Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-12-21

If some of our Sunday School folks
will Lut little more of Jesus and a
little less of Santa Claus in their
Christmas celebrations this season, 1t
will be well for the cause we all love.
Nashville Christian Advocate.
A remarkable revival has begun in
the penitentiary at Kingston, Ontario.
Between eighty and one hundred of
the leading cracksmen, forgers, coun-
terfeiters, pickpockets, and men of
that ilk have been converted. Hun
ter and CrosIey, the Canadian Evan
CYCLISTS, are conducting the meeting
| The Central Vest, Omaha.
How shall men be able to get cor
rect knowledge of the religion of
Christ? Jesus Christ lived it and His
gospel in the writings of the four
evangelists we have, Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John. as accurate descrip-
tion in words of His life, as is needed
| by individual men to know how to
| live. The religion Of Jesus is reli-
gion of life, and all who will know it
must live it, as set forth in the pure
unauthorized word. 1t is incumbent
upon all, now that Christ has lived it,
to live it too, and as His followers liv-
| ing thus, He sends them forth to all
the world in His name,-individuals
to bring individuals to an individual.
TO bring the people to church, or men
| to church, them, where they may
accept our creeds and our modes of
worship, is not enough. The work of
| the disciples of Jesus in the early
church, was not to persuade the peo-
pie to accept certain habit Of life.
They were to put on really the habili-
ments of life !; risen indeed with Christ
as they were as then, so now, this is
the essential. The creeds, the modes,
and the ceremonies, are but the relics
of the apparel of the graves, out of
which we have risen. Living men no
more than the risen Lazarus can move
forward until loosed and let go. Liv-
ing men engaged in propagating the
greatest living question, in personal
effort to bring the last man to Jesus,
with true business movement, cannot
be frightened or trammeled in their
unselfish march to save the lost. When
houses are on fire, or ships are sink
ing, or cars burdened with human
freight are running off the track, the
true prayers for such are coatless or
hatless to rush, even through fire to
the rescue of the burning, man the
life boat, or with rocket reach the
sinking. with sledge hammers, picks,
shovels, anything, clear the debris
and rescue the perishing. The souls
of men are dying. Living, earnest
souls are wanted, with all the un-
trammeled naturalness of heavens
life, to rescue the perishing.
Before our next shall appear the
holidays will be upon us, and perhaps
a white carpet and the jingle of sleigh
bells and perhaps not. Thus far we
have had a variety of weather with
out cold, and if the cold remain up
North many will be pleased. But
how shall the holidays be made en-
joyable is an absorbing question. The
moderate weather may lessen the
needs of the poor, and may lessen the
number of the really dependent. Yet
there will be aBufficient number, hav-
ing many needs, to give to the open
hearted an opportunity to do good,
the spice of enjoyment during the
time of festivities as want only can
do. Let me suggest that the gentle
men and ladies of means, on Christ
mas morning or few days earlier,
take the tonic of walk or drive, to
the various widows and orphans
homes in town, wisely look after the
needs of such families, and then leave
orders at the various stores for needed
groceries, shoes and appart ], and some
candy at least, that the little fellows
may enjoy some idea of gifts at Christ
mas times. Joy we have, in scatter
ing sunshine among our own, on such
occasions, our joy may be greatly in
creased by lessening the burdens, and
chasing away the gloom from the
cherries homes of those we may
reach outside. Such doings will be
appetising luxuries for the most af-
fluent.
London has organized a religious
society for the evangelization of the
upper classes. They evidently think
the Jumpers in danger of parting
with the suuls. Baltimore american.
Why not organize to save them as
well as any other class. If as class
or individuals they are unsaved, they
certainly need salvation, and in their
need and temptation with worldly in
terests, they are no more likely to
stop and think and give attention to
religious questions than the very
poorest. The wealth of this world
with the love OF it, is not conducive
to the cultivation Of pure and undefl.
ed religion. The possessors of wealth
ought not to be left or cast aside in
their avowed irreligion any more
than the poor, and unless they are ar
rested in their course of sin by evan
gellcal effort, they will as probably be
lost as the vile or the poor. We pray
for the poor and our synpathies go
out TO them, and SO they ought. But
do we pray for the rich, are we con.
cerned to save their souls ? Authori-
ty states that it is hard for those who
have rich IS to enter into the kingdom
of heaven. They are not necessitated
to be lost, their wealth cannot save
them. God is no respector of persons.
why should we be? The responsible
ity of the Cody end not when they
lead the poor to Jesus. Their mission
is to the lost, rich or poor. The "who-
soever" of Jesus gospel reaches after
every son and daughter of Adam.
New Testament workers can exclude
none.
Death keeps on moving down our
citizens. We are heirs to sickness and
accident. At any step we may be ar
rested with our death warrant. Darius
! Darby was and is not. Mr.. Rockwell
much younger man, and much need
ed according to human view, stepped
off the cars and into eternity on the
same day. We have been made
familiar with the knell of death, but
are slow to be alarmed and slower to
take warning. Who is moved to
make ready to meet God by the death
of another? The oldest person, we
reckon. can count the number on the
fingers of either hand, brought to gen.
uine repentance and saving faith in
Christ by the sudden or speedy depar.
ture of any and all they have known.
For such as are poorly prepared, if
prepared at all, the people are alarm
ed, lest they go into eternity unfit to
meet God. But who awakes to the
4