The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
A LABOR-DAY DISCOURSE BY THE
REV. WALTER f. BENTLEY.
The Pastor of st. Peters Episcopal
Church, of Bainbridge, N. ",
breaches ON a Timely Topic.

MY rather Worketh hitherto, ana Work.
We are laborers together with God.-I
Corinthians ill., 9.
Is 1t not significant that the opening sem
tence Of the worlds book-God's word--pro-
claims Him the God of labor rather than of
ease and pleasure? I'm the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth is the
statement.
Some believe that God, having finished
His creative acts and set the universe spin
ming on its course, retired to watch it mere
~. or to settle down for the enjoyment Of
a perpetual Sabbath, an eternity of idle
ness. In their view the world was little
better than huge piece of mechanism-a
gigantic clock, for instance, which, once set
going, requires at most only an occasional
winding up at the hands of it's maker. But
Christ said, MY Father worketh hitherto.
and 1 work." and His inspired messenger
declared, He upholdeth all things by the
word of His power"
What greater message than this has the
apostle of to-day, who in these distracted
times is trying to shepherd the masses,
rich and poor alike. and lead them to the
truth of the essential dignity and sacred
ness of labor?
The cause of labor is the issue OF the
hour. What it ought to have but has not;
what it might be, but is not; and what 1t
may be If under judicious leadership it
takes the right road to attain the goal
these are questions that fill the newspapers,
occupy platforms and pulpits, and cause
not little headache in monopolistic and
society nightcaps and heartache among the
weary toilers.
We can clearly trace the cause of the
modern heart disease of society, as ex-
hibited by notable labor troubles in the
past few years, to the fact that we had
forgotten that the words, Thy kingdom
come were followed by ION earth" be-
fore mention is made of its existence in
heaven--that for nearly nineteen hundred
years the first half of the gospel--love to
God, or theology" has been dwelt upon
and emphasized, we dare say, more or less
at the expense of the second half-Iove to
man, or sociology" Now do we begin to
realize that our presentation of the gospel
has been but half presentation. And
while the church's mission Is not to die
tate terms. or to dictate anything in fact,
still it is her mission to win men to right
principles. the chief of which to-day are
the awful responsibilities and sacredness Of
wealth on the one hand and of labor on the
other.
Nor is there an institution on the face OF
the whole earth better endowed or equipped
for this work. Christ, her founder, was q
carpenter, reared in the humble carpenters
shop, and so appeals to the laborer. He
owns the universe, and so can speak for
the capitalist. She alone can say: Il come
in the name and authority of Him who
turned utter chaos into magnificent order,
to settle your disputes by the principles OF
eternal justice and Kindness" Is she not
the natural and safe arbiter between the
contesting interests of men? Piercing the
artihcialities of life, inveighing against
class distinctions, hers is not the doctrine
of 'Iet we'll enough alone" nor of pious
sentimentalism, which shuns the worlds
dangers and temptations, regarding 1t as
''f1eeting show for mans illusion given,
a yale of mistry," to leave which and be
transported to shining streets and golden
harps were the great blessing. Nor yet is
it the doctrine of mere comfortableness for
the well-to-do and mere charity for the ILL
to-do No. it is the message. Justice as the
harbinger of love and peace, not a far-off
future thing, but rather Of pressing and
vital Importance now, to be worked out
here rather than yonder.
We are all laborers-or ought to be, for in
a workday world beneficently DER shad-
owed by q laboring Father 1t is positively
immoral to be idle-and all labor is dig
nifed and noble If we but make it so,
whether of head, hand or heart. The ma
1ority can say with the apostle: I'VE labor,
working with our own hands" But it mat
ters not. To labor is to minister to human
life whether it be writing a poem, preach
ing sermon, enacting law, blowing
field, sailing a ship, scrubbing the floor or
shoeing a horse. We are all brothers and
children of self-sacriicing, laboring Faith
er. Our plain duty is to be likewise la
borious and self-sacrifcing, each putting
his shoulder to the wheel and cheerfully
bearing his share of the burdens Of life.
We have no room for idlers. Our world is
Gods workshop, and 1--WE are laborers to-
gether with Cod" as truly as was Paul
when he wrote those words. Every one OF
US must work in some way or other; no
one has moral right to be a drone. how
ever wealthy he may be.
If your means raise you above the neces-
sity Of ordinary toll, take your capital and
personally direct it for the employment OF
suffering thousands and so minister to their
life If not that, aid philanthropic enter
prises, build decent dwellings, for the poor,
provide parks, libraries, educational insti-
tutions; further missionary organizations
and university settlements in the slums by
giving, not alone your money. but your
time your culture, your service, yourself.
To deny the divine claim upon every mem
Der Of the body polite for service to man
kind is to court personal and national dis
aster; and If this Republic goes under. the
only outcome will be a species of military
despotism or else anarchy, for which YOU
and I must share the blame
Service is the condition of sustenance.
Work we all must If we mem to bring out
and develop our nature. AS the great
Charming observed: The capacity for
steady. earnest labor is, apprehend one
of our great preparations for another state
Of being. When see the vast amount OF
toll required Of men feel that 1t must have
important connection with their future ex-
istence; and that he who has met this dis
cipline manfully has laid one essential foun-
dation of Improvement, exertion and hap
piness in the world to come"
Could we fully realize this we should not
be so exercised over the financial returns
Of our work We should learn rather to
look at the inherent value and sacredness
of the work itself. Agassiz said. Il have no
time to make money" The men OF highest
manhood Of greatest genius, of kingIiest
nature, have no time to gather things.
They love the work for the works sake,
and so possess the consciousness of master
ship. History plainly shows us that the