WORLDLY PROSPERITY VERSUS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 143, 19 June 1899, Page 2

WORLDLY PROSPERITY VERSUS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The Rev, Joseph Parker, at the Congregational Church, .B«-esford-s treet Yesterday took as his text Matthew vi^ i seek ye first the oi God and His righteousness; and ail these things shall be added to you. Herald: 'This is just the right kind of text for a number of people who have passed a comfortable mght and day, having good homos, warm beds, and who are able to come to church to-day feeling snug- and happy, bavin" bad good food, being well clad, ami on fairly good terms with themselves and with the world; but I have been' wondering how this text would sound in the oars of those who have had an exactly opposite experience dniing-ttoe pert twenty-four hours. I have been wondering whether I could go to people who during this past week or two have lost situations, or found but little work to do, and who through being unable to pay their rent have moved into some miserable dwelling that they share with some one so badly off as themselves, anti have pawned whatever warm clothing they had that they might ptwwid© themselves with food—and read to them calmly, and in carefully modulated tones these words, 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.' It seems a strange thing that these words should be inserted here. Jesus has been speaking about anxiety in the way of providing food and raiment. It is easy to be virtuous on £500 a year Betsy Prig is reported to have said; and the probability is that if many of us had had the same start in life, growing to years with the same environment, the same deep stains would come upon us as come upon them. The. struggle, for bread explains a great deal of the evil that afflicts us, and for which we cry aloud I from time to time, to have removed. i We may well a.fford to bear in mind ! a,lao the fact that in addition to the ! eonstruggle that many have to ob- ' tain even the necessaries of life, they : are largely shut ont from the refining ! influences of life. Almost every large city has now its Museum, its Art Gallery; but on the whole, how many of the people to whom these institutions might prove specially helpful have an opportunity of visiting them. We are delighted to know of Technical Schools, and University evening classes; but do they actually come within the scope of many who would be benefited by them., When a man ; has been toiling for long1 hours in \ the binding sun, or pouring rain; and his wife has been expending every ! bit of strength she possesses in making" the house tid} 7, and keeping" the ! children out of mdschief, and tolerably | clean —to say nothing1 of baking and mending—do they feel like dragging1 off to the Art Gallery ot the Museum J or the Prep Public Library, a,nd taking their children with them? When a Voufh has spent long hours in a badly lighted, ill ventilated office I poring over rows of figures; without I some very strong inducement is he then likely after taking his eveningl meal to hurry away to evening class to discipline his mind. Under existing conditions of society we are confron«;ed with this anomaly, that while large sums of money are spent in providing scientific amusement and i instruction for average men and i women, they are unable to avail themJ selves of them because they are tired or wearied with the hours' of toil for daily bread. Any person interested can see that the iD*n and women who are taken up, engrossed with, the ceaseless care of providing for their daily bread, have neither strength nor 'inclinortion for seeking intellectual oir higher enjoyments. The public house claims and receives a large quota, because it supplys a felt want amongst many of the men. Last week as I was going down into the city I noticed through an "open door the parlour of a public house, the room was clean, a bright fire was burning in the gTate, which looked inviting and comfortable beside the chilly drizzling night. A sermon was preached to me upon the spot. I thought if this vis-

ion of warmth and light and comfort makes such an appeal to me, when I have as bright a fireside as anyone could desire to sH beside with corresponding comforts, with what power must this appeal come to the man who

goes to a miserable home, where the wife is sick, children untidy, and the whole misery illuminated with a tallow candle stuck in a beer bottle. A bright warm room, and the gossip of the newspapers, and all for threepence offered by the publican—what has the church got to offer that is as inviting-, and as cheap, or the Public Library, or the Ant Gallery or the Museum? I trust the day is not far dfisbamt w<hen each church will supply a room that shall be well lighted and warm, and comfortable, where those wiho wish to come and read the papers, and smoke, and chat, may do sn. at a price that will put the publican on his mettle. Yet we must mot be unmindful of the fact that increased facilities in the way of procuring- food and giving more leisure to the people does not necessarily mean greater progress in rig-hteouis-ness, else were tihe South Sea Islanders the mosrt righteous people tinder the sun. Before the white roan interfered with them, Nature provided for them in abundance all that they required; and their time was their own. But tfheir freedom from care in providing food did not develop in them those higher qualities which are the crown of manhood—tih.ey were crnel, revengeful, passionate, bloodthirsty, superstitious. The same truth applies bo tihose who are fwtihest removed from anxiety about ways and means of Hy-

mo- Rich people are not specially marked off from other people by their superior virtues, and their freedom from vice. On the contrary it would not be difficult to prove that if many of those for whom the way of life has been made smooth in this direction were removed to some inhabited land it would be infinitely better for the morality of every city and country under the sun. The old saw holds o-ood still. Satan finds some misohaef Itill for idle hands to do, and when a man has money with which to gratify his mischievous propensities, then he is a product that the country can afford to do without. Rich and vicious is a more dangerous combination than poor and vicous.' The reverend gentleman went on to say that the explanation of the text lay in the word righteousness, which in the original text means justice. The broad principle was laid down that the best way to get rid of worry and anxious thoughts about ways and means was to seek first after the righteousness, tibe justice, that is not the possession for God alone but for His children. A great- deal of the misery of the world was the product of injustice. He referred to the injustice created by big monopolies, and considered that th& State should retain possession over the natural stores of wealth. In the course of his further remarks he said: —

'Then we see injustice wrought very often by the very people who complain most about it being inflicted on themselves. Who are the people who shop late on Saturday night? The very people who are the strongest advocates for the eight hours system. The very people, who, according to their social and political creed, know better, are the people who buy a piece of ribbon, or a new hat, or secure their provisions at half-past ten of a Saturday night. They don't stop to think that many of those who are serving them with smiling- faces have aching limbs, and are weary after being in tire shop from 9 in the morningl to 10.30 at night. Let no one who hears this word be found shopping late on Saturday night, while crying out about long hours for themselves. The philosophy of the Saviour's wordis appear, when we consider that as men seek the justice of God, go occasion for anxiety about ways and means of living will disappear. Well then did Jesus teach —Seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice. He who is most desirous for true reform must seek it in this direction. Men are not made more just or brotherly by change of environment. What I have said about eight-houT-<a-day people shopping late on Saturday night applies all the way round. Without the spirit of Christ men are concerned only when the shoe is pinching themselves. I find' that when many servants become masters or mistresses they change their sentiments with their position. The servant who becomes an employer is silent on those matters that he used Ito be so emphatic about. So Jesus j wag right—we are to seek first the kingdom of God. It has been well pointed out that the kingdom of God has two kinds of power; the power of extension, and the power of transformation. We need both these powers in fullest operation. We need to ' extend religion to business, to matters affecting getting food and doth- • ing-, and shelter. But above all we • need the transforming- power. Men • are not likely to do very differently I until they get a better spirit. Let a i man com e and sit at the feet of Jesua I I for a while and he cannot then go . away without caring what becomes ■of his brother.'