El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-11-14
BAPTIST CHURCH.
the Gospel to the
POOR"

preached yesterday morning lroiu inc
text: HE had annointed me to preach
tn" gospel TO the poor" Luke lV:lS.
He spoke in part as follows:
In these few words Is couched the
only hope of temporal and eternal sal
vation to mankind. Short as is the
text, IL comprehends the divine plan
and announces the mission OF Christ TO
earth. To be poor in the days OF Jesus
was worse than to be poor now. Pow
erty was regarded by the jews as
just penalty for sin. Seneca tells us
that the people flung aims to the poor
with repugnance, and scrupulously
avoided contact with them. And yet
IL was especially to this class that Je-
Gus came with his glad tidings. His
mission was to break their bonds. save
them from their slavery, and bind up
their open hearts.
Notice how he started about this.
First: He sought to turn the people TO
God. The poverty of the soul Is in
fnitely worse than that OF the body;
and Jesus offers riches OF indnl.ely
more value than the riches oil this
world. III Jesus could get the people
to turn to God the foundation for the
emancipation from human poverty
would be laid. For, II the poor turn to
God they will obey him and he will
take care of them; If the rich turn to
him they will become mighty agents
through whom God will care Tor the
poor Here is the only true philoso-
ply OF true reform. L believe in all
legitimate organization and legislation
that looks towards benettiug the poor
and the laboring class. Ii special
favors are to be shown to any, am In
favor of them going towards this class,
because their needs are greater and
they are in the majority.
But to depend on these, save as mere
agents Of great God in the hands OF
an obedient people, is fatal mistake
Jesus said: "Seek first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness; AMI all
these things shall be added unto YOU"
There is more in this promise when the
conditions are met than in all the
lodges, unions and political parties in
the whole world. Meet these conditions
and God Swill bless your organized ef-
fort and bring the right reform; dtsre-
gard them, and you Will never ma the
proper relief. Let tn ee-fourths OF the
poor and laboring classes in the United
States turn to God, fill every church
and family altar with devout worship
ers at every service hour for one year,
and abject poverty would be unknown.
Let this per cent of our own Ell Paso
follow this plan for the same time, and
we would convert our little city into q
veritable paradise before the year ex-
pired.
To the contrary, a majority of our
people are not even nominally obedient
to God; and the consequence Is an ever
growing pessimism, organized failure,
disappointment, poverty aud much of
hell here on earth. This may bring
revolution but never satisfactory re-
form. The only hope for true reform
and temporal salvation for the laborer
and the poor lies in obeyipg the gospel
of Jesus Christ. Second: Jesus de-
manded of the people fruits meet for
repentance, with special reference to
their care for the poor. Let him
that hath two cosat impart to him that
hath none", saith John. "Inasmuch
as ye have, or have not, done it to one
unto" me saith Jesus. Jesus was him
self poor; and not only when he and
his disciples stopped by the wayside to
open the eyes of the blind, to lift the
MANNED to his feet, to heal the with
cred hand, drive away the lepros snow,
sootne the saching heart and brush
away a tear from the eyes of the fallen,
were the poor blessed; but where
ever this gospel has gone the condition
OF the poor has been greatly relieved.
Other religions have their caste and
draw sharp distinctions between the
rich and the poor. Other institutions
fix a money consideration Of initiation
aud standing in their order. But Jesus
knows no rich, no poor. no caste nor
color, but continually cries out, "Whoso-
ever will, let him Gomez" and "he that
hath no money let him come and buy
wine and milk without money and
without price," This Is the charter of
human rights that Jesus came to
offer to mankind. 1t meant q revolu-
ton, the full realization of which
would require centuries Of: time
and labor. But surely the dawn Is
nigh at hand. The religion of Jesus
is bringing temporal as we'll as spirit
usl blessings to the people. Never
was there q time when the poor were |
so near the rich In advantages. In |
the days of Christ such thing as q |
hospital, orphanage or an asylum |
was practically unknown. Today |
asylums, orphanages, hospitals, way
fareer 's-rests, rescue-homes, public
free-schools, free libraries, public
parks, cheap railway rates, put thou
the rich only within easy reach of the
poor.
And the end is not yet. We may
look for even greater things to come.
1t is yours and mine, brother, to have q
part in this great development. God
has made our duty by prayer, kind
words, influences and means to do every
thing possible to alleviate the suffer-
ing OF the poor. Moreover, there is
great reward here. First, there is
reflex action in our God-giveu natures
that gives US blessing. think that
1 never turned my hand to help the
needy but that got the greater bles-
sing. But it Is also true that God
follows the helper with purposed
blessing. at is more blessed to give
than to receiver' "He that hath pity
on the poor lendeth to the Lord"
and that which he hath given will he
pay him again. God is a good banker.