El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-26

save in the larger cities, And almos
without an exception the poor are il
the majority. And in a Baptist churcl
especially, where the majority rules
the poor have if any diff
ference the advantage. LIE
them in the spirit of Christ assert thei
rights and not violate Gods command
by failing to sow in this field OF church
going, whatever be the fault of the
rich. After all some of the best help
ers have ever had in church work
were among the wealthy. L have i1
mind one family especially who always
called regularly on the pastor to in
quire into his needs and the needs OF
| the church; and no one was more ready
to help than they. And yet they sci
dom held up their hacdssin bushes.
| meetings of the church. No busin ess
| institution can do without the rich and
the poor. And every church needs
both classes. Let every one stick to
the services of the church, and soon
the rich aud the poor will come to love
each other and help each other.
Another wind and cloud that fright
ems Is the failure on the part of some
church people to visit others. Well,
after all, the special command to visit
has reference to the fatherless and
widows in their affiiction," those who
are sick, in prison etc. And much of
the visiting desired and received is of
q far different kind. And not infre-
quently there is no Christ in it, and
some poor soul, perhaps one of the
church mem bers comes out all the
worse for the gossip of the visit. Yes,
people should visit, to be sure, and
there is great good in it if rightly done,
but to stay away from church because
i,it 10 fn
self and violate Gods command.
A second general complaint is made
against the choir. People have ali
sorts of ideas as to church music. Some
want high grade paid choir, others
do not believe N it, but want vOlun-
tary choir, while others want no choir
at all. Strange God did not make us
all in the same mould, is it not? But
since he did not, some of US must yield
our preferences at least for while.
And to get angry and neglect to as
thing of this kind Is unquestiOnably
wrong in the sight of God and, would,
if practised by all who fail to get their
way often, reduce the attendance on
she church to one third what it would
otherwise be.
A third general difficulty or excuse
for non church attendance is the
preacher. L saw an ad not long ago
for a preacher and it read, mo boys
ply" To my mind such an idea ELI
God wholly from the matter of
calling preacher. Who among
preachers is going to CAD around hunt
ing job rs q man would be justified in
doing IN secu ar life? The preacher
who does this in my judgment had
better hunt something else to do. Who
can tell whether God wishes to send a
young man or an elderly man to your
Affairs. Let the church live
20 as to hear the voice
Of God as he announces his ruling. And
then after the minister is called,
whether he be old or young, whether
ae preach too high or too low, too fast
n ZOO slow, so long as the church feels |
mat be should be retained as pastor |
stick to him whether you like him or
hold up his hands, talk for him,
aver great his faults do not fall into a |
'ault yourself by staying away from |
church or withholding your support
rom your pastor in such a way as to |
njure him and the church and you,
rom reaping the harvest you all need. |
Another wind of difficulty is power
". II am too poor. In the first place |
cannot pay enough into the treasury |
If the church" Now this might be said |
Door pay as much as the rich, but new
Or in the case of the church. Here is
10 institution that says ''come without
money and without price," and while
t is true that every we'll regulated |
church will try to get even the widow
o pay something, and commend her
or it just as Jesus did the one who
rave her all, at the same time it never
hould be and seldom is, made q per-
Luisite to membership.
But they sometimes say, 1 can't
ress we'll enough to attend church.
Vow som etimes this is really the case,
nd every such case should be care
ully looked after by q wise committee
rom the church. But it is more often
n ungodly pride that makes this ex-
use. 1t means II can't dress as some
o. "Well, there is neither religion nor
ommon sense in some people trying to
ress as some others do. ALI that is
ecessary is to be decent. One of the
Waco Baptist church. The party was
oubtless farmer living near town.
he wife had died leaving five or six
the oldest not over
teen years. The clothes were
oughly made of jeans for the
usband and boys and calico for the
iris. Many would have said, ''They will
Ot want US in the stylish city church
it'll our common clothes" But this
an had courage ana religion enough
"obey God rather than man." and SO
it'll one or two little ones in his arms
I'd the others following, he walked l
ght up to the amen corner, where
ere was vacant seat. | wondered -
it had not been left for this poor man .,