Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-09-26

not bring a large audience and on Mon
dav sit down and write jeremlads tor the
| religious newspapers about the decadence
| of church attendance.
| People will not go no church merely as
a matter of duty. There will not next
| Sabbath be a thousand people in any city
who will get up in the morning and saw:
| 'The Bible says I must go to church. 1t
| is my duty to to church: therefore
will 90 to church" The vast multitude of
| people who to church 20 to church b.
| cause thew like it. and the multitude OF
| people who stav away from church stay
awey because they do not like it. l am
| not speaking about tho wav Cne world
ought to be: am speaking about the way
| the world is. Taking things are they are.
| we must make the ceDtripetai force OF the
| church mighter han the centrifugal. We
must make our churches magnets to draw
| the. people thereunto. so that man will
| feel uneasy if hr does not 90 to church,
saying: y wish ] had gone this morning.
| [ wonder il can't dress vet and get there
in time. It is II o'clock; now they are
| singing. 1t is half-past II; row they are
| preaching. ] wonder when the folks will
! be home to tell us what was said, what has
| been going on.
When the Impression is confirmed that
our churches. nv architecture, by music.
| by sociality and by sermon, shall be made
| the rnnet attractive places on earth then
we have now. twice as large. and then
| they will not half accommodate the peo-
| pie.
Therefore. nv brother Christian worker
| If YOU and 7 find two illustrations for q
! religious subject, and the ono is Bible
| illustration aud the other is outside the
Bible. will take the latter because |
want to be like my Master Looking
across to a hill, Christ saw the city OF
Jerusalem.
| Talking to toe people about The con
| spicuity of Christian example, He said:
'"rhe world is looking at you; be careful;
| A city that is set on hill cannot be hid"
| While He was speaking of the divine care
of Gods children a bird flew past. He
said "Beho.d the ravens" Then, look
ing down into the valley. all covered at
| that season with flowers, He said, Con
slider the lilies"
Oh, nv brother Christian workers.
| some obscure part OF history the
| other side Of the earth to get an lllustra-
| ton when the earth and the heavens are
| full of Illustrations;
Oh. Christian workers we have got to
| freshen up. What is the use of our going
hack in the Christian classics to find an
illustration OF the victorious Christian
deathned when my personal friend. Al
fred Goodman. a few wears ago went away
in "a imperial grandeur as did Edward
Payson?
Is il any less an illustration TO ne and
TO you because ] met him a few weeks be-
fore iii front Of Trinity Church, Broad
way. and | said: Goodman, YOU look as
i Won were working too hard" Where
in all the classics is there such a story as
! that OF Goodman. when in his last moment
lie cried: Il am sweeping through the
gates washed in the blood Of the Lamb
Oh. fellow Christian workers. what ls
The use OF our being stale and obsolete
and ancient when all around US are these
evidences OF Gods grace, Gods deliver
ance. Gods mercy and Gods wisdom?
We have got TO freshen uD in sermons.
freshen up IN our songs, freshen up in our
zeal. fresben mp III Our conservation, and
if we do it, my brethren and sisters, we
will no more have TO coax people TO
come TO church than if you throw
corn on the ground you have to coax
pigeons to come and eat it, no more than
you would have to coax a tired horse to
eat the oats you throw in his manager.
Yes we must freshen up in our Sunday
schools and in our PRAYER meetings and in
our pulpits.
1t is high time that the church of God
stopped writing apologies for the church.
Jet the men who are on the outside, who
despise religion. write the apologies If
any people do not want the church, they
need not have it. 1t is free country If
any man does not want the gospel, he
need no5 have it. 1t is free country
But YOU go out. oh, people of God, aud
give the gospel to the millions of America
who do want it.
It is high time we stop skirmishing and
bring on a general engagement. I want
to live to see the Armageddon, all the ar
mics of heaven and hell in battle array,
for L know our Conqueror on the white
horse will gain the day Let the church of
God be devoted to nothing else, but 60
right on to this conquest.
When Moses with his army was irving
to conquer the Philippians profane history
says it was expected that he would 90 IN
roundabout way and come by the banks
or the river, as other armies had done,
because the straig route was infested
with snakes, and no army and no man
had dared to go across this serpent infest-
ed region. But Moses surprised them
He sent his men out to gather up ibises.
lac ibis is a bird celebrated for serpent
Staying. and these ibises were gathered
into crates and into baskets. and they
were carried at the head OF the army OF
Moses, and coming up to the serpent in
tested region the crates were opened and
the lbIses few forth. and the way was
cleared. and the army of Moses marched
right on and came so unexpectedly on the
Philippians that they few in wild dismay.
. church of God, you are not to march
to rOunda bout way. but to go straight
forward depending upon winged infiu-
ences to clear the way. Hosts OF the liv-
ing God, march on. march on, Church
attendance, large now. is going to be
larger Vel. The sky is frightening in
every direction. | am glad for the boy
and girl five Years old; | think they may
see the millennium. The wheel OF Chris
tian progress has never made one revoIu-
ton backward The world moves. the
kingdom advances. All nations will vet
salute the standards Of Prince Emmanuel.
TO Him be glory in the church throughout
all ages. Amen!