The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-06-20
DIR. CHAPMAN'S SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE By THE NOTED
PIsToR.EvANcELlsT
subject; why Men should Attend Church
Motives which should Not Influence
the neutrality-suspicious. would Relapse
Into Barbarian without Gods Tenn pie.

NEW ORK CITT.-lhe Rev. j. Wilbur
Chapman the popular pastor-evanzelist OF
the Fourth Presbyterian Church OF this
city, has delivered sermon IA which he
set forth the reasons Why men should at
tend church. He preached from the text,
And He said unto them, Come ye your
selves apart into a desert place and rest
awhile" Mark 6. 81
John the Baptist had been beheaded
and his disciples were in confusion. They
were truly as sheep without a shepherd
The apostles had heard OF the disaster,
and came 20 Jesus 10 tell Him OF al the
things that had come % pass. and then il
was that He spoke 70 them IN the words
of the text, And He said unto them,
Come ye yourselves apart into a desert
place and rest awhile; for there were
many coming and going. and they had no
leisure 50 much "a 20 eat" / am very well
aware that 20 some OF you this may seem
an Inappropriate text, for II the church Is
desert then IN itself IL presents 20 US the
reason why many men are away from
H. and why there seems 20 be a growing
indifference 10 its claims. Alas, II Is true
too often the church Is a desert place. II
Will not help Us any in our efforts 10 lead
men To attempt to blind our eyes to the
condition OF things. A desert il a spot
without water, without habitation, a place
OF death and despair. and this u true OF
every church where anything Is substituted
for the gosnel. where the whole truth il
not preached. and where Christ il not pre-
seuted 10 dying men. The sermons may
be perfect 80 far as their literary excellence
Is concerned, but without the gospel, as
the heart they are sounding brass and tink-
ling symbol in the estimation OF Him who
j. the great head Of the church. Then again
the verse in which the text IL found pre-
-ents us a picture OF the world The Mas
ter called the apostles aside 20 rest, for
there were MANY coming and going, and
they had no leisure so much as 10 eat.
This l. indeed representation OF the busl.
ness life of the most OF men. The pace IL
terrific. and If any man fails 20 keep step
with his competitor in business ne IL soon
left behind and j. counted out OF the race.
One OF the greatest needs OF the day for
men IN all departments OF life. whether II
be IN the shop, with the ordinary day la
borer or with the great merchant In his
business, or the famous lawyer at the
court, one OF the greatest needs of the day
IL for rest. Rest does not necessarily mean
idleness; when men rest as | have 1t in
mind they get their best conception of God.
they work out their greatest plans for the
future they become in the truest sense a.
God would have them.
Leonardo da Vinci. the great painter,
was once employed bv the Emperor TO pro.
duce a picture which was 10 he finished
time at his task, however, the artist alb
sented himself from his studio FOR a week
or more, doing apparently nothing toward
completing the picture The Emperor hear
ing OF this sent a courtier to demonstrate
with the painter, and when the latter did
not meet the remonstrance commanded
him 10 come 10 the royal presence WHY
have YOU neglected the painting of the nic.
ture we have ordered?" was the question
sternlv put to the artist II have not neg
lected it, sir, was the answer. But we
know that vol have not had the brush in
hand for these eight days" said the won
dering Emperor. True. sir" said the art
lat. 'but nevertheless the picture has
grown. the work Of the brush is the least
70 be done in producing a painting. The
last week | have been awav from nv studio
It il true. but wherever | went that pic
ture has been in my mind. and slowly and
steadily | have been getting into place the
figures to be put upon the canvas. The
picture sir. will be done at the stated
time and it was. and this picture Is to-
day regarded as the greatest work of the
fauous painter.
Men cannot carelessly approach a great
work; For the disciples it was "Tarry We.
before the going forth 70 service. and this
is necessary not only in religious life. but in
all departments of life. In paper not long
ago under the caption "Why do we 90 to
church?" the following was suggested:
Because it is the fashion.
Because It has become a habit.
Because il is respectable
Because we like the minister.
Because we enjoy the music and other al
fractions.
Because we feel lonesome when we dc
not 90.
Because we sing in the CHOIR or are of.
cials and must go
Because parental authority enjoins it.
Because il helps business
Are any of these the motives that move
you TO attend church? Some of them may
have a subordinate place in ones actions
but they should never become prominent
or a dominant force. Why should we go &c
church? For a hundred legitimate reasons
chief among which are these:
Because the church is the tabernacle OF
the Most High.
Because IL has always been the symbo
and centre OF worship
Because He plainly promises to meet us
there
Because we need the help the church af
fords
Because Others need the force of our ex
ample.
Because OF the JOY we find in public and
social worship,
Because without the church the commu
nifty and nation would soon lapse into bar
barism.
Because close fellowship with Gods peo
pie here Is the tTuest road to the life here
after
It is a fact that men are not attendin;
church. and II cannot be true that this u
altogether the fault of the non-attcndant
themselves. This Is a cold world IN Thlci
we hive, and naturally the world want
warm words, warm smiles warm welcomes
warm hearts. warm prayers and the warn
spirit of brotherhood and men have a rlgh
10 expect that the church which represent
Christ upon earth shall exhibit all OF thes
things. The man OF the world does no
stay away from the church because there !
too much of the Spirit OF God IN It, hu
rather because there - too little. Tn
church must be united II the unsaved worl,
is 20 be drawn TO it.
AZ the charge of Fort Donaldson in tn
late war the enemy's works had been a;
tackled many times by the different compa
MES At last wearied OF their fruitless e.
forts the Union forces for the most par
naSscd themselves az the foot OF the mi
Z and advanced together They came on Il
such numbers and with unbroken line tha
nothing could withstand their progress
/ They gained the heights and untediy wo
/ a victory which their divided forces coul
never have obtained. When the Spirit o
/ Christ shall make the church as one grea
/ body compelling us 20 march under one grea
/ banner OF the cross then We may eSncc
victory Division has ever driven me
/ away from the church. where u exists
breeds contempt and disgust \ disti-
guished man has written me the reaso
. that some men 10 not attend church j. b,
I cause they aTe impatient az the attempt
made hy the ministers 90 preach on sue
subjects a. finance. politics. literature ar
/ art Tne ordinary minister has had ,iitl
] experience IN these l;nes iu which otne