The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-02-16

the Bible demands nothing more of us
than is expressed in this text? What
about the Jewish Law? What about
its sin-offering. its burnt-offering. its
thank-offerings? What about the Ten
Commandments? What about the di,
gest of those commandments approved
by U Lord Jesus-"Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
with all thy mind. with all thy being,
with all thy strength; and thou shalt
love thy neighbor a 8 thyself"? What
about church attendance? What about
U responsibility to our families, to
the church. to the poor? What about
Bible study to know Gods will? What
about Jul responsibility for the heath.
emf What about Baptism and the
Lords Supper?
Indirectly all the matters covered by
our questions, and many more. are in
Guided incidentally in the provisions OF
our text. Sometimes a whole sermon
is preached in a few words. No one
will dispute the reasonableness of the
Divine requirement as stated in ouI
text. Our Creator could not justly or
with self-respect ask less than this OF
it;T creatures who would enjoy His
favor. The interests of all demand
that these principles should be requir-
ed Of every creature permitted the en-
joyneIt of Divine favor to the extent
of eternal life. Whoever fails to come
up to these conditions would thus evi-
dence his unworthiness of life eternal.
His prolonged existence would merely
he il prospecting of sin and a to
happiness and Righteousness.
Let US see the scope Of this Divine
requirement. whose justice we have al.
ready acknowledged. We tote the nat.
ural division of our text into three
parts: On Doing justly; C) Loving mer-
cy; 81 Walking humbly.
The requirement of justice in all our
dealings with fellows commends
itself to every rational mind. Justice
Includes the whole Law of God. A
brief statement of that Law. which
had our Lords approval. reads, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart. all thy mind, all thy being
and all thy strength: and thou shalt
love thy neighbor as myself" On
these two propositions hang all the
Law and the Prophets.
1t is but just that we should recog-
nize our Creator as first, that we
should glorify the One who gave Us
our being and all the blessings that
come Herewith, that we should be
obedient to His righteous require.
ments, which make for our own hap
piness and that of others. 1t is also
but right that we should recognize the
rights of others as we would have
them recognize our rights. The Golden
Rule is the barest of justice. Not a
hairs breadth less would come within
the requirements of our text-Do just
ly. Come, then, let US reason together.
How many of US do justly in all of
iife's affairs-in our relationship to our
God and to our neighbor?
Begin Justice at Home.
Let each one criticise his words and
his deeds toward his parents, his chill
dren, his brothers, his sisters, toward
husband, toward wife. In all our re-
lationships of life do we treat those
who are so neal and dear to us ac-
cording TO the standards of Justice
according to the Golden Rule? Do we
do toward them as we would have
them do toward us? If not, after max
ing "a beginning with the Lord, striv-
ing to render to Him our homage and
let us closely scrutinize ev-
cry word, every act. of the home life,
and see to what extent these can be
improved upon and made more nearly
just. The majority of people. we feel
sure, will be surprised to know how
unjust they have been toward those
who are of the very nearest and dear
est of ieshly relationships.
Follow the matter up, and consider
the justice or injustice of your words
and deeds in daily life with your
and associates. Do you in
variably speak to them in the same
words and with the same tone and
gesture that you would approve if
they were in your place and Sou in
In business matters do you
lrive a closer bargain with them than
would think just for them to make
With you? Or, on the other hand, do
ask of them higher prices for the
or the materials you furnish
hem than you would consider Just and
light if you were the purchaser and
hey the vendors?
Do you watch your chickens that they
not commit depredations upon your
leighbor's garden. eve as you would
wish your neighbor to watch his chick
MS as respects your garden, if you had
me? Are you as prompt in paying your
bills as you wish your neighbors to be
n paying you? Are you as careful
bout wiping your feet, when entering
lis home, as you would like him to be
when entering your house? Do you
lnimals as kindly. as gently, as prop
srly, as you think would be just and
If you were in their place and
hey in yours? Do you speak as kind
y of your neighbors as you would
nave them speak of you? Or do you
hold up their imperfections to ridicule,
Is You would not like to have them
lo;d up yours: Do you so guard your
orgue that you speak only THINGS
you would think proper for your
leiahbor to speak respecting you. il
changed places?
Simple Justiee-Nothing More.
Do you not begin to see, dear
that what God requires of us
$ much beyond what the majority
been rendering? Do you stand
appalled,. and tell me that it would be
impossible TO live fully up to that
standard? agree with you. st. Paul
llso agrees. saying. I'VE cannot do the
hings which we would" The Scrip
again agree and declare, There
$ none righteous, no. not one. All
slnned and come short of the
glory of God."-Romans 1923.
What shall we do? Shall we saw
that because we are unable to live up
20 u W standards Of justice we
abandon those standards? God
We are weak enough and i'm
enough as it is. To ignore our
pest ideals of justice would be to per
nit the downward tendencies of our
lepraved natures to go rapidly from
,ad to worse-to carry us further and
from God and the standards Of
character which He approves. We