The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-20

A description OF an ancient custom
needs TO be restated II IL is 10 come home
with power. Jesus is referring in this
connection TO the act. long since discon-
tinued. OF bringing gift 10 the altar
To cling to the letter In this connection
would be to destroy all meaning In this
strong command OF the master. Here
as elsewhere the lettei kills. IL Is the
spirit that makes alive.
To discover the spirit that underlies
our text we shall give IL a modern appli-
cation. II Is as II Jesus should say. IF
therefore thou art going 10 the service
of the church and unrememberest that
thy brother hath aught against thee. stay
away from the service and be reconciled
TO thy brother and then 60
Jesus Is saying In so many words. the
ceremony. whatever IL is. whether IL be
offering a gift or going TO church is moth
ting In itself. The spirit the attitude
you sustain TO your fellow man, that is
everything.
THE SPIRIT OF WORSHIP
It is another one OF those statements
Of Jesus where he denounces as Phara-
saical hypocritical and false the act OF
worship without the spirit Of worship.
To carry the analogy a little further and
apply IL to present day conditions. II you
do these things without the spirit then
tnOtt Outtlut tnt CIufC0 SteUllHkly loct
in the sins OF the world. for whom the
church prays and 10 whom entreaty Is
made. these are nearer the kingdom OF
God than you are.
II this statement seems harsh when II
comes In the form Of personal applica-
ton to this church. as well as every
other. In this day. I can only remind you
that the Master and not the preacher Is
responsible for the statement.
But IL we were to only the contrast
between the ceremony and the spirit In
these words of Jesus we should not only
miss much that lies deep imbedded In our
text but we should miss the surface
meaning az well we need to have our
attention directed to the exact statement
by calling attention TO what Jesus does
not say. He doesn't say In this connec-
ton. leave your gift and first be reconcil-
ed To your brother II you have aught
against him. In other words II he has
offended and injured you; but II thy
brother hath aught against thee. II you
In any way have offended or injured him
We need to notice this distinction care
fully for we break this commandment Of
Jesus both backwards and forwards
Men sever their connection with the
church and remain apart from public
worship not because their brother hath
aught against them because OF some Of
fence. but because they have aught
against their brother who has offended
them.
In other words II worship is n religious
duty then we sin as much by remaining
away from worship because some one has
offended us as we do by going to worship
when we have offended some one and
have sought no reconciliation. Its n
poor rule that doesn't work both ways
sometimes and look at these things
qtratRhf IN fha The nnffft here is
large enough 10 afford an excuse for
breaking the rules OF homiletics to men
tion IL.
STRONG AND BLUNT.
There is stu a second consideration to
be noted In this connection. which al
though self evident Is not always OBJ
served and which leads us TO the very
heart OF our subject.
When we state this plainly IL sounds
strong and blunt In fact most OF the
statements OF Jesus. II looked at as they
really are. are OF this nature. II ac-
counts for some OF the strong. virile. un-
comfortable preaching OF the world.
AS lady once remarked at the close
Of a sermon by the late lamented DR.
Babcock. II shall not come TO hear him
again. he makes me uncomfortable. DE-
Balcock preached Jesus Christ
IL recalls the remark OF Or. Parkhurst
who once said that he had succeeded in
doing one thing since he came to New
York. He had succeeded In preaching
90 uncompromising a gospel that one
man had sought place OF worship else
where. No names were mentioned. but
one could not help but remember that
Senator Platt had just taken his letter
10 the Marble Collegiate church.
DR.. Psrkhurrt says what he means and
when he finds people leaving his church
because OF that he takes rightly more
pleasure In II than any man can get
from having people come 90 his church
because he dosen't offend their over deli
cate ears By saying what hs dosen't
mean. II we are going 10 deal with
palaver and mush we had better devote
ourselves 10 aesthetics and leave the
Gospel alone The statements % Jesus
have authority IN them. Such statements
always have the ring Of austerity in
them.
Let us note this in our text that Jesus
considers right relations TO our fellow
man. preliminary. necessary and IN this
respect more important than right wor-
ship OF God. He dosen't say n God has
sught against thee do this and that lie
says n thy brother hath aught against
thee.
THE IMPORTANT THING TO DO.
n the man who works next thee IN
uho rnop. IN tne store IN INC oHice' tne
woman next door. n these have any
thing against thee on Saturday night II
r. more important 20 20 and seek for
gfveness on Sunday morning thanru r.
o. come and worship God More than
that you can't worship God IN spirit and
truth until you DO this and n you
neglect 90 worship God In spirit and In
truth you can occupy your time better In
ssns other way. Ny unssked advice 10 to