The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-14
COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS
An Interesting Sermon Preached by
Rev. Thomas j. ViIIers.

The Rev. DR.. Villers, pastor of the First
Baptist Church. delivered a special ser
mon yesterday morning to commercial trav-
elers and about two hundred members of
the fraternity attended. They assembled in
the Denison Hotel at 10 o'clock and
marched to the church. The church pro-
grammes had been arranged especially for
this service and were decorated in gold let
tiers. The seal of the association was printed
in the center of the front page in gold.
DR.. Villers's topic was My brothers; my
fellow-workers; my fellow-soldiers." Phil.
H. %. He said in part This is Paul's
eulogy of Epaphroditus. He was one of the
obscure disciples of the early church. But
he is immortalized by this three-fold ap-
pellation of a sterling chaEacter-a fraternal
heart, an industrious nature and military
spirit
" My brothers, This is a new relation.
Men have been fellow-subjects and fellow
citizens. Here is vital tie, binding men of
diverse natiOnalties. They feel the throb OF
a new life force which told them that they
were sons OF God, and so brothers TO
Christ. Some to-day are trying 10 establish
a brotherhood without a father. 1t cannot
be done, as this same apostle tells us that
we are sons of God through faith in
Christ. 1t was to such that Jesus said, One
is your Father. All We are brethern.'
brotherhood is a tender tie. A man once
said to me that the greatest sorrow OF his
life that he had no brother. The late
DIR. Gray, editor of the interior, speaking Of
his childhood. said: The first thing l re-
member a beautiful stream, pure, cool
dimpled and set with flowers. My brother
led me to it and dipped my feet in it, Posi-
bly, the first thing L will remember in the
spiritual world Will be that same brother
leading me to another stream more pure
and beautiful to dip my feet in it and take
away the soil and fever of the long and
weary pilgrimage.
brotherhood is a helpful kinship When
Epaphroditus came with a gift to Paul
he came not official, but as a brother.
1t is not cold officialism that men need,
but a fervid fraternity. When Senator
Depew president of the New York
Central Railroad an employee approached
him Cor pass that would carry him TO
his home each Saturday night that he
might see his family. The president asked:
Suppose you worked for a farmer, would
you expect him to hitch up every Saturday
night and take you home? No, sir re-
piled the man, but If he were already
hitched up and was driving my way L
would think him very mean man If he
would not allow me to ride. A CONNER
cial traveller is always hitched up and is
generally going somebody's way, and so
as the old minstrel sang: If brother
you find, though he be somewhat behind,
just give him lift on mis- way
My fellow-workers. Paul was pre-emi-
nently the apostle of work. He labored
more abundantly than all the apostles To
be his fellow worker, therefore, meant
something, but Epaphroditus counted the
cost. He did not visit Rome to see the
sights. His was not coat religion which
could be put on and taken off at will. His
was a portable Christianity which he could
carry from Philippi to the worlds metrop-
oils. nay, must carry 1t because IL had
become part and parcel Of himself. Lay
ing his sympathetic heart he threw HIM
self body and soul into gospel work and
warfare until sickness Frustrated him. He
haZarded his life, gambled with IL, a sort
of holy recklessness which made him for
get self i'm his mission. Every man ought
to be a tOiler. Why stand We here all the
work is Gods command. God has no
place here for a lazy man and no good
place for lazy man hereafter.
did you ever think about the dignity
of honest toll? Plato and Aristotle de-
clared that the hand which is hardened by
toll is disagreed. Cicero taught that the
workshops contained nothing that charac-
teriZed a gentleman. But We know that
He who made plows and Jokes in the
carpenter shop at Nazareth was, as the
poet sung, the first true gentleman that
ever breathed. Yours is the weary head
toll instead of the horny palm. But a
callous on the brain is as much entitled
TO respect as a callous on the hand. If
you are of honest toll you are in
! league so far with the Son of God.
THE spirit of the toier should be ambi-
+ ton. The desire to- add something more
/ to the worlds wealth is a laudable ambi-
/ ton The tOilers spirit ought TO be earn
| est. too. few days ago Cecil Rhodes.
/ when dying, kept repeating, SO much TO
| do, so little done You must work the
work OF Him while it is day. for the night
cometh when no man work. Let your
/ spirit be reverent.
4" MY fellOw-sodiers.' Paul adds this
expression because Epaphroditus was as
/ brave as he had been tender. He had been
/ carrying on a war of determination against
/ the sins of his own heart we'll help
/ ing Paul fight the powers of darkness in
/ the city about him-trying 10 master self
for Christ as well 10 make Christ mas
ter of the world Whenever you
/ find social impUrity, commercial dishonesty
/ and political trickery. smte IT, Watch
/ also the inner battlefield. Let Gods light
/ into your soul. When Adoniram Judson
/ Gordon was stepping from world to world
his physician asked, Have you a. good
word for us and he uttered the single
word victory NY brothers. my fellow
workers. my fellow-soldiers when that
/ hour shall come for you may you be made
more than a conqueror through Him that
+ loved us.