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T H E K IN G ’S B U S IN E S S
th y seed all fam ilies shall b e blessed. T h e la st “b e h o ld ” calls J a c o b ’s a t te n tio n to Je h o v a h again. “ I am w ith th e e ,” etc. T h is is m arvelous, co n de sc end ing g race— ‘G o d revealing H im self, com fo rting a n d p rom ising to a b id e w ith a p o o r sinner like Ja co b . But H e is th e “F rien d of p u b licans an d sinners.”
G o d o f A b ra h am an d Isaac— th e be- stow e r o f blessings. G o d sp eak s from th e to p o f th e la d d e r. H is vo ice com fo rts Ja co b , H e gives him a five-fold prom ise. T h e la d d e r is y o u rs; it’s y o u r se ed ’s (a s y e t he h a d no c h ild r e n ) ; y o u r seed shall b e as th e d u st o f th e e a rth ; thou sh a lt sp re ad a b ro a d ; in th e e a n d in B AK ING S ir H e rb e rt T re e ’s o b serv a tio n th a t “ th e chu rch an d th e stage h a v e now com e to g e th e r a n d a re on friend ly te rm s” as a tex t, D r. D ixon re to rts: “ If so, it is n o t b ecau se th e stage h a s b e en lifted to th e level o f th e tru e Church, b u t be c au se th e chu rch h a s fallen to th e level o f th e stag e .” D r. D ix o n ’s po sition is th a t “ th e difference b e tw e en th e C hu rch a n d th e stag e is a n im passab le gu lf.” H e goes on : - “T h e p u rp o se o f th e stag e is to te a ch p eo p le how to a c t a p a rt; th e p u rp o se o f th e C hu rch o f C h rist is to te a ch th em how to b e real. T h e p u rp o se o f th e stag e i s ' to am u s e ; th e p u rp o se o f th e C hu rch is to s a v e ; T h e sym bol o f th e C hu rch o f Christ is th e cross; th e sym bo l o f th e stage m ay w ell b e th e b a b y ’s ra ttle . T h e p u rp o se o f th e stag e is to m ak e m oney, an d m an ag e rs a re n o t slow to d o so, ev en a t th e expense o f good m o ra ls; th e p u rp o se o f th e C hu rch o f C h rist is to m ak e c h a r acter, an d go o d m o rals a re n o t fo r sale a t an y price. T h e stage gives w h a t th e p e o p le w an t, and , sad to say, th e w o rst p lay s o ften d raw th e b iggest c row d s; th e p u rp o se o f th e C hu rch o f C h rist is to give w h a t p e o p le need , regard less o f its p o p u larity. T h e stage m inisters to ‘th e
The Theatre vs. The Church By DR. A. C. DIXON
lust o f th e flesh, a n d th e lust o f th e eyes, a n d th e p rid e o f life, which is n o t o f th e F a th e r’ ; th e p u rp o se of th e C hu rch o f C h rist is to crucify these things. T h e stag e is a c a te re r; th e C hu rch o f C h rist is a p ro p h e t. T h e stage in its trag ed ie s glorifies rev eng e ; th e C hu rch o f C h rist teach es forgiveness o f enem ies an d th e p a tie n t en d u ran c e o f w rong. T h e ten d en cy of th e stage is to m ak e p eo p le childish in th e ir feverish d e sire fo r d iv e rsion ; th e w o rk o f th e C hu rch is to m ak e p e o p le childlike in th e ir faith a n d love a n d simplicity of ch a ra c ter. T h e te n d e n c y o f th e Stage is to ke ep th e ra c e in its c h ild h o o d b f self-gratifying am u sem en t; th e w o rk of th e C hu rch is to le ad th e race in to th e m a n h o o d o f self-sacri ficing ach ievem ent. T h e foo tligh ts a re suggestive o f th e fa c t th a t th e low er tend en c ie s o f h um an n a tu re a re th e re b ro u g h t in to p rom in en c e ; th e C hurch o f C hrist w ou ld m agn ify th e h e ad -ligh t an d h e a rt-lig h t th a t rev e a l a n d d ev e lo p th e h igh er a ttri bu te s o f ou r being. In a w o rd , th e real C hu rch is th e in ca rn a tio n o f th e sp irit o f Christ, pure, hum ble, self- sacrificing, a n d fo rg iv ing ; th e stage is th e in c a rn a tio n o f th e sp irit o f th e w o rld , lustful, p ro u d , selfish a n d re vengeful. A n d w h a t G o d h as p u t a sunder, le t no m an jo in to g e th e r.”
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