Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-13
breaches
THAT CHRISTIANITY
MEANS HAPPINESS
mo Drudgery in Religion De-
clares the Rev. John Nc
D0well from Pulpit.

Religion: A Delight or a Drudgery?"
was the subject of the Rev John Nc
Dowell's sermon in Park Presbyterian
Church last night. Taking for his text
Luke. HIS, "A certain man made a
great supper-and babe many Mr..
Mcdowell spoke in part, as follows:
NO one will deny that religion, as
embodied IN the lives of many who
profess to have 1t, is a thing of gloom
rather than gladness, of signs rather
than smiles, of weakness rather than
strength, of drudgery rather than de-
~festation of religion are not necessa-
rily defects in religion itself. Educa-
ton in some people manifests itself in
greed, graft and rank crime, but no
one for a minute concludes that edu-
cation is TO be discounted because of
these things. l am told there are more
than a score of brilliant lawyers serv-
ing time just now in Ossining, N. Y,
but his does MT in any yay lessen
the ambition of thousands of our bright
young men from seeking a legal educa-
ton. On the other hand these de-
faulters in the legal fraternity make
an additional reason why honest young
men should go into the profession.
Defects in religious people are not
due to religion, but to a lack of it.
Whenever you find unhappy, ~long-faced
people calling themselves Christians
you can make up your mind that their
long faces are not the product of Chris
tionity, but are due to an absence of it
in prope proportion in their lives.
Genuine Christianity, Christianity
according to Christ, is a delight, not a
~drudgery; an inspiration, not a re-
straint: a lift. not a load; a power
that carries a man. not something he
must carry; song in the heart, not a
sigh in the soul; it covers the face
with smiles, not, frowns; it always
makes for health, happiness and holi-
ness.
That religion according to Jesus
Christ is the supreme delight of life is
to be found in the following facts:
"First-Jesus gave religion the SUI
premest place in human life. He
taught men that religion was the
greatest concern of life and if any
llllIlS DC lidl IL SuICiJ lin NC q
drudgery. Wherever religion has be-
come a load, a burden. a repression, it
has ceased TO be Christian.
"Second-Jesus used the noblest and
greatest words in human language to
express the content of religion. Recall
some of the words He used-rest, joy,
peace, goodwill, father, brother, friend,
hope, strength, service, sacrifice. VIC
tory, love. If these words have any
meaning at all religion as taught by
Jesus Christ cannot be irksome to men
when rightly received.
"Third-That religion from Jesus's
point of view was a power that makes
for happiness Is seen in the favorite
symbol He used in describing it. His
favorite symbol was that of a supper
"A great supper Too many people
have shown their ignorance of Christ's
conception of religion by acting as
though 1t was a funeral or a fast to
which Jesus invited men. Jesus has
no affinity for funerals or fasts. He
broke up every funeral He met, SO far
as we know. His first miracle was in
the interest of a feast. Jesus loved
to picture religion in terms of joy and
gladness. Again and again He sketched
for us the joyous procession. the bril-
liantly lighted hall, the alden tables
and the happy company. Jesus no.
where taught that Cod commands us
to purchase future peace by the sacri-
fee of truest joy here and now.
1.-THE religious man knows moth
ing of real and unqualified happiness.
If YOU want to make the most of this
fife for vOurSe1f and for Other be q
real, genuine Christian"