The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-31
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE: UNIQUE
ANALOGY FOR EVERYDAY USE.
BY the Rev. George Fl. Hubbard, Pas
tor OF the First Congregational
Church, Enfield, Mass.


All men are somewhere" said an old
time preacher. Poor mani What a de-
fusion! Plainly he was more familiar
with books than with human nature and
life. His logic was good, but on the Ques-
ZION OF fact he was far astray The
truth is, great many men are no
where. Upon the important issues OF
life you cannot locate them with any de-
gree of certainty, for they never take a
definite stand. They are moral and spir-
itual gypsies. living on wheels and having
no fixed abode
Stop the first twenty men YOU meet ana
ask each one his position upon any of the
reading moral questions of the day. You
VIII be fortunate If you receive five clear
ana decided expressions of opinion. The
rest Will either have no ideas at all upon
the subject or be unable to disclose the
ideas they have. And this among the most
intelligent, well-informed people in the land.
Where art thou?" is a question of lati-
tude and longitude One asks Where in
Hong-kong?" and you reply, Twenty
three degrees north latitude by ia degrees
east longitude" That indicates the exact
iocailty, definite and unmistakable Given
It's latitude and longitude. and we can To-
cate IN moment the most obscure spot on
earth. Latitude we reckon from the eoua-
49, -O-~oANNNO II OuA the OISeuWIcn nGr1Qiar.
There are moral ATTITUDES and longitudes
py which we may define our position in the
moral world. From what are they reck-
oned? The geography OF the kingdom ~
heaven is very complete, and we NAV find
its maps and charts in the New Testament
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart and mind and soul and
strength" That is the celestial equator.
You must get your moral latitude from that
Ihou shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self" That is the Greenwich meridian OF
character. Reckon your moral longitude
from that.
These are the fundamental principles OF
all true morality. The most limited and uns
pretentious life that takes its reckoning
from these principles occupies definite po-
sition in Gods kingdom
But remember that two lines are required
to define position. We must have both lati-
tude and longitude. Latitude alone is NOT
position. Longitude alone does not fix ii
within 5000 miles. The same is true when
we speak Of moral position. The perfect
life measures carefully its relation to both
God and man. To omit either calculation
is to render the other valueless.
TWO RECKONINGS.
Let us take our reckoning in both direc-
tons. First is the question of latitude.
Where art thou in relation to God? Do you
ever measure your life, your character your
conduct fom the divine equator? Multftudes
take no account of latitude. In all their
plans and methods they are literally with
out God in the world" Humanity is their
watchword. They say: LET US be very
careful in our dealings with men, Let us
be honest. Let us be upright. Let us be
benevolent. Let US cultivate the spirit OF
universal brotherhood and develop high
standard of moral excellence and this is
enough. We need not trouble ourselves
about God and His law"
Now the manliness that has no root in
goodness cannot be depended upon in an
emergency; all righteousness apart from
God and his law is very temporary and
imperfect thing. Good Samaritans do not
abound among the utterly ungodly Moral
ity and benevolence when not rooted deep
in religious convictions are like cut flowers
that may be kept for few days in water
and even brought to fuller bloom. but
quickly wither and die The man who re-
jects the claims of God or who is unwilling
to define his attitude toward his Maker,
though he may pose as a. reformer or
philanthropist or what not, is not to be
trusted, however honest he may be.
Strange indeed is it that in this Chris
tian land there is more religious indefnite-
ness than among the veriest heather;
strange that thousands of men and women
who are outspoken on all other matters
should be afraid or ashamed to acknowl-
edge their allegiance to God and His serv-
ice. Are you living in the warm zones Of
hearty loyalty and joyful service? Or are
you sailing the frozen seas of indifference
in useless search for some spiritual
northwest passage" to Nowhere?
Again, as to longitude: Where art thou?"
What is your position with regard to your
fellow-men? Do you reckon duty and priv
ilege from Christ's first meridian? Have
you ever thought how much you owe the
world? Have you ever tried TO pay the
debt, or even the interest on 1T?
You say you are morally spotless. Very
good; that is well. so far as it goes. But
are you pleasant and loving in the home?
Are you honest and unselfsh in business?
Are you true and earnest in society? Are
you kind in your speech and charitable in
your judgments of others? You love God,
or you think you do; but do you love your
neighbor as yourself? In both spiritual and
material things, are you willing that others
should share equally with yourself? Or are
you constantly trying to get the best end OF
the bargain?
There is a great deal of unblushing sell
| fshness in the world. The scramble for SUI
prenaacy is seen in every sphere in life. The
stock market and the political campaign are
not wholly unique in their principles and
methods Few men know any way to rise
but by treading down their neighbors. or
any way to amass wealth but by impover-
! fishing others. The disciples of Christ to-
| day, like those OF old, have been known TO
ask, "who shall be greatest?' This is east
| longitude.
FIND A DEFINITE PRINCIPLE.
! Now there are two ways of reaching any
point on the earth. II it is east. you may
reach it by going directly eastward: or you
may go to the westward, and by going far
enough come around TO the east again. So
there is selfishness that goes under the
name Of large-hearted philanthropy. There
is your professional reformer, heraiding the
millennium at SEQ a night. There is your
popular philanthopist, neglecting the home,
Sinking the natural duties that God has
given hin-or her-all in the name OF love
for mankind. There Is the man who neg-
lects to pay his just debts that he may
have the pleasure OF being benevolent There
is the enthusiast who let's her own children