Honor of Humanity

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 71, 13 August 1914, Page 6

Honor of Humanity

"HONOR ALL JIEX"—I. PETER. 2—17. (Sermon preached by the Rev. Alfred Noi\h in tlie Baptist Tabernacle, New Plymouth, last, Sunday.) r l lie New Testament does not give advice--it speaks with authority. This i.s a commandment, and it reaches us fiom <iod through Ills servant Peter. It in disiineti'y and characteristically Christian. lieforc Christ came, and apart from Ilim, no such command wa , e.cr issued. It was a new tiling in tli«' world— absolutely a new- thing, and the truth involved ill it is the loot of the 1 great social revolution that is in pro- | grcs.s all the world over. Let us now consider the contents of this commandment, and then and ill conjunction, the reason of 't. and the motive to its observance. AVhen the apostle so commanded the commandment issued through him embraced all the members of the great human family. He was not thinking of the adu.t male members of the race, but of all its members. ' ! To descend to particulars. We are to honor all, irrespective of sex, the female as well as the male. Now the recognition of this obligation, if the equalitv in claims to honor of the woman with the man was absolutely a new thing in the H<jrld when Christ oar Lord ex- ; hibited and enforced it. In the preChristian world, and now beyond the radii of the influence of Christ no people existed or exist amongst whom the woman was or is regarded as the spiritual ptei and equal of the man. It is not too much to say that in heathendom at large, past and present, the woman is treated as man's inferior, his slaves, or the minister to his pleasures or lusts. The foot of the man is upon the neek of the woman, and lie ha s thrust her-into the Blough of degradation. Only' One Hand lias proved strong enough to uplift the woman, and set her in heaven's light side by side with the man. and that Hand is th ■ Hand that was pierced for us upon Calvary. The recognition of the lienor of womanhood is the direct product of Christianity. Again, this commandment requires of us that wc honor all 1 the members of the human family, irrespective of age, the ehild as certainly as the adult.; Now if we ex;.. ••• the -feildre., ,>f r relation, the Jews, this also was an absolutely new tiling in the world. There ivib, and is. no recognition of the .sanctity of ehii'dllood and of life among-l the heathen, even the most enlightened of them.' As evidence, let tl-i- lie noled. that amongst the ("Jreeks 9iii! the Romans the practise of the exposili" of babes was common, not as a crime, but as a recognised custom. If you turn from ancient peoples to the it. : '.illi ned el '•eat-'.'ii pen,: 1 "-, to-day, the like i.s true. The Chinese have practised this horrid custom oil a large scale; and the Hindoos very commonly indeed practised and condoned the murder of girl babes. When the power if Great Hritain was establish.'! ie. India, it came iijto conflict with th abomination, and it is in conflict with it to thin day. And it is to lie i" 'id thai the ih'ef offenders ill this r.'riii Hi ■ I vvi'i'i eot tlie low cast"; or !.be r.un-ist-, but the. Brahmins, the blueW .oiled aristocracy of India, ant th" Rajputs. Moreover, slavery, wi ich was universal at Christ's coming, and which still prevails beyond the range of !l''s influence, inflicts .special dishonor upon the child and tho woman, presses mor : cruelly upon these than upon the man, Yes, it is .lesils Christ who has revealed and enforced (he honor of ehii.lhood. the claims of every child to lew's honor an:] love's service. Yet again, this command embraces all of all nationalities. This again was . new ]bins in the world' When Christ came. raciai hatred and contempt prej vaih'd amongst the peonies. The Jew. in spite of the Leaching of his Scriptui"s. regarded all other nationalities with antipathy and scorn. Tlie Creek dubbed all other than Greeks 'barbarians. ami the Remans regarded all other nations as the natural slaves or I enemies of Rome. We have to re-I-member that ilie color airl-the tongue | form no bar to honor. If we have not h'arned to regard and treat with honor the yellow-skinne.l. almond-eyed son of China, we are not yet even in the A llCc.ass of Christ's great school: ant so of ail others. At .his crisis we have special need to guard against racial j antipathy and the scorn with which it I is welded, and to remember that our enemies are within the brotherhood and I retain their right to lion'r. In the I way of n stern and dreadful duty we may be' called to withstand and tight them, bill even then we must remember our common humanity and their claims for humane trea.ment. and the hojior with which the magnanimous always regard their fees. "Honor all men." whatever their nationality. color, tongue, ami whatever their national a!tiiitile inward our nation may be.

