The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-17
THE PEOPLES COLUMN.
Is II EXpedtent?

which are both lawful and expedient.
The knowing how to do the proper
thing in the proper way and time evil
dences common sense; and the failure
in either respect is strong circumstan-
tal proof that, however gifted the
person may be, he is lacking in this
valuable faculty. Common sense is
really q cardinal virtue in influencing
others to adopt the views any leader OF
men advocates
Influence is differently manifested
the master influences his slave by CO.
ercive measures, by driving him to
obey his will. The pleader at the bar
seeks to influence the jury of his peers
by appeal to their reason and persuad-
ing them of the innocence of his client
or the business of his cause.
The pastor, if ne possesses common
sense, will always prove himself the
loving shepherd, who feeds his flock,
VINO sympathizes with suffering, who
comforts the mourning and woes men
from vice to virtue, by appeal to the
better impulses of human nature. He
takes Christ for his oxemplar. who,
when His disciples raised tho hue and
cry against and, in their foolish zeal,
sought tho punishment of one detected
in fragrant sin. rebuked them by saying:
Let him among you who is without sin
cast the first stone," and proved his
sympathy for tho poor, erring creature
by saying: go and sin no more"
His model is the tender hearted, low
ing Saviour, always yearning over hu.
manity and plying human frailty,
ready always to utter the prayer,
Father forgive them, they know
not what they do'-not denouncing and
holding up to public contempt his err.
ing and fallen disciple, whose last
audible words had been curse and his
action a public denial of Christ-but the
first message after suffering on the
cross was a greeting Of love to the
| blasphemous Peter.
| Right here the good pastor becomes,
as he always ought to be, the most in,
| fiuential member Of the community; he
wins souls from evil to good, not by
violent denunciation of bad the sin
and the sinner, not By public humilia-
| ton and holding up those who have
weakly erred and strayed from the
right path, but by holding up as
mirror to the soul the beauty of holi-
ness. the happiness resulting from self
sacrifice for the welfare of others, and
the beauty of character evidenced by
giving up pleasures and pursuits per-
haps harmless to himself, but produc.
tive of injury to others differently con
stituted from himself.
He does not attempt TO drive to holy
living, but persuades to cool. He
teaches the doctrines of the Bible, and
then leaves each one TO follow tho die
tates of an enlightened conscience
quickened by gospel teaching.
Are these facts? Is not such pastor
Christ like?
article-Is it cXpedient for any one
seeking to influence others for good, and
especially for pastors OF churches. to
deal in public denunication of weak
rethren and publicly humiliato them
and their friends? To demand obedi.
ence not only to the plain require
ments OF the Bible (Which is proper,
but also that they shall obey like
dumb driven cattle" his views as 10
civil and social questions, which the
highest courts Of the churc hes have not
settled, but left to the individual con.
science.
Is this expedient? Is this Christ like?
Can we imagine our blessed Saviour de.
nouncing all who did not practice and
advocate total abstinence, as unfit to
live in q civilized community? Can we
picture now to ourselves as overriding
civil laws and taking that law into his
own hands? II Christ was on earth he
would approve the sentiment. "If
worthless dude would persist in visiting
my family after | had prohibited him
from so doing, would riddle him with
shot and throw his miserable carcass
over the fence for dog meat" Yet
thousands have heard such sentiments
uttered in our hearing by those "seek-
ing to win souls for Christ"
There are many persons who claim
that tho bitter harvest we have lately
murder, Is the fruitage of the seed OF
lawlessness and disobedience to consti-
tuted civil authorities thus taught from
the pulpit.
BE this as it may. Was such preach.
ing expedient? Is it ever expedient?
At this time more than ever before in
our history kindness, gentleness, for.
bearance-the 10 ring veil of Chris
tianity-is needed to lesson the bitter
feeling and bring to the point the
mutual good will and unity OF action
which formerly characterized our city
and was potent factor inducing pros.
perity. Whatever OF good there is in
the churches should be made apparent.
whatever of prudence, loving kindness
and tender sympathy there is in tho
ho"i " Pootoio oHouiu pe ucVclopSu.
Remembering that it Is far easier
and preferable to persuade than to drive
men to the performance of duty
The meteor flashing athwart tho sky
gilds its wild brilliancy for a moment,
only to make the darkness deeper after
its earthward flight; so it is with tho |
denunciatory style of preaching, it may
convince, but it rarely converts. M.
Roanoke, Dec. 16, 1893