The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-02-09

lions created tor the benef1t OF hui
manity and now scattered broadcast
throughout the land. They are one of
the products of Christian churches.
Remove the church with its influence,
its inspiration, from Pasadena, and
think you this would be the home
that it is?
We we'll know in what spirit some
affect to ignore and even to decry the
value of the church. If person
never crosses the threshold of the
house of God, yet there is reflex in
fuence which is of untold value to
the individual; he can not reap the en-
tire benefits even if he performs the
moral and spiritual obligations rest
ing upon him.
The church stands as promoter of
all that is true and right. Its work
is to check the maddening propensi-
ties of evil, with their dire conse-
quences, and cultivate the divine ele
ment which God has breathed into
the human soul. 1t is when such
burning thoughts come from the pull
pit as were delivered by Rev. Burt
Estes Howard of Los Angeles yester-
day morning that Church Extension
assumes its noblest form. For it is
not simply by erecting piles of wood
or stone, be the architecture ever SO
massive or costly, but it is in the
spirit which recognizes in the higher
degree the brotherhood of man, that
the strength of the church lies.
The Christian church stands as an
institution created by Christ, whose
inspiration and promise is "to draw
all men unto him." whose life as best
exemplifed i'll his disciples was the
embodiment of the teachings of the
sermon on the mount. In fact it is
only through the spirit of the Master
that we can hope for the realization
of that song given ages since, "Peace
on earth, good will to man."
Yet above all and over all let it be
realized that the fruits of the work
and power of the church can only be
| told by it's eternal results. To in
spire the human life and send, in ever
so limited degree, that spirit and
love of the Master which surpasseth
all knowledge, is to bestow divine
blessing on humanity. To strive for
such results means a whole-hearted-
ness, sympathy with the spirit of
the church that permits of no luke
warmness. 1t is only by giving of
the best, the giving of ones self-that
the best can be obtained. There is
no path in our daily ordinary life but
ought to be glorified with this prin-
ciple.
| One of the greatest wants of to-day
is an honest unblushing respect for
work. Whatever degradation clings
to labor lies in the careless perform
ance of the task, not in the labor it
self. Far whittier is the spirit, even if
the hand be brown, of the working
man or working woman who is an
honest struggler in the battle of life,
than is that of the idler. Doas Hiram
Golf did. To him every stroke of the
hammer on the lap stone was piece
of Gods work intrusted to him alone,
and he put his soul into it. No won
| der that his pastor drew from him
his choicest plans. Let the cry go
forth from the pulpit labor is no curse
but one of the divinest blessings.
To extend the influence and power
of the church it must necessarily be
established in places where it does
not exist. To accomplish this re-
quires an interest and sympathy that
will eventually create an organized
effort.
To bestow on others the same priv
ileges which are ours to enjoy,t estab-
lish churches in waste places, to make
stronger the weak ones, to be wise
enough to meet the demands of the
times through the medium of the
church are questions that require the
gravest consideration. Let heart join
hand in advancing these objects.
PASADENA, CAL.