I have spoken of an inward impulse. That thought turns our attention to
our own hearts. I have spoken of a definite command; that turns our
eyes to the Throne. I speak now of a bond of brotherhood. That sends
our thoughts out over the whole world. There is such a bond. Jesus
Christ by His Incarnation has taken the nature of every man upon
Himself, and has brought all men into one. Jesus Christ 'by the grace
of God, has tasted death for every man,' and has brought all men into
unity. And so the much-abused and vulgarised conception of
'fraternity,' and even the very word 'humanity,' are the creation of
Christianity, and flow from these two facts--the Cradle of Bethlehem
and the Cross of Calvary, besides that prior one that 'God hath made of
one blood all nations of men.' If that be so, then what flows from that
unity, from that brotherhood thus sacredly founded upon the facts of
the life and death of Jesus Christ, the world's Redeemer? This to begin
with, that Christian men are bound to look out over humanity with
Christ's eyes, and not--as is largely the case to-day--to regard other
nations as enemies and rivals, and the 'lower races' as existing to be
exploited for our wealth, to be coerced for our glory, to be conquered
for our Empire. We have to think of them as Jesus Christ thought. I
cannot but remember days in England when the humanitarian sentiment in
regard to the inferior races was far more vigorous, and far more
operative in national life than it is to-day. I can go back in
boyhood's memory to the emancipation of the West Indian slaves, and
that was but the type of the general tendency of thought amongst the
better minds of England in those days. Would that it were so now!
But further, brethren, we as Christian people have laid upon us this
responsibility by that very bond of brotherhood, that we should carry
whithersoever our influence may go the great message of the Elder
Brother who makes us all one. We give much to the 'heathen' populations
within our Empire or the reach of our trade. We give them English laws,
English science, English literature, English outlooks on life, the
English tongue, English vices--opium, profligacy, and the like. Are
these all the gifts that we are bound to carry to heathen lands?
Dynamos and encyclopaedias, gin and rifles, shirtings and castings?
Have we not to carry Christ? And all the more because we are so closely
knit with so many of them. I wonder how many of you get the greater
part of your living out of India and China?
Surely, if there is a place in England where the missionary appeal
should be responded to, it is Manchester. 'As a nest hast thou gathered
the riches of the nations.' What have you given? Make up the
balance-sheet, brethren. 'We are debtors,' let us put down the items:--
Debtors by a common brotherhood.
Debtors by the possession of Christ for ourselves.
Debtors by benefits received.
Debtors by injuries inflicted.
The debit side of the account is heavy. Let us try to discharge some
portion of the debt, in the fashion in which the Apostle from whom I
have been quoting thought that he would best discharge it when, after
declaring himself debtor to many kinds of men, he added, 'So as much as
in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel.' May we all say, more truly
than we have ever said before, 'We cannot but speak the things which we
have seen and heard!'