The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-07-07

ones own ends; they worked for others
Interests, they found Joy IN their sue
cesses and pain in their reyerses.
The Christians FIRST zane FOR them
selves was The Brothers" And so
full OF this idea of brotherhood were
they that. tirst of. they went caft over
IL and thought il involved communism.
Each man sold his possessions and
pooled the proceeds and let The apostles
distribute the fund as each brother
had need. Not one OF them said that
aucht he possessed was his own. but
they had all things in common II did
not take them long 20 fnd out that
brotherhood involves no senseless level
ing down OF everything and everybody,
that il involves elder and younger.
stronger and weaker. larger and
smaller. But. though they had aban-
doned this experiment, they conserved
the fundamental principle of mutual
service and brotherly union. They
lived way which had as its motto.
Bear ye one ano:her's burdens"
Christianity meant walking in the
Road OF the Loving Hart"
These. then, were the characteristics
of the Christian way as the first Chris
tians understood tit was a life OF
subjcction 10 Jesus, life lived by tle
strength of God, a life If devotion 10
duty. life of love 10 brother man.
And this is Christianity. and il can be
nothing else-living your daily life AZ
the call Of duty in allegiance 10 the
Lordship OF Jesus, with a personal
consciousness of God as q Father and
fellow man as brother.
A day came 10 Christianity when IL
meant more than this. The day of in
quiry came, when Christianity was
brought into conflict with other cults.
and thea Christianity got itself n creed.
The day Of systematic svangeliZation
came, when Christianity had lost her
first leaders and had TO make new ones
out OF the raw material! found among
the new converts, and then Christianity
got itself energy and organized itself
into the church. But first and funda-
mentally was what its Fodnder left il,
and what its pathfnders made it-a
way Of living the daily life in allegiance
TO the Lordship OF the risen Christ
with n personal consciousness OF God
as Il Father and ones fellows as
brothers. And this is ne first and
fundancntsl way In which Christianity
must be presented 10 and embraced by
vital religion. II must be. first Of all,
just way Of living the daily life.
4 man begins II have IL and con-
tinues 10 be possessCr If ii when. in
his home in the street car, in the hotel
and shop and legislative chamber he
makes himself the subject Of Jesus
and feels himself 10 be the son Of
God and the brother of every last fell
low mortal who has n claim on what
God has given him Of health, wealth.
education, friendship and spiritual life.
To e"ery man who lives in this way
there may come n creed There comes
a time 10 every man when he inquiries
Of the solemn face OF life. and God
and Christ what they are. And the
answer which comes 10 his own inmost
soul through his personal experience
will be this mans creed. And 10 every
earnest soul vino lives in the way there
will come q church. AS he seeks the
conditions OF his own best way OF
living, as he reaches out TO help his
brothers in their pilgrimage he will
discover that there is power in asso-
citation, dynamic in organized fellow
ship and thus he will rejoice in the
glorious company and will enter into
operative fellowship with ell who own
the risen Lord.
But with all the creed and in all the
community with other believers. re-
ligion will still be this and this only
living ones daily life Of common duty
with Jesus as n Master, with God as
Father and with men as brothers. The
creed and the church will be the out
ward expression and tools OF the thing,
but not the thing itself The man who
lives in the way will see how O man
may he able TO give assent 10 the creeds
of Christendom and yet be out OF the
way. He will realize that n man may
be baptized into the faith OF Rome,
or confirmed in the Episcopal demon
ination. or received into the Presby-
| terian church, and yet be forewandered
from Christ. And he will discover
how. though man be unable to sub
scribe 10 any formula Of faith. and
| though he be disallowed the privileges
| Of church membership, if he followed
in the way. if he live his daily life
with Jesus MS q Master. God as his
Father and men rs his brethren. he is
| still friend OF the risen Lord.
What is a Christian: A man who
| doth the same things as other good
men, but with a different motive. n diff
ferent method. n different aim. The
| motive is devotement TO Christ The
| method is by the strength Of the i'm
manent God. The aim is for the love
| OF brother man.