The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-19


of the secular life. Or the gospel
for all callings, for all pursuits and
employments OF men.
When men are called to service
as disciples OF Christ they are not
called to anything strange or I'M
natural.
There is a French painting called
La Heligeuse. meaning the religious
woman. The artists idea IS untrue
and hurtful. He has painted wo-
man who spends her time replenish-
ing the oil IN lamp before an image.
the religious woman. as the artist
sees her. Is caricature. She Is not
the faithful wife, sharing the burdens
of her husband. She Is not the joy
ful mother OF children training them
for usefulness She is not the school
teacher giving UP ner very soul to
the pupils under her charge. She is
not trained nurse, not the matron
of an orphan asylum, nor a work
ing woman. nor thrifty and economi-
cal housekeeper. On the contrary
she Is woman who spends her whole
time in replenishing oil in a lighted
lamp before dead image.
religion as unworldly as that Is
OF very little value In so practical a
world as that in which we live
When / was a boy II was common
for ministers to say with great
solemnity: Il shall preach to you
as dying man to dying men" They
meant we'll but is not this better:
Il preach to you as a living man to
living men. the message of the Twins
Christ concerning our duty in the liv-
ing present.
Present day religion seeks to take
care of one world a, a time. II we
will only do our duty in this world
we shall not fail Of appreciation in
the world to come.
The apostle in this chapter, is
plain the gospel of the secular life.
Away with your artificial distinc-
lions he practically says" Let us not
talk OF holy cailings and unholy call
fngs, sacred buildings and secular
buildings. holy tones and unhoiy tones,
ecclesiastical garments and worldly
clothing. Get away from the notion
that business is business and religion
is religion. Say rather that business
is religion and religion the business
of good men whatever their means of
earning livelihood. Let every man
wherein he Is called therein abide
with God"
phasize this neglected truth. that every
disciple of Jesus Christ here present
at this hour is in the ministry. You
are a royal priesthood. every one of
YOU young and old men and women.
Every one of you is called Every one
OF you is ordained You NAV not be
required to exercise the functions OF
the pastoral office but you are specially
delegated to communicate the gospel
to lost men. Not all disciples have
the same employment but all are
charged with the same high spiritual
duty.
Every man la called of God who is
doing the thing God would have him
do. The blacksmith and the states
man. the min hand and the million
aire. may each be as divinely directed
as the evangelist or the missionary
God made some men to paint pic
lures and some men to hang pic
lures. Some men are called to write
song to sing songs. Some men are
called TO use axe and hammer and
pillow and plane. Others are required
to use pen and voice. There is diver
sity of operations nut the same call
TO duty.
Nature shows the same variety of
ministry. A violet may not be so
large as a rose but its mission lie as
holy Brooks are smaller than rivers
but they are more numerous and just
as necessary. A candle is infinitely
smaller than the sun but in the sick
chamber or the prisoners cell IL is
more helpful. Common things are
things. Common every
day Christians are the priceless
riches of God the Father Almighty.
What this community needs fs TO
remember that character. Christian
character, with a high sense of re-
sponsibility to God, In absolutely
necessary TO business stability and
prosperity.
Called OF God--Suppose every lay
man in Richmond believed that he
was called OF God to the work he Is
doing. And yet salvation is moth
ing less than call from God to be
a worker with God. Surely the call
Is from no other source II was not
the frail fallible man who preached
TO you the gospel that called you out
of darkness into light out of slavery
into freedom, out OF death into life
Ii was the Holy Spirit II you re-
pented OF sins II was the Holy Spirit
who led YOU TO penitence and prayer.
If you have submitted yourself once
and forever to the Lordship OF Jesus
Christ 1t is for the reason that the
Holy Spirit hath implanted conf
dence in your breast. Only the IN
visible power OF GOO can regenerate
the invisible soul of man.
How high and responsible there
fore your daily task. However ordt-
nary and obscure, your vocation you
are called OF God. Continue to buy
and sell, If that be your work. Prac-
tice medicine or law write, speak,
crank an electric car, cook. clean
house, sew. keep up your ordinary
They are every one OF
them holy They are a ministry. In
them you are TO show forth by exam
pie, by word and by the spirit and
tenor of your life your mission as
witnesses for Christ and winners of
souls to his glorious gospel.
To what then more particularly are
YOU called OF Cod Wherein you are
called therein abide with God Where
In are We. called? What are an dis
ciples called of God>
When the late Earl Cairns was a
little boy he heard three words that |
made great impression on him:
God claims YOU" Then came the |
question: What am going to do |
with the claim"
He went home and told his mother
eEe his motto was "God claims me, = I
-ellor OF England he was teacher OF a !
ing he would have no time to devote |
10 that purpose said to him Il sup |
pose you will give up your class"
- q l. = 1T