt
| all in all,