The record-union., 1891-03-30


We are all in danger of becoming lop
sided in religion. One mans religion is all
Godward; another mans religion is all
One man talks great deal
about spiritual work; another man talks
a great deal about humane work. Both
men are apt to forget that spiritual work
and humane work are the two hemis-
pheres that together make the complete
globe of Christian life and work. What is
Christianity? 1t is love to God and love
to man. Not one or other but both. That
is Christs own definition of it. Love to
God we call piety. Love to man we call
philanthropy. Jesus, in his teachings
and practice linked these two together.
What he has joined together let not man
man, is as much part of religion as is
piety, the love of God. We should be
both pious and philanthropic. Our love
and service should be Godward and man
ward. We should not exalt piety above
philanthropy, or philanthropy above
piety. We should not cultivate one to
the neglect ofthe other. These two prosper
best side by side. True philanthropy
grows out of true piety. The love of
God shed abroad in our hearts will beget
and foster in us the love of man. I'VE
love because He first loved u.s." One of the
surest proofs of genuine piety is a true
and practical philanthropy. Thus John
says: Whose hath this worlds good and
seeth his brother have need and shutteth
up his bowels sofcompassion from him, how
dwelleth the love of God in him ?" Men
have pretended to be pious who were not
philanthropic. They have confessed faith
in God, they have gone to church, made
long prayers, and when out of church
have been hard and cold and unjus to-
ward their fellow-men. They have
ground the faces of the poor, they have
withheld just and fair wages from their
workmen, they have taken excessive rates
In manifold ways they have made it clear
as daylight that they did not love their
neighbor as themselves, and did not do to
others as they would have others do to
them. Their religion is q sham. Their
professed love of God is spurious, because
it is not associated with a true and
genuine love Of man. One of the best
evidences that a man loves God, is
the sympathy and justice and help he
lnanifests toward his brother man. One
half of the service we owe to God is the
duty we owe our fellow man. He works
with God who works for man. Inas-
much as we did it unto the least of one of
these We did it unto me. In the teaching
of the Bible piety and philanthropy are
inseparably joined. He judged the cause
of the poor and needy Was not
not this the fast that 1 have chosen to
loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo
the heavy burdens, and to let the op-
pressed go free? Is it not to deal thy
bread to the hungry, and that thou bring
the poor that are cast out to thy house,
when thou seest the naked that thou
cover him, and that thou hide not thyselt
from thine own flesh?"
In the mind of many people religion is
chiefly concerned with the invisible
spiritual future world. The main bene-
fits of religion as they regard them are
future, not present. The chief reason
some men give for being Christians is,
it will save them from future
misery and insure them future bliss.
Thus there has been occasion given for
the charge to be brought against Chris
tianity; that it is "too other worldly
that it dwells too much amongst the
clouds and does not come down to
sweeten and brighten the world where
men and women walk and work and
weep.
The secularists oppose Christianity be-
cause it is not practical enough. They
say that the church talks too much about
Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, and neg
lects the Lazarus that is sick and sore in
our very midst. They say that what the
world wants is a religion that will care
for Lazarus now, that will bind up his
wounds, and give him sympathy and
shelter, helping him until he is able to
help himself. Your humane order says
this; and you are right. Christianity is
the Good Samaritan, taking care Of the
helpless man until he is able to take care
of himself. This is what Christ did. He
ministered to mems earthly needs as well
as made provision for their heavenly
estate. He cared for mems bodies as we'll
as for their souls. This His followers
will do, if they follow him.
The best way to oppose secularlsm is to
put forward q complete full-orbed Chris
tianity-a Christianity as was taught and
lived by our Savior. Christianity is the
religion of humanity. 1t is humane be-
cause it is divine; it is secular because it
is spiritual. The more spiritual it is the
more secular it will be; the more divine
it is the more humane it will be. Rightly
understood, religion is as much for this
world as it is for the next. 1t has to do
with the life that now is as well as the life
that is to come. Christianity is secular,
intensely secular. 1t has to do with ev-
erything that affects the welfare of men,
women and children in this work-a-day
world. The study of social problems is
obligatory on all who profess and call
themselves Christians.
Jesus Christ came into this world
not merely to tell us of a far
came to make this earth heav-
emily. He came to restore this world to its
Edenic glory. He came to establish a
kingdom of heaven on earth. He taught
His disciples to pray and to labor, that
Gods kingdom might come. His will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. In the
mind of Christ this world, and not the
other world, was to receive the fullest
benefits OF His divine life and sacrifice
"a fan n n
world, assuring them that the best prep
aration for a life of love beyond the grave
was life of love on this side the grave.
The great purpose of Christ was,
"To form of men one widespread brotherhood
Linked only in the bonds of doing good"
Christianity takes man out of him
self and makes him intelligently inter
ested in the welfare of his fellow men,
A man who is not in sympathetic rela-
tons with his fellow-men, has not learned
the alphabet of Christianity. The man
who does not feel that his life belongs tC
the race, and that what God gives him
is for mans service, has never yet touched
the hem of Christ's garment. According
to Christ's teaching the great life is the life
that serves. He who does most for man
is likest God. Jesus proved His divinity
John the Baptist sent inquiring whether
he indeed was the Son of God, He said
"Go your way and tell John what things
We have seen and heard, how that the
blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised
and to the poor the gospel is preach. Tel
him you saw me healing and helping
poor neglected humanity. The human
ity of my work will prove the divinity o.
my character" So to-day we must
prove the divinity of our religion by tho
humanity of our service.
1 contend that mans orthodoxy is to
be judged as much by his love of man as
by his love of God. AS the heavens are
gemmed with stars so the New Testa.
ment is gemmed with passages which
teach that the heart and SON