Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-21
Il PLEA FOR SINNERS,

There is a class in every community that
needs no inducement or influence to prompt
to godly life. If all men were like them
there would have been no necessity for the
new dispensation-no necessity for Christ.
But unfortunately it happens that these COM
pose but small part of the population, and
hence the necessity for religion-for some
influence that is greater than the ocrrupting
influences that so largely abound in all quar-
ters of the earth, restraining from vice and
prompting to good deeds.
In all his ministry, Christ spoke to and
labored with the lowly. He seldom entered
the tabernacles to preach or to teach. His
mission was to seek out those that we're lost
and bring them to repentance. These he
found, and with tenderness unexampled
showed the way to everlasting life.
His apostles, under his instructions, follow
cd the same course. They labored among
the unregenerated, and taught lesson that
ought to have been needed more closely by
those of to-day who profess to be their sue
cessors. We do not wish to appear unchar-
table, but the facts lead US to infer that tho
clergy of to-day seem to regard it as their
mission to teach and pray with tho right
eous and let the sinners 60 to the dogs.
A look over al ordinary church congrega
ton will show that the inference drawn is
not far from the truth. Those who attend
upon the services of the church are generally
men and women to whom religion seems to
be solace or part of their ordinary life.
They 60 to church precisely as they
go to their dinner, and would
miss the one as much as they would miss the
other. It is, if not a fashion, habit. The
majority have no idea of committing sin
and are in no greater danger of falling into
the maelstrom of vice than cat is of be-
coming an amphibious animal. There are
exceptions. it is true-hyprocrites who
make cloak of the church and of religion
to cover up their sinister purposes, but we
are now speaking OF the majority of church
goers and church members, who are such
simply because they regard it as compo-
nent part of their lives. To these it is nee
essary to impart instruction and caution,
and thus far the clergy as class discharge
their duty.
But there is another duty, and one far
more important, that seems to be wholly
neglected, especially in the large cities-that
of calling sinners to repentance. Few of
these ever enter the church doors on the
Sabbath day, and from the beginning to the
end Of the year they are without religious in
struction OF moral counsel save what they
derive from newspapers like the GLOBE,
from the drama, and from their
conversation with their fellows. But
little effort is made by tie clergy to
reach this class. 10 be sure o welcome is
extended to them at the churches well
come in words which becomes as cold as
charity on it's first acceptance-but no direct
effort is made to induce them to submit
themselves to religious influences. If they
happen to stray into church ediGce they
find few congenial surroundings, and though
they linger in the vestibule after the service
Is over they receive no hearty greeting that
will be apt to induce them to repeat their
visit. They depart feeling that they have
lntruded upon an assembly that was intend
ed to be exclusive, much as an unlimited
guest quits banquet hall.
There is another class that will never
come within reach of the gospel without d.
rect and unremitting effort. They are sim
ners in the broadcast acceptation of the term.
Though not criminal, they indulge in most
of the social and worldly vices of the times.
They are tipplers, profane, gamble a lit
tie, perhaps, frequent places which virtue
shuns, and spend their Sabbaths in riot and
debauchery. They are not bad at heart,
bat unthinking careless of consequences
both as regards this life and that which IS to
come. BY well-directsd effort they could al,
be led to give up their evil courses and be-
come exemplary members of society. But
for lack of kindly warning or helping hand
they are going along in their course, sink
ing lower day by day, and many of them
will ultimately figure in the annals of crime.
The responsibility for the degradation of
these men rests not only with the clergy but
with church members in general. Every
man of mature years can call to his recol.
lection some young man who has gone down
into the pit simply for want of some timely
warning. word spoken in season is like
apples of gold in pictures of silver. Lives
full of promise have been blasted for lack Of
such word, while those who should have
uttered it have been standing supinely By.
When the wreck comes regrets will be of no
avail, though it is to be feared that each of
those who might have prevented the disaster
will endeavor to shift the responsibility from
his own shoulders to those of some one else.
We enter plea for sinners. The right
eous have monopolized too much attention
already from the church. As the founder If
the church came not to call the riehteous
bnt sinners to repentance, We are of opinion
that those who profess to follow him shonld
endeayor to carry out his mission. IF love
of ease induces them to forget the example
set them by the master; if pride of social
position keeps them from mingling with the
vulgar herd, they prove themselves m
worthy to bear the name of him whose chief
delight was to find the lost sheep and restore
them to the fold. t*Yer1ly, there is more
JOY in heaven over one sinner that re-
penteth, than over ninety and nine Just Der
sons which need no repentance.
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