The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-01-23
SOGIABILITY OF CHRIST.
FINE DISCOURSE By REV. MR.
GIFFIN.
Delivered at Epworth Methodist Church
Yesterday sIornfng-The Christian
and the brotherhood Of Man. Il ~

Yesterday Morning-The Christian
and the brotherhood Of Man. j. v.
At Epworth NJ. E. church yesterday
morning the pastor, Rev. Mr.. Giffin.
preached sermon of rare interest.
His subject was "The Sociability of
Christ" His text was "And Levi made
him great feast in his own house and
there was great company of publi-
cans and others that sat down with
Them" Among the preachers remarks
he observed that sensitive souls whose
minds are attuned to the higher flights
of fancy and the higher things in spir-.
itual life find much that is repugnant
in every day life. especially when they
come in contact with the sordid love Of
wealth or the grasping for money by
whatever means, to the obliteration or
sitting of the finer feelings. Ruskin OBJ
served that the advent Of the
railroad in the rural districts
tended to efface or lessen the
beauties of nature and their harmoni-,
GUS effect upon the sentimental mind,
or temperament. In the middle ages
men of higher spiritual ideals, tired and
disquieted with the sordid lives. they
saw around them. wearied with the
sinfulness which peryaded the world
went to the extreme and shut them
selves in monasteries, seeking there by
solitary living to find communion with
4. 10
and ennobling. Herein was error. And
to-day also in these modern days many
Christians seek to serve God and do
His will by living apart, as IT were,
from sin and the sinner and their fell
low travellers to the tomb who serve
mammon. Hereinw was error again. Sep
aration and isolation do not help the
| sinner; do not help to lead those in
| wrong ways into. right ways. The
! speaker at this point spoke Of the error
| Of expecting young people full Of youth
| to eschew all forms Of pleasure and
deny themselves all amusement.
4 Youth likes activity, recreation and
| pleasure. The Christian doctrine that
denies to youth all avenues of pleasure
! is erroneous. The Christian may imi-
tate Christ in the lesson afforded In the
text. Christ attended the feast of
Levi. He attended the marriage feast
at Cana of GalIlee. He did not keep
aloof from the simple pleasures Of the
| people, but mingled with them at the
/ feasts, keeping In touch with them, and
still in this unbending continuing
/ His work in drawing souls to the
Master. Christ stops In His high
and holy work for the pastimes Of
4 others, and mingled with even the pub
leans whom the high, fastidious Phari-
sees looked down upon as inferior So
cially and as unworthy of their CONF
partnership or liberation
i Christs nature was divine: ours is
i human. Christ was our Master. We
. can keep the same end In view that
/ Christ had. We may follow In His
footsteps. We may initiate His ex,
ample In sharinsijn the Joys and sor-
\ rows not of our class and set alone,
I but &c all our fellow beings. We must
. cultivate the spirit Of the universal
i brotherhood Of man. We should let
! our light shine not only for a certain
class, but for all who need II. The
ascetic Christian loses greatly IN his
happiness and usefulness by combining
himself to narrow circle. Ht lives,
as it were. iii shell. Christ went
among, sinners without defilements Let
the Christian remember Christ's ex-
ample and aim always to help and ele-
waite those around him.