The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16

can I stand here and see these th'nSs ana no
lift my voice in warming ana rcnnke; l,.S1em ,tml
ana heed and repent, and turn 10 Goa before
it he too lnto, you VIII" do not $50 to church.
1t Is amazing how great lessons ana pre-
ciouS truths are not seen, or II seen are CiSTe
gardci by people who are all a'cr' ;oHuc at'e1, -
political rights or their secular business, o.
their personal honor, or their phySlcal nealtn
Not going to church is no trivial matter l,
is q sin of the first magnitude. 1t Is one tnitl
cries to heaven for vengeance. NO one can
sin in this regard with impunity nave OF
ten seen its bitter fruits even in this lie. j
meet man often in my travels throuSh liilS m
this county whonearly or quite forty years age
got out of humor with his pastor for some.
thing said in the pulpit. and he never again
entered house of worship. l have seen nm
q few times when conducting funerals at prl
vate houses but ne has meyer M gone otis q" io!I,
soon must 90 down to the marrow mouse. Inc
future before him is all dark. When ht
thinks OF death, and Judgment, ana ihc eter'
plague. | wouldn't stand in his place an hnul
for IL million worlds. Such Is ,me S'i'te oi 'ne
man who will not Go to church.
Some hcmonn their constrained aosence
fro m the Lords house on the LordS day
they deeply regret the physical indiSposl,ioA
or ohcr hindrncc that prevents them iron1
m ingling with Gods l,eoile in 1.-The hnly
place. Like lsracIs king they y';n Ghyt t,oi, .n,
nests by the altars OF God. But you in he" ltt
and without any good reason fail TO 10 10
church" "
Asa church member you should beintcrcstcd
in The spiritual welfare Of others. TO accom-
p!iSh this end you should seek bring them tc
the church ny and through which alone they
can be saved, but YOU don't even set mem .
coed example. If they did rs y1u 60 ihe'
will be, what it is feared YOU already are, lOst,
lost, in that yon do not "GD to church,
In the church the treasures OF wiSd I'M and
the riches OF grace arc dspiHSca. tomior'
and strength and light a"d pardon ana SalE;l'
- RI f.h; =.
Here heavy burdens have been unlooscd
questions solved, conso!ationS impaired,
light thrown upon the path OF ll!c, precious
deliveranceS and gracious experiences ana
weak, and needy, ana sinful, ana Perishlhs'
won't even go TO chulch.'
Ihavc question to ask and l want your
help in answering it: It is thiS aoN hat so eIn to
worth, that will outlaSt the sun. These souls
are guilty, and exposed to the hlazln% hre' ol
he'll. and the gospel which the church PREACH
cs opens 10 them the only door OF hope. Bat
they don't enter that door. When the .nh%sl-
clan secs hat all he can do Tor his patient IS
unavaiing and that death is lnerltaD!c he
gives up and pronounces the case hopeless.
Shall we 90 this with these non.attcnia ITS!
Can we leave them alone to go down to ever
LASTING destruction? Our friends and neigh
bors and members of our own tamlllcS: on,
isn't there something Horrible in this insur-
ing and making certain your own dlnn;i-
ton: and al because You wont "Go 10
church" ,.
The doctrine Of a!l our Protestant church, :
cs expressed in their symbols is that out OF
the church there is no ordinary EoSsthli!ty ol
SALVATION" From this Il most awful Infer.
encc, logical and inevitable, comes to You
who do not 'Go to church: ,, ..t
Those who dsrc gard the law OF the text
cannot have the rest, and peace. and nope
and joy which Col has provided and gives
to his own hidden ones: they are ROT at cl, G
in their own minds They are not free frln
fears and doubts and torturins anX;e'icS and
corrodns rcrtur5ationS, and awful apprehen-
Sions. such people don't lead happy CHRIS
tian lives. They know that speak the trni n
those about them miserable. That man who
stays away from church. unless proviaeniial-
~ hnt!cryd docs not dwell in the Sunshine
of Gods love. He does not have the comforts
OF the Gospel. II he aES2T;ea II llip"S;iu
times that he did, and would swear to 1t Z
thousand times l would not believe it.
