The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-03-23

Almost every one is familiar with the pn.
thc;lc words, supposed TO have been uttered
by Alexander %clkirk, during Ills solitary
abode In the island Of Juan Fcrnaadcz:"
"But the sound OF the churcli.golng bell
These valleys and rocks never card;
Never sighed at the sound OF a lilicll,
Or smiled when II Sabbath appeared"
. If the condition Of the exile was so dcplOtu!
bic in being deprived Of those religious privl'
lcgcs which he once enjoyed, what sl!nl be
selves from he house OF the Lord? And yet
such Is the condition OF thousands in this
Christian land, where the 'sOund Of the
cliui ch.go!n% bell" Is heard In almost every
CITIES, 1t would not be cxtravasunt 10 uliirIi
that scarcely one I'm Ten responds TO tho sum-
ns 1t rings out from the ncighboring
sleep!e. This indispulable fact should interest
the Christ mi phiiantlrnpi>t even more than
the spiritual condition OF the heather.
How shall IT be explained? The ultimate
cause Should be sought, M doubt, In the de-
pravity CT man, which makes the park and
theatre much more entertaining than The
house or God. But event f the reverse were
true, IL would be Impossible for til. churches
to accommodate q 1.-THE of the wOryhippers.
The city Of London has n population Of three
millions. How many cliurcncs there may be
In this vast metropolis, we are not prepared to
say but to furnish the necessary accommodate.
tons, 1t would require two thousand, with MI
average capacity of fifteen hundred hearers, If
the citizens shnt1h turn out en- n,nssc!
There IN another difficulty In the way, leSy
Formidable, hut not to he overlooked In cr'
cry community. threc-!Ourilis, ut least, OF The
population bplongto that class who CIT their
pliatically true OF our large uiics. Here We
see, on every hand, muitltudeS whose ut,re.
hitting labor Is barely sufficient To procure
necessary food and clothing. Is II strange
are not 10 be found unid the bril-"
liant e luipagcs moving In state T., the doors q
SONS mslIinhab!c church? II they had the
moral courage 10 venture thus for, IL would be
still more difficult to effect an entrance, and
to move duw the gorgeous aisle side by side
with the mar who wears "a gold ring and Eay
clothing" with which his vile raliucnt'' up.
pears In humillat!ng contrast.
Such are some OF the physical obstacle In
the way OF prcnching the gospel ITO every
even in n and of Bibles. and Sab"
baths. and churches. Is there no way, then,
of reaching that large class, or rather that vast
majority, who ~habttually and voluntarily nb-
sent themselves from Tie liOtSc Of God? The
words which we have placed at the head OF
this column. contain, we think, the answer to
question. In connection with this subject
very suggestive. Ii the Divine Teacher had
delivered all his discnurses In the Temple, or
even In the SynagO CUES, the number OF his
hearers would have been greatly reduced. On
the contrary, his Longest accorded discourse
Was delivered OIL n mountain, In presence OF Il
vast multitude, which even the courts Of the
Temple would not nave been sufficient TO &C.
coninodate. The parable Of the Sowcr and
the Seed was propoundcd from n ship. which
he selected because the people thronged on
the shore. In private. as well rs In public.
WIS heard the voice Of him who spake ns new
err maj spRke. In u word, whether his hear
great OCCASION rs the celebration of the Pas
sover, or q funeral solemniiy; he availed him.
SELF OF every opportunity to preach the gospel
Of the kingdom. And 80 did his disciples.
They turned from the contemptuous and SELF
righteous Pharisee, who Judged himself un.
worthy Of eternal life. and proclaimed the glad
tidings of salvation to the despised GENTLE
In other words, they went out Into the high
ways and hedges.
Such has been the custom of tho most emil
nent preachers in every subsequent age. The
great modern evangelist, Whitfield, preached
on one occasion to an audience, estimated by
DIR. Franklin. who was present. at thirty thou
sand. What building would have been suffi-
cicnt to accommodate this vast assembly?
What could the foreign missionary accom-
plish II he were To conflnc himself to temples
made with hands? Such are nowhere To be
found, or "fcw and fur bctween"-except some
Pagoda with It's hideous Idols. q disgusting
cnricalure of all that Is sacred and holy.
liz the execution of his sublime commission
to preach the gospel to every creature, the
minister OF Christ should not stand too much
on but III imitation of that wise
master-builder, the great Apostle or the Gen-
tiles, be Instant in season and out OF season.
He ought to be prudent, we need hardly say;
not giving that which IL holy TO dogs, or cast
ing his pearls before swine, to be trninpled I'M
der their fcat. and 10 be rent himself by these
unclean beasts. We doubt whether Dr. 7. act
ed wisely In exploring the dens OF lnfainy In
New York, but we are disposed to he very LEM
lent with him; tor We remember that his Mas
ter was reproached as the fiiend OF publicans
and sinners, and thata poor outcast bathcd his
feet with her tears.
hi conclusion OF the whole matter Is. TINT
If people will not come 10 hear the gospel, let
IT. 6e carried to them. Let the servants OF
Christ 60 out into the highways and the
hedges, INTO the lanes and the streets, and
compel them TO come In, that his house may
be furnished with guests.