The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-04
A Life Of Service.

(SeleCteQ Tor INC IlfneS-DlSphtCn.)
| "Tfen said Jests to those Jews which
believed on Him, IL We continue In NY
! Word then are We my disciples indeed
and ye shall know tho truth, and the
truth shall make you free."-St. John
Will, 1882.
The purpose and result of freedom is
service This sounds like q paradox.
Great truths very often thus present
themselves, but 1t is only when we COM
bne the two different terms Of which
they are composed that the whole truth
is revealed.
God frees our souls--not from service
not from duty--but INTO service, and into
duty. Duty has become to us such n cold,
hard word, and service seems so full
OF the spirit OF bondage, that 1t is with
feeling of surprise we realize that it Is
in Itself a word OF liberty and freedom.
But when we turn to Jesus and think
of Hin as the manifestation of His own
Christianity-(and IL men would only look
at Hin and see what Christianity really
is, and not at tho poor, faulty repre-
sentatives of Jesus whom they see around
them)!-when we turn to the life
Jesus, we see clearly that the full pur-
pose of conservation and OF freedom is
service to His fellowman.
1t is life of service from the begin
ming to the end He sets up service
and nothing but service to be the sole
purpose, the one great desire on which
the souls of His followers should tie
fixed continually.
What is 1t that Christ has left to be
His symbol i'll the world2 1t is the cross.
the sign OF conservation and obedience.
1t is not simply suffering. Christ do s
not stand primarily for suffering Suf-
fering Is an accident. 1t does not mat
ter whether you or suffer. Not enjoy
ment, and not sorrow" is our life; not
obedience and duty If duty brings sor-
row, let /; bring sorrow.
1t is not pain; 1t is conservation Of life.
1t is the joy of service that makes the
life OF Christ. 1t Is for us to serve Him
serving fellow-man and God-whether
it bring joy or pain. We must resoluteiy
put from US the thought of happiness or
sorrow. and If only we are dutiful and
faithful, brave and strong, then We shall
be, in the great company OF the Christ.
You can help your fellowman; you must
help your fellow-man; and the only way
you can help them is by being the MODEST
and the best man that II is possible for
you TO be.
l watch a workman building lofty
tower. which by and by will toss its pin
nacles up to the heavens. see him
building up and wondering how high
these pinnacles are to be, measuring the
feet and the height of the beams: ana
yet all the time he is examining rotten
stone into the foundation Let him for
get the pinnacles, II he will, or hold only
nation for his inspiration; but the main
thing for him to do. is to put a strong,
brave soul. an honest substantial life.
and good, true material into the building
just where he is now at work.
1t seems to me that comes home to
us all. Men are questioning now, as
never before. whether Christianity is
indeed to be the salvation OF the world.
They are feeling how the world needs
salvation, how it needs regeneration ho.,
1t is wrong and bad all through and
through, yet mixed with the good that
is in 1t everywhere.
They ask with eagerness: is this
Christian life that claims SO much for
itself competent for the mighty task
1t has undertaken? Can it meet
all these human problems, relieve all
these human miseres and fulfil all these
human hopes?"
Christian men and women 1t is for us
to give our answer to that question. 1t
| is for us to decline that Christianity,
| that the Christian faith. the Christian
manhood can do that for the world.
| which the world so sorely needs
| Do you say what can I do?" You can
| furnish one Christian life. You can fur
| nish life so. faithful to every duty, so
ready for every service. SO determined
! TO be uure and true, that the great
4, Christian Church, shall be the stronger
| for your living in it, and the world be
better for your example Thus great
peace and hope shall come into this poor
! perplexed phase of our humanity, as 1t
sees a new revelation OF which Chris
tianity may be.
Christianity has not yet been tried
None should presume to condemn Chris
tian faith to-day, because the Christian
faith has not been tried. Men must get
rid OF the thought that It is mere ma
chine an expedlent for saving them
from suffering and pain. Not until they
get the grand idea Of the great power
OF God present in and through the lives
of men does Christianity enter upon its
true trial, and become ready to shos
what 1t can do.
Therefore We struggle against our sin
in order that men may be saved around
US, and not that we may only save on,
II own no0r souls