Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-05-06

heaven, you will have to go by the way
of the mission chapel" The mission
chapel has become the kitchen, where
the church does its sloppy work. There
are hundreds and thousands Of churches
in this country-gorgeously built and
suppOrted-that, even on bright and sun
shiny days are not half full OF wor-
shippers, and yet they are building mis-
sion chapels because by some expressed
or implied regulation the great masses
of the people are kept out Of the main
audience room.
Now say that any place OF worship
which is appropriate for one class is ap-
propriate for all classes. Let the rich
and the poor meet together, the Lord
the maker OF them all Mind you that
say that mission ohapels are necessity,
the way churches are now conducted,
but may God speed the time when they
shall cease TO be a necessity. God viii
rise up and break down the gates OF the
church that have kept back the masses,
and woe be to those who stand III tho
way They will be trampled under foot
by the vast populations making a stam-
pede for heaven.
saw in some paper an account OF
church in Boston in which, 1t Is salc'
there were great many plain people.
The next week the trustees OF that
church came out in the paper aud said
il was not so at all "they were elegant
people and highly conditioned people
that went there Then laughed out
right, and when laugh | laugh very
loudly. "Those people," l said, ARE
afraid Of the sickly sentimentality OF
the churches. Now, my ambition IS
not to preach to you SO much. IL seems
to me that you must be faring sumptu-
ously every day, and the marks OF COM
fort are all about you. You do not need
the gospel half as much as do some who
never come here. Rather than be prid-
ing myself on church in front Of which
there shall halt so splendid equipages
on the Sabbath day, l would have
church up to whose gates there should
come long procession Of the suffering
and the stricken, and the dying, beg
oine for admittance. You do not need
the gospel as much as they. You have
good things in this life. Whatever may
be your future destiny, you have had
pleasant time here. But those dying
populations CT which | speak, by reason
of their want and suffering, whatever
may be their future destiny, are in per-
dition now, and if there be any com
fort in Christs gospel, for Gods sake
give it to them
Revolutionl The pride Of the church
must come down. The exclusiyeness OF
the church must come down. The imam
cial boastings of the church must come
down. If monetary success were the
chief idea in the church, then | say that
the present mode Of conducting finances
is the best. If it is to see how many
dollars you can gain, then the present
mode is the best. But If it is the saving
OF souls from sin and death, and bring
ing the mighty populations Of our cities
TO the knowledge Of God, then cry,
Revolution II is coming fast. Ifeel IL
in the air. | hear the rumbling OF an
earthquake that shall shake down, IN
one terrific crash, the arrogance OF our
modern Christianity.
The sea is covered with wrecks and
, multitudes are drowning. We come out
with the church lifeboat, aud the peo-
ule begin to Chamber in, and we shout:
''Stou. stop! You must think 1t costs
: nothing to keep lifeboat. Those seats
az the PROV are 81 apiece, these III the
middle 80 cents, and those seats in the
stern 2 shillings. Please TO pay up or
, else founder on a little longer till the
, mission boat, whose work it is to save
YOU penniless wretches shall come along
} and pick you up. We save only nrst
5 class sinners in this boat.
r The talk is whether Protestant
churches or Roman Catholic churches
are coming out ahead. ! tell you, Prot
o estants, this truth plainly, that until
e YOUR churches are as free as are the ho'
a man Catholic cathedrals they will beat
Z YOU. In their cathedrals the millionaire
J, and the beggar kneel side by side. And
4 uutil that time comes in our churcne'
}. we cannot expect the favor OF GOD oi
;: permanent spiritual prosperity.
h Revolution! 1t may be that before tnt
It church learns its duty to the masses
IS God will scourge it and come with th'
n whip of omnipotent indignation and
drive out the money changers. 1t MAJ
b be that there is to be great day Oh up
|. setting before that time shall come. l.
(. il must come, 0 Lord God, let 1t COM
~ now.
- Day Of Great Revivals.
II In that future day Of the reconstruct
ID ed church OF Christ the church building
20 will be the most cheerful Of all build
he ines Instead Of the light OF the sul
ID strained through painted glass until a
Sc intelligent auditory looks green an
,d hlue and yellow and copper colored W
r.. will have no such things. The pure al
nd mosuhere of heaven will sweep out III
Nv fetid atmosphere that has been kept
at many Of our churches boxed up iroI
re Sunday to Sunday. The day OF when
sneak will be a day Of great revival
There will be such a time as there WI
in the parish of Shots, where oOo sou
he were born to God in one day; sue
be times as were seen in this country VIII
rit Edwards gave the alarm, when Ienne
ay preached and Whitefeld thundered al
so Edward Payson prayed; such times
ch some Of you remember in 1857, wn
IL. the voice Of prayer and praise W
IA heard in theater. and warehouse, al
". blacksmith shop, and factory, and q
Ids CINE house, and the auctioneer's cry
for "a half, and a half, and hal" W
Or. drowned out by the adjoining pray
are meeting, in which the people cried o'
"Men and brethren, what shall we do
'ea In those days of which | am speak,
the services Of the church Of God "
va vi be more spirited. The ministers
GA Christ, instead Of being anxious abb
" whether they are going TO lose tn
10. place in their notes, will get on
GOV GOV with the theme and pour the livi
la truth of God upon an aroused audit'
-cryinQ ont 10 the righteous 1t sh