The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-08-04
A FEARFUL RESPONSIBILITY

A FEARFUL RESPONSIBILITY.
There is hope for one who travels in
dangerous country as long as you can
keep him awake. When he falls into
that sleep from which you cannot arouse
him, then he is exposed to a thousand
perils. There is hope of the recognized
sinner; his attention you may get. To
them the gospel is proclaimed, and from
them are procured the recruits who shall
go to swell the ranks of the church tri-
umphant. But there are thousands and
thousands in the churches of America and
Europe who have been gathered in by
the accredited ministers of religion, who
are at ease in Zion, and who yet live with
out God in the world-mere camp-follow-
ers (such as we read of in the Eastern
armies), who do not constitute the fight
ing material of tire military array. We
do not refer merely by any means to the
deluded hosts of the Roman Catholic
Church-to those millions who are sent
to the bar of God with no credentials of
salvation save few drops of baptismal
water. We have in mind great Protes-
tant communions, where religion is more
or less mere formal affair, exerting no
practical influence on the life of the So
called soldier of the cross.
There are churches in America, in
Britain, in Germany, which number their
communicates by the hundred thousand,
which parade great tables of statistics,
some of which have wealth and culture
and refinement, and where yet no close
scrutiny is necessary to decide at once
that large proportion, judged by or
binary standards, have no more chance
of heaven than those who make no pre-
tensions to religion whatever. We know
OF individual churches which number
5000 members. We know of commun-
tiles where every other man and woman
calls himself Christian" And in each
case, in so, not to say rs, per cent of
the membership, there is hardly symp-
tom of Christian life.
What does it signify to gather crowds
on the mourner's bench or around the
altar" if the lists are to be purged
of so or rs per cent of the names at the
grand assize?
And what account shall the "priest"
or the pastor give who has encouraged
this self-delusion-who has been the cause
in this case and that case that man has
spent his life in the pale of the church
on earth in the belief that he had made
his peace with heaven, when in fact he
has never had any part or any lot in this
matter-when in fact he has never been
made to understand that thorough
change of heart was absolutely indispen-
sable to save him from the wrath of God?
Now when the minister of such con-
gregation stands at the final bar, and sees
his congregation drawn up, what shall
his feelings be as one and another turns
a reproachful look on him, and tells him
in silence which need not be broken, Thy
unfaithfulness brought me to this
In such congregation the great mass
OF the members are asleep-sleeping in
entire security. No word of admonition
makes any impression. Often they look
down on the humble follower of Jesus
with pity as not having been touched by
hands or not having received
the authorized ecclesiastical manipulation.
They pass their lives in devotion to a
party, and will not understand that the
centre is Christ, and that unless they
have imbibed his spirit, and fallen at his
feet, their Pretensions are entirely worth
less. These are the elegant Pharisees
who mingle the airs Of social position with
the work Of Redemption. There are
thousands Of poor creatures of a different