The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-02-21

Christianity Applied to Some Of ou'
Social and liconamic Problems.
A SERMON By REV. G. C. BROWN, ID.
Why do the People Grumble? or,
the Problem Of the Labor1ng man.
TUr-''What profit hath man OF all his
labor wherein he lsboreth under the sun. -
EccL. L: 3.
do not snppose Solomon ever did
much real work, aud yet this text
sounds like the plant of communist
who was attempting to provoke his fel-
low-laborers to strike. The real fact
is that Solomon's trouble lay deeper
than this, aud was not the result Of
working for little pay, bat came from
serving master-sln-that paid too
well, but in his own coin.
I must use my text more as spring
board to help me into my subject than
any thing else. The problem Of the labor
ing man IS great one, aud reaches to
the. ends .of the earth. I shall only at
tempt to discuss it in such of its bear
ings as may be Of practical worth to US.
And must aim at happy means be-
tween extremes. The demagogue oould
easily use this subject to stir the pas
sions Of the multitude. Some Of our
great speakers get astraddle of this
hobby when they want to ride into
Office. But my purpose is to get at the
truth, discover the evils, and suggest
such remedies as / can 6nd.
I. We all sive under tie force Of the
divsne decree, IN the sweat of thy
face shalt thou eat bread"
That 1e shall labor is, therefore,
tie wiil of heaven, and this makes
all labor honorable Jesus. at his
Nazareth home. learned the trade
Of carpenter, and We must never
forget that the greatest. men who
have lived to bless the world have. as a
rale, sprnDg from the middle. the labor
ing classes.
There should be no class distinction
between those who labor and those who
do not. It's vulgar notion to sup
pose that only he is gentleman who
can i've without working. Some Of the
mest low-Mnded aud WORTHLESS vaga-
bonds are found among those who never
have to work. A gentleman is man
of heaor who does his duty in the
sphere where God has put bim. There
may be gentleman cobbler as wellas
gentleman statesman.
isHowerer mean his birth, however low his
place,
he is the gentleman, whose life, right gentle
deeds do grace
When the calls which Abrstam lin
coin split 10 his boyhood we're brought
into the aeaiaas,ng conventio1, sheir
presence created much enthusiasm, and
virtually secured his election to the
presidency Of this great repabltc.
4 repeat. there should be 20 caste
distraction among oar people, and if
there is, I an afraid the isboring
classes do as much to foster it as
any one else. They are clsnnish too,
and want to live In little world
of their eva. We see this especially
in the fact that factory people and
laboriDg men generally want a church
Of their own They are willing to
raise their children without religious
training, rather than lead them by the
hand to the churches that are open for
them.
/ am quite cure We have sought to
draw no line between the different
classes who worship here. Our seats
are free to all, aud yet there are
numbers who cannot be induced to
atteod apos our services. In many
places aud among many people, the
idea prevails that We must yield to the
whine Of the people. and build
church for each class. This may be
right; bat according to my mind, the
New Testament doctrine in this-Pus
the gospel within the reach of the
people. But it does not command US
to build church 10 every alley, nor
does it say We must feed the gospel to
them by force ont of a spoon. Our
Lord, in sending out the seventy, gave
directions on this point Our daty
clearly is 70 put the gospel within easy
reach Of all. If then they refuse to
accept it, our skirts are clear.
Still, if there are multitudes among
laboriog classes who are non attendants
upon our services, the church people
mnst not altogether excuse themselves,
and lay the blame upon some one else.
/ am inclined to believe there are two
obstacles in the way. The first is that
there is no proper sort of inter-