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4 THE PRESBYTERL
AS JESUS WOULD HAVE US LIVE.
Some years ago a zealous Christian minister in the
West wrote a hook called "In His Steps," which stirred
many Christian hearts to seek better living. In his
mintclrir UJ" 'A * *
on .11 .1.3 (.uiuiiiuuiiy, across tne land and in
England, he made earnest appeal for lives closer to the
one perfect life the world has ever seen. In late
months another zealous minister, in Cleveland, Ohio,
led many to pledge themselves, at least for a time, to
endeavor to live as Jesus would have them to live. No
doubt we do all need the constantly repeated appeal
that we set the Lord always before us, and that every
day we go out to life and duty "looking unto Jesus."
But is not this the very thing to which we are
pledged by our confession of Christ? Is not this promise
and purpose to live as Jesus would have us live,
the very thing we solemnly undertook to do when we
first took his name, and is not this the vow we renewed
at every Sacramental service? Is not this thp riiric.
tian life upon which we have entered? Is not this
Christ's expectation of all those who have engaged before
God and man to "follow in His train"?
Do we as disciples of Christ need to be reminded
that He who redeemed us must rule over us, that he
who bought us with his blood, asks and requires of us
a surrendered life, an obedient life, a life conformed to
the image of the Son of God? Surely we do not need
any new pledge; our sacramental vow is so plain, so
comprehensive, so binding. And is not any new pledge,
like that of the good people in Cleveland, a forgetful
ness and a disparagement of our consecration to Christ?
Let us rather return to our first vows, and with repentance
come back to him "whose we are, and whom
we serve."
How would Jesus have us live? With him "it was
meat to do the will of God", and to his disciples he
said, "Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is
my brother and sister and mother". And the will of
God for your life is first and sublimely written in the
Ten Commandments. It is written again in Christ's
own rendering of that law. "First thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart"?and second, "Thou
snait love thy neighbor as thyself". A Christian life
is a life of love to God, and of love to man, with all that
it includes, and all that it requires.
Would you have a more detailed assistance? Seek
daily guidance, for example, in the Divine wisdom of
the Book of Proverbs, and in the simplicity and searching
of the Sermon on the Mount. Go and give yourself
to the Master, and walk with him in the Gospel pages,
in Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and see how he lived,
and loved, and suffered patiently, and freely gave to all
nipn Ha fi-v ^ * 1 # 1 *
1113 icci as mary aid, ana so learn of him
that his mind and spirit may be in you.
Great principles He gives of what a Christian life
should be, plain and far-reaching interpretations of
God's will, for the life of all of his children. Then are
we left in the liberty of the sons of God to choose and
obey
y
\N OF THE SOUTH. February 17, 1909.
Contributed
HAS THE CHURCH THE RIGHT TO HAVE A
SOCIAL PROGRAM OF ANY KIND?
By Rev. W. M. McPheeters, D. D.
13y a social program in this paper is meant a formally
modified set of social or economic changes for the
effecting of which the Church is pledged to devise
suitable ways and means and to the effecting of which
she is pledged to devote her energies, as opportunity
may afford.
For our Church, this is a practical question. She
has identified herself with the Federal Council of
Churches, and was represented at the first meeting of
that body by accredited commissioners. One of the
most important actions taken at the first meeting of
this Federal Council was the putting forth of what has
been called, and properly, a social program.
It is not my purpose to rehearse this program; nor
is it my purpose to subject it to criticism. The question
raised does not relate to the wisdom or the propriety
of the particular program put forth by the
Federal Council. It is more fundamental, i. e., "Has
the Church a right to have a social program of any
kind whatever?"
That our Church will do well to give the question
here raised its serious attention will, I think, he evident
to any one who will seriously consider the following
facts:
In 1867, the Synod of Kentucky made proposals to
our Assembly, meeting at Nashville, looking to organic
union. Omitting introductory matter, the bearing
of the following extracts from its letter to our
Assembly will be obvious:
"In accordance with the spirit and tenor of the foregoing
i'f-Hnrn t innc anil in *? 41? - ' ? * "
~..v? .** iu me specinc insirucuons
of the Synod, the committee appointed under the eighth of
the foregoing declarations have prepared and reported and
this Synod, after due consideration, has solemnly adopted,
the following statement of the acts of the Assembly upon
which the issues have been raised, and of the doctrines and
principles maintained by this Synod and its Presbyteries,
and which they desire to stand as their testimony for the truth
and order of Christ's house, and to be substantially the basis
of a covenant upon which the Synod of Kentucky may form
a i. uigiuiiv ujiiuu wua me ueneral Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States.
"We deem it scarcely necessary, fathers and brethren, in
view of the sixth of the foregoing declarations made in June
last, to assure you that it is not because of any distrust of
your faithfulness to those doctrines and prinlcples that we have
**-- J *m
..uvutuv ui iiiib uiuiuuu oi iorming an organic union with you
011 the basis of a solemn covenant agreement to maintain the
doctrines and constitution principles set forth in this paper.
Hut having been called in the providence of God to testify specially
for these great doctrines and principles, even to the final
sundering of the ecclesiastical ties that bound us to ohr brethren
of the North, we deem it but a proper attestation of our
earnestness and sincerity in hearing this testimony to claim
for it record and acknowledgment as a part of the acts and
wu^icoji, iiiBLunuaiiy, ine unurcn interprets Its
standards. Nor do we doubt for^a moment that, on solemn
consideration of the signs of the* times, and of the Brastian
tendencies of our Presbyterlanism both In the United States
and Great Britain, you will gladly embrace the opportunity offered
by so peculiar an occasion to join with us, should a
union be formed, in a solemn covenanted testimonial to -the
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