Sunday at Home

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 3, 15 April 1893, Page 11

Sunday at Home

Following the example o£ Lloyd’s Newspaper, London, we purpose giving each week a sermon, not exceeding 500 words in length, specially written for readers of The Southern Cross. This, we believe, will prove a welcome feature, particularly in outlying districts, where- religious services can only be held at considerable intervals, and we shall be glad to receive the co-operation of ministers throughout the colony in carrying out the experiment. Sermons will be published in the order in which they are received. MODERN CHRISTIANITY. (By the Yen. Archdeacon Stocker. 8.A., St. John’s, Invercargill.) “When the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? ” —lnvto sviii., 8. The question seems to invite a negative answer, and many think that multitudes will in the future cast off their faith. I venture to doubt this. The storm of criticism has so cleared the air, recent discoveries have so added to our knowledge, we have learned so much more of the true meaning of inspiration, that those who are willing to believe will have less difficulty. Probably there will then be more than now holding the faith intellectually; but to me the signs of the time are that many will be in danger of denying the faith, insensibly yet practically, by merging’ their individuality, their responsibility, their conscience in limited liability companies and unions, by sanctioning, as one of their number, systems and transactions which, as individuals, they would repudiate. We believe in God, but we have ceased to think of Him as ruling’ over the world of commerce and business, and are inclined to change the great law, “Do unto others as you would they should do unto you,” into “ Do unto others as you expect they would do unto you.” The majority of men are not distinctively religious, but the laws under which we live represent the decision of the majority, and, naturally enough, our children grow up with the idea that what the State sanctions must be right. Too often they never learn that there is a law binding on Christians, the law of love, which is not the less binding because the State does not take it into account . And so it comes to pass that we have reached a condition of things when men can not only utter the maxims of selfishness, but do so without any sense that, by simply, giving expression to them, they are virtually repudiating Christianity .* The principles laid down by Our Lord are ever binding. He ..said —“Many will say

to me in that day ‘Lord, have we not prophesied in'thy name Translate this into the language of to-day ■ “ Many will come saying, ‘ Lord, we never "denied the Christian creed, we had our sittings in church, we subscribed to' many charities, but of course in our business we did as others did. When we invested money we only considered whether the investment was safe. In the competition of business we never thought of your •command that we were to love our neighbours as ourselves. We sold veiv cheaply because the women who made the articles were paid starvation wages. It helped the dividend that we made two clerks do the work of three. When one came with a pitiful tale we could honestly say —-‘Friend, my heart bleeds for } r ou. I would be glad to do something for you, but you must know that I am only one in the company.’ Lord, in all these matters we never thought of Christianity as a brotherhood.’ ” Yet the law still stands —“ Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” Still, St. John says — “ Little children, love one another.” Still we read St. Paul’s words- —“ Be kindly affectioned one to another, with brotherly love.” “ Bear ye one another’s burdens.” # Gore’s Bampton Lectures.