Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-03-05
POVERTY AND PIETY."
Sunday Sernon Ely Rev. James Mexan-
der Jenkins.
The Preaching OF tIie Gospel Is All Ev!deHee Of
Far-R:lcIiIng Mercy Of God.

was the subject of this sermon delivered
by the Rev. James Alexander Jenkins,
pastor of Emmanuel Congregational Church.
His text was chosen from Matthew xi: s:
"The poor have the gospel preached to
them"
The words of our text constitute part of
the reply of Jesus to John when He sent
two of His disciples with the anxious ques-
ton, cart Thou He that should come or
do we look for another" In this reply
the Master assumes that John is familiar
with the character of the work of the en-
pected One, so EIe sets before the messen-
gers His own work as meeting the require
ments. The blind see, the lame walk, the
lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead
are raised up, "the poor have the gospel
preached to them"
The preaching of the gospel to the poor
may be regarded as only an evidence OF the
far reaching mercy of the great God, but
it may also be regarded as testifying to the
! preparation of the poor for receiving and
spreading the good news from God. II we
believe in the fitting of means to ends in
the world of nature, if we are upholders
of the great law of design. may we not
with reason insist that the Father through
| the course of the ages prepared certain OF
| the sons of men for the reception of the
truth. If we concedc this we behold in the
preaching of the gospel to the poor an ar
rangement of providence, far reaching
plan of God
The pages of the gospels reveal Jesus as
the preacher to the poor. The rich He re.
garded as being for some reason less Tilted
to be chosen as pioneers in the work OF es-
tabishing His kingdom. OF the rich men
! of the New Testament, not Dives, not the
! rich fool, but the young man who came to
Jesus with eager inquiry, may be regarded
| as typical in the mind of Jesus of the
hosts of the rich and powerful. Thinking
6 l.. 4, Sow oil
| to 60 through the eye of a needle than Tor
rich man to enter into the kingdom OF
God" From this statement we naturally
! infer that the absence of wealth or poverty
is most favorable to the reception Of saw
ing truth. to the entering of the kingdom.
Jesus Himself. coming as the founder OF
the kingdom of God. chose the material
upon which that kingdom shall be built.
He did not preach to the poor because 9th.
ers would not hear Him The influential
He could have commanded, strength OF
arms He could have enlisted wealth would
have served Him. Bat He chose, desired,
determined, to preach the gosnel to the
poor. Says DR.. Bushnell, speaking of the
character of the ministry Of Jesus: Tie
adheres to the poor and makes them the
object of His ministry. And what is more
peculiar, He visiblv has kind of interest
in their society. which is wanting in that
of the higher classes. perceiving. apparent
~, that they have certain aptitude Tor
receiving right Impressions which the 9TH.
ers have not. They are not the wise ana
prudent filed with the conceit OF learning
and station. but they are the, ingenious
babes of poverty. open to conviction. pre-
pared by their handle lot to receive
thoughts and doctrines in advance OF their
age With equal acnmen does this great
writer recognize the fundamental and dis
tinguishing nature of the choice OF Jesus,
os rnD4,osiol with Tho tparhin0s of the
statesmen and philosophers who had COMO
before Him They began at the ton, lie
began at the bottom, and so His work. he
cause it was true to nature, was lasting,
abiding. eternal
The twentieth century finds society di-
yided as it has always been divided. into
Two classes the rich and the poor. Civil.
2a.ion has crept onward. changing many
thinrs. but it has not removed the dstinc-
ton between wealth and poverty. The
distinction may be less brutal less crude.
but it still EXISTS. and the very refinement
of the Classification of men is often the
cause of added bitterness So to-day the
student Of mem and events. whether he be
socio!ogist, economist or preacher. is con-
frontej by the difficulty of adjusting one
mart of society to another We are con-
stantiy asking certain questions and clam
orinr for a reply. Can the poor man Sc
cure a Just share Of the good things of
earth? Is it possible for him to get an ed,
ucation: Will society receive him! And
now, 1T seems, another question presses
upon us. What Is the relation between
poverty and piety?
1t would seem that the world, III. an
swering this question, has lost sight OF the
teaching and practice OF Jesus; for the CON
clusion usually arrived at is that the poor
man is at a disadvantage IN his struggle
for the soul culture which every human
loin listening
the reasoning of the world, have, because
of their poverty, surrendered their religion,
deserted the church and rejected the
Christ To them the Christian worker Las
come to seem the advocate of Impossible
ties. but this attitude of mind is not CON
are reminded that even thoughtful writer's
seem to assume the existence of natural
hostility between poverty and piety
Let us keep in mind the attitude Of the
Lord Jesus toward the poor as He deiv-
cred His message and let us remembering
that, ask ourselves what that piety IS, the
relation of which to poverty we are to de,
terminp. Let us ask whether there is in
nietv any element to the producing of
which noyerty is hostile, and let lis find
on the other hand, whether it may not be
nossible that poverty assists the soul IN its
endeavor to become the possessor of true
nietv
p;at,, :, ,o4 n,;,,,or;,,. so,ootb;,o in tbe
Is NV ~ 't tLa rathor Sornnt b;nc in
ati'1s phelei ~ inc ia'ne. tpn oIon'sS,4s
.he heart oi nia LINING fa'r f t NE pr;nn;naI
when en.e[ M" ~; ID" Ser sG of
ones may DC entlGheu d racent;Itv
,ninss irne' peauoilu1, you ae nopS NY
or inc aoiiltH 10 apPlopalaoe tne s ooiI ' the
appeais " nc aIu', p om.;t aPg nSyo as
lrlhclples Vi run recognition W iot 20 90
the great aninlating' sus'"anais, o Too.
knowing pfhclpie. Leu Us see Wne ,'i ;n.
poverty may not ne an aug 70 In 1; soui III
It's deVeiopment along the ilnes ihultalep.