The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-06-19
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON eY
The REV. G. n. EGGlESTON
Theme: Unconditional Service.


II. Eggleston. pastor OF the Greene
Avenue Church. preached Sunday
morning on Unconditional Service. ="
The text was from Luke 1850; Let
the dead bury their dead: but so thou
and preach the Kingdom OF God. )"
Mr.. Eggleston said:
We turn our thought 10 n verse or
Scripture that leaves in many Chris
tian minds wrong impression. or
seems TO be entirely meaningless:
LET the dead bury their dead: but
go thou and preach the Kingdom OF
God" AS We think Of these words We
must beware OF Of reading into Chris
tianity an unnaturalness that savors
not Of loving God full OF compass
sion-and plenteous In mercy" The
Christian religion. OF which Jesus Is
the personificstion. does not repudi-
ate one single human emotion. Its
demands are not thus harsh. II does
not demand the renunciation Of home
life and human relations In order to
be pure and good, as the monks and
nuns OF old asserted. Not In clois-
tered hall, secluded from curious eyes.
IL the holiest life lived, but out In the
busy world. bearing a share OF its
burdens. meeting its temptations. yet
withal living a life that is pure and
good. The nun In her seclusion and
much PRAYER is not more righteous
than the Christian housewife with her
many duties and less prayer. Nor is
the Christian business man living a
less noble life than the cloistered
monk. Christianity Is not for seclu-
sion. II is for the every day life
which you and I are living. IL is TO
lift common life into the divine. II
does not ask us TO be unnatural. II
does not deny us any legitimate rela-
tionship. II does not require neg
lect of any earthly duty, for the Cos
pei of Jesus is a religion for this life.
Some would make the text mean
simply that we must not entanele
ourselves with the affairs OF the
world. This is likely to misrepresent
the Gospel of Jesus. The true Chris
tian has a duty in this world, nor is
he to be separated from II. He has
part in the work of redemption. His
the obligation so TO enter into the
varied phases OF life that he may help
TO lift it TO higher ideals. Business.
politics, professional life, should not
be unrelated to Christian principles.
Each needs more men TO carry Chris
tian principles into those departments
OF life for their publication. When
men shall have grasped the idea that
every part OF their life is related in
separably TO their religion, and that
the man who is a Christian only when
he is inside a church is not a Chris
tian at all, then will mighty stride
be made toward the realization of the
Kingdom OF God in the hearts and
lives OF men.
II II Is true the words do not mean
the reputation OF natural affection,
~ Il is true they do not mean separa-
ton from the world in order TO be a
Christian, what. then. is the message
OF these words from the lips OF Jesus ?
Two words suffice 20 state the propo-
sition. Unconditional service. Let
the dead bury their dead" voices the
urgent demand of the message of
Jesus on the soul of men.
The occasion for the seemingly
strange words OF Jesus was a season
% excuses. He had been talking TO
His followers concerning the kingdom
% Righteousness. Attracted by His
personality, many gather 10 hear His
words. To them Jesus said, Follow
70 make excuse. They would like TO
follow Jesus, but they are not willing
To pay the price Unconditional SER
vice. Their loyalty is tempered with
conditions. Jesus says, follow Me
now, this instant, ere | depart. But
one Young man feels he must first say
goodby TO his friends. While he IS
gone TO his native village to say good
by Jesus would have left the country.
T. would be too late 10 follow. His
goodby would have cost him his fell
low ship with the Master. Therefore,
Jesus said to him, NO man having
nut his hand to the plow and looking
back is fit for the Kingdom OF God. "
We cannot believe Jesus had any OBJ
.ection to the young mans goodby TO
his friends, IL at the same time he
could have followed. Another young
man must needs first 20 bury his
father. But Jesus said TO him, LET
the dead bury their dead; go thou
and preach the Kingdom OF God"
The performance OF these duties,
which were perfectly worthy In them
selves, would have separated them
from Jesus. Then when they were
'eady TO follow, Jesus would have
uneral rites would, according TO the
Eastern custom, entail a ceremonial
uncleanness OF seven days. Seven
days IL would have taken 10 bury the
father Before the funeral Is over
Jesus would have been far away, ana
the young man might then be unwill-
ing 10 follow after Him.
BY this STANCE answer, laden with
spiritual meaning, Jesus taught that
Young man, and is teaching this age,
that His claims are paramount; that
obedience must be instant and abso-
lutte. II may be the path 10 hell Is
paved with good Intentions; but OF
one thing we may be sure, the way
into the Christ life is not paved with
excuses. He who would be a follower
OF that Perfect Man, the Son OF God,
must render unconditional service.
The same tree does not bear the true
and the false. the honest and the dis
aonest, the pure and the impure.
The way OF righteousness and the
way OF evil are two roads which lead
10 opposite conditions. Would man
walk in the way OF truth, he must