Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-01-30
THE LEDGER PULPIT.
BY N. R. PrTTMAN.

The LEDGER Preacher invites your
attention to the public worship of
God against Sunday religion which
breaks down before next Sunday. 1t
is easy to urge objection but 1t is not
easy to criticise our beautiful custom
of publicly worshiping God on Sum
days. 1t is not easy to refrain from
endorsement of happy children going
to Sunday School with clean clothes
and happy hearts. 1t takes much
work for mother to get breakfast over
and the children ready for Sunday
School, but no other work of all the
week has richer reward in her heart.
"They will learn of Christ. They will
learn some songs which they'll never
forget" she says as she kisses them
off to Sunday School. And mother
sings a song of long ago as she cleans
up the house and dresses baby. Her
husband is not aChristian but he went
with the children to Sunday School.
He came home with a happier heart
and a sweeter love for his children
and their mother.
1t is not easy to hold back approval
when the highways are thronged
with people going to the sanctuary to
worship God. Old age and vigorous
youth, banker and bootblack, men of
fame and men of obscurity, meet on a
common level. Here man seeks right
e%ousness. Here is the birth place of
eternal life. Here SINS are forgiven,
despair dies, hope is born, peace is
found, man is redeemed.
Inspiring songs, tender prayers,
solemn words from the Bible, sympa-
thetic gospel of mercy, hope and love,
are divine appointments for the help
of humanity. Some one says that all
who go to church are not good. Did
it ever occur to you that they would
be intolerably bad if they did not go
to church? Poor indeed is the relig-
lous meeting which does not help men
to a better life.
We have many churches with many
preachers. We have the civil and So
cial privilege of choosing that minis
try which most fully helps us. It may
be possible to fad a man who will not
be pleased with any church or any
preacher. Perhaps if he were to start
a new denomination he would not be
pleased with his own organization
when a few strong men become mem
bers of it.
Although Mexico is considered a
church going community many of its
citizens do not attend church with
regularity. Not counting the two
German Churches and the regular
Baptist Church, which do not have
services every Sunday, we have ten
churches that have services every
Sunday. Mexico's population is esti-
mated at 5000. The average attend
ance at each of the ten churches is $50.
OF curse you think of some churches
that have more than an average at
tendance of $50, but you can easily es-
innate others at less than $50. So
we estimate that at the ten churches
last Sunday morning we had 1 800 peo-
pie. Granted that at Sunday School
there were 500 who did not remain
for preaching. Granted that at night
services there were 500 who did not
attend the morning services; then we
had $500 people at church in Mexico
last Sunday. But $500 out of 5000
would leave $500, who did not attend
church. Why don't these $500 peo-
go to church? Some of them fancy
that the churches care nothing for
them and they certainly care very
little for the churches. Some of them
would not stay all night in a town
that had no church land yet a religious
meeting is SO dull to them that they
cannot afford to endure it. Some of
them prefer newspapers, big dinners,
and company, to the sanctuary. Some
do benevolent work, serve on frater-
nal committees, some have the care
of children, positions which require
their presence at the house of public
worship. Some are out of humor
with pastors or churches. They had
their feelings hurt, or they dislike the
Mexico way of serving the Lord, or
they used to be members and got up
set and let go and quit.
Why ought you $500 people to go
to church? You'll admit that the
churches, as a whole, r very help
full institutions, and that the commun-
would be unspeakably hurt if the
churches were dismissed. You ought
to go that you may try, in the midst of
your fellow men, to truly worship
God-recognize and reverence His in
finite wisdom and goodness. You ought
go that your own heart and mind
may be instructed, refreshed and re-
inforced in goodness, compassion and
love. You ought to go to church in
order that your example may be on
the side of "peace on earth and good
will toward men," You ought to go
that you may encourage your fellow
citizens, who have willingly and loving |.
y borne the cost of building the sane
~'uaries, supporting the preachers and
providing light, heat, books, seats,
stc., that those VINO go to church may
Do comfortable. Why not go to church
1ext Sunday? You will do good. Love
light will visit your soul. /,
Farm Loans.
John s. Blake, No. 10Y North 7th
st. Louis, Mo-, representing
,he Union Central Life Insurance Co.,
If Cincinnati, Ohio, is prepared to
make loans on Audrain County farms.
correspondence solicited. 35-1ot
A Tan CoIored Rabbit. :,
J.. A, Westropo brought a curiosity