El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-09


life and in all his writings Paul had
held up a very high standard of Chris
tian life and fellowship. He had warn
ed them against divisions-urged them
to purity of life and fervent charity.
And now he says farewell. But like
one who is leaving his fathers home,
when he gets outside the gate or on his
way to the train feels that after all
there is something which he intended
to say but did not: so Paul, after saying
farewell, turns and lifts the standard of
Christian life still higher by saying,
'Be perfect o how apt we are to
lower-how much we need to elevate
the standard of Christianity. "Be
perfect what high standard; and
yet how little understood-how much
abused!
! Paul does not mean that we are to be
perfect gods or perfect angels, but per-
| fect men, not that we get where we
cannot sin or do not make mistakes,
| but where we are led at ali times by
| the spirit of the master.
Where we do everything for the
glory of God. "As many as are led by
the spirit of God they are the sons of
God.' How apt we are to have two
standards of Christian life. One theo-
retical and one practical. God has but
one standard and that is the practical
one. That is the one that men Judge
by also. The religion that does not
enter in and shape mans every day
life is vslueless.
But my text also says ''be of good
courage" that is, don't be discouraged.
l suppose that he was right who eaid
that AL DISBURSEMENT is from the
! devil" Paul clearly saw that dis
couragemenS was one Of the chief diff
fcuities with which the church would
| have to contend.
! Discouragment is apt to come ia q
general way, when we look over the
map OF the world and contemplate the
millions of those in heather lands who
| have never heard of Christ, when we
think of the vast amount of money that
mas been poured into the mission sry
| tire assure and how we think of the condi-
tion of our own country, the amOunt of
| wickeduess and sin il seems indeed as
| if there IS some season for discourage
ment when we think of the amount of
wick edness in our own city and i the
Indifference of so many OF our people
it would seem also that there was some
reason for encouragement. But let Us
see. is there not another side to the
picture?
When we think of the heather lands;
that today every port is open to the
missionary that only few years ago
was closed: when we realize thousands
among all the nations are turning to
God; when we think how small the be-
ginning of Christianity and how vast
the mum bers of Christians are a. the
present time, we have little reason to be
discouraged. Let US turn tn our own
country. In tie United States alone
there are q, 714, 523 followers of Christ,
more than one third of the entire po-
pulation. The various denominations
are building twenty churches each day:
There are added to the church each
day 1852 members.
Let US turn now to the Methodist
church and what is its showing in
the United States alone. In the entire
seventeen branches of the church there
are 5, 1898, 094. To this number there are
daily added 444 members. The Metho-
diet church in all it's branches is build
ing five churches each day.
Turn now to our own Methodist Epis-
cOpal church alone.
We have in the U. S. 1888, 1873 mem
GERS. This is gain in last fifty years
of ,231, 56S almost one half this gain
has been within the last Is years. We
have as many members in the Epworth
and! Junior Epworth Leagues today as
we had church memb ers, all told, Is
years ago: and we are building three
church les day.
would make church almost twice as
large as the Baptist church (n), three
times as large as the Congregational,
three times the size of the
Protestant Episcopal church,
twice as large as the Pres
byterian church (north) aud more
than double the size of the Disciples of
Christ.
Surely. in our own church we have
little reason to be discouraged.
But let US turn to our own local
church and see if we have any reason
to be discouraged. l was requested by
the last quarterly conference to state
today the results of our past years
work.
Our efforts as all know have been
very largely turned to the canceling of
our church debt We have collected
on the church debt little more than
$500 cash and have rs we hope sub
scription enough to cover the remain
ing 5000.
This work has fallen very large
ly upon the pastor. But for its accom-
plishmeut every society of the church
the Epworth League, the Sunday
school. the Junior League, the ladies
aid together with almost every mem
her Of the church and many of our
friends who are not member have
stood together IS one man. Besides
this we have spent over $500 in cash in
improving the church and parsonage
and have paid another debt of almost
500.
But all the energy of the church las
not been expended On financial lines.
We have taken into the church SO
members and show. net increase of
almost 25 per cent of the number of
members reported year ago. Our at
tendance at the prayer meeting has al