The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-04-05
Benevolence In Religion.

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New York Herald.
For | Vas ahungered. and ycgave me no
meat: | was thirstv.g and yc gave me no
drlnk.-Matthew. XIV, V.
The brain of the world is in the
right place, but the worlds heart is
somewhat out OF order. We know
enough about Christianity, but do not
do enough with what we know. If
our practice were equal to our theory
we should not need to pray for the
millennium. 1t is one thing to be-
lieve right, and quite another thing
to live as we believe.
We do as little as we can to earn
what is called salvation and expect
the Lord to work miracle by which
we shall be better off in the other
world than we have any right to be.
When we pray God to help us work
for our own benefit we think twelve
hours a short day, but when He asks
us to work for others twelve hours are
more than we can endure. In our re-
ation to the Almighty there is an
element OF hypocrisy, for we do as
little as we can and ask Him to be
very fatherly and do the rest.
We would like to be saved ourselves.
but we don't much care whether
Others are saved or not, either in this
life or in the life to come. IT our own
appetiteS are satisfied we cannot I'M
dcrstand why any one should go hun
CRY. and II we are we'll clad in winter
we thank God for His good gifts, but
give no passing thonght to and feel no
responsibility for our rshivering
ncghbor
That kind of a religion. to speak
with perfect franknesS, is more or
less of sham. The man who insists
upon his rights, but fails to recognize
his duties is not Christian, no mat
ter what church he attends or what
lcreedh he processes. 1t will be safer
to tell the Lord that you have re-
deemed some fallen soul than that
you have acquired a million or nodded
assent to every theological dogma
that was ever formulated. Your creed
will be no defence unless you have a
life of self-Sacrifice behind it. Nor
words, nor prayers, nor yet II serious
face constitute your claim on eternal
happiness, Dut rather deeds which
have cost You something. The hon
est life of an honest doubtcr is worth
more to the world than the Christian
ityof man who prays ','rhe kingdom
come" but does not lift his hand to
make it come
live were to put side by side the
religion which we as a community
profess and our utter Indifference to
tue duties which tlatrcligion imposes
we should have painful revelation.
We know that love is the fulfilling of
the law, and yet we love ourselves
only and care very little what becomes
OF others. We neither hold ourselves
responsible for the dowhfall OF a hu-
man brother or sister, nor are we
willing to make any sacrifice In order
"a prevent that DOWNFALL. Tie pull
pits talk fbrotherly kindness On Sun
day morning and the pews nod assent,
but for six days in the week neither
pulpit norpew will 90 out Of Its way
to end hand to the tempted or to
rescue the degraded. People who are
really good, tender hearted, sympa.
thctlc, will sit at ease In their com.
Portable chairs, possibly sign "God
pity the poor this bitter night, "
thank the Lord that they are them
selves warm and 90 to bed with an
undisturbed conscience"
Let us find an illustration. Here Is
a young girl In Strengthened circum-
stances. She Is practically alone In
the world, and the world has already
crushed the buoyancy and hopefulness
out OF her heart. What Is her NE
worth, either to herself or anyone
else? she asks tearfully. Who cares
whether she remains virtu0us or be-
comes vicious |? She watches the
more favored ones, who are evidently
surrounded by all that wealth can
purchase, but not even a look Of pity
or sympathy Is bestowed on her. She
is starving, and there Is no fuel In the
crate. How the hcayenss lower, Now
her bosom hcaYP witH anguish
frIendless, alone, helpless What
shall she doY Shtvcr In rags and keep
her soul pure9 Go hungry Ia world
y single csumb ofwhosesurplrs would