The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-18
NEEDS OF THE WORLD
AS APPLIED TO THINGS THE CHURCH
SHOULD ACCOMPLISH.
Ideas Advanced by the Rev. HI. G.
Meserve in His Sermon at
Plymouth Church.

H
Rev. II. c. Meserve delivered an interest
ing sermon at Plymouth Church yesterday
morning, taking for his subject, What the
Church can do More to Meet the Needs of
the World" In part he said:
1.-THE question may fairly arise. what are
the needs of the present time? 1t is a
question not to be lightly answered. do
not know that 1t is possible to answer it to
the satisfaction of ones own soul to say
nothing of the many who are concerned
But the answer lies deeper than the sur
face conditions of the present day; OF that
we may be sure, and involves not only the
present but the past Of the race. 1t Is
something, the lack Of which is the cause
of unrest in the world about us and can
but believe that this something has to do
with, the lack of faith At least that this
arises from Misrepresentation of God, the
All Father, cannot be doubted. But it has
made the faith of men to be like the rest
less surging of mighty waters. They beat
upon the rockbound shore or lave the
sands Of the sheltered spots, but whether
with the anger of the stormy seasons or
the impatience of the normal conditions,
waters betokens the unceasing emotion
within. So humanity drifts up and down
the sea of its own passions and lust, its
ideals and its aspirations seeking shore
of peace, but like the souls of Dante's
dream being forever borne onward by a
fate which they cannot escape.
NEED OF SOCIETY.
'Then mankind needs society. Not that
miserable artifciality which masquerades
by that name, but the real contact of heart
with heart and mind with mind which be-
gets trust and furnishes the basis for the
contact which must underlie all social prog
ress. The element Of confidence lacking,
the whole social system is involved in
chaos, and despair comes in upon the SOUL
How much this means to the rapid move
ment in the Industrial world and the grow
ing problem presented by new pos
sessions will bear witness more and more
Then. too, there are the demands Of the
higher part of mans nature, which are
more and more being felt as man pro-
crosses, and for which he seeks compan-
ionship. When the ancient teacher. Ter
tullian, declared, The human soul is
naturally Christian he did not mean, l in
fer, that the human soul is churchly, but
that the human soul has an outlook upon
higher things than this world holds and
that it seeks development for that higher
life.
And this is the pressing need of the day.
That the church, not merely the visible
church, but that splendid kingdom of
God OF which Jesus spake shall bring to
bear the mighty forces Of its rich life to aid
men In their search for truth.
1T is apparent that. If men have not an
abiding faith In God which reaches deep
down into life, and are not prepared to
trust their fellows there is need, great and
imperative, of leaders strong in faith In
God and full of love to men to blaze the
way. Jesus trained men in this revelation.
He himself did more to establish confidence
in God and in men than the ages had &C.
complish, and, dominated by His spirit, the
truth has gone on, but the need is with us
STILL for humanity has yet long step up
ward to take. We still need men and the
church can do more effective work in
this generation than In making its appeal to
men; men able and willing to stand for the
truth and righteousness which are per-
sonified in the Master.
THE THREEFOLD NEED.
This, then, Is the threefold need to
which the church is to minister. Such
suggestions as present themselves may
have their basis in the word Of Jesus re-
corded in John x, 10: Il came that they
may have life, and may have 1t abundant
ly' Jesus has drawn true picture of His
own time and, indeed, of ours.
az may suggest some things which the
church may do to meet the needs of the
present time. The inference seems to be
that the church is not at present fulfill
ing all its opportunities. And, indeed, the
facts seem to accord with this opinion.
First. let the church revise its inner life.
When within its own house the matter of
biblical criticism Is raised and its impor
lance is shown, what shall the church say?
The time has gone by when one may say,
To question is blasphemy. new science
has sprung up, yet IL is older than this gen.
Grafton than this century even, called
into being by the hard logic of facts. Ger
tai a q he
present ground of debate. are known to be
as surely as man Is. The church as
mere society has come to be fact. We are
still pulling men into the lifeboat from
the stormy waters of the world. We are
more interested to know that the church
has added so many members than that the
not on The church roll. And the kingdom
of God has become secondary to the well
fare of a single church and the success
which is to-day and really for to-day. The
appeal of the church is TO men. In
direct and frank and wholly informal way
the stress once laid on dogma is now laid
upon life. We have been trying TO hold our
own in the past. That is all. Now the
church ought TO throw off its robes Of Of
fee and do yeoman service-win men.
AN APPEALING. GOSPEL.
I'VE need a gospel which will appeal to
men. Not merely the tender virtues. grace
and humility. and patience and long suffer-
ing and gentleness, but the courage and
strength and forcefulness which are parts
OF manhood's glory. We speak. follow
ing the language of another age, of the
meek and lonely Jesus. We may with
equal justice. and ought with as great
insistency, 10 bear witness to His bravery,
His courage, His tactfulness. His initia-
tive. the force of His righteousness and
the strength of His love. Men need a
manly gospel. full of the life of the Son
OF Man. their Elder Brother. They need
the brotherly touch, the encoura ging word.
the counsel OF one OF the great family of
men. who is able and willing TO aid. Man
needs the love which uplifts him when he
falls. which strengthens him when he is
weak, which solves doubts and makes a
plain path for his feet, which gives him
courage and hope in the power which ap-
peals to him. and IL he can be brought
face 10 face with such force as this he
is loyal to the truth IL teaches for lie
The church. by such an emphasis as this,
on such a mission of Jesus this. is bour<i
TO reach the souls of men everywhere and
bring To pass the time for which the world
has longed and for which men are to-day
waiting. The mission of the church is TO
make plain this love and 10 keep I'm the
forefront of it's life all that will aid in
the bringing of the truth OF the Divine