The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-11
CHRISTIAN
Topic for sunday, Aug. ~; Zeai-Luke
xvi. Lib.

we have to study this week what is. at FIRST
sight one Of the most perplexing of christs
parallels. In modern terms, here is an incom-
petent superintendent, who has been mismansg-
ing the business and is 10 be dismissed by the
firm. He goes 10 the FIRMS creditors and cuts
down their debts one-half, TO win their assist
ance. and get a new situation, perchance with
one of them. And his firm commends him for his
shrewdness.
What does the parable meant Why this:
Look out over the world, and see how strenu-
Gus men are in their temporal affairs Their
buying, their selling. their making or their
marring-they go at ii as II 1t were a life or
death matter. What is the most eager assembly
in any city? Is il a prayer meeting! You
smile. No, 1t is the stock exchange. what Is IL
that crowds our newspapers. those facial expo
nents of things as they are? Is II the progress
Of the kingdom of heaven? No. indeed. IL Is
the bargaining, the advertising, the nghtins,
the SHINING of the kingdoms of this world. The
children of darkness are wiser than the children
OF light. more in earnest. more vigorous ana
masterful. Why, certainly, or the earth would
have been our Lords long ago.
Now. what Christ wants us to do is to take
this same zeal, shrewdness. enterprise, deter
mination and eagerness. purify them in the
flame of love, and dedicate them to Gods
service. This much of worldliness He wants 20
get into us.
Moody was fond of saying that a ship must be
i'm the water, but IL won't do for the water to get
into the ship; that is, the Christian must be in
the world, but worldliness mustn't be In the
Christian. Yes, keep the water out. except WHIT
we pass over the fire. and use TO run our steam
engines. The world has ONE lessons TO teach
the church, and Mr.. Moody was not slow 10
learn them.
amount of capital employed, no business In the
world produces results commensurate with those
gained by the business of Christian missions;
none is managed so shrewdly. economically or
forcefully. What entertainment bureau. what
theater, could bring together the Same audience,
| afty-two. yes, one hundred and four times a
wear. to hear the same speaker? Where is the
worldly enterprise TO be compared with the sun
day school and Christian Endeavor Society. with
their millions of members and their hundreds
Of thousands of leaders. all serving without
salary?
What we need is just to go on as we have be-
| gun. extending this same zeal to all depart
| ments of church work. especially the evangel-
istic, breaking from worldly gain, and finding
all our gain in Christ. Let US take for our bust
ness motto this fine sonnet, translated from the
Italian of Gabriel Fiamma:
| Farewell 10 earth; my life of sense is DER.
Nv heart Is changed, L feel my bonds united;
And casting every thought impure aside
Nv guilty course abandon and deplore.
Fallacious leaders L obey no more;
i follow Thee. refuse all other guide.
And ne'er did shipwrecked bark with broken
Loose from the shelves more anxious for a shors.
And since l spent with FISK OF mor,al nar thsrce
Profit or fruit. l crowd my sail to Thee.
Lord; ! am turned. now let Thy gracious arm
With zeal proportioned TO my past onense.
AMOS r. WELLS.