The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-06
HARTMAN CHURCH
NOT FOR WORK MEN
Continued from Third Pogo)

N'oHllHucu from lnlfd iNge,)
present time is one Of social right
eousness. The new feeling OF
brotherhood that is working In the
hearts of men everywhere Is a sure
prophecy Of this revival, We shall
continue to save our own souls, but
we shall do this By working with one
another to the great end of social re-
generation. Individual work for indi-
VldualS, as we pointed out last Sunday
evening, must continue to hold It's place
III our plan of church economy; but 1t
VIII not be forgotten that tho end of
all such efforts is the kingdom of
heaven on earth People win need to
accept Christ as n Saviour tomorrow,
as fully as they needed to ac-
cept Him yesterday. But they
VIII understand as never be-
loro that the sayiourhood of Christ
means service to humanity, The
movement toward what | like to call
the coming mutualsm will not de-
stroy individuallsm, but It will lift It
up, and clothe it with the garments
or light, and glorify 1t with divine
meaning The revival Of tomorrow
VIII begin In personal salvation, but II
VIII not stop there. The church needs
to deepen its spiritual life, but 1t can
best do this by striving after breadth
ana mprehenslvencss In social SER
vice. / believe we are on the verge
Of an ethical revival such as the world
mas never known. | believe the OPP
portunlty for the church to-day, and
the opportunity for the minister to-
day, is one that YOU cannot parallel In
history, And wherever you find a
church that has the courage of Its
convictions, that has dared TO step out
into full sympathy with the new
thought and the new method in relig-
ious effort, there you Will find n
church characterized BY growth, life
and spiritual endeavor, People are
talking about the complex and diff.
cult problem Of the church. The
problem Of the church Is as simple as
the problem that two and two make
four The people will support the
church in just that measure that the
church serves tho people. The
church that is anxious to get converts
for the reason that converts mean q
swelling of the church rolls and q
larger financial support--such a
church is doomed to die, and the
sooner 1t does the better The church
ought to understand that It has moth.
ing to do with saving people; that /,
Gods work. The only business OF
the church Is to serve people.
If what have said Is true, the com.
Ing revival will be based upon right.
eousness and not upon feeling. The
people said to John: What shall W.
do"' His answer in the text did no
touch upon religious experience. II,
spoke Of certain great principles o
Righteousness. He told them to shar,
what they had with other men. II,
told them TO practice justice In socia
relations. lie told them to obey tn,
law to tell the truth and to cultlvat,
the spirit of contentment. In othe,
words. they were to save themselye,
by fulfilling their social obligations
Is there any other road for us /,
walk? Does not the spirit Of the ag,
demand of the churches the full ac
ceptance Of this principle of soela
service? In all other departments o
| life, In poll/'s in business. every
where the old fomula, every man for
himself is dying out II should hay,
no plGta In religion. Christian PEG
pple ought 10 be ashamed to speak o
themselves as saved" so long as 9th
ers are unsaved. II the church to
! day Graves power with the world, lie
IT, fulilll the demands Of the text
feed the hungry, clothe the naked
aboye all, render justice to men.
Let us pause Just moment upo,
that last render justice to men. Thi
/ principle of charity brought out In tn
text is beautiful, and those who prac
tice It are of the spirit Of Christ. Blu
! cannot help feeling that this age re
quires that the emphasis be place
upon that other principle Of justlc
which Is also in the text An ounce o
justice at just this present hour I
worth a hundred times It's weight Il
charity Men are telling lis that tn
masses are alenated from tn
churches; and while many such state
ments arc greatly exaggerated, It
undeniably true that between the vas
majority of those who work with thcl
hands and our churches there Is
great gulf fixed VIII that gulf eve
be brldged so long as there are a larg
number of mon In our churches VIII
Willingly extend charity but refuse t
render Justice? Only yesterday | sa,
in the morning paper that ma
whose name has been associates wit
a notorious adventure Of modern pin
acy had given money to build
church near New York city VIII tn
working people ever darken the door
of that church? Not IL they have
grain Of respect for themselve
When ] hear Of some church that hi
fallen upon hard times, son
church that is being deserted by II
people, I have a habit Of making II
, quiries, and ] usually find that there
!, in that church some man,
some group Of men, notorious
unjust Tho people will ha,
nothing to do with the institution
and very likely those who do not sons
the situation will turn around an
blame the minister. Why, there Al
churches in which all the apostl,
working together in an associate pa
torate couldn't throw bridge q tent
of the way across the gulf that sci
arates those churches from the PEE
pie. 1t is M because there are sue
men In them. not that at all ! hat
known rich men who were a tower
strength to the church; men who's
lives were simple, who We're dstt
t-l.n al, r., -, .,ll a