The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-10-17

interests.
 Third-To ultimately, by the eXpendi- ture of money and labor, help the church socially and intellectually.
 A friend enquiries, You really expect your league to accomplish it's four ob- iects?"
 Indeed, l do.'
 Well, When?" may I reply.
 T go to prove my soul! I see my way as birds their tracklesE
 way
 I shall arrive! What time, what cir
 cult
 I ask not. But unless God send His hail Or blinding fire balls, sleet or stifling
 snow.
 In some time, His good time, I shall ar He guides me and the bird; in His good
 time"
 He then remarked that there is a l staircase which connects earth with heaven-man with God. Am I, are you on this staircase? There are six duty steps to climb
 | The first is prayer, both private and family.
 Second, the studous, prayerful read ing of the Bible
 Third, regular attendance at the sanc- [ tuary.
 Fourth, support of the prayer ser vices.
 Fifth active cooperation In the social department of the church.
 Sixth, money giving to the extent of ones whole duty.
 The seventh, and easily made when these duty steps are climbed, is step of love. On the one side of it is love for God on the other love for human ity.
 From this topmost step of the golden staircase illumined by reflection from the home of God, the Christian looks down upon wicked men and worldly women. They are his brothers, his sis 'ters. They may be his loved ones, for i in the home two worlds often exist; one is for God, from God; the other for the devil, from the devil One is God-cen- l tered, the other self~centered.
 From this last rest-love for God i'm pels the Christian to look upward. He cannot see the celestial choir He can not hear it's melody, but he feels it. Love for humanity compels him to look downward, to think of the perishing masses.
 From the topmost step of the illumin- ed staircase the Christian with enlarged | vision beholds suffering, struggling, burdened churches, who would gladly rescue the perishing and care for the dying.
 The Twentieth Century Wesleyan league with open arms invites you to come to us. Our organization is com pleted. Our membership fee is only $l0 and thereafter $1 per year, if the mem bership is continued; not, of course, otherwise.
 Before aggressive subscription work is commenced, we desire a membership of one thousand. Is it too much to ask of three thousand Methodists?
 Any one, members or not of this church-one of good moral character is eligible. There is no blackball power with the league. The $10 can be paid at any time this year, but the sooner the better
 My friends, did we this morning real ize the necessities of the case, our love for God, our love for our brothers, our love for the Methodist church would liupCI yuu lO iitlp oul Ol
 Can the Methodist Episcopal church afford to stand still? The natural order of things must prevail and un- less an advance step is made decline if not disintegration will commence.
 It becomes every Methodist Episco- palan to examine well himself on his pended knees. Has not the world for a century conceded our high spiritual standard? It was the pride and glory of our fathers. Shame upon the man who would lower the flag.
 Do we realize that when as church, We lose our spirituality, we lose all, which as Christians commends us to the consideration of man or the favor of God
 If we retain our spirituality, the simplicity of our worship and purity of our purpose, must, as in other days, attract and largely draw the masses to the cross of Christ.
 Can any one Methodist church, in any one city disregard it's close con- nection with the other Methodist churches and therefore it's obligation to them
 Do you wish to see Summerfield and Epworth disappear? Do you desire a spiritual light to be eXtinguished? Here tofore, growth in our churches was as natural as the growth of the vine in our gardens
 Vigor was the rule. Men and women loved the church John Wesley founded. Men and women sacrificed that the church might thrive.
 Gods sunshine--the very dew of heaven--pushes forth the bud and blos- som in our garden It oan-it will to- day compel fruitage in the Methodist | Episcopal church. Will we permit it? l Were there many huds-many blos- | some in 1S97--in 1898?
 By temperament, I'm an optimist, l but I must be thoughtful and serious
 We are approaching a crisis in the | church of God. You and I cannot af- | ford to be indifferent. As we value the | efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ to | take away sln-as we appreciate the | blessings of our Christian civilization, | shall we not take an advance step? | Will we not in recognition of our duty | to the God who loves us and the church we love, see to it, that we will | make loving thank offering in accord 1 ance with the suggestions of the bishops. And can we so well do it, as