The Indianapolis journal., 1903-09-21
SERVICE OF HUMANITY
TOPIC OF MORNING DISCOURSE BX
THE REV. NJ. l.. HAINES.
Presbyterian Pastor Addresses Con-
Weeks in New York State.


ing preached his first fall sermon in the
new Presbyterian church at the corner of
Delaware and Sixteenth streets. The serv-
ices were held in the Sunday-school room,
as the auditorium is not yet completed.
Special services have been arranged for a
week from next Sunday, when the church
will be fully completed and the auditorium
will be dedicated. The Sunday school room
well filled yesterday morning when DR..
Haines spoke. 1.-The Service of Humanity
was the subject of his sermon. the text
being taken from St. John xiii, 4, HE took
a towel and girded himself" DR.. Haines
said in part:
'The summer is over; vacation days are
ended. They were good, but they have
brought us something better. Here, after
the separation of the season, we are gath
cred in our church home, glad at heart, 1
am sure. to be together once more in the
household of faith We are not only glad,
but 1 trust also grateful to God, for His
good providence that has been over US and
brought us to this Sabbath day. Not unto
us. o Lord-not unto us, but unto Thy name
do we give glory and thanks for Thy
mercy and Thy truths sake And now we
stand upon the threshold of a new year OF
associated life and worship. We have be-
fore us an open door admitting to oppor-
tunities that are alluring and inspiring. one
of Charles DickenSs well known tales
bears the appropriate title. Great Expec-
tations.' That phrase might, with fitness
be taken as descriptive of our mental at
titude towards what is before us in our
church life and work. This first Sunday
of a new ecclesiastical year brings us
face to face with the question: What are
we here TO do?
CHURCH EXISTS FOR TWO PURPOSES.
What is the purpose of this organization,
of which we are members? The church
established by Jesus Christ exists for two
supreme purposes; first, the worship OF
God; second, the service of man. One year
ago at our opening autumn meeting,
recall, we considered the nature of Chris
tian worship. To-day ] would have you
look at the second supreme purpose for
which this church eXists-the service or
man. That is the truth Christ sought to
impress upon the twelve disciples, the rep
resentatives and leaders of His church.
That night, to their surprise rising from
the table He laid aside His outer robe and
took a towel and girded himself as a slave
was accustomed to do, and then performed
the humble task of lOwly service. Ii was
wonderful and impressive way OF teach
ing them what was the chief character
istic of the life to which they were called
in their relation to their feliowmen. IL
was a singing rebuke to their pride and
their selfish self-seeking spirits. 1t was a
striking symbol of what the Masters lie
had been in the world. His act stands pc
fore US not as ceremony 10 ne hng nteralIg
days in the Ohio river valley by small
sect of believers. but as an act which en-
| bodied and illustrated a principle OF Ire;
''He the kingly one, made 1t his mission
to help and serve. 'Ye call me master and
Lord, and We say well, for so L am. have
given you an example that ye should do as
CO hxrl
word He blended forever kingship and
service He stopped down and gave that
royal life of His to ministering unto hu-
manity; and in so doing He reversed the
nation before that time service belonged
| to the lowest position. But in Christ
| highest nature. We have come in these
| later years to realize I'm part the truth OF
| Christ's teachings. We even say, for ex.
| ample. that king is the first servant OIL
| hall of the palace of Amsterdam where
| Wilhelmina had shortly before been
crowned Queen of The Netherlands. AT
those imposing coronation ceremonies, they
| tell us the young sovereign brought tears
| to the eyes of many of the assembled legis-
| lators and princes when she took as her
| own the words of her father. The House
of Orange she said, can never, no, never,
| do enough for The Netherlands. Her SUI
preme thought on that memorable occasion
| was not what honors she, the sovereign;
should receive but what service she could
| render. She stood there not to be minis
| tered unto, but to minister So she but
| voiced again the teachings OF the divine
| Master that the greatest shall be they that
serve. Power and culture reach their own
| glory only as they grid themselves and
"And further. we are not TO think of our
| Lord Jesus Christ, now living and reigning
| in the heavenly realms, as different in dis
position nd aca %e tbinR pEm OF what am tie too
clusively as seated there on the radiant
throne and being ministered unto and hon.
The New Testament of not merely a throne
| room. but of a glorious banqueting hall.
| The joys of the redeemed are pictured 10
us under the imagery of the marriage sup
| that occasion SAYS: Verify, l say unto
! you that the Lord shall grid himself and
make His servants to sit down at meat;
| and He will come forth and serve them
| Amazing fact there realized! 1t will be
| Joy in that high realm for Him, the exalted
| one, to do what He did that night in the
| upper room when He girded himself with
| a towel He WILL in the celestial realm,
| grid himself and make ii His mission to
minister in thousand helpful and blessed
| Ways to the well being and happiness of
| His redeemed. For He loves them with
| an affection whose height and depth are
| immeasurable and all genuine love, human
| and divine, seeks 10 express itseiI In terms
| of helpful service.
JOY OF THE ANGELS LIFE.
| "And further still. the JOY of the life Of
| the angels in the heavenly realms, while
| il has clements beyond our present knowl-
edge, has two characteristics of which the
| Bible makes us sure. First, IL is the joy
| of worship, which is found in the COM
munion of purified spirits. with the ador-
| able God and Father when they love and
| reverence and honor. And secondly. il Is
the joy of service. They are given oppor-
| tunities of loving, helpful service For
| as we read, are they not all ministering
| spirits sent forth to minister unto them
! which are heirs of salvation?' In the light
| of these truths we see that service is a
| sacred thing IL may be in very humble
! actions and through stammering words.
| but if genuine and helpful it is OF life di-
| vine.
"Christ's idea of what the church is for
! is not this day realized by some among
| its members. They measure IL almost en-
| tireIy by what il do in ministerng 10
| them. They value IL because of what they
| can get out of ii in the way of religious
| truth or in the way of social fellowship
| and esthetic enjoyment of sacred music
| and oratorical presentations OF high and
! inspiring ideals OF life. Bus while the
| church Is 10 be valued for the ways in
| which IL can minister TO Us in the higher
| realms of life, it is TO be priced most OF
| all because of the enlarged opportunities il
| gives for the service of humanity. And
| with all their imperfections the Christian
| churches are the chief channels for the
| service of our fellowmen in the best things.
Service may be done on different princi-
| ples-inspired by different motives. All
| TO help our felow-nen. Is religious. IL is
| recognized and approved b. the Father,
| whether il be performed by a heather or
by a deyout believer II was the despised