Yet this enrnniiindineiil d»H- aivnur to honor nil men iv* rrspeetiw «>f ela-> or eomFtion. Of e];is-. T <lO up and donn this Dominion i'l' in end to end. and I sec. or 111 ink 1 set', the spread nf a inn*' Hawfiil impov from the Old Land, j di-d iii'-lion-x nnd ehis;- tVei :n<i. In the Miialler town' pa rl h-nlarlv th"re aiv i a eeriain set of people. who draw ::ii | imaginary line round tin-involves am! their fa mi lit-. a 11 • 1 dub ihos,. within it ".-ocietv.'* ami all without it n- inferiorand objects of onndosevnsion or (>aI koii Can anvt.liiiiir he nm - e pa'posterj mis? This attitude U 11<11 unchri-i ian *mlv: if is antH'liri-tian. In Franee. | Ion:: \nir> 1 h<M'c prii'.disfil a noted nanifij I'midon, and the th•.»:* I'iinv \lini-ter of Franco. Cai'ifinal dn Hois. <m)!inl him in to "poraie upon hint. A- 'hi- -napproaehe,! tlie < 'ardi! he -aid: "Now. sm'. do not ir-at me in i he suit.' 'iiannrr as \ on treat mi-i'rahle i i-tchr- in fhe hospital.' "My 'ni'd." :he surgeon replied, "ever ijif <»[ iho-e mi-eralne wrefehes. voir I-'iniiM'iH'f i- nlea-e.i T<> fill than, is a lYiiii" Miiii-trr in inv e''< There -pale 1 1 ■ i ■ -nirii o!" ("iri-i. t h«■ ■ ■ h i I d of !r a rr.n^v■."_»;[■ ion in fh" Old hand t" u !i ■*•;> ! inini .1 etvd. then- :i sami 1 ;. ri ;i!: and r.-liiii'i] wilha!. ;;n•• i on *»:».• i i' a - • ,-i 'll'J i i"ll Wi'ic ■' ;l \ >nir. b>' Ml' J itimi out hi- ri-> hi hapd 1 ■ ■ ;l v... •]-.!!. W 1 !:' prided lii'l'*"!! oi' -11 *"a I I'M If'.. h 1 ■ j L' ; ln'V 1 t he hj :: II ■ "1,1 1... A'i,it' ii"! r, »';ci] ]'<■!■ v; 1 -, .• I. <hr . - nor n>'.; !') -ha he ha;id- - ! ■ M v:n ■ - , i!ii■ ii ' • ; ; - - M r.i, ■ ■* . ■ ;■ -n! 'Ct'M In! .iT'-V.". 1,, 1-.:.v ■ I h 11-- i' ( mndi i,, . » I ... ;■ i, ;i ... | '■ jr.- ■| ! .■ U I. ' ■ I ■ I •: ■■! I ' . • »<: "'ii ■•Midith.i: -.ii-'.'ii '■ Israel, vet ('hi i-i hup.,] <'•' h • ; ' 1 i "a I ''ii hii'i ii )i lu-.,.. V;id 1 : r.l h"a ill!'! o'l hiai : •' !P' ! 1". n"!' 1' ' -till honor.- ilio leper, an 1 do^s ;i t:< i het'ej- fn- ]]iin iiim f:oin hi- fnu] d -i-a-u. lie upraise \: lep.-rs 10-day if: fellowship with Mini sell to in• In ' in the faniil»' o

