The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-09-07
TIE DUTY OF THE DAY.

THE UUTY UF THE LAY.
REV. THOMAS DIXON'S LAST
SERMON ON THE MONEY
PROBLEM.
Fulfllment Of the Two Great Com
mandments, Love to Godt and
Love to Man, Will Solve ALI
Financial and All Social Prob
lens.
Rev. Thomas Dixon, Jr., has finished
the summer series of Sermons on the
"Problems of Money" The text of the
ninth and last one was, John xiii, "a,
"a new commandment give unto you,
that We love one another, even as l have
loved you"
There is one sense in which we are too
familiar with the Bible. We are hard
ened to it. In my college days we were
forced to attend preaching services On
Sunday, and consequently upon my mind
preaching made not the slightest impress
sion. The sound was too familiar-un-
pleasantly familiar. l knew the theme
in one sense too well-in a real sense, not
at ALL
THE BIBLE TOO FAMILIAR.
A Boston waman lay dying in a hos
pltal, and the nurse was reading to her
from the New Testament She read the
sermon on the mount. To her surprise
the woman looked up and asked her who
wrote that book, "That is a wonderful
book! It will make it's author famous -
We need to hear the word of God, it
seems to me, sometimes as this poor
woman heard it for the first time We
need to take it literally, to hear it thus
and to believe that its message is a real
one to us.
The two great commandments that
sum up the duties of life, love to God and
love to man-how familiar We are with
them, and yet how little we really know
of them. And yet it is in the fulfillment
of this simple law of Christianity that
we shall find the solution to the great
financial and social problem that presses
now upon US for solution.
The literal fulfiiiment of this, the great.
est commandment, is the pressing duty
OF to-day. Obedience to it means the
solution of the promblem of the ages,
of the salvation of the race, because:
First-Love is the fulfllment of the
law. 1t fulfills the negations of the law
Love worketh no i'll to it's neighbor;
therefore no man who loves his fellow
man can enter upon any business that
can result to the injury of his neighbor.
JUSTICE IS LOVE.
At the touch of the fulfillment of this
law every gambling business, every sa.
loon and dive and brothel and question.
able resort must perish.
Love can not be I'm Just
The master who loves his servant gets
from him the very highest service. The
general who Commands the love of his
soldiers gets the very highest order Of
soldier. The master who wins the love
| OF his servant is just to him. The gen.
eral who wins the love of his soldier is
| a just general.
Love seeks not simply it's own, but the
good of another.
He who seeks the good of another can
not destry another in the process of at
| tanning his own good. Love can not
| take advantage of misfortune. At the
| breath of love in the business world
| the bargain counter must disappear
and our taking advantage of our neigh
| boris necessities to drive q hard bargain
must be relegated to the age OF barbara
competition. Every bargain counter is
a proclamation that somebody has
failed; that some factory is closed; that
somebody who dreamed fair dreams O
prosperity and of success had q broker
heart and a broken life.
Love is the fulfillment of the positive
commands as we'll as the negative ele
ments of law. 1t makes US to study anC
to know each other. Ignorance and in
difference are impossible if our hearts ar,
engaged. We do not know each other
If We really loved our fellow man, W,
| would make it our business to know him
1t is difficult for us to sacrifice for thos,
we do not know.
LOVE AND TREASURE.
A preacher struggled to raise a col
lection for the heather during the wal
in his church. While in the pull pit he re
ceived telegram from the seat of wal
announcing terrible battle, giving {
fearful list of the dead and wounded
calling Immediately for supplies, fo
nurses, for lint, for food, for bandage
and physicians and for money to suppl,
all these needs. They passed around tn
contribution box, and it came bacl
loaded-piled with money and Will
jewels. They took their rings from the
fingers. Women took their earring
from their ears. They piled them in tn
basket, and many of them were wet witt
tears.
Love fulfills the positive commands O
the law. If we love, we will sacrifice
Love will send us out after the peopl
who need US. 1t will make principle, no
policy, the handspring of life. Love il
the heart of man for his fellow must brin,
obedient action in a thousand human
relations where now there is eternal con
flict and friction. If we love, we are a
one in wills. Christ said, eff We love me
keep my commandments.
Secoud-Love not only fulfills the law
but from the mountain peak of the full
filled law opens the universe in which t,
expand and to grow. "Love thy neigh
Dor as thyself." Higher love than thi
can not be required of man. Jesus said
"Love one another, even as have love,
you" For this climax we strive. TIL
highest point in the development of low
is this divine climax. His love was match
less, because it was the love of perfec
humanity. Jesus greatest discover,
was himself. The most marvellous reve
lation he made to the world was of hi
deep knowledge of the Father found with
in his own great soul. But he burie,
self. He saved Others. Himself he coul,
not save. He threw his life away in tn
briefest possible ministry. He was tende
of the smallest needs of those who wer
about him. He had compassion upo
the multitude lest they faint by the way
side. He fed them lest they should b
overborne with WEAKNESS as they re
turned to the city. When his disciple
were wearied with work, he said to them
Come We apart and rest awhile" An
in his last hour of helplessness and G
excruciating pain and of soul darkness
on the cross his final thought was not @
himself, but OF the Borrowing mother VIII
stood by the cross. Her he commando
to the loved disciples.
In spite of faults, of desertion, of denial
of unfaithfulness and of cruelty he love,
them. The pharisees hated him. Tn
| common nnOnla nrofoSso6 olloo;on