The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-02-06
What Others Say.

Dr. Spaid1ng, In the NeW IoTh
Evangelist, draws a striking picture OF
Old New England worship when
everybody went to church, but babies
and the sick, and the present elegant
worship with full two thirds of the
pews vacant. He asks with point and
force:
What have we gained by all this
strenuous effort, and this unlimited
expenditure to make religion attrac
tive? Have kitchen and parlor, have
the high niceties of worship appealing
to the aesthetic tastes, accomplished
that success which is held forth as the
justification and the very necessity fol
all this thing? Under all the "attrac'
tions". of religion, and the infinitely
ingenious methods devised for coaxing
the "nnchurched masses" to the house
Of God, have we succeeded? Does this
religion of the day, 80 courteous, SO
beguiltng, 80 sugar coated throughout,
does it "draw?" Does it fill the pews
Even if I have got an outsider in,
have got him by such motive and
appeal where can long keep him in
or If I keep him in, is it possible to
bring him ON under such influences
into the great selemnities of religion ?
Are we not, even in this poor success,
simply training men and women and
children to think that they are doing
the church q favor by attending it,
and even God a favor in consenting to
worship Him?
One of the positive barriers to we'll
doing in the world, is the habit of spar.
ing that which ought to be destroyed.
One of the positive means ofgood, and
80 of grace, in the world, is the wise
destruction of that which ought to be
destroyed.
Many housekeeper suffers for the
lack Of room in garret and cellar, and
in closet and drawer, which could be
supplied by the destruction of the
worthless things that have been un'
wisely spared through this morbid
shrinking from the work of wise de-
stroying. Many business man, or
professional man, is unable to find
valuable papers when he needs them,
or to know what papers before him call
for immediate attention, because of the
burdensome accumulation of papers
upon his desk, or in his pigeon-holes,
which ought to have been destroyed.
Many . garden or grove is lacking in
beauty because of the lack of the de-
structive element in him who spares
stalks and branches that are not wor-
thy of saving. And many a path OF
duty is barred by obstacles that have
been spared when they should have
been destroyed.
WHAT is WORSHIP ?-It is daily
more and more evident that the duty
of public worship is falling out OF
view. People have come to think that
unless they "enjoy" the service of the
sanctuary, it is useless to go there
and instead of seeking the cause OF
their lack Of "enjoyment" in their
own plentiful lack of spirit of wor'
ship, they are prone to assume that the
service or the sermon is at fault.
Hence. it Is that sums of money out OF
all proportion to the means of a con.
gregation are lavishly spent for music
or other ornament, not to please God,
but to minister enjoyment to undevout
and undutiful people. For like cause
the sermon, whatever else it is, must
be "entertsining," because, unless it
is 80, nobody can be expected to listen
toit. It must be confessed that preach
ers submit to this demand with alto
gether too much facility, and the con-
sequence is that many sermons, If they
are entertaining, are, at least, not edi-
flying. The preacher whose first OBJ
ject is to please his Masters servants
disobeys his Master and theirs, and
by wasting talents and opportunities.
atence observes and displeases Him.