The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-17
FORMER PASTORS SERMON
DIR. Sims at M~eridian-Stre Church
on 'Piety and SecuIarity."

DR.. Sims. of Syracuse, formerly OF In
d~ianapolis, preached in Meridian-street
Church yesterday morning from the text,
Whatsoever We do. do all to the glory Of
God"-I Gov. X, 81. The subject of the ser
mon was THE Relation of Piety TO Secu-
larity." He said. in part: The Christian
life is often undervalued because it is mis-
apprehended. When the Savior was asked
which was the great commandment He re-
piled: There are two-loving God with all
the mind, and our neighbors as ourselves
The first is lofty. inexpressible, a holy Sc
cret between the soul and its God. 1t can
not be known; 1t is only suggested 10 the
observer by the halo Of the shining face.
The second is social, fraternal, sympa-
thetic, demonstrative, helpful; It finds a
thousand opportunities OF loving ministra-
ton and friendly amenities; il is common
place and belongs to the experiences Of
everyday life, and yet it is as sacred as
the first. When Moses approached the
burning bush God said to him. Take off
the shoes from off thy feet. for the ground
whereon thou standest is holy grund.' but
the threshold of every poor mans home is
as much holy ground when trodden by
the feet of the Christian who bears help
full ministration, for God is there, even as
He was in the burning bush.
ITO look into the mechanism of the
world and see God in it everywhere. and
then to find in common duties the shrine
Of worship and service-these make the
full-rounded Christian life.
There are some misconceptions of the
relation between secularity and piety which
drive men away from accepting the Chris
tan religion. They come to think that
secularity and piety are apart, and that
there are duties secular which are not
pious, as well as duties pious which are
- -4o,,1o- Thorv ha1faxrn that rno1fDr II
Bible is a duty of piety, while reading the
standard literature is secular; that prayer
meeting and church-going are pious, but at
tending to the business of the office and
the factory is secular.
Even more, some conceive of secularity
and religion as antagonistic, the one 10 the
other; hat TO be pious we must hold our
selves aloof from the common duties of life,
and so drop into the habits of the recluse
and the theorist. This mission of life is
usefulness, and its condition is work.
Another mistake is that piety is meas
ured by visions and ecstacies and delight
full CONCENTRATIONS. These are holy and
beautiful as preparations for life's work.
but the work is apart from them. The
blossoms of the apple tree are beautiful as
promise, but failure as a harvest; and sc
is a life of contemplation alone. There
are others who believe that a well-ordered
secularity alone is enough. who saw. You
pray for daily bread, and / will work for
mine;' who say that alertness is better
than dependence upon divine guidance,
that thrift Is a better reliance for com
fort than Providence; and so they eliminate
God from their life mad their thought
Piety and seCularity combine to make the
perfect life; they meet the conditions OF
our dual nature-the mind to plan. the
hand to execute. All life becomes a train.
ing school for honesty, truthfulness, good
will, patience-all those virtues that beau.
tify and glOrify life. The ministry of Christ
was very humble compared with the lofty
character He bore. He was God manifest
In the flesh, and yet He gave Himself &c
feeding hungry people. curing sick people
giving sight to the blind and cleansing
the poor lepers of their loathsOme disease
Loving good will is an appeal that needs
no translation into any language on the
face of the earth. And so piety lifts il:
heart of God and puts its hand to the pillow
at once and together. 1t gathers into life
all the wealth of the world.
In its last analysis power is the only
capital and joy the only insome of life
To the faithful soul seeing life's common
duties and recognizing God in them rom,
the great returns which enrich the soul
These are character, that eternal some
thing which is light and beauty; memory
which retains all the beautiful past: peace
which saves the soul from tumult; friends
who cheer our loneliness, and hope, which
illumines the future. So life consecrateC
to God becomes service and worship anC
the completeness of human duty"