God. Listen. In Neyoor, in the South of India, this scene v as witnessed but a .ittle since in a leper asylum connected wi h the LoitCon Missionary Society. A visitor en ering the Asylum quite unexpectedly i-av in the first compartment on the malo side this pathetic group. An old, old leper, a mere trunk of a man, blind, and almost lie if, who had been dumped down on the threshold, to be found by the jackals or the inmates, as might chance, was upheld tenderly in the anus of a Christian leper. A second Christian leper was feeding him with milk from his own rations, and a third, was at his feet ■ washing his ulcerous sores. So .these 1 pe s demonstrated their fellowship with Christ, the fact that they were sons of the Eternal. Yet one more particular, and only one, contained in this euiimandment. We are to honor all men irrespective of character. Mind. 1 do not say that you are to honor the character at all. bu, thai, however false and foul that may be, you are to honor the man, the woman. The only legitimate ground of honor differentiating man from lnaa. apart from office, is character.' We will not forget that. The 'Saviour honored the bad publicans, and harlots came to Him, and He received and eat with them, and we are to lienor the bad after His example and serve them as we have 'oppor,unity. The blear-eyed drunkard, shuffling oil his way. the daughter of shame —these are to be honored. Why? Let us now answer that question, and consider, the reason and motive to this honor of humanity. Honor is a sentiment. You cannot force yourself to its exercise. You can only exercise it when you see, or think you see, sufficient reason for it. Xow what is the reason 'underlying this commandment to honor all menV The answer may be given briefly and plainly thus:—(a) Because ali men are related to the Eternal Father; and (b) because a l , men are related to the Incarnate Son of God. All men are related to the Eternal Father, all are made "in His image after His likeness." The image may be dreadfully defaced, but it is there. The more than regal faculties of intellect, of will, of conscience, of power to We belonging to all men proclaim the affinity of all men with (Hod. And as -nil are related to God, and have .within them the indelible features of the family likeness, so all belong unto God, and are j directly responsible to Him, whose they are. Ree.son enough for honor is there in this, but more must be added. All men are related to the Incarnate Son of God. The Son of God laid hold, upon our nature. He did not simply become a man. oil" amongst many. He became Man. identified Himself with our Im- ■ inanity, and conjoined it in Himself indissoinbly with Deity. And so lie is bound in the ties of a common kinship. a common nature .with every child of man. You look upon a little babe, and if your eyes are open to truth you will see something of the glory that encircles the head of the Babe of Bethlehem shining on bis fair, smooth brow. Yes, every child of man is related to Tiim who hi.eame man. and. who remains man. who is seen upon 'the eternal til -one, a "Lamb as it had been slain," swaying wi.h pierced hand the sceptre of universal dominion. "'A Lamb as it had been slain." not only is :.he Incarnate Son of God related to -<.ll inei?, but. He died for all, and by His death makes possible the redemption of all, their regeneration, anil liplif,: from the soil of sin to union with llini ill His grace and glory. Every child of mail is consecrated by the blood shed on Calvary, and we should train ourselves to see on every one the mark of that blood. Tf we do that we shall not only discern the claims of all men to honor---the superabundant reason for regarding and treating all with honor, but possess the mightiest motive to Mich regard and treatment, in infinite love demonstrated in sacrifice infinite. The bearing of ail this upon Missions is i" iileiit. If all men are so re'a.ed in. th" '"tenia] Father and the Incarnate Sim. i" such dignity belongs to all. if the redemption and aulifl of all is made possible hv ho "great, transaction elected upon Calvary." then clearly all should know it. ail have a right to the knowledge. If our brothers are in the far country among the swine, satisfying themselves 'with lbs husk- thai ; lie swine do eat. ignorant of the father, anil el tile 'Father's hou-e. and ill the open door, and the ontsiretched arms, and we siilTer them, through sloth or indifference. to remain in ignorance, wc incur a greater cuudeiimation llian that pronounced on the elder brother by the parabl". In lovaltv to humanity and v i our Lord we rnist make it Icnown. spread the glad tidings. use all the power lodged us tc bring men into tin' light of the knowledge or their own nature, and of . the lore of God revca'ed in diesis Christ our Lord.