The Brandon news., 1905-12-07


proof that religion Is not dead. The
Christian religion is not dead, but men
are not going to the churches for 1t.
Put 1t in books, and men will read
it; preach 1t in theatres. and crowd
will flock in: practice it in social set
tlement, a labor union, hospital, asy-
lums. and waiting lists are needed.
What is the matter with the Chris
tian church that 1t does not impress
the world as 1t once did? Labor lead
ers will tell you that 1t Is a class affair
and belongs to the employers. Social
lists answer that 1t is the bulwark OF
the modern capitalistic organizat tion of
society with which they are at war.
Scientific men reply that 1t has no love
OF truth for truths sake. While the
great mass Of men outside will tell you
that they are not interested. This hour
and half each week of hymns and
prayer and sermon does not seem to
them to be vital thing. To hear some
speaker who can touch the heart or
head they will come, but not for the
church as church.
It the church Is class organization
its love is not Christian, for Christ's
love knows no distinctions II the
church, as socialists claim, is merely
poulticing wooden legs in its charity,
then it has no love of fundamental
Christian brotherhood. If the love OF
truth is wanting it's love Of God is
sham. What the church needs. il
there is much or little in this criticism,
is not multiplication of its philanthrop.
les, nor concentration of them into
few that would compete with the state
and stamp their charac cter more firmly
on the world, but filing Of the church
itself, OF you and me who do spend
this hour here on Sunday and have as
sumed membership in the church with
the love OF Christ.
Let me try to tell you what that
love is. A man once went to Christ
with the question, who is my neigh
Dor? But the Master gave no answer.
He was not interested in knowing OF
showing who our neighbors are What
He showed that man was how he
might become a neighbor. He tole
that man the story of the good Sa-
marltan alld said TO him and to us
"Go thou and CO likewise. Do not
stand there asking who is thy neigh
bors. Be ON the lookout for some one
to whom thou canst show mercy and
goodness and SO become neighbor"
You can put no man outside the fed
OF your mercy. Even though a man
may hate you. and be your enemy,
Jesus says the great duty for you is
to seek him and do him good. If he
rejects You and will have none OF
your mercy and goodness. your efforts
should not end. You can st least pray
for those who despitefully use you
and persecute you.
A member of certain parish once
told me that while he wanted the
church to reach the poor, he did not
want the poor to attend the same serv-
ice that he attended or sit in the same
service that he attended or sit in the
same seat because they were too odor-
ferrous. suppose this person stands
in his modern temple and exclaiIns:
"G0d, thank Thee that am not as
other men are-unlaundered and MI
washed, even as that poor man yonder.
bathe every morning, I wear two
collars a day and use patent prepare
tions for my teeth and face" Such
cleanliness is as near godliness as the
Pharisee in the Masters story of the
publican was near the kingdom OF
God Suppose that man is unweshed
and his presence is disagreeable, the
thing for you to consider is not what
he is, but how you may become neigh
bors to him. Introduce yourself. Be-
come his friend. Show him the ex-
ample of cleanliness and godliness, and
the time will come when you can make
hifyr aln1n and GnGftkn
On the night before He died He laid
aside, His robes and washed the apos-
ties feet, to show men that the great
est is he who serves the most. and
that no service, however menial, is
too low for even divinity. Whom do
you and love to honor? The man
who serves or the man who rules?
Whom Go we initiate? Those who
lead in business and society or
those who serve? Until the men and
women in our churches honor the
Christ as He who serveth, not by
singing hymns and saying creeds, but
giving and doing likewise, the church
may give money generously and en-
ploy costly choirs and pulpit orators,
but 1t will not impress the world.
And then for those without there
must be goodness OF heart. That the
Christian church is undergoing the
severest fire of criticism since the
early days is manifest to anyone who
reads. Much Of the criticism is just
but much OF 1t is unfair and one
sided. Some requires that the church
should listen patiently and acknowl-
edge what Ii just. and to those who
hate her should she return good for
evil, blessing for cursing, beneficence
and intercession for persecution. No
heart that is susceptible to the divine
can long withstand the love that seek
eth not her own.
A picture has been on exhibition in
and has strongly appealed
to the imagination Of men. 1t is en-
titled, "Is it nothing to you, all ye
that pass by?'' Christ stands on ped
estal before st. Paurs, as he stood
before Pilates palace, with hands tied
over head crowned with thorns. While
the crowd that passes by, absorbed in
its work or pleasure, is you, working
man, lawyer, doctor. men Of affairs,
you women OF society, working women
and boys, and I, priest of Els church,
with never a glance to Him who died
because He loved. or to the poor