The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-26
PRESSING PROBLEMS.
Rev. Joshua StansheId Describes the
Divine Solution of Them.


"A Divine Solution for Some Pressing
Problems" was the subject of the Rev.
Joshua Stansfield's sermon at the Meridian
street NJ. e. Church yesterday morning
His text was Micah vi. s: What doth the
Lord thy God require of thee but to do
justly. TO love mercy and to walk humby
with thy God" In part DR.. Stansfield said:
"Our theme this morning is "A Divine
Solution of Present Day Problems, and
here, surely. is the proper place to present
it, for what indeed is the real end of wor-
ship but to receive divine light, inspiration
and improvement for the life we are called
to live. There car be no more safe or just
standard for estimating the moral posi-
bilities of ones life than that of the divine
requirements. There is nothing that has
made for the development of our race more
than the recognition and appreciation of
the divine claims.
1T is certainly a fascinating study in the
| realm of philosophy as to whether the fact
| of God is not purely mental concept. and
| that In reality God does not make man, but
rather man created God. To us, however,
while we cannot now enter into any for
NAL discussion on this yet, holding to the
| axiom that all results must have adequate
| causes, it does seem wholly impossible that
| a God of infinite moral attributes should
| be but a moral concept of faulty. sinful
| man. We rather hold to the belief in God
as the eternal, self-exstent first cause of
all and regard man, with his marvellous in
timations or moral and intellectual posi-
| bilities, Gods own offspring and as be-
| ing under the divine inspiration and law.
There is spirit In man, and the inspira-
| ton of the Almighty giveth him under
standing. Such we believe is the only ade-
quate explanation of the moral sense of
man.
and the possibility of disclosure of the
divine will to man we must submit that
| there Is nothing which argues more the
dignity and possibilities of the human soul
| than Gods moral demands upon man.
| Neither is there anything which so makes
| for personal and race ennoblement as the
divine imperative in the Lord. God
| ought is mans best educator. .
] God must be appeased, placated, sac
rificially approached. So thinks man as he
| idealizes in God his own imperfect pas
| sions and failings. An intense righteousness
| is the outcome. Who hath required this at
| your hands sayeth the Lord Not 1, in
deed; 1t is not atonement or placation that
l ask, but duty. Oh, what a revelation Of
| character is here, both as to God and to
man. The ultimate of all revelation and
| true worship is worthy character TO do
| justly This can be. The command postu-
| lates Ii and ones personal sense of con-
| demnation and shame in failure cor
/ rODOrdteS IL. 10 DO justly in home Obli-
cations. oh, the hours and attentions one
| owes to ones own which are scantily met.
| TO do justly to servants. Regard them
| as human. What a heresy to believe in
| God the Father Almighty and to repeat
| daily our Father and then treat man.
| woman or child inhumanly. Know the
conditions of their toll and be considerable
of the physical social intellectual and
| moral needs of their life. Know them and
| know them sympathetically. Recognize
| their productive power and study to give
| them just share of the profits of enter
| prise. Upon what principle of justice or
| equity should the inventive genius and
scientific discoveries of any age be monopo-
| lized by capital? Should not all share in
| such racial advantages of a period? High
| ly lucrative returns upon that labor the
conditions of which one personally knows
nothing of often comes dangerously near
| the immoral.
"'Do justly to masters. To put con-
science into labor and personal character
| into ones work, this is to do JUSTLY and
this IL is which alone will redeem labor
from a debasing servitude to a dignified
| toll. When under the whip of organized
labor or otherwise men seek TO make
mediOcrity and even at times a minimum
| capacity maximum standard of labor,
whatever justification for such action they
| brethren, they are nevertheless dangerous
| ly near violation of the sane and safe
| first requirement of our text.
| ITO love mercy, divinest attribute and
| humanitys noblest quality. So long as
| mankind shows such diversity of capacity
| needed as between man and man. If JUS
tice may be said to be that which Is natur-
| ally and inherently right between man and
| his fellow, mercy may be spoken of as that
| which noble. generous nature may do
not of necessity, but of its own noble i'm
1 nulSpp