The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-12

| your OWL candidates but here. here In
| Gods house seek what you need and
| seek 10 make every prayer you utter and
| every wish you express and every ballot
| YOU cast minister to the worlds need
ana not your own wish or desire in the
matter. The Christian church exists for
the salvation OF men and existing for that
and that alone we must search TO find
the means by which this is TO be accom-
plished.
When the end for which an institution
exists becomes obscure one commonly
Finds that the means by which the end
was TO be attained has fallen out OF sight
lt can be done. but II is at least difficult.
10 make good means persistently serve
bad ends 1t usually Is no, necessary. II
mercy Is source of power in the life OF
the church TO lead men to repentance
what reason can be urged to employ
mercy when to lead men over TO repent
ance Is not the ultimate object
In consequence wo behold condemna-
tfon practised today inside the church
|. .toward the worlc that would do credit
10 the ancien. spirit OF Judaism and that
makes the criticism of the world seem
tame and pale.
SWORDS TURNED.
But we turn our swords against our
selves too and condemn each other for
Let him who In without fault cast the
first stone" has been forgotten and
Neither do I condemn thee. go and sin
no more" has been saved IN the Book
but lost in practice.
About the pure. spotless man. publicans
gathered. to Him sinners came bearing
their burden and their tale OF sin finding
I'm Him their friend and refuge. their hope
and their absolution.
Sin has not lost its sting. Repentance
has not lost It's virtue All bruised hearts
have not been scared The world has
not frozen all the tender feelings the
true sentiments that spring in the breasts
OF outcasts and wanderers. Hope still
lifts its eyes heavenward and lips stiIl
cry out 10 God Why do not these weary
storm-beaten souls. wrecked upon the
bleak shores OF iniquity and shame seek
here in this church the hope they have
lost and the God who has mado them?
II is not because we do not believe in
the God whom ,ynrist revealed. It is not
because we do not reverence Him who
was called the friend Of sinners. II IL
not because our gospel is not n gospel
OF hope and good cheer to these weary,
careworn souls.
Nor Is II because we do not want them.
IL would be impossible for me 10 believe
that
But II they came wouldn't they feel
and security which is just what such a
soul seeks?
THE PRoDIGAL AT HOME.
How much at home that prodigal after
all his years OF wandering and dissolution
must have felt. With what Joy he must
have embraced old friends and renewed
old associations safe again under his
fathers roof. Why? While he was vet
n long way Off his father came out to
meet him. He was moved with compass
sion and ran and fell or his neck and |
kissed him. Bring the fatted calf and !
Kill IL and let US eat and make merry.
for this my son was dead and is alive |
again, was lost and is found"
The ready forgiveness the heartfelt |
compassion. the kiss OF love. like mighty |
currents swept the past into oblivion. |
wiped out the sin and the stain OF It. /
and all was forgotten I'm the Joy OF a son |
returned and fathers welcome. What |
place heaven would be for the repent |
ant sinner as pictured by Jesus. JOY. Joy. |
unbounded joy, more over the one sinner |
returned than over ninety and nine who |
had not gone astray
We lack something. We have the truth |
but IL Is cold We have the desire but it |
Is weak. We have the sacrifices the |
forms Of religion. but have we that spirit |
OF warm hearted mercy for others which /
we neeu so mucn ana seek so much from i
God. That quality that Will enable us
10 open the hearts OF others 10 the truth |
we profess,-that quality without which /
truth is ineffective. lIfe proftless and our |
service useless.
WHO Is MY NETGHBoR,
When Jesus had answered the question
or the lawyer. What shall ! do 10 In |
herit eternal life?" by stating I'm n SEN |
tence the essence OF Christianity, love 10 /
God and love TO man. you remember that |
that lawyer again asked. But who Is my
neighbour"
In answer Jesus told the story OF the
good Samaritan. When he had ended he
asked. which OF these three. thlnkest
thou. proved neighbor unto him that fell /
among the robbers?" And he said "Ue
that showed mercy on him"
In this portion OF the parable there Is
brought out tho first thing involved IN
the conception OF mercy. Mercy may
seem a small thing yet Il involves so
much and is 20 essential that there Is no
such thing Gs Christianity without II.
We might almost say, where that is.
there Is Christian life.
Mercy here involves equality. The
priest and the Levite passed by on the
other side. He was none OF theirs. He
DID not belong TO their class. But this
had compassion on him. Who
ever he was he was man. Nothing
human was alien 10 him
For every unfortunate being We can |
assume three attitudes We can do as
the priest and the Levito did. we can