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Our Local Pulpit aqd Arbitration.

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Our Local Pulpit aqd Arbitration. CHRIST'S RULR FOR SETTLING DISPUTES. In last week's "Pontypridd and Rhondda Chronicle" appeared the following interesting sketch of a sermon preached at the English Congregational ChapeH, Gelliwastad Road, Pontypridd, by the pastor, the Rev W. G. Jenkins, B.A. — Luke xii, 13, 14, 15. Arbitration is one of the magic words of the days we live in. If there is any remedy foi- the social disorders which seem continual- ly to occur between capital and labour, for the national disputes which seem ever to arise between peoples and nations, for all petty quarrels and feuds which seem constantly cropping up between man and his neighbours —then it is to be found we are to. in the introduction of an unbiassed laird party, who is to act as go-betiveen, and who is to weigh dispassionately the claims and counter claims of each side, and give judgment to be acquiesced in. by both. And of all the actions whereby our century will be reckoned a glor- ious one in the eyes of the ages yet to come there is nothing surely that will redound more to its lasting credit than the successful issues which resulted from the introduction this new method of solving individual, social, and national problems, and I can con- ceive of no fitter method by which we could have celebrated the BOt- birthday of our dearly loved and honoured Queen, than by our joining heart and soul as a nation in our prayers and wishes in supporting the great Pdace Conference at the Hague, which I be- lieve in spite of all carping critics and skilful interpreters of motives, is going to prove one of the greatest contributions which Russia has ever made to the history of the world. Yes, Blessed are the arbitrators2 for they shall be called the sons of God. Blessed are they who follow in the footsteps of Him styled Prince of Peace! And yet, here in the text we have a dis- tinct instance in which our Saviour who came to heal all the diseases and sores of society, resolutely refused to arbitrate in a claim which to us certainly presents felatures in which the introduction of a third party might possibly Jjave succeeded in removing fraternal injustice and wrong. Here is one who has come to earth to enumerate the prin- ciples and laws of the Kingdom of God- instice, fairness, equality--apperently refus- ing point blank to champion the oppressed, and to arbitrate between rival factions. How are you going to explain the apparent difficulty? Let us for a moment endeavour to look at the facts of the case in point. can well imagine that the miserly plaintiff hbppened to be the younger son in a family of two, who on account of his not being the elder considered it highly unfair that through an accident of birth he should be deprived of the privileges possessed by his brother. What the precise circumstances of the case were we can only surmise. Possibly it was a case which we describe in homely langigge as six of one and half & dozen of the other At any rate we may note incidentally tlj, Christ's method in a family squabble is to endeavour to get both parties back o first principles. No doubt the younger son (you see the younger brother is here posvm^d of the spirit of the elder brother in the parat ie of the prodigal son), Had listened to the grew preacher of righteousness proclaiming thte principles of equality and justice which at the basis of all society, and as he listened thought struck him, If I can only tl is strange prophet to obtain redress for me, how very fortunate I shall be, for in the eyes of the people he possesses all the -authority of a lawyer, with one very important o it- eration for me—he doesn't exact a lawyer's fee. It is a much simpler way of coming to a right settlement than if I were fco tako my case to the interminable Jewish laT-(uxi-fz, and very much cheaper, too. Most pre bab\y the Jewish Rabbi will hearken to my uit for nothing, er at any rate for next to r :fch'ti,r, but if only I call in the ponderous legal mach- inery of the country, there is no knowing where it will end-most likely in the bark jruptcy court." But when he came to our Saviour he found he was in the presence of one who went deep down to the springs and imotives of his whole action. Instead of sup- porting his claims, or, indeed, reporting them as unjust, he found that Christ went to the very root of the matter. Take heed, and be- ware of covetousness! As though he said 1 guilt of a false social state can only be recti- fied by cutting away false social notions. Most assuredly Christianity proclaims llaws I and principles which will eventually give ev- ery man his right, but this is what I think the incident teaches us! It teaches us that Christ deals with men and not with cases; with principles, and not with casuistry; with eternal