THE K I N G ’ S B U S I NE S S
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In Chicago they have, not so many blocks from one another, two light houses in the dense surrounding dark ness. One is the Pacific Garden Mis sion and the other is the Hull House. The one is the lighthouse where the Gospel of Jesus Christ shines forth, the other is the lighthouse where the Social Gospel shines forth, the most lauded and advertised center of “ the Social Gospel” in America. These two lighthouses have stood there side by side, so to speak, for years; long enough to try out the relative merits of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Walter Rauschenbusch, the so-called “ Social Gospel.” Which has, in actual results, demonstrated its sav ing power? Literally, thousands of lives have been transformed from low est degradation to highest manhood and highest womanhood by the Pacific Gar den Mission, whole families have been transformed, whole. communities have been transformed, and whole states have been brought over from the liquor column to the prohibition column by the direct and the indirect results of the Gospel preached in the Pacific Gar den Mission. For remember that Billy Sunday, as he is today, is the direct re sult of the Gospel preached at the Pa cific Garden Mission, and all his work in cleaning up communities and trans forming dead churches into living churches and cleaning up whole States, is the indirect result of the Gospel preached at the Pacific Garden Mission. And Mel Trotter, with his wonderful work among the down and outs in so many Cities from the Atlantic to the Pacific,' is the direct result of the Gospel preached in the Pacific Garden Mission, and a host of other mighty men of God and the wonderful work they have accomplished, is the direct result of the Pacific Garden Mission. But what has the Hull House to show in the way of actual achievement in transforming lives, in regenerating
bankrupt. Many of us have known for some time that China was practically bankrupt. What has led to this ruin? Selfish, unprincipled, greedy, voracious, Confucian’st Governors. When I was in China two years ago, the question was asked in a gathering of educated and progressive Chinese men, “ Wixat is the greatest need of China today?” Prom the audience the cry went up in reply, “ Patriotism.” We shall see short ly that this is not the greatest need of China, but something that un derlies real and reliable patriotism—• regeneration, through the only thing in this world that has regenerating power in It— the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “ which is the power of God unto sal vation” (Rom. 1:16), not only to indi viduals but to nations. But real pa triotism is a great need in China. Not a few missionaries and Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. secretaries in China today fancy that what China needs is what they call “ The Social Gospel,” which is really not a gospel at all, and which never has saved, and never can save, any individual or any community, or any nation. The gospel so plainly taught in this Book, the Bible, the gos pel of a Saviour, Jesus the incarnate Son of God, Who was crucified to make a perfect atonement for sin, who was raised, and now lives and has all power in heaven and on earth, and therefore has power to save to the uttermost anyone and everyone who comes to God through Him, and Who is coming again some glad day to take the reins of government and bring in universal righteousness and peace and plenty, and prosperity, and love, and brotherhood, and liberty, and equality, has saved countless millions in the past and pres ent, and has also saved families and communities and nations. This Gos pel is what saved England and America, for example, from barbarism and sav agery to be the most glorious nations on earth.
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