The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-10-19
ABINGDON
fCoa,inas.. from Pr; Fs-v

E'NNftA-AA@AN@ "@A1NA4 ' So
hld ia field" = treasure "t >neo
trau.aseuiaat worth that II - a ~ i~='
bargain tn "ssll all ~r have aud eu'
that field" And /, has not only thus
great worth ~ itself. bnt Possesses
the rare power. when once soagh I
and found. Of carrying wIth II every
o,he, needed thing Then. going
bevound the inividusl. II - power
tina, will permeate society as leAvsn
that leaveneth the whole lump.
Now. IL Is this social aspect Of the
kingdom ef heaven we wish To EN-
phasIze here: the renewed social
state which this kingdom WAS desi-
gned 10 establish here IN this world.
For the very words of prayer the
Master put into III mouth "f His de-
>ciples were: Thy kingdom come
and Thy will tee done on earth
mark ton earth" not in another
world after death. Christ had no
use-we of to-day have no use-for
any kingdom, any church, and re-
hgion, that bushes itself about the
interests OF another world, and ig-
nores or neglects the peoples inter.
ests in this world. This is why the
great earnest heart of the common
people are crying to-day a. III the
time of Christ, for new departure
"a church of the new era: a church
which Is not mere fire insurance
company issuing policies to mill
lonalros and stock gamblers-to pro-
vide against birthstone contingencies
In another world. But church
which follows Christ and makes If
hard, not easy, "for rich man to
get in.o the kingdom of heaven" by
proxy and a charity bequest of few
thousand dollars out of the millions
he has wrung from the starving
poor; church which bushes not it.
self with long prayers standing in
the synagogue to be seen of men,"
those few men rich enough to own a
pew and dress their children fine
enough for the occasion; a church
which concerns not itself with priest
ly mummerles and mystical myteries
and traditional superstitions about
the tabled bells and purgatories of
future world, while the bells of pow
erty, starvation, struggle, compe-
tltIon, crime, vice, infamy, ROBBERY
and oppression of the poor, right
here in this present world, go unre-
buked by the pulpit and unmitigated
by the pen. To be plain, true Christ
ianity-the kingdom of heaven will
find no place for existence till the
kingdom of hell is overthrown; over
thrown, not by ''the mystery of god
hness," but by the plain dealings of
manllness; overthrown, not by the
mumbling of creeds and the worship
OF relies, religious or political, but
by an intelligent use of the ballot in
the hands of an enlightened citizen
ship. Our present robber system of
life must be reformed, and monop-
oily must be downed, or there is no
hope for the world. The toilers of
the land must no longer be content
ed to work like the horse or the OK.
for their oats and their stall, while
the products of their labor go to en-
rich their owners.
Before the kingdom of God comes.
church members will have to vote as
well as pray for it's coming. They
must vote for government WHICH
proposes to itself higher and nobler
functions than mearely to collect
taxes, license deviltry and superin-
tend machine politics. they must vote
for a government that feels itself
charged with the duty of seeing that
the citizen is protected from legal
AAH1 ~n-