The Newtown bee., 1905-11-24
THE HOME CIRCLE.
MY BROTHERS, KEEPER.
A SERMON BY REV A. L. FAUST.

Where is thy brother" And he said, Il know
not; Am my brothers keeper"
One who is Of the same flesh and
blood, born Of the same parents, being
OF the same family and household as
another, Is generally called "brOther."
This Is brotherhood in its most gener-
al sense, as viewed by the eyes and
understanding Of the world at large.
and fellowship, Is yet in many cases
broken, and so utterly severed that
there Is no welcome OF reunion. This
Is brotherhood in its narrowest sense.
The Indian, as he wandered back
and forth through the forests of I'M
settled America, called him brother
who was of the same tribe and circle
as himself. If that "brother" were in
need he was ready to supply him: if
he would clothe him; If lost or astray,
which was very rare occurrence, he
stood ready to search fer and to guide
him home. Here brotherhood broad
ems out widely enough to include
many who were not of the same fami-
ly and household. Every man of the
tribe was "brOther" to every other of
that same tribe.
The Jew, who to-day lives among us
believing in God, rejecting Jesus
Christ, and looking for a Messiah to
come, who has already come, calls ev-
cry other Jew bis brother. This is
done narrowly in some cases, broaden
ing out in others. Here the brother
hood brOadenS still further SO as to in
clude all of race.
The MOhammedan, sitting in his
tent in the deserts of Arabia, eats his
bread aud salt with the traveller wan
dering into his abode and thereupon
receives him into brotherhood. Here
after, the law Of hospitality, bids him
care for this one newly born into
brotherhood by this act; he must be
protected in time OF danger, defended
from attack, provided for if in need,
in word used as one Of the same flesh
and blood. brotherhood here again
extends its bounds and encrcleS even
the foreigner who may be making his
journey across the solitary wastes OF
the East.
CHRIsT's VIEW OF THE QUESTION
far excelled any of these. While
Christ was once sitting at meat with
the people his brethren and mother
came seeking him. Those who were
near Him announced that his kinSmen
were without and sought him. But
He, looking round about on them
which sat with him, said, "Behnld my
mother and brethren For whatsoever
dOeth the will of God, the same is my
brother, and my sister, and mother"
Mark 3: "a So This conception OF
brotherhood included all men who did
the will Of the Father, who like Him
SELF believed in the Father and were
willing to do his commandments. BY
"BrOther" here, is meant every Chris
tian walking in the ways of God. But
ChriSt'S view was even broader than
this. The expression here given by
Christ as to the brotherhood Of man
including all Christians, is but one
form of ChriSt's conception of brother
hood. 1t reaches further than the in
GLIDING of all who are Christians: it
goes far out into a common brother
hood of man having One God, One
Creator, One Father, for, says Christ,
Call no man your Father upon earth,
for one is your Father which is in
heaven" Matt. %: 9.
So that the answer to the question,
"Who is my brother" includes all
mankind. Your brother is he who
dwells with you in your own home, of
the same flesh and blood. 1t is he
whom you meet upon the highways
Of the people of the North, South, East
and West. The "yellow peril,' so
called, of Japan and China must be
faced in brotherly light: the black
man of the South and even of the
wildS Of Africa must not be forgotten.
We have one common brotherhood,
one common Father, one common
cause, and it behooveS us Of this day
to be awake to the fact that we
are responsible for our brethren.
"Charity," it is said, "begins at
home.' 1t is well for us to recognize
a common brotherhood Of man, but
the brother whose keep per one is seems
to me at least, to begin at home, with
those Of our own flesh and blood, of
the same family and household.
Someone speaking at the prayermeet-
ing said that when the matter of a re-
vival Of the Lords work is preached,
and we begin to speak of special meet
ingS and of praying for conversions,
the thought came Immediately to the
speaker that there were dear ones to
be prayed for but that it was selfish"
for her to pray for her own before she
prayed for others. | am not so sure OF
that, for we are to care for those of
our own household before we 90 out to
others. Such seems to be the spirit of
the carrying OF the Gospel, first at Je-
rusalem, then to Samaria then to the
utmost parts Of the world. First in
our own homes, tnen IN the homes sur
rounding us, then to all the world.
JOHN WAS PREACHING REPENTANCE
toward the remission Of sins. Be hold
ing the Christ passing by, he said unto
his disciples that this was the Saviour
of man. Two of Johns closest fol
lowers, hearing and understand
ing what was meant, followed
the Christ. Andrew, having ascer-
tanned with entire satisfaction to him
self that this was really the Christ
who was to come and save men from
their sins, went and, as TIE record
says, First tndeth his own brother,
Simon First your own brother, for
you are your brothers keeper.
One of Dickens characters, called
Mrs Gellyby, was noted for beefSteak,
puddings, pies, and other things
found in her clothes closet, filth and
dirt on every hand, floors Uttered with
all sorts of stuff, and, presumably,
swarms of flies in the rooms. Her
children in filth and neglected, while
she, clad in an ink-bespotted wrapper
or night robe, wrote missionary letters
pleading for the poor benighted heath
an calling mon RI a rncOUOitiOn ne |