The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-04-11

were any such, and 10 mauy ways they
exercise themselves to engender a
spirit Of distrust and hatred. When
We consider all these things, it is a
matter Of great wonder that the church
has any good place at all in the opinions
of the world. Jesus worst enemy was
found among his chosen disciples, aud
we are told that the servant will fare
only as his Master Jared. Still, we
must not forget the evil wrought by
these persons, and it will only be in
accordance with the spirit Of our great
Teacher if We seek to coneiiiate them
and win them back.
6. The temptations of the world are
great in multitude, and the current is
sweeping away from the church with
almost resistless force. On every
hand are haun.s where sin is gilded or
wears a mask that conceals its deformity.
The devil spreads his feast on all the
street corners, aud issues his calls to
pleasure through a thousand mediums.
To lure men to ruin, all the appliances
of art, aud the enchantment Of music,
and the rich feasts of books, have been
brought into service, aud the great
world Of men is being made prey Of,
that the pit may run red with the
blood Of souls who have perishsd along
the way Of life This. is what is meant
by drifting away from the church.
The soul that separates from God il
separated from all good, and from hope
forever.
I. Nor must We ignore the fact that
man is totally ~depraved, and after we
have removed all the objections to the
church from his mind, bis own sinful
heart is still lie the way. Men gravi-
tate downward, but not upward, away
from God, not towards God. The
more sin a man does, the greater his
dislike for the Bible truths. If men
could be herded, and driven into the
church like sheep, the church would be
worse of, and the men no better. The
dislike for all purity is deep down in
the centre Of life. in the heart, and iu
devisiug methods to win the world to
the church, we err if We ignore the
divine plan, the work Of the Holy
Spirit. The means emploved are often
purely mechanical. Some men seem to
strive to win converts, not that they
may be saved, but that they may be
counted in making up the church roll.
If we are going to do any real good in
the work of saving men. We must learn
to despise all wooden methods, and
spurn all religious machinery. A man
may be spoken of as a very good fell
low, while yet his heart is at total
eumity against God, and in making
recruits from those who are drifting
away. the aid Of the divinely% appointed
means must be called 10. or else We
have accomplished nothing.
8. There are other causes that pro-
duce this drifting aray.
L. Once men we're dependent upon
the ministry for almost all literary
enjoyment and pastime and mental
stimulus. Preachers were teachers,
aud children Of sixty years ago learned
their letters at the church. In
these days, books and papers food the
earth and many a man is riding
to ruin on his Sunday paper which
he has substituted for his mothers
Bible. The news from over the
sea, from anywhere, is more
thought Of than the good Jews from
heaven. l have nothing to say against
the man who reads; rather am I
sorry for him who does not like to read.
But | lament that anything should
SO completely drive out the old Bible
which has been the worlds comfort
and solace. on which the good old
saints of long ago pillowed their heads
in death, and which is heavens