Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-15

metaphysical belief that they have been in
the habit of associating with it. But the
truth is that ritual and doctrine are only
on the outside of religion; they are only the
| border of the garment of Christ. Chris
tianitv is life The Christian is one who
all the dav long, and wherever he is, and
whatever he does, tries to hve as he knows
the Lord Jesus Christ wants him to live.
! We make a great mistake if we imagine that
religion can be detached from any element
of our daily life
Bishop Huntington sent me the other day
copy of pastoral letter which he wrote
to the people of his diocese about ''Moral
Cowardice. - That is what is the matter
with a good many of us Christians. We
are enfeebled and disabled by moral cow
ardice The Christian can no more be a
real Christian without making his Christian
ity an aggressive religion than a soldier can
be a good soldier without fighting
Simon Peter In Pittsburg.
1t would be a strange idea of war if we
were to think that the chief purpose of a
soldier was to wrap himself all up in cast
iron armor so that the bullets of the enemy
could not hit him. The purpose Of the SOL
dier is to take his part in the fighting. No
body is a good soldier who is afraid to fight.
Nobody is good Christian who is ashamed
of Christ And vet that old scene of Simon
Peter in the guardroom, AFRAID of what the
women might say and of what the men
might say if he avowed himself Christian,
and so with fear denying his Master-that
old scene is re-enacted everywhere. Simon
Peter has his habitation here in Pittsburg.
Now, if the Christian goes into society,
and takes his Christianity along with him,
what change will there be in society?
One change will be lessening of the
social sin OF extravaganza. Nobody will
DENY that there is a great deal too much
money spent in the social world in mere ex-
travagance. 1t is not easy to define extrav-
agance by illustration; because there are
such great differences in the conditions.
And yet 1 think that we approach defni-
tion when we say that an eItravagant in
vestment is that which brings back no ade-
quate return, and that an e1travagant pur-
chase is that in which the thing purchased
bears no proper relation to the amount ex-
pended for it.
Tn. Evil of Ex:rava=ance.
Extravaganza encourages the spirit of
emulation. People are not disposed to be
enyiouS of one another on account of the
possession of moral or intellectual gifts; at
least they never carry their envy into vio-
lence in those directions But there is
US to be extremely envious of those who ex-
ceed us in the possession of money. Many
a literary organization, in which the men,
bers have been in the habit of meeting at
each others houses, has been broken up by
reason of an eItravagant dinner. Some one
will give particularly handsome feast one
day, and then the next member the next
week Will spread little better table, and
bye and bye people will feel that they are
not able to go any more. They are not
willing to be surpassed in this rivalry of
dinners. One of the curious things that one
sees in Venice is that the gondolas are all |
painted black; and you know that this color |
began at time when Venice ran into the |
utmost extravaganza in the decoration of |
these river carriages, and finally there had |
to be a law passed that the gondolas should |
all be painted black alike.
Extravaganza sets a false ideal People |
think when they look about them at the |
world and read what is going on in the |
newspapers, that the highest kind of life |
hat one can live is to inhabit fine house |
md be able to entertain handsomely. And |
great many people know that it is utterly |
impossible for them ever to do that, and |
hey grow discontented. That is the way
n which revolutions have their beginning.
Separating the Extremes of Society.
Extravaganza emphasizes the difference
here is between the extremes of society,
md that is exactly what we do not want to |
To- 1t is singular coincidence that a year
n two ago, there came out at the same time
wo exceedingly different books, which lay
ide by side in all the bookstores repre-
enting society from very different points of I
'iew. One was written by Mr.. McAllister,
md showed society as he had found it. The
,ther was written by General Booth, and
howed society as he had found it. 1t is
readful thing that it should be possible, in
his world which Christ meant should be
that some people should live
to the very height of luxury
nd that other people at the same time and
rithin the same city should not have
nough to eat.
When people with starvation looking
hem in the face read the account of what
appens in Mr. McAllister's kind of So
iety, il gives them strange and wild feel
ngs in their hearts. We cannot wonder at
|. 1t is we'll that we should try to do all
he time what the Gar and his mobiles are
ding just now in the presence of the Rus
ian tamine-try to live more simply in or
er that our brethren who are starving all
he time in perpetual famine may live a
title better.
Cost cf th~ Lord Mayors Banquet.
Not only does extravaganza set this false
leal of life, and emphasize this portentous
Inference between the extremes of society,
ut it is such a waste of opportunity! Money
opportunity. They had a great election
! Londoa a few weeks ago, one of the most
otable elections that has taken place with
the last quarter OF n century, the election
f the London County Council, a body of
len who for the last two or three wears
ave been trying to bring heaven down to
arth in that great city and have succeeded
onderfullv,
And in some of the sermons that were |
reached in regard to that election, by men |
'ho desired to have the good work go on |
nd increase, there were pointed out some
the good things which the London Coun-
Y Council have already done. And 1 re-
lember that one preacher, at the end of a
ing list of benefits which had been brought
specially 70 the poor, said: "And how
luch did this cost? Just the price of one
ord Mayors banquet"
Think of that! That is what extravagance
oes. 1t puts monev into a selfish banquet
lat might be used for universal benefit.
The Sin of Pharisaism
If the Christian goes into society and
lkes his Christianity with him, there will
e another sin lessened, the sin of Pharisa-
m. We must not think that all the Phar-
ees are within the realm of religion
here are more Pharisees in ball rooms than
IN be found in churches For the Phari-
.e is simply one who separates himself,
ho SAYS 81 am better than thou" Of
,urse there is such a fact in human nature
the fact of congeniality. There is no use
tempting to make ANYBODY love all peo- :