The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-04
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
FORCE OF EXAMPLE. ITS IMPOR-
LANCE IN MISSIONARY WORK.
A Short Discourse by Archdeacon Irv-
ing cEiroy.EpiscOpaD, Fordham,
New York City, n. v.

faith, in purify Timothy, iv, Il.
The Christian religion is essentially a
practical thing intended for the wear and
tear of the daily life. as well as for the in
dividual blessing-for the parlor and the
market place equally with the church and
the closet.
Another Characteristic is its catholicity.
1t is not confined to any age or sex or con-
dition, any race OF time or cline. II is a
religion of principles, not of laws; of de-
votion to a person. not a system.
Again, 1t is objective and subjective in
character. Objective for the sight and
benefit of other men, that, seeing, they
may be attracted and initiate. This idea
the Master indicates when He says: Let
your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works and glorify your
father which is in heaven" 1t is subjective
for the personal enrichment of the individ-
ual, influencing thought and life, and con-
secrating both to God and heaven and
eternity.
The individual Christian was and is the
exemplar Of Christianity; a type. speci-
men of religion. Therefore, whatever his
age, he must outwardly be an example In
word, in conversation, in charity-that is,
in speech, in act and in disposition, OBJ
jectively for the seeing and teaching of
other men; and inwardly in spirit, in faith,
in purity-that is, in motive, in principle,
and in knowledge and thought, subjectively
for his own Christian development. The
Christian should be growing Christ-like in
himself and in the sight of men as an OBJ
ject lesson to all men of the blessedness of
the faith. So st. Paul wrote to Titus,
bishop of Crete: 'In all things showing
myself pattern of good works"
II Is the loveableness Of Christian char
acter that saves the soul and wins the
world for God, no Scripturai theology. 1t
is the life founded upon the doctrine, not
the metaphysical statement of the doctrine
itself, that makes Christianity attractive.
1t is the thought, the principle, the motives
of the man, not his intellectual acceptance
of certain facts, that make him a power
for good in the midst of his brethren.
The attractiveness lies not in the letter
of the law, but in the spirit; in the char
acter of the individual, rather than in the
rules by which he has developed his char
acter. 1t is the living Christ that draws
the hearts of men, not the prophecies and
the types and shadows gliding the old law
of service, and it is the living Christian,
exemplifying his faith in his life, that
draws men to Christ.
CHRISTIAN POSSIBILITIES.
land, in any time, in any race. in any
state of life. He is the product % a uni
versal religion. His religious character
may be as clearly developed in China
end become the example to the Chinese
as in America; in India, as in Palestine,
in Arctic SHOWS as in African wilderness
Everywhere the Christian is the example
of Christian living to the men Of his neigh
borhcod. and neither age nor race, riches
nor poverty, local surroundings nor any
human circumstances affect the possibility
or contract the sphere of his eXemplif1ca-
ton of the religion Of Jesus OF Nazareth.
Christ was the Son of Man, human Savior
CT humanity, not of a peculiar people, and
the Christian partakes of his humanity
character. t
Christ is the Christ of the race; there.
fore, of the individual, and the individual
Christian is the product of the universal
Instantly, not OF a localized religion or
localized Savior He is the exemplar to
humanity, especially that portion of 1t
in which his lot is cast, and he who keeps
his religious example for one day IN the
week, or for his immediate home circle.
misses an essential truth CT the religion he
rrofesses His mission in life is to show
forth and adorn the doctrine OF Christ
by his own character development and his
life among men, wherever in the provid-
ence of God he may find himself for the
times, under all circumstances, a Chris
tan. 1t matters not whether he is child
animated by the love of the Master and
making his child life beacon OF righteous
ness or an adult living the Christ life in
ternally and in the sight of men-race,
language, dress and social conditions have
no weight. 1t is the Christ-man, living
the Christ-life that is to make its infiu-
ence felt among the people by whom 1t is
surrounded; and whether 1t be to-day or
yesterday. or thousand years ago, or ages
hence, makes no difference in the power
of the character of the Christ-life among
men.
1t is the force of the example that tells.
Paul on Mars hill, equally with Paul in
the Mamertine prison, made his impress
on those with whom he came in contact
Henry Martyr in India, Selwyn among the
Pacific isles, Livingstone alone in African
jungles, influenced by example as WELL
perhaps more than by teaching, the peo-
pie with whom they came in contact, and
yet the duty and responsibility of witness
ing to Christ by word and life rested no
more strongly upon them than 1t does upon
every one who tries to live the Christian
life to-day. We are TO be the living ex-
ponents of the universal Christian religion
to the people we meet in business and So
ciety. Every day watchful eyes scan our
conduct, weigh our speech, question our
disposition Christians. We represent
Christianity TO them. Not the Bible, not
the church, not the published statements
of theology, not services and sermons, but
the living Christian is the standard by
which others test Christianity, and Christ
to them becomes a loveable reality or an
impostor very largely through our means.
His religion becomes a thing of beauty, to
be sought and embraced, or a fraud TO be
cast aside with contempt according TO the
exemplifications which we make of it's
principles.
DETRIMENT TO MISSIONS.
One of the greatest obstacles in the way
of mission work in foreign lands Is the I'M
Christ-like character of the tradespeople
from Christian lands. Other races are re-
ligious with a race religion. They look for
the same consistency in Christians, and
when they fail to find 1t they despise
Christianity 1t is hard for the heather to
distinguish between the sublime truths of
Christianity and taught and exemplified by
the missionary and the practice of it's prin-
clples by other representatives from Chris
tan lands Christian Britain forcing opium
upon heather China, Christian Cd mer-
chants from the United States filling Africa
with rum, Christian Rome swindling South
America in chocolate dealings are all bar
riers between heather souls and Christ.
On the other hand, Christian missionaries
ministering to diseased bodies, feeding
famine-stricken multitudes, carrying-band-
ages and balm as well as Bibles to wounded
soldiers, teaching arts and methods of self
help, living Christ-like lives open the way
for the gospel. 1t is the living example that
tells; 1t is the life that is lived for others
world with which il comes In contact; il is
the life that is Christ-like in speech, in act
in disposition. in motive and principle and
thought, that elevateS mankind out of self