Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-20
CREED AND CONDUCT.
A Man of Degraded Character Can
not Have an Honest Belief
ONLY The GOOD CAN SEE GOD.
The Meaning of Christ's Call to Matthew,
the Publican.
WHAT 1T MEANS TO FOLLOW JESUS.
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH =


Matthew at all But He did more than
notice him. He invited him into His COM
panY.
It is worth noticing that when Christ
called Matthew He did not preach any long
sermon at him. He passed by, coming from
the wharyes where men crowded together,
as tnev do on Sunday evenings under the
roof of the East Liberty station. He
passed by, going up the street into the
town. and looked at Matthew sitting on one
of the stems of the custom house, and said,
"Follow Me-"
He might have said a good deal more
than that. We have not really begun to
read the life of Christ until we have learned
to read not only His speech. but His silence.
1t means something, that Christ said, Fol
low Me" and added no word more
Because this publican, Matthew, was
man marked, we cannot doubt, by serious
detects, both moral and spiritual We are
much mistaken in our estimate of human
nature, if there was not good deal that
was wrong in both the creed and the char
acter OF Matthew.
It is next to incredible that a man who
had the reputation which the publicans had,
should not somehow have sustained that
name is pretty sure TO deserve hanging,
presently. There was nothing in the cir
cumstances of Matthew which persuaded
him to be good. Nobody expected pub
lIcan to be good. For a publican TO en-
deavor after Righteousness was simply to be
eccentric. The man could hardly be quite
sane. You can see how that would inhu-
ence behavior. While, on the other hand,
all the conditions of Matthew'S life con-
spired to invite him along that descending
path which opens at last upon the borders
of
THE BoTToMLESS PIT.
And character is pretty sure to have its
effect on a mans creed. 1t is possible, I
know, for ones conduct to be better than
his creed. Aud when we think of all the
hard-hearted doctrines which have held the
belief of Icen, We may well thank God for
that. But mans creed-taking that to
mean his honest faith-can rarely be saved
from degradation if his character is de-
graded. Only the good can see God. Only
by obedience can men gain spiritual
knowledge A man in Matthews position
must have had grave defects in his creed
Even if we leave out all consideration of
his character, one who knows that the re-
Iigious world is against him, especially if
the opposition is unjust will naturally set
his face against the doctrines which the
religious world upholds, even though they
NAV be true.
Here. then, was Matthew, q sinner and a
skeptic. And yet in the address of Christ
was neither argument nor exhortation. He
asked neither faith nor repentance. He
said, Follow Me-"
Because Christian conduct is not based on
exhortatiou, nor Christian faith on argu-
ment The center of the Christian life is
Christ. The best definition of good Chris
tian conduct is that it is a following of
Christ. And ! ask no better definition OF
Christian faith than is contained in the same
words. Christian faith is that which makes
one follow Christ
The best persuasive to right conduct is
not exhortation but brotherly love- Scold-
ing has little to do with sanctifcation Ex-
hortation, expostulation, threats. excommu-
nicstions. seldom help people. They hinder
rather than help, because they aDtagonize,
set people at distance, build up walls of
prejudice and opposition. There is an un-
pleasant trait in human nature-which we
probably get from Adam, for it can be
traced back as far as the history of the race
extends-an unpleasant trait which makes
us desire to do just what we are commanded
not to do. st. Paul understood it, when he
spoke of sin coming into the world when law
came. Sometimes good advice seems to en-
phasize this trait. No; the only way to
drive the bad altogether out is to bring the
good in. And that comes in along the ave-
nue. OF
BRoTHERLY LOVE.
Christdid not stop and preach to Matthew,
though Matthew's life would no doubt have
furnished texts for several long sermons. In
stead of that He held out a brotherly hand
to him. He passed over for the present all
that was bad, and appealed to the good.
He held out His friendly hand and said,
Follow me-" He knew well enough that
once that publican got within the circle of
His daily influence where he could hear
His words and learn His spirit and feel the
inspiration of His friendship, He knew
that the repentance part OF 1t would be all
right
Because repentance and conviction of sin
come not so much by exhortation as by
knowing and following Christ. If YOU are
conscious of that spiritual lack which is in
the character OF many estimable people, the
lack of the consciousness OF sin, here is the
remedy which we learn in the dealing of
Christ with Matthew: You need not weary
your mind with long examinations OF your
li9i - need not worry your heart with
medItations upon future punishment
Neither of these is the best path to repent
ance, at least neither was the path which
Christ pointed out to Matthew. Strive to
know and follow Christ. That is the wav
Set YOUR life by the side Of His life. Bring
the real close to the ideal. That will make
YOU conscious OF shortcoming. He who
comes to know Christ has learned to know
himself. He has discovered the meaning of
repentance.
And the meaning of faith, 100. Because
true faith, like right conduct, comes by
knowing Christ, and following Christ. Very
few who lack faith ever gain it BY any
process of argument. Because faith is like
love, like other deepest convictions of our
nature; it cannot be anchored to human
speech, it scars beyond the range of argu-
ment The truth is, that appreciation of
spiritual things, like appreciation OF beauty
or of wisdom, waits upon the prepared
keart. And mans heart is prepared for
the coming in of spiritual truth, not by
argument Argument, for the most part,
sets up more barriers than it pulls down.
1t is love which
SWEEPS THE BARRIERS AWAY.
Matthew, it is quite likely, as we have
seen, was a very mistaken theologian. If
he thought about theological matters at ALL
he must have been a hereto. he had
every reason TO be prejudiced against ortho-
doxy. And if Christ had sat down beside
him on the custom-house steps, and begun an
argument with him, Matthew would quite
likely have proved hard man to persuade.
But the brotherly hand touched Matthew's
heart and when Christ asked no questions
on the creed. but said only, Follow Me, !"
Matthew was qnite ready to do that. And
60 knau hnM sten Inv stem his faith rnn Ii