The Portland daily press., 1897-04-23

the common lot OF our rhCe-hTe III
their origin and nature selfish strug-
gle for life. That the forces which are
at work in the universe, and which give
it its motion, it's drift, its impulse; 40
cordinQ to which the seed terminates, the
grass grows, the flowers bloom, and the
birds fly to their nests, are all selfish
forces, and the actions selfish. The Bible
nowhere teaches that labor comes Of sin,
and was ordained as punishment. Even
In the literal narrative. we read that
when God first placed man in the garden,
He told him .'to dress it and to keep 1t. y
That meant service; that meant work
that meant occupation. The sentence
Gin the sweat of thy face shall thou eat
bread" teaches that sin has brought
sorrow and strife into our toll. And
this Is the simple truth; sin, with its
selfishness and greed, turns useful hui
man occupation into Struggle for mas
terry and self ACKNOWLEDGMENT. The
gospel teaches us that labor, work, and
first workman; the very idea of creation
implies that Sin the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth. -
"All things We're made by Him, and
without Him was not anything made
that was made. That is God. God
creating God at work. And if it Ia true
that today nature and society present
US with the spectacle of selfish strug-
gle for life, 1t is also true that the first
work done, the first energy put forth was
divine; struggle Of life and love for
the sake of others. Let the hungry and
weary soul turn to God. God the creator,
God the worker, and he will find that
work and workmanship have their origin
in the love inspired, and life giving en-
ergy of God himself. Study tine charac-
ter and the life OF the Lord jesus. God
manifest in the flesh, and we onn learn
the nature Of that creative life, can test
whether it be selfish or unselfish, can
learn whether 1T is mere struggle for
its own life, or whether ID goes forth
for the sake of others; and whether we
work ourselves, or employ Others, it be-
fits us to turn to the character of the
manifested God, 60 inquire of it, and fol-
low its example.
The Jewsx scornfully asked our Lord
"What dost thou workp our fathers did
eat mama in the desert, MS it is written.
We gave them bread from heaven to
eat" And He who was thus challenged,
replied, 1.-The bread of God is He which
came down from heaven, and giveth life
unto the world. am the bread of life !"
Life unto the world! The.bread of lifei
Life to others! Listen again, ~ am come
that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly." ~
lay down my life for my sheep" 81
come not to BIZ ministered unto, but to
minister. Look and see, He who de-
clares that He is the Forthcoming Of God.
girds himself as servant takss a basin
of water, and, kneeling at His disciple S
feet declares, - am among you as one
that serveth." Or yet again, when the
sea Of angry faces are looking up at
Hin on Calvary, and men are shaking
their fists. and hurting their ,ests and
soorn, the verdict of hate Ia at last pro-
nounced in one cry, intended as an in
ever since by its truth. He saved
others, himself he cannot saven MOI
He freely gives all He has, He gives
himself, for the sake of others; and
greater love hath no man than this, that
be lay down his life for his friends.
Trace back, step by step Jllat ministry,
which, explain 1t as we will, is the ex-
preston of the life of God, and see if, at
the heart of the world, at it's springs ana
beginnings. life is not love: and whether
creation is not the going forth of love
robed in wisdom for the bringing forth
of u world, in which men might dwell
and be Of services one to another.
The soul of existence is love, labor,
work, service, cnIl it by what name you
will, was first with God; being the &C.
tivity of divine love going forth to do
good, to create, to give of itself to others
The Lord Jesus WAS the forthcoming of
God to man. God in manifestation.
Believing this, we cannot be satisfied
with the solution of any problem of life
until we see it in the light of the revel-
alton which He makes to US; until we
see it as He does; for this is applied
Christianity" the only kind that ia
worth anything. know of nothing that
is today SO much needed in the world, in
the church, aud In the home, as His sx-
emplifcati0n of what term His divine
law of service. When we think who il
is that says, II must work." when we
realize who it is that kneels and washes
the feet Of his followers, and declares TO
them, ~ am among you as one tfiat
ssrveth," then We know that service is
not simply necessary, right and honor
able; it is divine. and essential to the
very being of God. II He had said l
must be heard. l must be believed,
must be obeyed and reverenced, should
we have thought it stranger? But these
other words, 81 must work." That the
necessity of His naturel That the com.
polling power of His lifel In the face of
such words dare we, can we, say that
labor is cursep The world moves
what makes 1t move? The tiniest
cell divides, and gives part of itself away
to form another life-w hat causes 1t to
ulVlQ3! One atom draws TO 1Gs6lf anOth-
er atom in partnership of service
what gives them their affinity? The sun
sends forth it's heat and light-what
givef it that ceaseless impulse? The
plant labors to form seeds that when it
dies it may be multiplied-what gave it
such an impulseP The mineral world
serves the vegetable world; the vegetable
world serves the animal world, and NIL
of them serve man. What is thu origin
of this great law OF use? In its outward
form this is known as the struggle for
life; but within Is the deeper purpose,
the struggle to give life to others, the
love Of service; and this, which ia called
the last and latest word of science Ia the
first word of God, uttered at the Begin
ming of creation.
6Has man then the right to work. Is
it his duty and privilege? So surely as
there is God For so surely rs there is
God, is man the intended child of God !:
capable according to his limited capacity
ana degree of thinking as God. of loving
as He loves, OF serving even as He
serves. AS we cannot think of God in
his infinite love, wisdom, ami power.
doing nothing; it should be just as I'M
natural to think Of man as not doing,
If Goodman" can say II came not to
be ministersd unto buf to minister" or
81 am among you as one that serveth, I"