The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-07
AT AN EBB.
It Is So with
Prayer.
SAYS SO.
Declares That Churches Are
Comatose.

In late number of the Christian
Nation" Rev. F. NJ. Foster sounds a
very loud note Of alarm over what he
calls the ebb tide in Christian earnest
ness, especially in the churches.
Perhaps there has not been time"
he says, during the century now draw
ing to close, when true goodness was
at such low mark as at this present.
One noted evangelist estimates that
only one church member in seven will
be saved Another makes it one in ten
If these estimates are true-if they are
anything like true-the spiritual con-
dition of the church is not only alarm
ing, but such as to fill with eonsterna-
ton Anent the above figures, the
Christian Work remarks: We don't
know as to these figures, but we are
pretty sure that the average church
membership needs a red-hot gospel Of
oonsecrated living about as much as
the hosts who never see the inside Of
Christian temples We do not believe
that the estimates above are true in the
CoYenanter Church; but we do believe
that the red-het gospel is needed
among US as elsewhere. For we are fast
taking on surrounding conditions. are
influenced by sister denominations, and
are partal1ng more or less Of their
errors and SINS What is the matter?
Why are so many mourning In zion?
Why such worldllness in the church of
God?
BROKEN FAMILY AFFAIRS.
1--WE make this statement without
fear of successful contradiction, that
one of the causes Of this spiritual de-
cline is The worship of God has almost
ceased!' The family altar has been
broken down these years. and the
worship of the sanctuary has wellnigh
ceased to have God for its object 1t is
made UP of songs, and solos, and quar-
tets, and voluntaries, and rarely with
words given by God for worshipping.
His high and holy name. You may
pound away at reYivals,' work your
self into a fever over their necessity,
and it will all be to no purpose until
the altar of the Lord Is built up and
the people return to God through sin
lcere and divinely appointed worship.
The condition Of the average church, in
this matter, is not short of disgraceful.
| 1t is morc-it is a great sin against
God. Those who want to keep their gar
ments unspotted must keep away
Who can expect God to come in the
power Of His spirit when the people
manifest no desire, inclination or inten-
ton to cast out these idolatries? In
stead, the more orthodox denominations
are introducing these wrongs more and
more, and are fast falling backward
| into less spiritual and more worldly
conditions. A valuable article in the
| April iCoyenanter,' signed w. Dick
has in 1t this statement which is ire
| futably fortified: There must be q re-
turn to the worship of God In spirit
and in truth, and a complete rejection
of the filth of sensuous worship A
| revival may not be expected until the
house of God is purified and true wor-
ship again set up. To adopt superficial
remedies which make a little stir at the
top, but do not get to the bottom of
the difficulty, Is not wise. The church,
with exceptions understood does not
worship God, and He is fast withdraw
ing His spirit.
ONLY STRANGE WORSHIP.
This may seem a strange conclusion,
since in nearly all meetings the praise
service is made much Of. 1t Is
emphasized at all conventions as one
of the attractions To call this wor-
ship is a great wrong to God. Yet this
Strange worship is offered unto the
Lord.
AtiClntI IcdSUn IOI ne LOW spiritual
life in the church is the ministers Of
Cod though ordained and sent by and
with the authority of the Lord Jesus
are handicapped and hindered in num-
berless ways. They are anything but
Independent. / have no hesitation in
saying that vast numbers Of ministers
would preach a purer gospel did they
not feel that to do so would cast them
out and cause them to be wanderers
up and down in the earth. DR.. John
Halls case is q fair illustration Of
what would be tried, and in most cases
successfully, though in his it was not
At that time the daily papers had cap
tons something like this: DIR. Hall
not trying to plaeate! Still preaching
no probation after deathl Reading
between the lines shows what was the
matter, and suggests that less pow
erful minister would have been forced
out for preaching the truth as it is in
Jesus.
did we personally not have a people
who encourage, rather than hinder the
presentation of the whole truth. we
possibly might not feel inclined to
speak freely. But where there is mani
fest Interpretation, and where the
minister, when he sets forth unpopular
truth, is given to understand that some
are about to leave or, as in DR.. Halls
case, do leave, and that people will
not pay If they do not like the preach
ing. II requires mighty courageous
man to keep at it,
MINISTRY NOT ROBUST.
There is not sufficient independence
in the ministry--not independence Of
spirit but freedom from care as TO
where he will get his living If he does
preach the whole truth; liberty from
Mr.. Worldly and freedom from Mr..
stopper, who now, by one turn, can cut
off the minister's daily bread The
Declaration and Testimony states.
page 2l4, that the ministers are the
highest officers" in the church. The
position which they occupy is theoreti
cally this. but many Of them are
hampered, harassed and hindered, CIV
ing d bare subsistence, with now and
then q forceful intimation that they
are filling the church empty thrown
in. The ministry are not freel If a
pastor ''rebukss" by Christ's com
mandment, q person whose worldli-
ness and hurtful influence he well
knows, Immediately that person is dis
gruntled, stalks off in high dudgeon to
a sister church, and is received with
marks of affection and distinguished
consideration Xesl And probably
half a dozen people viii proceed to
'lay OUT the pastor because he is
breaking up the church" when he
has done nothing but cast out the