The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-12-08
crowd. mostly men. win attentiyely


| Christian religion Is not dead. but men
| are not going To the churches for IL.
Put IL in books. and men will read
IL: preach IL in theatres. and crowd
| will flock in: practice IL in a social set
| tlement, n labor union, q hospital. asy-
lums. and waiting lists are needed.
What is the matter with the Chris
| tian church that IL does not impress
| the world rs IL once did? Labor lead
ers will tell you that it is class affair
| and belongs 10 the employers. Social
lists answer that IL is the bulwark OF
the modern capi;alistic organization or
society with which they are ut war.
Scientific men reply that II 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 10
| them 10 he vital thing. To hear some
speaker who can touch the heart or
head they will come, but not for the
church as church.
Ii the church is a class organization
its love is not Christian, for Christ's
love knows no distinctions. IL the
church. as socialists claim. Is merely
poulticing wooden legs In its charity.
| then il has no love OF fundamental
Christian brotherhood. IL the love OF
truth is wanting its love OF God is a
sham. What the church needs. X
| there Is much or little I'm this criticism,
is not multiplication OF its philanthrop-
les. nor concentration Of them into
few that would compete with the state
and stamp their character more firmly
| on the world. but n filling 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 man once went to Christ
with the question, who Is my neigh.
bor? But the Master gave no answer.
He was not interested in knowing or
| showing who our neighbors are. What
He showed that man was how he
might become n neighbor. He told
that man the story OF the good Sa-
| maritan aud said to him and to us
"Go thou and do 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 field
OF your mercy Even though 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 ot
your mercy and goodness. your efforts
should not end. You can at least pray
for those who despitefully use you
| and persecute you.
A member OF Il 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 I'm the
same seat because they were too odor-
| ferous. / suppose this person stands
| in his modern temple and exclaims:
"God, thank Thee that ! am not as
other men are--unlaundered and un-
washed. even as that poor man yonder.
bathe every morning. ! wear two
collars a day and use patent prepara-
| 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 or
God. Suppose that man is unwashed
and his presence IL disagreeable, tho
thing for you tn 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 godllness, and
| the time will come when you can make
him clean and Godlike.
On the night before He died Tie laid
aside His robes and washed the apos-
| ties feet, to show men that the great
nct ic hn u-h hn
that no service. however menial, liz
too low for even divinity. Whom do
YOU and I love to honor? The man
who serves or the man who rules?
Whom do we initiate? Those who
lead In business and society or
those who serve? Until the men and
women I'm 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 chors and pulpit orators.
but It 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 10 anyone who
reads. Much OF the criticism Is Just
but much Of 1t IL unfair and one
sided. Some requires that the church
should listen patiently and acknowl-
edge what is Just. and to those who
hate her should she return good for
evil. blessing for cursing. beneficeDce
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
England and has strongly appealed
to the Imagination Of men. II IL en-
titled, "Is II nothing 10 you, all ys
that pass byT Christ stands on ped
estal before ST. Paul's. as he stood
before Pilates palace. with hands tied
over head crowned with thorns. While
the crowd that passes by, absorbed In
it's work or pleasure. is you, working
man. lawyer. doctor. men OF analrs,
you women OF society, working women
and boys, and I. priest OF His church.
with never n glance TO Him who died