Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1894-05-23

\ spired the men ut the battle OF Leo
then They were singing n christian
song rs they went into battle A gem
era, said to the king. "Shall stop
those people singing?" No." said the
king: 'men that can sing like that can
fight" would that we had singing
church. joyful church, n jubilant
church, comforting church; for thcn
we would have triumphant church,
remark. further. that we have here
tried TO build a church abreast of the
times. II is all folly for ms to try TO do
things the way they did fifty or ons
hundred years ago We might rs wen
be blowing with Elijah's crooked stick.
or go into battle with Saurs armor or
prefer canal boat to nm express train.
as to be clinging TO old things what
we most need now Is wide-awnks
church. People who are out in the
world all the week. jostling against
this lightning-footed century, come
into the church on the sabbath.
and GO right to sleep. unless
they have spirited service. Men en-.
gagged in literary callings all tho week.
reading pungent, sharp writings, cara
not be expected to come and hear our
ecclesiastical humdrum. IL man
stays Mt homo on Sundays and reads
the newspapers, il is because the news
papers are moro interesting. We need.
my brethren, To rouse up. and stop
hunting with blank cartridges The
Church of God ought to be the leader.
the interpreter, tho inspircr of the age
IL is all folly for us to DO discussing old
issues--arraigning Nero. hanging Alb .
SALON., striking tho Philistines with
Shamgar's ox-goad-whcn all around
about us arc iniquities To be slain
Did say that the church ought - ~ :
abreast of the times? l take that bncK
The Church of God ought t6<bs ahead
of tho timcs-as far In advance as the
cross of Christ is ahead OF all human in
vcntion. Paul was 200 years ahead OF
the day in which he lived. The swift
footed years that have passed sinoS
Luther died have not vet come up to
Luthcr's grave. Give iniquity 1000
years tho start, and the feet Of Chris
tianity are so nimblc that " YOU will
but give IL full swing IL will catch up
and pass IL in two bounds. The Church
OF God ought to be ahead of the times.
! remark, further. that we have tried
here, i'm the love and fear OF God. to
build n church that would be character.
lied by conversions ! have heard OF
very good people who could preach on 4
for thirteen or twenty years, and seet
no conversions, but yet have faith. IL
takes very good man TO do that dol
not know how n man cnn keep his faith.
up II souls are not brought to the LordH
Jesus Christ That church that doeA
not bring men and women to the feetn
of the Saviour is failure. care
not how fine the building or how 3
sweet the music, or how eloquent tho
preaching, or how elegant the sur
roundings--it is failure. Thu =
Church OF God was made for just onel
thing--to get men out of the world into 4
the kingdom of Heaven. The tendencv 4
In churches is TO spend their time ia q
giving line touches to Christians al =
ready polished. We keep our religion
too much indoors. and under shelter.
WHOM 1t ought To be climbing the rocks
or hewing in the forests. Then IL
would be n stalwart religion. robust
religion, religion able to digest the !
strong meat OF the Word, instead OF be-
ing kept on the pap and cruel of spirit- J
unl invalidism IL Is high time that
we threw off the Sunday clothes Of
sickly sentimeutnlity and put on the &
workday dress of an earnest. actiye :.
Christianity.
Here is brooklyn. here Is New York.
here are the United States, here IL the
whole world 10 be converted. It In
eighteen hundred and ninety-four
years since Christ came, and yet Eu-
rope Asia, Africa. North and South
America are still unevangelized. More
people are born every year into the :.
world than are born into the king
dom OF God. At that rate, L
ask any one who can do n simple
sum In arithmetic to calculate 1
when this world will be brought 1
to Jesus At that rate, neverl ncverl !
never! And yet we know that IL IL
to- be brought TO Christ BtA Athe->-
church will have to change its tact and
take wider sweep with the gospel mon
than any il has yet taken. 1 believe
that the great masses of the people ara
now ready 20 receive the Gospel, II we
give them chance. A boy goes along
the street at night, and sees fine
house beautifully lighted up, and hears
music, and he says ~ wish was In
there, but | have not been invited"
and so he passes on. Here isthe church
OF God lighted up with festivjty and
holy mirth, and the world passes along
outside, hears the music, and some-
tincS WlSheB II was inside, but says
that it is not invited OH invite the
world 30 come in! Go out into the
highways and hedges. Send ticket
OF invitation, printed in these words:
Come, for all things are now ready"
Some years ago 200 men were buried
in the Hartley colliery OF England.
The queen OF England from her throne,
telegraphed: us there any hope for
the men?" After awhile the answer
came over the wires: mo hone: they
are dead" Here is whole race buried
in sin, and darkness, and woe. The
question that thrills up 20 the throne
of God to-day is: us there any hopa
for the men?" Answering intefli-
gence comes back from the throne
Of God. thrilling through the worid's
darkness, thrilling through tie
worlds woe: yes; hope for op4l
hope for ALI Whosoever will lei Ri.
come And the Spirit and the brids
say come And let him that "a nthirs
come" We have had conventions Al
over the country discussing the anl..
ject How shall the great masses b 4
brought 90 Christ?' They have PASSED .
splendid resolutions at tho close -
= d