The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-22

The mercy of God, a redeeming love,
peering into all dark corners OF the
world, and inviting every. blind soul ioto
purity, pentience and plenty, that Is
there!
Are you larger than that creed? Can
you oulive Paul in logic, stephen IN de-
votton, the martyrs in n glorious blenc-
ing OF faith and love?
The church is large enough for us oil
II we have the spirit of Jesus Christ.
2. The Lord brings men into HIS
church just as soon as their Wills are
right. The Lords definition of the
church Is, we learn, all that body OF
people who love Him. 1t is a vast Idea.
1t includes not only men In this world,
but those faithful 10 Him who have
passed hence; II includes the angels, who
never fell; ano every spirit that exists In
any world, true to his Creator.
This is an organization outside OF
which you cannot afford to remain.
There Is only one Kingdom OF God. No
man or men can set up an outside.
partially independent kingdom. Every
man who lasts will be in the kingdom,
and tho last man to enter VIII rememCer
with shame that he was last to the last
day of eternity, so far as we know. 1t
IL impossible to belong To God without
being in the kingdom of God. 1t is not
possible to love God and to hold lightly
the church which Christ purchased by
His precious blood.
The question which mon never asked
in the early centuries was this: Can one
be Christian outside the chuch? TIE
reason they never asked il was that no
one ever tried TO do so foolish n thing
Do men 20 about inquiring: Can one live
without a house? Without ever sleep
Ing under a roof, can / continue to
exists Can live without society? Can
i he a hermit and wander for years
throughthe forests alone? Perhaps so,
but people 10 not ask such questions.
Now every age has its vagaries, and the
vagary OF the age is to ask: Can live
without the church? Its roof, its fold,
its fellowship? The answer is: The thing
is theoretically possible.
The Christian outside the church Is in
an unnatural position. He is always Ii.
able 10 topple over. lie Is trying to get
on without all the advantages that Christ
and oil the apostles enjoyed and needed.
He Is deprived of much that God had
planned for the help of the human soul.
A Christian without Christs church,
that Is what n hundred o. my friends tell
me they are. 1t is "a conoition Of un-
stable equilibrium, and not to be uneasy
in such a position Is rot TO have good
eyes.
IL men would only come to believe that
God knows what they need, how much
easier 1t would be for them ST. John
needed the Christian church. lie loved
his brothers, and sought to come into
the closest fellowship wish them. A
man who lived an epoch before hat, de-
clared that day in His courts is better
than a thousand. But the IN )derner
doesn't see it in just that light He is
anxious about the morrow. He hsstens
to insure his life; he feels the need of
business connections; he guards against
bad drainage; drinks distilled water; in
occulates against small pox; ventilates
against consun ption; diets against obe-
sity; instals electric alarms against burg
lars; dies in his bed, and awakes in the
next world very much surprised TO find
that in emitting to enter tho church he
lost the stimulus, tho spirit influence,
the sense OF belonging to God that would
have saved him from life of seifisbness.
lie has made little OF the only institution
God placed in the world. God counts
in Hts church everywhere all who honor
Him. But God Is responsible for the
church In the world. Ii is HIS institution;
some day all good men will be in it, and
all bad men reformed or out OF it. And
as soon as a man sets his face toward
God the logical thing is TO set 1t toward
Gods cburch.
We are not to conduct our lives as if 10
zee how little Righteousness will suffice
barely TO carry us through. You have
son who grows up to be painter. Ii you
can, you will.give him the best insiruc-
ton. You send him to see the noblest
works of art. You teach him every side
OF his subject, and have him know the
history, the traditions and the possibil-
titles OF his profession. You cultivate his
Imagination that he may be original; his
eye that he may acquire just sense of
color and every side OF his character that
he may be great painter.
You have a son--a daughter. There lies
In her the latent capacity to be great
character. The seer's eye of Isaiah ia
ready TO look from her eye, the shining
ever was notable in every hero from a bel
60 Savonarola is n smouldering ambition
in her. Wake IL Put her into the school
of the Christian church; show her the
noble services of the charities, the mis-
sions, the crusades, the mercy channels
of Christianity; give her views, large,
deep, strong and masterful OF what Chris
tiauity may be. Let not tho error be
yours OF dreaming that, in shallow
school OF social amenities, she is | kelly
TO lay hold OF the inspiration and the
destiny of the best lives.
The church Is large enough, IL 10 inn
portant enough TO enlist the best minds.
IT is worthy the truest love for II received
IL i'm Jesus Christ. lt is to be seized
before all things, because 10 ~ the best
medium in Gods world to bring the holy
spirit into the lives of men. Love It,
enter IL. serve in 1t, live for it, pray for
It, for Jesus sakel