The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-05

Seattle. waiae Salt Lake City has . majority sass
vofss Ga the side 81 the church OF CAsis1 Yet
BE Mormon missionary il ever az WORK Chrsss
came: The Nc-aers came: bot CArsst cxm>
seain- He 10 the s-ss ana He Is the last. aad
HIS srxis iassestass tie religion o. he
twentieth century.
IL there 10 be any bsssesmers in cur religion
Ia order 70 give Il grasp upon tie twentieth
century, Christ being ever the same arc ne
% b satis6ed vita the present conditions ua-
DER which No seek to manifest HIN in the
worids
suppose yon wish 70 obtain Themes of ycur
friend: you do not employ . s.wasa 10 carve IL
ioF you wish rude knife upon the bark of
trss: you DO not even asa q skiIisui person to
cut yous friends silhouette. you are not satis-
ued Win TIE cnca marvellous untype: but You
obtain photograph. - large ana perfect ~ ron
can a0csd Whatever our religion is il Will not
change the face Of our Elder Rcshe. but is
ought to bring oct that face with more dist.nc:-
mess and permanency than before The religion
ought to Be such that mca will say: This 10
the lace OF God showing through their religion. i"
1cey must zee that ~ the negative Of . photo
graph passes through various chemical PROC
ssses aad - immersed in various baths, so the
reiigton OF Jesus. which shows His life 10 tho
world, improves through discipline: that II 10
acsearer rejection OF Gods truths after il has
passed through the are and the water We must
show 10 men such q richness Of good works.
such revelation OF glory. that they will invol-
unfairly exc.aiu - they look upon the church:
"God 10 IN the iaidst OF her. she shau rot b
moved"
The methods used to disseminate the truth 100
years ago Will rot prove sufficient today. Tho
Bible could be toiifully written cut by hand
and hung BY . chain il the church as Of old, or
It might b slowly struck CD on hand presses
with great black type: but when o:ae. books
are cheap. the Bibio must - cheap also IL
must Be sold, aud IL 10 in the streets oil London
Tor cents copy. 1t must Be- translated, a. it
10. into hundreds OF tongues. TO form a. IL does
The only universal literary bond between the
nations.
So Christianity must enter into eli the prese Mt
day Developments of mechanics and literature
ard reign In them. livery one OF them must be
seisod By our religion, 90 that ls NAV become Q
servant, not an enemy.
Now. IL the church. ~ at present constituted.
able to cope successfully with the problems Of
the twentieth century? I am not askiay can
the church exist In thai century. can che hold
her own. can she keep above the turbulent
times. That were an tsnoble question IL 10
not her aim merely to exist The question is,
10 abe % furnished, so inspired that she will
conquer the century ana reign over IL? great
many things will occur in that hundred years.
great statesmen says that the English Ian
gusgo will become al but universal In that
ment will 60 on very last Is cur religion in
position 10 take . similar forward s,ridey IL
che waiting for the Lord. or has she learned
that Gods time II whenever she IL ready: II 10
usslsas to deny that the church has been very
backward a. times in making the wrath OF men
praise God. she has sometimes been found
lighting axainst the truth and masntiying little
things. while she minimissd great things. She
has sometimes strained at gnat and swallowed
. camel In order that this shall not happen
again and in order % b Triumphant In the i'm
minent century, what does she need?
She must pus before herself ~ . central pur-
pose not the salvation Of herself, but the aaiva.
ton OF the world This IL not merely form of
speech. but mighty principle. We cannot de-
ny that the chief end Of tho church has often
been the salvation Of itself Now, how il such
purpose TO work out? Tho army that saves
itself never saves the country. The church and
the army exist not for their own sakes, but for
the sake OF people beyond than. Now. the sue.
cess Of our religion depends upon the impress
sion 1t i9akcs upon tho people who haven't il
Does odr religion impress people. or does IL
merely depress them? Do they observe that
Christ 10 the beginning and tho end OF our re-
ligton? Do they see that We depend upon the
Holy Spirit, or are they suspicious that We lean
upon men whose vices We dare not stigmatixs!
Tho church has been so eager to save herself
that she has toadicd to various forms OF sir and
che sought to keep herse!fup Tho love Of money
was the cause OF tho overthrow Of the old
church. Permits 20 Gin were sold for money.
Financial matters lay at the root of nach perse-
cution. Our religion must be content with
poverty II by that means /: can preserve it, pur-
ity. You think, perhaps, that this Is not .
pertinent topic. But suppose you are aware
that money can bs had BY admitting impen,ent
people into the church There are several peo-
plo with sins and money who would like 10
come into this church today, IL by tina, means
they could keep their sins and part with some
OF their money. These are practical questions
that every church must meet. Let man learn
that you will be silent - SOON as you get some
OF his money foe your church, and you have let
down tho church to the level OF the man. II
man thinks that what you want OF him Is TO be-
come . 'tgooi parishioner'. he IL often content
with that sort OF . bargain. Thus the church
seeks to save itself, and forgets its mission to
save other people The other aide OF the ques-
tion 10 almost a. important suppose = person
OF influence 10 connected with the church by
membership. Let him become aware that the
church cherishes his connection 90 much that il
Il afraid to preach to him the gospel OF gen
erosty. aud he sees that the church IL accom-
modating itself to his pet sin, and his soul will
never te saved. Christ has ceased to be tho
hsst and the last thing In religion. in that case,
and he knows IT, such . religion will exist
The impression must become general that our
religion 10 studying how to do good. II the at
mospherc Of churches 10 not auch that peop.e
who 20 to them arc likely to come again. il 10
not easy TO ses that our religion 10 lacking in
essential eiement-ths element OF helpfu.ness.
Can there be fire without warmth? People who
are DESTROYS Of making good impression bring
oil their faculties to bear upon the subject A
Christian man. therefore, will appear to the best
advantage - an AMBASSADOR of Christ lie will
make his ueghbor understand that he 10 icing
drawn into . remarkable society. The Christian.
~ . representative member OF that society, viii
always be a. gracious. ~ thoughtful, ~ lovabie
- possib bic. Whoever conducts himseif a. IL he
were sa,is:iei with his church and his minister
and his family. and could afford to let other peo-
pie so their own gait, has not possessed himself
Of the twentieth century religion. The master
said unto his servants: "Go 70 out into
the h!ehw ways and compel them to come in.'
When you enter town you ind long row OF
men standing at the station telling about their
hotels. look forward TO the enulgenoe Of .
religion that will have delegates mt eli trains TO
tell newcomers about churches ana respectable
boarding houses religion that would lead .
small congregation Ia church TO pray for the
guidance OF God, and without . sermon 20 out
every man aud going from house 10 house Ind
every man his neighbor ana bring him back to
hea. the Gospel.
The impression must also go ous thas the
church 10 handling topics of so practical . ne
turc that any attentive person will get help. A
friend ones informed me that lis grandfather
argued siI months TO prove that babies grew 20
be ten feet high in heaven My friend was not
OF the opinion that his grandfather wac aay
nearer heaven al tha cad of the SIX months.
Christ is ncfher Hrst nor last in snCh igion.
Common people are We We arc not uacorn raon
la sins. our needs. our hopes. of our troubles
Tha ron, m On s.esnia therefore u 10