St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-29

"For their sakes sanctify myself that
they also might be sanctifed through the
truth"
This is part Of what is called the
prayer of Jesus in the seventeenth
chapter Of John, and presents very
strange aspect, a much forgotten as
pect, of the attitude of Christ toward
those whom He called His disciples. It
is equivalent to saying that He is good,
not for the sake Of goodness, simply,
but for the sake Of the goodness that
shall be by His goodness promoted. 'I
sanctify myself. I set myself apart,
devote myself" He says, "that they
also may be set apart, devoted, sane
titled, made holy, made clean and
good through the truth" And the
truth that he implies is, to have this
cleansing, wholesome, spiritual, SAN
itary, and hygienic character, is the
truth that comes by the adjustment Of
wholesome life to other lives. It is
beautiful statement of the intimacy
Of souls.
What, then, is Christianity in its
simplicity? The wholesomeness Of sim
pie Christianity appears, first of all,
in that 1t is way Of looking at life.
1t Is not the Greek way it is not the
Roman way, it is not the Goth's way.
1t is way of it's own, and thus it
came to be called in the early church
"the way" they called it "the new
way" You will find, If you open the
Teachings of the Twelve"-that docu-
ment Of the second Christian century
that there Is laid down the catechism
of "the two paths" the two ways; this
had entered into the vocabulary Of the
early church. It was certain way
that was Christian and no other. So
that 1t was not an accident, it should
be recorded, that at Antioch, there
first were they called Christians"
What had they been called? They had
been called Galileans, they had been
called Nazarites, they had been called
disciples Of Jesus Of Nazareth. they
had been called by a variety Of names.
They were called by names opprobrious
to distinguish them in their supersti-
tion, but now the consistency of be-
havior and way of looking at life had
given to them name distinctively
their own; and So If their name Chris
tan" be derived from Christ, it Is equiv
alent to the saying: These are they
that claim IAN amounting of the Holy
One" for Christ" means the Amounted
One, the Messiah, the sent One, the
One who has a mission, an errand in
Gods world from God. They live in
His way. Now we get the Christian
faith in simplicity, in that it is a meth
cd of the divine life among men. Just
as truly scientific a. statement as when
you say that heat is a mode Of motion
is 1t to say that simple Christianity is
method Of the divine life among
men.
The law Of Christ, the royal law, is
love; and 1t lifts the question of fitness
from the weak and asks it's answer of
the strong. It is the doctrine of evoIu-
ton In the Christian aspect Of it that
requires the test of survival Of the
working forces of the world in mend
ing that which is broken; it causes to
survive the unfit, judged by the STAN
dards of brute life.
All business becomes O different thine.
under this aspect Of the WhoIesomeness
OF simple Christianity. It is no longer
competition, which Is like duel
where one watches the unguarded spot
IN the other, that he may run him
through; but business takes on a kind
OF ministry Of religion. I know you
will smile at the idealization Of this.
but 1T Is true In It's essence. And I.
stand by the strong word of Martfneau:
The possible always is, no matter how
long 1t Is coming!' If 1t is possible.
1T already Is. 1t Is in the nature of
things. The question is asked, would
you say that this was the will Of God:
Whatever contributes to the happiness
Of the individual and the building up of
soc.ety?" 1 say the definition is not
wide enough. I should rather saw:
though 1T Is more indefinite, the will of
God Is the order Of the world. The
order Of the world is the will of God.
Whatever matches the order matches
endeavor to the will Of God Though
business may be still scramble, In un-
sanctff1ed natures the matching Of the
cunning Of one against the strength of
another. think / have known men
enough imbued with the spirit of Jesus
Christ, who have done business for the
glory OF God in the name OF Chris
tianity, to believe that better order
for TIE knights of trade is possible.
and Is coming into the world when 1t
And now. finally think SfS iSaa1 a..