Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-07-19


of things holy, he cuts of his food supply,
he is apt to forget that he has soul to
nourish, he becomes of the earth, earthly
and instead of becoming more God-like
as old age advances, life loses its interest
and for want OF food the soul perishes
The man refused to furnish sustenance
for his soul life and now that eternal
spark wreaks its vengeance in days of
restlessness and WEAKNESS.
Man believes that he can refuse to spend
one day in seven, or one hour out OF
that seventh day, in place consecrated to
the higher life and still be as brave man,
as strong a man rs though he endeavored
with might, mind and strength to feed
his spirit life that it might grow God
ward.
| wonder If he cant If mans religious
nature is starved, if he shuns the church
services Sunday after Sunday that he may
follow the ways OF the world, is he as
brave to meet and decide the many ques-
tions of right and wrong that meet him at
every turn on life's journey? Is he so sure
to be found on the side OF right, on the
side of godliness? Look at the difference
between the standards of the two. The
liberal church today lays its stress upon
righteousness, upon convictions; society,
the outside world, puts all emphasis upon
conventionality, upon doing the proper
thing regardless as to he right or wrong
of it. Do you not see the two principles
are antagonistic to one another? One
tends to make man chameleon like,
the other tends to individuality, to
giving man a moral backbone, 50 that
he has he courage to face opposition.
We are influenced to a large degree by
cur surroundings. 1t is easy to
be good when we are surrounded
by goodness and on the contrary 1t Is
easy to let things slide along that un-
pleasantness may be avoided. The social
world today needs some strong religious
courage to raise its standard of morals; at
no time has there ever been a louder call
for man-like men. Now if man simply
dwels in he atmosphere of convention
ality, If he never goes to the place where
his moral convictions may be strengt hen
ed is he very likely to become the cham
pion hat IS called for today?
And this is just what men are doing.
They are refusing to attend church ser
vices, i. e., the majority of them are; they
are putting themselves outside and away
from all he religious influences and in
SEPARATION hat come from church life and
surrounded by the shadows and shams of
society they often become her slaves, sell
ing all he higher qualities of the soul for
a mess of pottage.
know that churches and church
workers are accused of hypocrisy. and it
is sad truth that sometimes baseness IS
hid under the cloak of religion. But
humanity has not reached perfection as
vet. consequently we cannot expect to
find all men and women perfect even IN
the church. No man viii deny that, in
spite of its mistakes and sometimes its
sins the church stands for the highest
and purest life in any community, and If
a man sees any wrong that is polluting
this sacred place, that Is just the reason
he should step forward and help to right it.
No evil Is ever remedied by being desert :
ed by good men and left in undisputed
possession of the sinners. Woman is just
beginning to learn her strength and Is as
best she can putting forth her best effort
to make the house of God pure place, a
place W here hungry souls may come and
find Il he bread of life. If man would only
take his place side by side with her, add
his strength to hers, soon Gods sanctuary
would be pure and holy, it would be the
bD,,.a Of Cod he gerry % of h paVpu and
all who enter its doors would go away
with renewed strength to fight the bat
4 ties OF life
HI)-I have spoken of mans position
in the church in the past, where he
stands today, and have dwelt somewhat
upon what ought to be his position, at
the present time. But now let me say q
few words more especially on what ought
i to be. There is Il reason, aside from all
yet said, why men should put aside
personal inclination, why men even
though they are fully convinced that for
themselves individually there is no need
of attending church services thinking
that their whole duty is done when they
+ help bear he expenses of such services
and hat reason | ask you to consider
most seriously-it is thistle salvation
OF our boys. Where are our boys after
they get into their teens? We do not find
them in our Sunday schools or at the
church services. Indeed the dearth OF
! young men connected with church work
would lead one to think that the children
of the last two or three generations had
all been girls. Did you ever think where
much of the esponsibility for this state
of things rests? Have you ever observed
/ how long the boy is found in Sunday
school or at church? Did you ever hear q
mother say, $50 long as could contro
my boy he went to church,? And die
YOU ever think why he didn't go after he
had grown too near manhood to be gov
erned by a woman?
There is fallacy that has been current
for so long time that to dispute it now
is daring heresy. 1t is fallacy that re