St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-16
CHURCH FELLOWSHIP.
Its Value Discussed by Rev. Adj
olson Moore.


Rev. Addison Moore preached an in
teresting sermon at the Woodland Park
Baptist church yesterday morning on
the value of Church Fellowship"
His text was from Numbers, X, 20:
Come thou with us and we will do thee
good; for the Lord hath spoken good
concerning Israel" Following is an
abstract of Rev. Mr.. Moore's discourse:
Our birth is but sleep and a forget
ting:
The soul that rises with us, our life's
star,
Hath had elsewhere it's setting.
And cometh from afar.
Not i'll entire forgetfulneSS
And not in utter nakedneSs,
But trailing clouds of glory do we
come
From God who is our home.
Such divine origin is filled with the
promise of most glorious destiny.
From God We came, and our life on
earth is but the way back again to the
rest and joy that await our eternal
home coming. But because man is a
child, and not merely a creature, he is
free TO be dutifui or disobedient. If
harmony and the sweet songs that go
so far toward Frightening the right
way home. If obedient, he may have
the aid and the fellowship of right
10lnueu TlOrCalS VINO III their STRUGGLES
toward immortal peace are being led
by the spirit of righteousness. For
mutual encouragement those who are
making the pilgrimage from earth to
heaven are wise to organize into
groups. Such groups bear the name of
assemblies, or churches. In our church
es men have found such an aid to right
living that they do not hesitate to eX
tend to all who will heed the eternal
invitation, Come thou with us and We
will do thee good
"A missionary of many years expert
ence has said that the missionary Is a
lonely shrub in a lonely land, and that
every browsing goat takes a nibble at
him. Occasional visits home are neces-
sary to save missionary from the deS-
though in lesser measure, every man
who is driven by the urge of right de-
sire to attempt the deeds of righteous
ness needs the personal touch and the
hearty sympathy Of those who are, SIM
ilarly striving along the right way of
life. If one stands alone, every en-
emy, every trail, and every temptation
finds him unprotected while the giants
OF doubt. of despair, and of death find
him an easy prey. The Christ could
stand alone and conquer all life's ills,
even mastering death itself; but we,
prone to wander prey to countless dan
gers, need the safety of true fellow
ship with earnest, honest hearts. For
the church offers many inducements.
Come thou with us and we will do thee
good is her constant appeal.
by no means the least important
among the good things the church has
to bestow is the heritage of noble
names that live in her history. Every
association of men is made stronger by
the ideal for which a great name
stands. 1t means more to be an artist
since Titan and Caracci and Murillo
to In Ssin
Dante, Milton and Shakespeare wrote;
more to be an engineer since Watt and
Stevenson and Fulton wrought; more
to be statesman since Webster and
Bismarck and CASTELAR, and Gladstone
have labored, So the church offers
strong incentive to noblest endeavor
by calling her long roll of apostles and
martyrs; Of names honored in song
and story by nations many, through
centuries of Christian progress. 1t is
a roll of honor, indeed, naming a host
of men and women who have been
faithful in the burning tropics and the
frozen Artic; who have carried a min
istry of mercy to dying souls in every
land. The inspiration of their exam
pie stimulates Sluggard souls; the hero
ism of their many sacrifices for the
sake of truth stirs our sleeping spirits,
and urges us out from idleness into the
activities of life of service for our
race. The church fellowship to which
fits. because the Lord hath spoken
good concerning Israel Wherever His
people meet the Lord, who is their
life and light, is sure to be, and His
presence adds strength to all awakened
souls, just the strength needed to make
right living possible. This is the SUI
preme benefit. 1t is what only our
Lord can Go. No father can give his
son a chart for the life before him; no
mother can stand over the cradle and
predict what manner of man her child
shall be- Each night lovers must part
in dread, and each morning men must
go forth to front possible accident, de-
feat or death. But the Lord has spok-
en- good Of all who follow in His way.
The Wanderer must fight the ills of thd
wilderness and die beneath the stress
of the storm. But safe folded in the
fellowship of Christian assemblies,
over which the protecting love of
the Good Shepherd stands guard, you
may put away anxiety and cast out
fear. You may there, beneath the shell
ter of our Lords tender care, live
trustful life, meeting storm with calm,
adversely with fortitude, defeat with
faith, and death with hope of immor
tality."