The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-11-18
MISSIONARY IDEA SHOULD
PERMEATE OUR ACTIONS.
Doctor Brennan Says This Must
BE If We Would Live
Worthy Lives.

The Reverend J. X. Brennan. rector ~ -.
Marks Church. preached yesterday at the
church OF the Holy Communion on The
Missionary Idea" Doctor Brennan took as
his text Matthew w. ~: The son 81 Man
came not TO be ministered unto. but To min
lister, and 10 give his life a ransom for
many He said. in part:
This text proClsims a fundamental
cHaise from ancient ideals. To the world
| tefere Christ glory lay in luxurious display.
II the exercise or despotic power. in being
I bowed down to ana served by conquered
and humbled hosts. Specially was this the
Ggase among jews and other Oriental peoples.
Oriental mind the highest pinac!e of glory.
1T still remains the ideal in the unchang-
ing East. But to the Western world tho
teaching and example Of Jesus came as a
great revelation OF human duty: that il was
more manly to serve than To be- served,
more noble 10 DO than to be done for, more
leisure on q slave-served throne. This
Thought permeated like leeven the life Of
Europe II gave luster to Labor diadcm
OF duty. 1t put the merchant in place OF the
soldier. the mechanic in place Of the serr,
popular government in place Of despotism.
1t crossed the ocean and founded "a new
naticn. without nobility or kings. that Was
10 BE- the greatest nation OF the earth.
Deep. a. are the changes it has wrought
" YET AZ not even now fully understood.
! For the principle of Jesus means not only
that all labor is honorable. hut that all la
Dor means the giving ourselves to the sery-
Ice OF Others. Labor is consecrating be
cause it means this. Work is sacred. not
| because it ministers 10 our selfish wants
and desires. bat because II ministers to
Others To many selfish men what they get
| from their labor il the main thing. But in
the mind of Jesus 1t il what their labor
brings 10 others that is the main thing.
And all i~arge-minded and large-h-arteI
men have something Of the same feeling
and the same ideal. Not what they are get
ing. but what they are giving to the world
is the main thought in their mind. And no
man can do the best work unless that is
the motive that actuates him. The right
/ Kind of mInlflRfH -aY haa a. rfl g. f,.~.
ing out good goods. the right kind Of mpr-
| chant tries 10 establish a reputation for
| honest dealing and honest goods. tho me-
chanic ~rejoices In the skill OF his hands
and the excellence Of his product. the mu-
stefan sings CT plays for the joy he shall
give more than the salary he receives. the
artist paints and the author writes and the
architect designs. not primarily for pay. hut
for the joy of giving their iieas 10 the
Is done under the stimulus ana inspiration
Of ufselfsh enthusiasm. Men give their
Tor the privilege OF giving.
Thus all the better work of the world
is inspired by the missionary idea-the 10y
of giving. TIE sancity of service. Thus the
missionary idea is a principj.
or all higher living. God. the rich gfver
has so planned our world that none need
be SO poor but that he has something good
to give to some other life.
None need fail the conservation that
GG0 nas from giving The commonest labor
10 humanity. In the humblest home father
and mother have the joy>of imuartine pro-
! lection and knowledge. to some little help
| less visitor fresh from the hard OF God
And the little helpless visitor mas its on
portuiitr to alive back love and to lmpart
the dignity that makes responsibility n con
secration. All the progress of humanity iS.
therefore. sprIre from the missionary idea.
This Is Gods method Of teaching the
world God could doubtless have made ev-
| cry individual Independent of every Other.
He could have so made US that we would
owe nothing to each other. He could have
| Hldlt US So That the call of love Np1lH bat.
no claim ON ~. But lie has done. lust tn.
opposite. Our earliest years are the reoipl-
ents OF an unbought and priceless love. lie
Tore We have learned tn think We are
debtors TO the world. Every step in knaWl-
edge increases the ohlisation.
For the country We are born into We
owe obligation To a long line Of splendid
men VINO for love of country offered SPLEEN
/ Old sacriiives. For all the inventions and
| discoveries and manufactures and know
edge that make modern life what Il il. We
| owe a debt to the living aud the dead For
| the religion that has made All this prog
ress possible We are laden with obligation.
| VINO can measure what q man owes To his
| parents. 10 his teachers. to his country. T.
his Christianity The only way he can pas
these vast obliga tions Is BY handing on -
others what he has received. with the in
crease that his life has added tn the total
4 gift from other men.
Here lies the meaning of life. God
! chOosee special nations and special men to
be the recipients of special gifts. We call
these favored nations and favored men. 50
| they are. But notice clearly I'm what IN,
favor consists. They are not alven ms,
! things to keep to themselves and hoard
They art not expected 10 wrap them IN i
napkin and bury them. They are not given
because God wants these people and ma
tions TO be pufed up with pride and thank
No. they are given as Christ gave tn
loaves to the disciples-that they might
break them TO the multitude.
Columbus Is given the privilege OF ii>-
covering a continent But is the continent
for him; or, is IL for tn. great unnamed
multitude who come after him.?
/. MATT 0lETbEtrS The nGe nF EE.r n.
Morse invents the telegraph. Tennys0ii
writes I'm Memoriam,' Raphael paints me
his David. Christopher Wren designs 81.
Paurs Cathedral-who do these men work
| for. themselves or the world? In what Jld
their privilege consist? In ministering 10
so to-day every kind OF favor from God.
| of wealth, or genius, CT power, or place. or
Ideas. carries with IL as its ins-parabi-
coHcomitant that IL shall be used FOR ln-
| benefit CT others. The purpose OF ali priy-
ilegs is missionary. II il is voluntarily rnis-
siOnary great grace IL to the giver. Ir Al
tempts are made 10 heard. God passes it To
pose better. There is no escape from tnts
law. Whatsoever is not used for Others
withers or becomes a thorn i'm the hand OF
him who grasps it too tightly. The unused
mama from heaven becomes a stencil IN
the ~nostrils Of him who retains II beyond
SO, IL We are to live worthily. the mis-
sionary idea must permeate all our aotivI-
ties. II must consecrate our daily toiI II
must render sweet all the tender offices of
me. 1t must give a richer gimeanDtho
home. Ii must give a richer meaning to The
Gaily Intercourse of friends. 1t must bring
US to the very church Of God with "A laTser
purpose than even our own spiritual needs.
Ii must make US always and e~veryNhare
active distributors as xell as grateful r.
cipients of the gracious gifts of God. AboV-
all. it Must make US jealous and Self-deny-
ing prOpa gandists of that gospel Of iInmor-
| tai hope to which We owe all that is best
In our hearts. our homes. our knowledge.
, our country. our civilization and our dcs-
: tiny"