The Portland daily press., 1892-01-25
BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.
The Annual Sermon Preached Last
Evening.
REV, MATT S. HUGHES MAKES
CHARITY HIS TOPIC.

CHARITY HIS TOPIC.
Services at the Episcopal Cathedral Yester-
doy Forenoon "A Sermon by Coadjutor
Bishop Kingdom, of Fredericton-Bishop
NeeIey Makes Few Remarks.
A very large audience gathered at the
First Parish Church last evening to listen
to the annual sermon preached before
the old Portland Benevolent Society by
Rev. Matt S. Hughes, pastor of the
Chestnut street NJ E. church. Rev.
John Carroll Perkins, of the First Parish
church and Rev. Asa Dalton, d. D., con-
Quoted the opening services, after which
which Rev. Mr.. Hughes spoke as follows:
Christian Charity.
TExT-"And the King shall answer and say
unto them Verify say unto you, lnasmucn as
We have done it unto one OF the least OF these
my brethren, We have done it unto me."-Mat-
thew XXV-40.
When Christ was here upon earth en-
gagged in preaching His gospel and teach
the travelling theological school, which,
without endowments, professorships or
buildings, was fitting the disciples to
proclaim the great message, throngs
gathered to hear His words. He was a
popular preacher. The common people
heard Him gladly, and all the publicans
and sinners drew nigh to hear Him. 1t
was not strange that the husbandman
left his fields, the fisherman his vessel,
the shepherd his flocks, and the house
wife her manifold cares, to listen to such
teachings as they heard not in temple nor
synagogue. No marvel that the verdict
of His hearers was that never man
spake like this man. Living in an age
over which selfshness held its cold and
cruel sway; living in land pillaged and
tyrannized by a foreign power; living
under circumstances that made the lot of
the poor terribly bitter, how could it be
otherwise than that they should hear
gladly the gracious words of the new
Teacher. He gathered all sorts and con-
ditions of men into His arms of love.
He had regard for all in His healing and
and teaching. He was the Great Physi-
clan for all classes of patients afflicted
with all manner of diseases, and in His
teaching He allied Himself, as in the
words chosen for our consideration, with
the prisoner, the hungry, the naked, the
thirsty, the stranger and the sick, the
most wretched types of human life. And
the great multitudes of men with hearts
hungry for sympathy, and all but starved
because it was denied them, fingered
under the spell of Christ's loving words.
Such teaching was not in harmony with
the age. Let it also be confessed that
Christ's example and teaching are far in
advance of the spirit of the closing years
of the nineteenth century. Where is
there man who dares to say that he has
entered into the depths of sympathy, the
words of Christ disclose? Show us one
who looks out upon suffering men and
women with such a measure of the Christ
spirit, that he is conscious of identifying
himself with them! Would you know
how far in advance of us is this idea?
Then study these words of our text by
contrast Emerson, who was declared by
Father Taylor, to be the most Christ-like
man he had ever known, once wrote: DO
not tell me as good man did to-day, of
my obligation to put all poor men in good
situations. Are they my poor? l tell
thee, thou
Foolish Phi1anthropist,
that I grudge the dollar, the dime, the
cent give to such men as do not belong
to me and to whom [ do not belong.
There is a class of persons to whom by
all spiritual affinity am bought and sold !;
for them will go to prison if need be"
These are the words of Emerson, but the
sentiments of many authors, who lack
the frankness to put them into cold
blooded print.
Compare this open avowal of indiffer-
entism, which we have quoted, with the
words of Christ, and mark the gulf that
yawns between them. II was an hun
gered," said Christ land ye gave me
meat: I was thirsty and we gave me
drink: L was stranger and ye took me
in: naked and we clothed me: / was sick
and We visited me: | was in prison and We
came unto me.'' He represents the
righteous in surprise, asking when they
had performed such offices for Him, and
the explanation Christ gives in the words
of our text: Verify say unto you, Inas-
much as we have done it unto one of the
least Of these my brethren, we have done
it unto me-"
In these words so plainly setting forth
beneficence, as Christ taught it, we have
mentioned the proper objects of Chris
tian charity: ''My brethren" even lone
of the least of these" A narrow inter-
probation has been imposed upon these
words, and it has been assumed by many
that Christ was placing honor upon those
who had exercised their ministry of
beneficence within the limits of the
household of faith. With such an inter
probation we cannot agree. There do
exist relationships in life whose demand
upon our helpfulness is primary. The
man who does not provide for his own
is
Worse Than an InfideI.
Those who belong to the visible church
have by the common bond that unites
lis preferred claim for while
we are to do good unto all men,
the duty is enjoined especially in regard
to those of the household of faith. But
when an effort is made to narrow the
sphere of our beneficence to those of the
kingdom, violence is done to the very
spirit of Christian charity.