can't believe. what is Impossible, what Is
contrary TO Gors word, contrary TO al!
christian rXperiencc. con !ra:y 10 lrutn ana nI
right and the fitness Of things. No, no: the
man who has thc comforts OF The gospel es-
seems the services and ordinances of the
sanctuary as of great worth, and readily and
chcerluly obeys The lnj"nrtion, go to
church"
There is hope FOR the bad man who goes to
church. He may be mean man imposing
upou the weakness or ignorance OF others =;
Il
for no wages ut all, or he may be Il drunl<ard,
or liar, or thief, or adulterrr. or even nnr'
derer. yet If he goes to church he may
hear and obey the truth anu be converted
and saved. There can be no reasonable more
20: good man who stays away from CHURCH.
lie may bc Il good citizen, kind In his family,
honest, temperate, pure In his life, but even
he needs the converting grace OF Goa when
can be had only through the church, and
without it he must go down to everlasting
p-rdlion. Oh my friends, / tell you there is
danger, terrible and imminent, in neSiecting
to 60 to church.
anc" upon the house of God. They may not
go to get gool for their souls Or to worship
God they my 90 from very low. ana uii,
worthy motives; they may be hnfdened al; a. q
made worse by what they do or hear Ord;-
nanccS generally harden those who walt on
them in Il wrong way. set with all this 1T IS a
good thing and a right thing Tor everybody To
$50 to church,
Ministers like other men. may often fail III
their duty they may conduct the exercises
Of public worship 50 as to offend the COED
taste of some; they may be- i%norant, and
nnlcarnrd; thcy may be wanting In sincerl-
ty, or Kindness, or earnest tncSS, or prudence !;
they may be too young or too Old; too doc
tri:ial, or too practical too rhetorical, or too
simple. He would be Very dull man VINO
could not find something to critirlse in the
preaching of the best minister. Yet | say
that the preaching OF the great majority Of
ministers is calculated to 90 good never
heard another man preach Without being
prnftcd. There is something in his matter or
manner, his arguments or Illustrations, or
his cXpO>itions OF the scriptures, in the truth
he breaches, or tue words In winch he
clothes the truth which rcf:cSheS and does
good Whcn was 4 boy heard occasionally
an old Baptist minister vino was remarkable Tor
being able to interest very intelligent people,
though he was wholly uncducatcd. His wile
taught him his letters after Lney were marricd
He never read anything but the Bible, he
CT ,1i al
Cos ncl for Iifty years with acceptance, and or
ten to persons of c,!uction. Scholarship and
eioqurnc;, special gifts, arc not necessary 10
Slcc,Ss i'm tn" puluit. The ministry Is GcG'S
institnte; called of God, AMI generally cau
Gated an,l pious men, the preachers of this land
deserve the rcSno"; and confidence OF he lico.
pie Thrrcf ,rc they ought to ''Go TO church.
The Chr*tiun religion, of which the church
is the representative, is the great conservative
factor in the government OF this country. 1t
pcrnca'ei our institutions, dominates our
legislation, puts Wholesome restraints upon
ali classes moditirs, ccvatcS and retineS the
social fabric. The Church rcp:cSscs crime,
promotes order and good feeling. protects
property and enhances its value. The Shrewd
business men OF New England won't invest
money in II town that is without churches.
Even when not controlled personally by re-
ligiDn they regard it as necessary for material
pro o>p2rity-nrcc&S;lry to make investments
safe and rcmunrrativc. There is not Il church
anywhere that does not repay in material adj
vantagcS more than the money It's members
eXppna upon it. There is not an evangelical
minister anywhere in our land who does not
contribute to the social and material welfare
of his people, more, much more than the
mcagrc S:l'ar? they dole out to him. When
John Randoldh came within view of London,
and saw the spires of the many churches
pointing 10 heaven, lac said to a companion
i'rhprt is tho secret of f:ngland'S greatness
she hO3OrS the Christian religion, and GOD
has made her the mistress OF the world.''
Think of this, YOU who hold property in this
community, or who are in any way CONCERNED
fOr its material welfare The Church will Go
and is doing more for yOu than you will do
for it; for every dollar you give it you will
Il III. LII L fNi lLn1 AtIliO