The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-02-17
CHRISTIAN CHARITY.

lief Committee has been doing this
week.
1t has been done not by the givers
nor in mere sympathy for the suffer
ers, but in the Masters Came and
for his cause. 1t was done publicly
because 1t could not be done pri.
vately. 1t was an urgent case, and
the churches supplemented the work
of their regular aid societies, by or
ganizing this Union Relief Commit
tee to help in the work. 1t is the
kind of work the churches do all the
time, every day of the year. The
only difference being that usually
it Is done quietly, modestly, unpre-
tentiously; while in this instance
the demand was so great, the need
so urgent, the suffering so immi-
nent, that the work had to be done
more aggressively, and with greater
display of energy and eagerness.
1t was work that has never been
doce in any other than Christian
country, except by christian mis-
sionaries. TWAS inspired by feel
ing unknown to the heather heart.
1t was the legitimate, natural, in
evitable Outgrowth of that civiliza-
ton which is made perfect by the
Christian religion. 1t was born of a
brotherly love which was never
known until Christ taught it, and
which would not be in the human
breast to day il He had not lived
and promulgated His teachings and
died upon the cross.
Mr.. Ingersoll calls it "a fine code
of morals" and recognizing the wis
dom of it-though rejecting the in
spiration, he claims to fashion his
private living much according to
Christs "code of morals" Mr..
Ingersoll himself, therefore, is
witness that without Christ this
brotherly love which is called chart
ty, would not have been known or
felt or recognized as it now is over
the civilized world.
Such work as this, as Mr.. Thomp-
son said in his Sunday nights SER
mon, If done in the right spirit and
i'll the right name, is concrete re-
ligion." That something that comes
into mans life and makes him
forget his own comfort for his neigh
boris good; that something that
softens his heart to the suffering of
the poor; that something that COM
mands his time, takes him away
from his business, opens his pocket
book and makes him delight in the
doing of it; that something that par
dons the improvidence of his i'm
poverished brother, that excuses
his thriftlistness while he suffers in
need; that something that interests
him in the filth of the lowest howell
and makes him want to warm and
feed and clOthe it's wretched inmates,
pinched with hunger and shivering
with cold; that something that
makes him feel as if he wants to fash
ion his life according to that "code
of morals" which says whatsoever
ye would that men should do unto
you, even so do ye also unto them"
that something, by whatever name
you may choose to call it, is born of
the religion which Christ came into
this world to preach and to teach,
and in which work those who &C
cept Him are his co-laborers.
Religion does not consist in pray
ers and psalm singing, though there
could be no religion without them;
neither does it consist in giving,
though that be means of grace;
but pure religion and undefiled be-
fore God is this, to visit the father
less and widows in their affiiction.
and to keep himself unspotted from
the world"
1t is grand privilege to be CO.
laborer in such uplifting work as
this, and in no way is the beneficent
influence of the church more cor
rectlv seen and felt.
How would the poor live without
such religion? And what a cold,
dreary world this would be, if the
hearts of the rich were never stirred
and warmed by the sweet impulse
of charity What would this world
be to-day, with all it's boosted civili-
cation, without the sOftening, re-
straining, mellowing, warming in
fiuence of the Christian religion?
What would this community be
without its churches? And what
would our churches be without their
"cO-laborers."
THE coal dealers and the regular