The record-union., 1893-04-13
CHRISTIAN COMMERCE.
A Glance Over the Field of the
Church's Activities.
Obedience to the Command, OCCUPY
Till Come "-Sermon Before the
Lutheran Synod.

at the SiXteenth-Street Church last even |
ing Rev. w. S. Hoskinson, pastor of the
church, delivered an interesting sermon,
deriving his text from Luke xix, Is.
The speaker said:
We all are, or ought to be, Christian
A nobleman going to far
country gave money to his servants.
They were to trade and increase it as
they could. When the master returned,
the pound of the one had increased 1000
per cent. lie was commended and re-
ceived honors. The pound of the second
had increased 800 per cent. He, too, was
praised and given higher place of trust.
The third simply returned his pound,
nothing gained. He had hid it away in a
napkin all this time-too little to begin
with, SO he had done nothing. wicked
servant" says the master; TAX from him
and give to him that" has increased 900
per cent, for he who trades wisely and
faithfully shall have it all.
This applies to individuals, to churches
and TO denominations. And there is no
limit to this commercial activity, for the
field is the world. 1t is great task and
has worn out many u merchant. 1t takes
the skill and strength of the shrewdest
and the strongest to do it we'll, and the
work is growing more complex and per-
picking all the time. Only the Master
knew the full meaning of those words in
the parable as applying to the Christian
merchant: occupy till l come" 1t was
tar-reaching task, embracing the whole
world and running through the ages.
But
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST,
AS body of Christian merchants, has set
itself to the task and toied right nobly.
AS to the gain in pounds committed to
him We may not now know. Whether,
When all The merchant servants are
brought to the feet of the Master to
reckon the gains, the increase shall be
l,OO0 per cent, 90 per cent. or U per cent.
remains to be seen. The work is still in
progress, and the command is in full
force.
The sail vessels and steamers of many
lines whlten the seas as they carry on the
commerce of nations. No line interteres
with another as they pass and repasS on
the paths of The seas. All combine to in
crease the worlds wealth. Something
like this IS the Christian commerce of the
world carried Oh by the various denomi-
national lines. They are all t0iling for
gain-to increase the worlds wealth III
souls born into the kingdom of Jesus
Christ. There need be 10 interference as
vessels pass and repass. y friendly sig
nal flag Of salutation is shot up and the
vessels pillow the waves into foam as each
one speeds away in its attempt to obey
the command: occupy till l come"
Let us look little over the field of
trade for all lines; and then at tho field
for all vessels that bear the Lutheran
standard.
The church's work is changing. The
object OF gain will always remain the
same, but the methods for gaining that
object are not now the same as formerly.
THE CHURCH's PURPOSE
To ''go into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature" still remains
and always will; but the manner Of doing
this work is changing greatly. The
church is coming closer to man. 1t
doesn't look upon itself as so distinct
| from the world and so much better than
| the world; commanding the world all
| the while to look up to it and see how
good it's inhabitants are. 1t sees much
misery in the world and feels deep re-
sponsibility. Then God is not looked at
as he once was. He loves the saint; but
He loves the sinner too. He has graces
for the good; but He pleads with the
unregenerate with infinite tenderness.
The church is going to men now, as
never before. 1t dare not be satisfied
with sitting together in heavenly
Places" i'll the enjoyment of rich bless
ings, loving Jacob and hating Esau.
Men are saved in the church to-day in
order to serve. Every one made trader TO
go and get gain in immortal souls. The
| church's work to-day is to go and re-
mind all men that God loves them, and
has loved them all along, and now wants
them to obey Him. In this way the
| Christian commerce is at present carried
on.
IT ISN'T ALL IN THE PREACHING OF IT,
But quite as much in the doing of it. The
trading is done by works as much as by
words. All who accomplish much must
be seen going about doing good. The
world of to-day calls for the fruits. II
will not know Christianity but by the
fruits. And so Christianity is trying tc
follow the Master by showing its fruits
pitals; He blessed the children-they
gather them into the Sunday-school and
church; He had regard for the widow
and the orphan-they open asylums and
homes for them; He ministered to the
poor-they study the causes of poverty
and establish measures of prevention and
relief; He was busy teaching-they en-
dow schools and colleges and universe
ties; He ate with publcans and sinners
and fed tho rabble-they 60 into the
world and seek by all means to do men
good"
This is the line in which the church is
working to-day. 1t believes that the
church was made for man, not man for
the church, and that it must be broader
All will grant that this ideal is high
enough, and the question arises. Is the
church moving on toward her ideal
Has she the power TO do all this? Where
is her strength? This lies in her spirit
uality. Just as her faith is right, in sc
far she has inherent power to do all this
noble work. AS she holds to the divinity
of Christ, necessity of His atonemen
and salvation through him, she has spirit.
ual power to fulfill her mission and carry
on the
soUL-sAVING COMMERCE OF THE WORLD
Some things are threatening and neeC
watching. Many of the strict old churches
are relaxing in their discipline. A liberia
spirit is creeping in. You may heal
from the pulpit much about the father
hood of God, and not so much about Hi,
wrath; more about heaven and not 81
much about he'll. An offer may be made
to enter heaven without observing tn,
plain conditions of the Gospel. The Sab
bath is disregarded, and secularity il
creeping into the church. These tend t.
work against spirituality and strong per
sonal faith, and lead only to dead work S
But we think the church is growing il
spirituality. The last census shows tina
the increase in her numbers is inspiring
The Baptists have increased their mem
, bership by - per cent, the Episcopalian
As per cent, NJ. L. North 80 per cent.
Presbyterians SO per cent, NJ. E. Soutl
81 per cent, and the Lutherans by 6S pc
cent. The evangelical denomination
l have had net increase of ~ per cent, o
II per cent. beyond the increase of popu
lation for the same period. This is cheer
ing.
THE CHURCH's APPLIANCES
= And means for aggressive work neve
were so good as to-day. 1t takes th
world as its parish and all men as the OF
jects of its saving efforts. 1t has mes
sage for the unregenerate at its ow
- doors, and then for those everywhere
! o1I 81