Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-02

Martins Ferry. last evening by the
rastor. the Rev. w. j. " dson, d. D.
There were many striking Amalgama-
ton men in the congregation, and they
listened earnestly to the words Of the
rreacher, several times being moved to
tears. DR.. Wilson's sermon was sub
stantially al follows:
II. Cor, xiii. s: For we a do moth
ing against the truth but for the truth"
subject in which We are all inter
sstad is the big strike. We all know
something, or think We do, but not all
s6out it. There is something yet 20
learn. and it is a big question, yet I'm
solved. A question that has to do es-
ps.lally with this world. We Christians
have been accused of other worldliness,
and not having enough 10 do with this.
THAT may be true of Christians, but 1t
is not r of Christianity.
christ was a socialist In the best
sense. He had to do with the people,
and His Gospel had to do with this
world. It was here he came to set up
lis kingdom, In this world and among
men. He said the field is the world, "
and II some Of His followers have
thought that the chief business Of a
Christian was to get we'll out of this
world. they have been mistaken, that is
all. The man that does not regard this
A good world will never see a better.
That is my opinion, and know right
well that the man who does not try to
make this world better has not the
spirit Of Christ. He tried to, and He
wants His followers to, and the only
way we can do that and help Him. and
gl0rify Him, is to rid as much misery
ont of the world as we can. So to do
that we must help people to be better
and do better and to live easier by re-
IievIng human want.
We cant help Christ in any other
way than by helping our fellows. Serv-
ice means helping u fellows. Sacri-
fee means denying for our fellows. Can
you think of any other way? Christ is
on the side of the people as against
their oppressors. The sick, the poor
and the needy were his special concern.
The poor had the Gospel OF merry
preached to them. He went about doing
good.
Where do the preachers stand today
on the great labor question? With the
people, the toilers. They are for their
interests all the time il they are true
ministers of Christ. He was and they
are. 1t must be a hard place to put a
man in the pulpit to preach to the plu-
tocrats and the combine. | should
stick to the old testament characters,
but even there l wouldn't be safe.
Wealth blinds the eyes and hardens
the heart. Dives may have been a
clever maj and no worse than you or
me naturally, but good things made
him forget Lazarus, and turn him over
to the dogs for comfort.
Great wealth is a curse to most men.
The richest man in the world has said
1T is a disgrace thatsa man should die
rich" There are so many things to do
for humanity, so many calls for gifts
but what the world needs today is not
benevolence but justice, opportunity,
right, liberty and q chance. What is 1t
God requires? Benevolence? No. Do
Justly, love mercy, then walk hunbiy
with God. Justice to Jul fellows comes
before religion, and there can be no re-
ligion without it. This is a great and
good world, with enough for all and
for each and forever more, and the
choice bit of it is this good land, like
the promised land flowing with milk
and honey. We are $1,000 900, but
this good land can sustain one hundred
times as many il men would live by the
golden rule. They will when we each
the millennium. 1t is not so now and
so we know the millennium has mol
Yet come. But the earth is the Lords
and the fullness thereof, but only for
his creatures.
BE fruitful and Multiply and NIL
the earth" What for? To starve?
No, no. Eat of the abundance thereof.
But suppose some should arise, seize
its broad acres and vast wealth? God
has given us no laws Of social order.
He permits us to work out such for
ourselves. He has given us great prin-
ciples, true for all time. Love one
another" do unto others as" etc.
Thou shalt not Cypress the hireiins
in his wages" do justly" "Owe no
man anything" Feed the hungry"
etc. Relieve the oppressed" These
are great principles on which human
law is based. They are the great un-
written laws that will outlive any stat
utes ever written. The laws OF ouf
country are based on them.
And yet in our midst have grown up
institutions that break them in spirit.
What are we to do about 1t? We hoid
that there are means OF correcting all
the civil and social evils from which We