St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-09-24
rich and wen dressed, to tn. cultured

rich and well dressed, to the cultured
and educated, to the commercial or
professional man or woman Of promi-
nence, the homage and courtesy and
attention which we feel are due them,
while we turn with scant courtesy
4 from the poorly dressed stranger,
from the unprepossessing and un-
couth. We feel. fattered by the at
tendance upon the church of the rich-
ly dressed, the social leader, the bank
er, the doctor and lawyer and railroad
magnate. We feel that we must show
them assiduous attention, we must
make them feel that we appreciate
their social and business and
professional standing. Naturally
and perhaps uncorsciously this
attitude is manifested. You whis-
per to Mr.. or Mrs. So-and-So that
there is Mr.. Wealth, or Miss Fashion,
able, or Mr.. Wiseman, or Miss Society,
and that I'VE must not let them get
out without our prettiest and most
Hattering speech and most cordial in
vltatlon to come again." And while
thus busy, and, as you flatter yourself,
SO Judlclously engaged, some humble
brother or sister is slipping into an
obscure seat unnoticed and unknown.
AND While you are Sinking and bow
ing and exchanging the formal courte-
| sizes OF the day with the prominent,
! and rich and we'll dressed, the unno-
tlced and unknown man or woman in
homespun slips quietly by you and
away, with never Christian greet
ing, never warm handshake, never
an invitation to come again.
D ERHAPS you have succeeded in
making it so very pleasant and
attractive for the rich or prominent
strangers that they will come again,
out you have missed the opportunity
of meeting Christ in thu person OF
HIS humble disciple. You have per-
formed clever stroke for the
church's material success, but you
have dishonored your Lord and dis
pleased Him. You have been a re-
specter of persons. You haye allowed
the distinctions which count for SO
much in the world to prevail in Gods
church. 1t is an easy and natural sin
to commit. We are all prone to Of
TEND in this respect It is so much
easier to give the seat in the street
car or railroad coach to the elegant
ly dressed lady than to the plainly
attired washwoman who, weary with
her days toll, is returning to her hum
Bile abode. 1t is so much more natural
and easy to show the courtesy or do
the favor for that finely -groomed and
prosperous-looking business man than
II is that horny-handed son of toll,
who with dinner pail in hand and hon.
est sweat on the manly brow is wend-
ing his way homeward. Think it OH:
now in your own personal experience
and see if you are not erring against
the Spirit and heart of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ in being a respecter of
persons.
c EEMETH it to you that such class
- distinction is only weakness, and
not sin? Think you that it is light
thing in the estimation of Christ? |
tell you nay. James calls it sin, SIN,
and all sin is devilish and abhorrent TO
God. If Christ came to church we
think We would welcome Him with
open arms; we think the little select
circles would reach out to welcome and
greet Him, but inasmuch as that is not
done to the least of His brethren-tho |
weak, the lowly, the roorly-dressed, the
ignorant, it is not done unto Him, nor |
would 1t be done. l knew q woman |
who would not remain in the Bible |
class in Sunday school because the col |
ored sexton, child of God, and one
who loved his Saviour and enjoyed the
study of Gods Word, came and sat on
the outer edge of the circle and lis. |
tened to the exposition by the teach
er. She forgot that in him the Christ |
was represented, and that respect of /
persons was dishonoring and displeas-
ing to Him. 1t was sin. God is no
respecter of persons" He does not re-
gard the outward conditions, the rail-
ment, the worldly possessions, the po-
sition, the intellectual attachments. He
looks beneath all that man sees and |
searches the heart, and if Christ is
there enthroned, God accepts that man.
And 1t is sin for man to make distinc-
lions which God does not make or
recognize. "Harken, my beloved breth-
rem" says James to the Christians OF I
that early church, where this insidious
sin OF respect of persons was perform
ing its destructive work; did not God
choose them that are poor as to the
world to be rich in faith, and heirs OF
the kingdom which He promised to
them that love him? But We have dis
honored the poor man. And this same
solemn rebuke needs to be spoken to
every Christian toart This sin of re-
spect OF persons is corrosion, dry
rot which will eat the very heart and /
life out of ones religion and leave him
cold and lifeless spiritually.
p aspect of persons does then prevail
~ among Christians, and in the
churches of to-day. tits not God s way.
It is sin, black. awful sin. Displeasing
and dishonoring to God and destructive
Of spiritual life. And what is the REM
edy? How may the Christian avoid or
eradicate this weakness, this sin? Let
is see what James says about it and
what Jesus said. James reminds the
ones TO whom he is writing. and who evi.
lently were offending in this matter
If respect of persons, that eff We full
Ill the royal law, Thou shalt love thy
leighfor as myself We do WE'LL" Here