The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-09
ORGANIZED CHARITY.
Rev. n. B. Washburn Deals With the
Need of Systematized Effort.

0FaGANlGEON 7Antt u
Rev. n. B. Washburn Deals With the
Need of Systematized Effort.
Rev. Henry B. Washburn of St
Marks preached yesterday on the i'm
portance of organized charities The
sermon is prelude to the annual meet
ing of the Associated Charities which
comes week from Monday night, and
deals with the good work done by that
organization. The sermon is as fol-
lows:
st. Luke, Master, what shall 1
do to inherit eternal life?"
How the sublime and the practical
blend in the teaching Of Jesus! A law
yer stands up in the midst of a gather
ing of which Jesus was the chief figure
and tries to test the young rabbits
knowledge. He says, Master, what
shall do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus
answers, What is written in the law?
How readest thou?' The lawyer replies
with the two great commandments.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul and
with all thy strength, and with all thy
mind, and thy neignbor as myself. !"
jesus says, Thou has answered right:
this do and thou shalt live" But
the lawyer, wishing to make it evident
that such a reply is no answer, says,
And who is my neighbour" Jesus clears
away all doubt by telling the story of
the good Samaritan. Your neighbor is
the one who helps you when in need,
and the one whom You assist Neighbor-
dafH
race, or by proximity, but by sympathy
and service. The parable was clear and
conclusive.
The links in the chain of thought are
very apparent. They are not only evil
dent in this particular incident of the
life of Jesus, but all his words and deeds
imply the intimate connection between
eternal life and doing good. Master,
what shall do to inherit eternal life %
Love God with your whole nature Love
your neighbor with the same intensity
with which you love yourself. The sec
ond commandment is similar to the
first. In reality it is it's equal for you
cannot love God without loving your
neighbor. You cannot love your neigh
Dor without loving God. Neither has
productive currency without the other.
They are simply different sides of the
golden coin of love- Love both God and
man and thou shalt live. But thy life
issues from ministry to the one who
needs you and whom you need. You are
neighbors.
1t is also clear why this love should
bring about not only life, but eternal
life. 1t is simply love from Gods point
of view; it is of a divine nature. 1t is a
love which knows no barriers of race,
creed or character; 1t does not distin-
gulsh between Jew and Gentle; it is
quite as lavish on those who believe lit
tie as upon those who believe much it
sends its blessings on the evil and on
the good, on the just and on the unjust
It is economical in it there is no waste
Justice is its handmaiden. 1t gives to
him that hath, but it is more joyful
over one sinner that repenteth than
over ninety and nine just persons who
need no repentance. 1t is Gods love
doing Gods work in Gods way. Look
at Jesus and see eternal life rise from
the love of his God and his neighbor
Probably at no time in the worlds
history has there been so good an op-
portunity to live this larger life of SER
vice as there is today. Society has de-
veloped to a point where the two char
acteristics necessary for wider and
wiser scope of philanthropy are at last
possible. They are sympathy and or
ganization. Either is worthless without
the other. They are mutually dependent
whatever way be their direction That
this is an age in which sympathy may
imply more than heretofore is evident
from the telephone, the telegraph, the
efficient postal system, rapid land and
sea service, the wide study of languages
and growing cosmopolitanism. These
are but symptoms of mans increasing
| interest in larger sphere of influence.
That it is an era of organization is APP
parent on all hands in the growth of
cities, the consolidation of manufacture
| ing concerns, industrial trusts, the fed
GRAFTON of labor, international under
standing, peace and arbitration con-
crosses. Notice how difficult it is to
cite an illustration Of the sympathetic
spirit of the times which will not serve
quite as well for that of organization. }
Now all these may not be healthful ex-
pressions Of either principle. We may
think that the increased ability to be
| citizens of the world has a tendency to
| spread out our interest too thinly We
may believe that the rights of the in
dividual are being submerged by the
tremendous movement Of GENERALIZATION.
| But whether they be advantageous to
mankind or not is Of only secondary in
terest at present. In any event they
point to good substratum--to excellent
hard-pan upon which the best of build
fngs may be erected. We may cultivate
q wholesome sympathy if we wish to,
| for the materials are at hand. We may
| organize to the advantage of all, if we
are so inclined for organization is In
the air we breathe. At no time has it
been more possible than at present to
| approach to the wise sympathy Of God
and to the advantageous method Of a
| heavenly Father. Never in history has
man been able to attain to the divine
point Of view so efficiently as today.
| Wherever suspicious principles are
seen manifesting themselves in civiliz-
alton they should be given free play and
warm support. Today in many of the
| foremost cities of the United States and
| in Worcester as well a strenuous effort
is being made by disinterested men and
| women to organize the sympathies of
society, so that charity may live up to
its name. They are taking the two most
promising characteristics of the age and
are applying them to the benefit of the
needy. In our own city this society is
called "The Associated Charities of
| Worcester" It's name suggests its pur-
pose. 1t would be no INSTRUMENTATION to
call it organized love, for it tries ITO
secure the concurrent and harmonious
action of the different charities of Wor-
| cester, namely, the various churches.
charitable agencies, public relief and In
dividuals charitably disposed" Every
institution and everybody is asked to
use its Office as a centre, so that not one
penny may be spent nor one loaf given
unless good may be done thereby. and
much spent and much given If it be
20 " EES~ CUES