The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-11-02

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We ask, Where are the men in our
church membership today2 They have
gone out of the church in search of the
life of the Christ, fear.
Jesus Christ came to establish the
kingdom here on this earth, he said. We
have been trying to establish in the skies
after death.
The sphere of the church has been
pushed by its own theologians into the
grave and beyond it. This life has been
left to the devil. And he has been max.
ing good use of the great opportunity.
The church must do one of two things
wake to the consciousness of her mis-.
sion or die.
She must know that her sphere is the
sphere Of the human conscience. If les
than this, it is nothing. If accepted as
this, it sweeps the whole range Of human
| life, and all things are sacred. The idea
| of the secular should be relegated to he'll
where it belongs. 1t was an invention
| of the devil to protect as his own terri
| tory the fairest portion Of Gods world
| If the church have nothing to do with
philanthropy, pauperism, crime and sa-
looms; if the church have nothing to do
with progress, reform and social science,
its work is done. 1t is time to quit, for
this is the worl; of this age. The religion
that does not touch and settle these ques,
tions cannot live far into the twentieth
century. Man is more and more a sociai
creature. More and more his life touche
every other in the most sacred relations
The age is a militant one.
The only powers that can survive it
conflicts are those that believe what the.
stand for with body, mind and soul al
are ready to die for them.
Churches are dying because they
not touch the life of the age in whc
they live, They DO not preach VII
gospel.
There has never been any dif1lc@a
about getting more people to come
this church than can get inside OF al
building we take. There are hundrr,.
of men attending these services regulGy.
who have not been inside of a chur.
for years-some Of them for 20 years u
their own statement. l.
THE BOY AND Els DRUM.
The church that really desires to reac
and save people can do it. But the.
must pray for this end as the little bo.
prayed for the tOy-it must be with tn,
whole heart, and it must be betwecl
every line, for they have no other reaso'
for existence. A little boy of 6 wa
crazy for a drum. The household oU
iected to the noise. But one night afte
he went to bed he was heard to pray lik
this, with his little soul thrown int
every word:
Now lay me down to sleep
want q drum
Ipray the Lord my soul to keep
want drum.
If / sh ould die before l wake
want drum.
Ipray the-Lord-my-sou -to-take-
I-want-a-drum.
We can depend on it, he got that drum
The church can get and does get what i
wants. The church does not get TIM
people, because it does not ask for them
1t does not want them. 1t is afraid o
the noise. Whenever the church make
up her mind to take off the long robes tina
cumber the feet of her champions ant
| the high collars that choke them anC
, enter into the life of the people will
love and help, she will rise in power t,
save.
s The accent has been on the wrong syl
liable. We have been trying to prepar
men for death. We are commanded +
prepare them for life. A good old Meth
odist preacher of the old regime wa
riding along country road in Virgini
and overlook peddler struggling unde
, his pack. He asked the peddler to ga
, up and ride with him, He did so. Fo
some time the preacher said nothing
Presently he turned his solemn countt
, nance full upon the peddler and sal
! with awful emphasis, my friend, ar
you prepared to dieT"
The peddler gave him one look Of ter
: ror, leaped out of the buggy and brok
! for his life down through the wood
with all speed. The preacher hastene
. to assure him as he few that he did nc
mean to murder him, But the peddle
refused to come in reach Of that bugg
! any more, and the preacher had to leay
his pack on the side of tho road an
. drive on.
The sphere OF religion is this world
y not the next. It's work is to prepare fo
!. life, not death. He who recognizes thi
q fact will find today willing thousands
s hear the gospel of Jesus.
h MRS. BooTH's EI.oouENcE.
/, We are told that Mr.. Reed, an Enghs