The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-01-01
IAN MACLARAN ON A WORLDLY


leading republican daily. quoted Rev.
John Watson, the author of two or
three very charming books. as saying
that "the church does not lay the an
cient stress upon righteousness that
was once h case. More Is the pity
for the Church." Of that Is true. and
probably it may not be denied. II Ii is
so b~ackslidden, so filled with the world
that it has lost its grip upon the old
Bible "righteousness"-that man is com
pletely fallen and must be born
again." as Christ the Saviour said to
Nicodemus, then the church is indeed
in a most sad, a most awful condition.
The Bible teaches all through what
sin is, how 1t degrades and damns, and
how judgment, stern and i~rrevocable,
awaits sin when u~nrepented OF. BE
not deceived: God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth. that shall
he also reap" Pause and ponder that
eternal scripture of ruth. The soul
that sinneth it shall die" For the
wages of sin is DEATH" THE wicked
shall be turned into hell" These are
Gods own solemn declarations. 1t is
by Christ and through Christ and be-
ing in Christ that a fallen man, a sin
ner may be saved. I'm whom We have
redemption through His blood, the for
giveness of sins. according to the
riches of His grace" When a church
of any name or denomination becomes
worldly, loses its hold upon primal
truths, the undying threats and prom
| ises of God, then it is indeed a fallen, a
dead church. 1t is ready to have its
candlesticks removed from it's altar.
Mr.. Watson clan Maclaren") is no
friend or defender Of a low standard
and a worldly church filled with world
ly members who have a name to live
by but are absolutely dead. The Press
quotes him as opposing the sin of
men who injure their fellow-men. He
| says:
1.-The man who cheats at a game,
who goes back upon a bargain, who
shirks the post of danger, who flches
another doctors patient, who exposes
a woman's frailty, who brings up the
catastrophe in a mans private life, is
deSpised n cast out by the world.
The pariah of the world is a sneak,
III lOI It'll w 10 IO lilOlC IiCiSy
than for a rat"
The comments of the Press are
superficial n on a low plain. The
real fundamentals of the religion of
Jesus Christ that were sought to be es-
tablished in the hearts of men, and to
be incorporated as the dogmas Of a
Holy Church built upon the .redemp-
49, 1911 - A. 80 - 60 ora mi
regarded or enforced. Indeed there is
a kind of plea for the justification of a
low standard for it says:
The church, if not in it's principles
or it's inspiration, at least in it's social
bearing upon the world OF which it
forms a part, is a reflection of that
world. Its social fabric cannot be ex-
pected to have a closer wool tnln the
social fabric of a society founded upon
the home. In social life we tolerate
this inner righteousness; so we
must expect to see done In the church"
That is nonsense. The religion of
Christ Jesus is pure and undefiled. 1t
is in the soul and shapes and controls
the life. The true disciple-the man
born of God, born of the Holy Spirit,
is, as the Bible teaches. a new crea-
llOl-Ue Is So CIldIlSeu lndI Ola lllilSS,
have completely passed away After
this great, imperatively needed work
in the soul, so purifying, so transform
ing, so uplifting has been wrought
through Divine power, then be de
parts from iniquity." he "abstaius from
all appearance of evil" for he hates
evil' and then he follows holiness,
without u,hiob no -, .baIl ono 49,
Lord" We are quoting the everlasting
v~erities OF God. What follows? Then
the changed, the converted. the regen-
Grated man enters upon a new life, for
his life lis hid with Christ in God.
He begins h strict practice Of a life
of self-denial. He becomes a cross
bearer, and daily. Let him deny him
self and TAX up his cross daily, and
follow me-" Thus spake Jesus. See
Luke 9:29-24. His life is an unbroken
life of separation from the world. He
henceforth lives a life of conservation
a life of service. else he can not obey
the injunction of the Master, follow
me-" He lives a life CT trust, of hope,
of thanksgiving, of alteration ard graf
itude n praise and, what is very
particular, of testimony. "Ye ara my
witnesses, saith the Lord" Then
they hat feared the Lord spake often
n to another" A low religion is a
poor religion. 1t will never save the
soul and secure for it an eternal hebi-
tation among the sanctified AMI re-
deemed in everlasting glory. ~ world
ly church damns many a soul by it's
false standards and it's liberation OF
iniQuity.
a FINE ARCHITECTURAL FABRIC.