truth, and not with temporary phases. Our Sa.viour knew that He came to earth with the greatest of all purposes, with phases. Our Saviour knew that He came to the grandest of all undertakings, that of sav ,ing the world, not saving any particulhr nation, but all nations; not saving any par- ticular century, but all centuries; not saving any particular section of society, but. all sec tions. Therefore, it was not his office to in terfere in particular civil cases, but it was his office to lay down principles which would solve all such for all time, in all nations. amongst all conditions of men. It was for Itb3 brothers themselves to determine, once they had the principle before them, and in this power of determining lay their responsi- bility. And-for this reason Christianity can never become out of date—it can never be left behind, for its principles are all eternal principles. Take for a moment the question of capital and labour. The Bible is appealed to by both parties, as if on the one hand it were the great arbiter which determines that the poor slfall be meek and submissive, and on the other hand as if it were the referee whose peculiar Blessedness consists in the woes it attaches to the rich and the demands it makes upon them. In either case Christ is misunderstood and his sysfcriT misconstrued, Christ is not a party man, and his Book is not a special pleader, for our Saviour pro- claims a real, deep, true brotherhood, which !is not onesided. It demands that the rich shall treat the poor as brothers, but the ob- ligation is mutual, the rich is the poor man's shall treat the poor as brothers, but the ob- ligation is mutual, the rich is the poor man's 11 htGtheor too. Christ refuses t" oe the friend of one because he is the friej. of both. He is not the cha mpion of n ola1-, rv cause he is the champion humanity. \V;I I truly go to the Christ I hesr justice dod and so vindicated, that it is impossible for me to jbe unjust whether I am mon or master. We 'are waiting in these days for some man to j write a large book that will philosophically I í adjust and determine everyth;n £ Friends, that Man has come, and .¡,J,8 name is Gh Jesus. Here is the Prince of Peace, the Re- conciler of Nations. The coming of Christ is an event standing entirely apart in the whole history of the race. Its influence was to be worfd-wide, because it concerned itself not with men's affairs as such, but with men as beings owning allegiance to God, and holding relations one with ano- ther. If Christ had made a partition in the I inheritance of this Jew, his decision might conceivably not hold good in the law court# of Rome, England, China, or Ireland, but when he says, "Take heed, and beware of when he says, "Take heed, and beware of oovetousness," he lays his linger upon the I very cause of all disputes and actions in every age and country. Social reconstruction is possible only on the grounds Christ lays down, viz., Spiritual Redemption. Make Tii;in right in his relations to God., and he will act rightly in his relations to man. Similar- ly there can be no lasting and permanent im- provement in a nation's life, unless it be founded upon a corresponding improvement in nationkl character. Right division of pro- perty will accompany right disposition of heart. Salvation must precede sanitation, and the best charter springs from the best character. Create boards of conciliation to settle trade disputes by all mefens; establish;i Peace Conferences, and God speed to them, but both masters and men must be born I again, otheirwse mutual forbearance, and generosity will be impossible. And a man conciliated against his will is of the sfeme op- inion still. Christ laid down no sliding scale of wages, but lie has laid down the great social law, "Masters give unto your servants that which is just and equal." And in re-. ply to this; worldly plaintiff, Christ did not; give us his views upon the Band question, but ¡ he laid down principles by which alone all' land questions can be ultimately settled. Not one word did our Saviour utter against the powers that be, unless they be of Gou i What constitutes a Statez Not high raised battlements and laboured mound, Thick wall or moated gate, Not cities proud, with spires t.-d turrets crowned, Not bays and broad-armed ports, I Where laughing at the storm rich navies ride Not starred and spangled courts, Where low brow'd baseness wafts perfume to pride. To men, high-minded men. And Christ's chief concern is the .a.atcn and ennoblement of man: I "Thou Son of Man, do thou make ii. too, son of men. Do Thou strike at the very root of our baseness, tell us wherein we &r-, and impart to us strength and purity and divinity, which Thou alone canst give. We in vite local ministers of all denomina- tions to co-operate with us by sending sketch- es of sermons for publication in this column

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