The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-02-01


tication, Regeneration; Inspiration, |
etc, and the most popular preacher
its he Who contents himself with, max /
ing no personal application OF the /
truth NO his hearers. No longer have
we shepherds of tae tlocks, but mere
hirelings who cry Peace Peace. MOI
longer is the fuM Gospel preached
but ONLY such as will tickle she Itch
ing ears of the lnaltitude OF worldly
hearers. No wonder then ahat at a
convention held last year 4GDchurcbes
reported that dnsing 1894 they had re-
ceived no additions to them member
ship by profession Of aaith. here
and there, theye are still few faith
fn, ones who are following ChrIst,
and who cry, "WatchmAn, What OF
toe night? btat no answer comes, the
pulpit at large is silent concerning
the advent / our Lord, and has ceased
20 warn men to flee from tie wrath
to Gomez Our LORD commanded Us
to "go inso all the world and preach
the gospel to every creataEe>' and
while we rejoice that that command
is being fulfilled. yet We ought to
hide our heads in shame when we
behold the niggardiness OF our con-
tribntions in comparison to the needs
of the field. How little we have &C
complished even after 1000 years Of
preaching? With what earnestness
did not the early disciples preach the
gospel; how freely the blood of mar
tvrs watered the Gospel seed; how
faithfully Christ was witnessed in the
power of the Holy Ghost, and yet to-
day there is no nation nor country,
nor tribe, nor city converted to Jesus,
and there are fifty millions Of people
more IN America and ESQ millions
more in this world today that at the
beginning Of this boastful 10Th cen
tnry. And 400 millions of earth's
inhabitants know nothing Of the
, atoning sacrifice Of Jesus Christ
Without the Gospel the heather are
lost, and yet the church sits content
, eddy and says" 81 am rich andlncreaset
with goods, and have need Of moth
} ing" More ard moro difficulty il
! being experienced in raising money
- for missionary purposes. ] he pow
a erful Presbyterian boards to-day ar
7 one million dollars IN debt, and ye
: after six months Of the hardest AM
+ most persistent effort, raised bu
o SlOOO 900 to meet it. We pride Oul
II selves on our love to Jesus, and h
i himself said, ''Ye are my friends if y
IS do whatsoever | command" and n
g. command is 600 preach the Gospt
e to every creature" yet during tn
Is wear 1894 the average contribute
1t per church member for foreign MI
1t sjons was but 40 cents, and Of the tt
D. tai amount, SIS per cent was given b
10 less than 20 per cent of the member
IN O! shame upon us all, that we mai
as the obeylng of Cnrist's commands
at matter of expedlency. The chur(
~ smiles contentedly at her prosperit
of but the Lord, says, Thou are wretc
Of cd, and miserable, and poor, al
er blind, and naked"
pc What with:the ever increasing III
he belief in the divinity Of Christ; Il
be fearful infdelity as manifested
er Higher criticism and boldly adv
ry Gated throughout the pulpits of o
land. Well may our blessed 10
ne ask, "When the son of man comet
nv shall he find faith upon the eartn
ed Is it not sign Of the end of tt
or age, when the increasing apostacy
II the church shows itself in the worl
M I,ness of it's members, its refusal
ed obey the last commands OF its abse
are Lord its pride, boastfulness, hatr
to of holiness, torn of Goodness, a
by the fearful lukewarness and lndlf
in ence of it's members?
,to That there are grand and Il
i churches which are exceptions to
no this we joyfully acknowledge,
he christendom at large is apostate, q
fer the chosen one untrue to her abs
the Lord.
Of 70 be Continued.
:, The PRINCIPLES of the Popnll