South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-17
DECLARES MEN
OWE RENT TO COD
Rev. 6. w. Allison Puts Mans
Obligation to Creator in
Business Terms.

"The Unpaid Rent" was the sub
iect OF the sermon delivered by Rev.
George William Allison, pastor Of
the Hope Presbyterian church, Sun
day night. in which he spoke Of the
various manners in which the people
Of today have for paying rents.
AT the outbreak Of the war in
England, and no doubt in other
countries. too, there was consterna-
ton in the homes Of the poor. Their
work was crippled. their income
stopped, and rents would be due. A
pitiable picture of suits at law and
eviction which uncovered goods Of
household into the streets must have
Uttered and fingered in many Of
their minds And the answer OF
several of the governments was the
declaration OF a moratorium which
would prevent forcible collection of
debts. and allow those who could
pay no rents TO live as usual.
Unpaid rent in the homes of the
poor Of this country is a serious
matter. particularly i'm large cities
where collections are made through
agencies and the landlord never
comes into personal touch with his
tenant; and rent means only an in
terest upon his investment. So
Jesus story of unpaid rent strikes
a note of reality today, just as it un-
dOubtedly did then.
Parable OF Rent.
'Iis parable related that a man
owned a vineyard and rented it to
farmers for a long time (absentee
landlordism, the former curse of
Ireland, and fast becoming a curse
TO rural America). When the time
arrived for payment of rent he sent
an agent to collect his share. But
the agent was beaten and sent back
without having secured payment,
and so two other collectors followed
the first, each of whom Jared worse
in his turn. Finally in desperation.
thinking TO command the respect of
these desperadOes, this landlord
said: L will send by beloved son,
they will surely reverence him. But
when he was sent and arrived he
was murdered in order that the
landlord might have no heir for his
property and it would fall into their
own hands. Jesus then relates that
with this procedure the landlord is
outraged and would come for veng-
ance The realism with which this
story was told by Christ is attested
by the exclamation of those who
heard. God Forbid But Jesus had
been speaking in picture language
10 them.
Men Owe Reverence.
"In reality He had been speaking
to them of His own mission. God
had sent prophet after prophet to
them to request their obedience and
reverence-now He had sent His on
" and beloved Son thinking they
would respect and worship Him;
bit instead they were determined to
put Him to DEATH How graphic
and forceful He spokei
The message applies TO us today.
We have each been given a life to
/ hold in tr1st-rented, to use Jesus
figure. Col requires Of US rever-
ence and worship (rent, if you
| pleoat). He sent His only begotten
Son to collect. and His blood was
added TO that Of the prophets. Are
we then doomed to the vengeance
I of God? We most assuredly are
unless we have committed our lives
to Him and received Him as Savior
There is a popular conception OF
the willy-nilly sort which tries to
gloss over the doctrine of the newt
able punishment for unrepentant
sin, To sin without repentance is
hell-both here and hereafter"