Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-06-19
COME And REST AWHILE"
Sunday Discourse by DR.. Chapman, the
Noted PastOr.Evangelist.
Why Men Should Attend Church. Nation
Would Relapse Into Barbarlsm With
out Gods Temple.

And lie Salu unto lnelli, Cohie " 80
selves apart into desert place and rest
awhile Mark 6: 81. :,
John the Baptist had been beheaded
md his disciples were in confusion. They
we're truly as sheep without shephercs
The APOSTLES had heard OF the disaster,
and came to Jesus to tell Him OF all the
things that had come to pass. and then 1t
was that He spoke to them in the words
If the text. "And He said unto them,
Come We yourselves apart into a desert
place and rest awhile; for there were
many coming and going, and they had no NJ,
,cisure so much as to cat" ] am very well
aware that to some of YOU thi is may seem
m inappropr;ate text. for ii the church Is
{ desert then in itself it presents to us the
reason why so many men are away from
it, and why there seems to be a growing
Indifference to its claims. Alas, 1t Is true
too often the church is desert place. 1t
will not help us any in our efforts to lead
men to attempt to blind our eyes to the
condition of things. A desert is spot
without water, without habltat'on, pace
Of death and despair, and this is true OF
every church where anything is substituted
Cor the gospel, where the whole truth is
not preached. and where Christ is not pre-
rented to diving men. The sermons may
re perfect so far as their literary excellence
is concerned but without the gospel. as
the heart thew are sounding brass and tnk-
ling symbol in the estimation of Him who
Il the great head of the church. Then again
the verse in which the text is found nre'
rents us picture of the world. The Mas
ter called the apostles aside to rest, Tor
there were manv coming and gong, ana
they had no leisure so much rs to eat.
This is indeed a representation OF the buS'-
ness life of the most of men. The pace Is
&c foil RI
with his connection in business he is soon
left behind and is counted ont Of the race
One of the greatest needs of the day Tor
men in all denartmants of ltc, whether 1t
he in the shop. with the ordinary day IA
horer or with the great merchant in his
business, or the famous LAWYER ut the
rcurt. one of the greatest needs OF the day
/. for rest. Rest does not necessarily mean
id1encss: When men rest as ! have It IN
r,ind they get their best conccpNon OF GOD.
they work out their greatest plans tor the
future. they became in the truest sense as
God would have them. -
Leonardo da NnCi, the great painter
was once employed hv the Emperor to pro,
duce a picture. which was to he finished
bv certain date. After working some
time at his task. however, the artist alb
scented himself from his studio for week
or more. doing apparently nothing toward
completing the picture. The Emperor hear
ing Of this sent a courtcr to rCmnNstralc
with the painter. and when the latter dlI
not meet the rcmorstranCc commanded
him to come to the ROYAL presence. ''Nhy
have You neglected the nainting of the nc
turc we have ordcred?' was the question
sternlv nut to the artist. 81 have not neg
lcctcd il. sir" was the answer. "But we
know that Won have not had the brush IN
hand for these cirht days. said The won.
,lering Emperor. "Truc sir, said the art
iFt "hut nevertheless the picture has
grown. the work Of the brush is the least
to be done in producing a painting. The
last week ! have been away from my studio
it is true. but wherever | went that pie.
ture has been in my mind. and slowly ard
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 aud this picture IS ~
dav regarded as the greatest work OF the
famous painter.
Men cannot care,cssly approach great
work. For the disciples it was "'rarry yc.'
before the going forth tn service, and this
is necessary not only in religious life hut in
all departments of lie. In n parer not long
ago under the caption "WEy do we 90 to
church, the following was suggested:
Because it is The fashion.
Because it has become a habit.
Because it is respectable.
Because we like the minister,
Because we enjoy the music and other at
fractions.
Because we feel lonesome when we do
not go,
Because we sing in the choir or are Off
Gals and must go.
Because parental authority enJoins II.
pnrnnCn IL helms bTISinCsS
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 20 to
church? For hundred legitimate reasons,
chief among which are these:
Because the church is the tabernacle OF
the Most High.
Because it has always been the symbo'
and centre of worship.
Because lie plainly promises to meet us
there.
Because we need the help the church af
fords.
Because others need the force of our OK.
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 PEG.
pc here is the truest road to the life here.
after.
1t is fact that men are not attending
church, and it cannot be true that this Is
altogether the fault of the non.attendants
themselves. This is a cold world in which
we live. and naturally the world wants
warm words, warm smiles, warm Welcomes
hearts and tIn m
spirit OF brotherhood, and men have a right
to expect that the church which represents
Christ upon earth shall exhibit all of these
things. The man of the world does not
stay away from the church because there is
too much of the Spirit of God in it, hut
rather because there is too little. The
church must be united if the unsaved world
Is to be drawn to it.
The following reasons for church at.
tendance have been presented to me by
men Of great renoWn throughout the coun.
try, great business men, great philanthro
plsts, great leaders of men generally, and
there is not one who has written to me
but whose name is known throughout the
whole world
First-Man needs the church. Tempta
tons assal him on every side; there is no
man that lives without temptation. The
pressure OF materiahsm in these days IS
terrific. and unless man has strong up
ward pull, at least one day in the week he
will find himself gradually going down
The commercial spirit of the day is some
thing marvellous to think Of and unless
one day at least in the seven is spent in
worshiping God the other days of the
week will dwarf and starve that spiritual
nature which every man possesses whether
he is conscious of it or not. The tendency
to look down and not up will after a while
give the man a hating, hesitating, blind
way of walking, while the man who one
day in the week at least looks up and not
down will find himself purcr and better
and stronger. Men are sure to retro
grade and lose ground if they neglect the
church." said man to me the other day,
whose salary is S2Duu per gear Ny pcs
perity will he my defeat unless an care
fuI. | find now that | am constantly