New-York tribune., 1901-08-05

That is the problem in front OF us; -.
magnificent work that has been seen in Engsnd land
for least century-our great simultaneous mis-
sion in which three thousand mission centres were
doing their work at once. want to say TO you
venture 10 speak OF it-that while We thank God
for 1t. that while We who were In the MIDST OF
directions. and while we believe that the perma-
nent ana best results are yet @ TO Oe We a @ S
appreciably touch the vast and Indifferent
masses OF our population. Take London. We flung
ourselves with all the zeal we had upon that great
city for that mission ! simply give this as ss
times day clean through. There were whole dis
tricts. whole streets; in which men ana women women
were living-educated. pleasant people-wno never
crossed the threshold of any mission centre saw
% sonethlhg ing IA tne neTspapIT t I aIo vast
Indifference. God absence from the conscious
aed vaga h but is RfE tn oh ho% shall we
deal with IL? You tell me that there are no peo1
have been preaching two Sundays in Brooklyn; !
closed. And what else? Enough people to fiji them
four times sitting upon the stoops-respectab bic
Rse Rssple Goddess Indifference the atheism of the
THE ATHEISM OF INDIFFERENCE
Now you ana nave got to face these things 1t
is use sitting down in conferences and con-
Geess S matter nl o"" In % %od ana name th blood of
thoss people is on ;he skirts of garments This
is the atheism; II is the atheism OF Indifference,
and IL is expressing itself IN frivoty. pleasure and
light literature and general frothiness of life.
new desire for war among nations that ought to
have buried war long ago expressing itself in false
10 look al your tn bills YOU have only to
IS saturating the thought of young people.
Materiaiism: let Us eat and drink tomorrow We
die.
And then an abjectness on the part of men who
ought 10 be Gods heroes, so that We tolerate
OF them: SO that we INSIDE the churches
label faddists and fanatics the men who dare TO
dred evils W. are sittinS down in the midst of
these thngS. and these the forces That
against us In this new century-atheism in a new
form. anmalism. abjectness
Now. what are We TO do? First. see to it that
we ourselves are the disciples Of the kingdom Of
heaven. And II We are, then whbt? Then our
business is to bring forth out Of the treqsu house
the kingdom of darkness. what are We to do? We
are 10 mako new application of old principles: We
20 hew new channels for the old streams. l want
to say to you that lots OF Ihe old methods for
give them u9. have 10 veneration FOX Old
10 wake mp and this. What do W. need to-day?
First. Il new separation Of the subjects OF the
the Kingdom Of satan Wien Jesus looked UPON aoi
the mass Of men in His day He moved with
compassion. Why? Because they were as sheep
haTT aaTd 10 by ba Toyes M & and the first factor in his
not In partnership with the wolves.
THE CHrRCH NEEDS CLEANSING.
Now you can make your own application Of that
Oh what We need is cleansing of the Church.
Did you ever read John Wesley's Journals? II you
upon one occasion: Il went down To s3ch and such
p4stte anu IolAd lldt in- society was not strong
We excluded thirty members glory De Cod
Now II is al very vel; that is very drastic; bat
the kind of thing We S.ant. We nd todav
cleansing of our churches. cleansing OF TIE
bership Of all men and women who are in com
and women. separa tion. And then. what?
a new witness in the life Of those that remain to
against animalism, 10 daring courage as against
form OF evil, war. lust and gambling and drink.
And here is my last point ana here l lay IN
lead up TO fla enterprise on the part of the
Church Of Jesus Christ 10 reach the unreached
your church: Very we'll then go to them. Where
fbsatr l, I he 10 2 tel III IIetI ''si % me
the theatre upon the invitation Of its manager.
II the manager wants you 70 preach there Sun
day: you mag be sure it IS an advertising dodge.
con go; 3ut get he theatre. nay for the theatre.
hlre II and be independent; don't have any patron
age from the devil at any point. These men and
TO- faIk W m'i tbe gT 1 ,hea,Fe @ want 70 20 her"
mem or am renegade to my king. a traitor 10
Oh but it is out Of the ordinary lines. The king
dom OF Cod is always out Of the ordinary lines;
the Kingdom OF God Il always extraordinary. II
IS rebellion that Is ordinary aud commonplace and
true TO the things profess TO believe We must
go 20 these people where they are.
Is that The principal thing? No What is the
principal thing? We must get back to apostolic
days before the deyil invented the lie that only
certain men were to be preachers, and every in
dividual soul must begin 20 do Individual work.
father YOU have come uD 10 this conference praying
Tor your children Don't you think IL would BE- a
home and SPOKE 70 them2 Don't you think there
that You have never sg5ken to- Bont vnu tbinS
IL IL time took up the and spoke to those
think It is time that the Church Of chris. @ ar3so 3SG
ana We We began one by one TO speak to men? That
should De, declared in the letter 10 the Ephe-
their work Of ministry.
IDLE CAPITAL WITHIN THE CHURCH
Oh, would like TO see in this new enterprise
new use Of the idle capital within the Church
sands the hundreds OF thousands the millions OF
DOLLARS you have wasted IN the Christian churches
these magnificent buildings. and you open them
beeR TO go kn6% 5sse a a0Pi fhd nS wide
of people won't come If you want them / don't
cided they won't come. They have decided what
Is perfectly correct. that you don't want them.
speak to you God willing said TO me few weeks
aso when we were sitting, and having fellowship
FesRsf'a0Ie ssid: church I" England in three ~seEs
'IEew would you do it?' He SAID:
Il VIII go and get the pulpit; will bring in my
own congregation. We can get about twenty Of a
certain class OF people know and sea. them In
the pews, ard You will see the congregation go"
Let him finish that story; l have no doubt lie
VIII if he comes. But isn't II true? oh. my Cod
we nave been so sentimental and 50 respectable
We haven't wanted these thingsi Our blessed Lor!
a Dis man receiyeth sinners and eateth with
them When did you receive a sinner to your
and hear the Gospel? When did you make a yH- de
pfayed drunkard welcome. in Gods name? We
these things clear out-get outside the Church Of
God. in the name of God and humanity. Give US
believe in these things and live in the p@Ner To of
and old and ouch and w se erG b n are n hHS wc new
nve would use any method in itself right for
reaching these men and women, and We must do II
or we ourselves are doomed.
DEALING WITH THE INFINITE.
Now I'm IN oraor tl,a. ,,o ,.a.. u 49,