CHRIST AND THE MASSES. ADDRESS BY REV. H. J. LEWIS Auckland, September 30.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 407, 2 October 1889, Page 5

CHRIST AND THE MASSES. ADDRESS BY REV. H. J. LEWIS Auckland, September 30.

TitK Rev. H. J. Lewis preached a good sermon on 'tho above subject last night at the Newton Congregational Church. His text was taken from the 9th of Matthew, and the 30th verse : " But when ho saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." Mr Lewis said these words illustrated Christ's interest in the massos, and showed what, he thought ©f the common, people. Christ's view of the masses was without the usual suspicion and distrust which most men felt in a crowd. He never trimmed and fenced what He had to aay for fear of the result, and because he trusted them the common people heard/ him gladly. He did not try to secure the patronage of the crowd by cringing sycophancy, but absolutely retused to make use of it for his own advantage. What wonder that the crowd thought of Christ what it had nerer done of any other man ? They were told nowaday.-*, that they could never save the masses, but nothing touched him more than Christ's hope for the crowd. Ho said, '♦ 1, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." Nothing but tho narrow selfishness of the churches prevented Christ from bringing the masses unto Him. They were told in the Bible that Christ was moved with compassion for the common people. He was moved with pity for tho people who were harassed and worried, and was moved with indignation because the common people had never had a fair chance. Christ'tj pity for the masses was the result of thought, and they must also think of the social condition of their fellow-creatures. The publication in the Star of how the poor lived in London had, no doubt, touched many, and they should keep the impresbion before their minds until it made them do something fur tho good of the common people. Let them visit them and inquire how they lived. It was the duty of Christian people to take up the care of the religion of the masses, just tho same as they should* as far aa possible divest Christianity of all denominational tendency, which was of little actual interest to the people. The whole system of competitive Christianity was a caricature upon religion, lie would like to see every Sunday one service for the peoplo which should be irrespective of any denomination, and from which ordinary church-goers should be excluded. They should institute a searching inquiry into the cause ot the present indifference to religion, and he thought they would find that as long as the people were subject to wrongs which made them look to drink aa their only respite from care, juat so long would they remain indifferent. It was useleds talking about religion while people were so crushed that they could not understand how theie could be any justice in the world. It must be war to the knife against anything that kept the people down. It was not a question of whether they should have democracy or not. Democracy had come, and the triumwh of Socialism was a&sured in the future. The only question was whether Socialism should be tempered with Christian and brothel ly love or be governed by atheism. The first thing was to look at the masses through Christ's eyes, and then they shouldfind ways to emancipate them from thntwhich crushed them until they could not believe in either God or man. That was the only religion which would realise Christ's worde, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me." *