The record-union., 1891-03-30

| ana 10 keep nlmseu unSpotted from tne
world" That is Christianity according
to st. James.
Christianity is not creed, though it
has its doctrines. Christianity is not a
church, though it has its organization.
Christianity is not ceremony, though
| it has it's forms of worship.
Christianity is right living. 1t is liv-
ing right with yourself and with your
neighbor and with your God. Or, as Paul
tersely expresses it, it is living soberly,
world" The requirements of religion
are simply practical and reasonable
''What doth the Lord require of thee but
to do justly; to love mercy and to walk
humbly with thy God"
Many men of philanthropic turn of
mind have neglected, if not abandoned,
the Church of Christ and have formed
organizations of humane character,
thinking that in this way they could best
benefit their fellow men. They give their
time and energy to enterprises that min
lister to mans physical well-being. They
champion reforms that benefit the men
who do the worlds work. They demand
| for men shorter hours, higher wages, and
better homes. All this is WELL 1t is
noble work. 1t is charity work. But
there is a danger that the so-called hui
name work will be one-sided. 1t is apt to
overlook the fact that man is something
|
muscles and nerves. In their zeal to better
mans physical condition, they are apt to
neglect his spiritual needs. Mans physi-
cal condition and surroundings are ver,;r
! largely the outcome of his inner moral
and spiritual condition. Men are where
they are, because they are what they are.
| The debaSement of the soul generally
precedes and is the cause of the debase-
ment of the body. 1t is 'truer to say that
| men make their environments than to
say that their environments make them
The man whose soul is pure will make
| for himself pure surroundings. True
| philanthropy will therefore seek to min
lister to mans spiritual needs. 1t will
preach the gospel to the poor as well as
carry bread to them. To minister to a
mind diseased, to restore to purity be-
fouled imagination, to bring back to
soundness mutilated conscience, to i'm
part new strength to an enfeebled will, to
light Of hope-this is the help humanity
most needs, and this help comes
through the ministry of the church-the
gospel of Christ.
True philanthropy will, therefore, sup
port the church as well as the hospital.
1t will seek to heal the maladies of the
soul as well as the diseases of the body.
the life to come as well as in the life that
now is. 1t will seek to fit man for
eternity as we'll as for time. In religion,
as Christ taught it, there are faith and
works, piety and philanthropy, theology
and sociology, love of God and love OF
man. The love of man is love for his
soul as well as for his body. He is a poor
philanthropist who does not recognize
and provide for mans spiritual immortal
nature.
Tonight we have been considering
fundamental truths in religion. The two
central dominant doctrines in religion, as
Christ taught it, are, the fatherhood of
God and the brotherhood of man. These
two doctrines are inseparably linked
and locked together. You cannot
repudiate the one and indorse
the other. When Jesus taught us
to pray, "Our Father, who art in heaven -
He taught us prayer that binds
us to God and to one another. That
prayer compels us to recognize the truth
that God hath made of one blood all the
nations of the earth. Christianity insists
on the inherent worth Of every human
soul. 1t will not allow us to call any
man or any set of men common or un-
clean. 1t bids us reverence man wherever
found, for man was made in the image OF
God, and for his redemption the Son of
God died on Calvary's cross. The cross
Of Christ proclaims the sacredness and
worth of man. The greatness Off the sacri-
flee argues the greatness of the object for
which the sacrifice was made. Christ
died for man because man was worth
dying for. The highest type of philan-
thropy is that revealed by the cross when
the Son of God died for the salvation OF
men. Heaven is love, the love of God to
man, and 'if God so loved us we ought
also to love one another"
Men and brethren, noble Sir Knights,
you have chosen the cross as your symbol
In this sign thou shalt conquer. 1t is a
| q q Thaf
cross bore Him who bore our sins. Once
it was the symbol of shame. Jesus
touched it and transformed it into q SYM
bol of honor. To-day that cross repre-
sents the highest civilization known on
earth. 1t represents the holiest relation
between God and man. IT is the barrier
that heaven has erected against the
tyranny and triumph of evil. That cross
leads the generations on, and will lead
them until truth and right and love are
regnant over all the earth. That cross
demands of all who wear it the highest
type of holy manhood. May God give
you grace to worthily wear it and Loyalty
serve Him who first bore it.
In the early days of knighthood, the
red cross on the arm was q sign to all the
world that the wearer had sworn allegi-
ence to the great Christ, and would in His
name minister to the needy, deliver the
oppressed and defend the weak. If YOU
order, and true to the splendid history
and traditions of knighthood, and true tc
the cross you wear. you will be superior
men in the community. The man who
takes the oath of a Knight solemnly binds
himself to live purer, nobler life than
that of ordinary men. To be true Sil
knight demands constant watchfulness
and unceasing prayer.
To-day we celebrate the resurrection o.
our Lord. Christ has ascended to His
Throne of Glory. He has committed unto
you and to all who bear His name, the
work of spreading His truth and elevat-
ing mankind over all the world. Ye are
His witnesses. You are his mailed anC
helmeted soldiers of the cross. His truth
must be taught, His life must be lived
His battles must besfought by you who
own Him King
When the hosts are rallied
Dare your Lord confess;
Dare to bear your witness
Other hearts to bless.
Armed with Christs own Spirit.
Strike at every wrong;
Think not of your weakness,
He will make you strong.
Hear the royal promise,
Victory Is sure;
| Wrong shall be defeated,
Right shall reign secure.
March we on with courage,
| Help to save the world,
By this conquering banner
Ger all lands unfurled.
By the sign of the cross, by the truth O
the cross, by the spirit of the cross yoJ
shall conquer; and having followed tn,
Captain of your salvation here, you shal
rise to meet Him in the commandery
above. God give you grace to so live tha
the cross shall suffer no loss from you
hands, and may every bearer of the eros.
/ t1,at DIV No., <~fxI !,