The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-11-07

now in cities near and far-members
of what are called fourishing socie-
ties. Some are out on the frontier,
laying the foundations of schools
and churches, helping to extend our
Christian civilization. These coun-
try societies as to membership may
not grow or even hold their own,
but if the gospel is lived by those
of it's members left in the COM
munity, they still have power that
cannot be measured, and they are
still winning societies.
Dear Christian Endeavorers, take
heart, though statistics are against
you. 1t is not vain for you to prac-
tlce Christianity in your communi-
ty. No life is vain that illustrates
the peace and purity of the Chris
tian faith.
Second, in holding the truth. Our
age is an age of questiorings. The
very air is full of Interrogation
points. Speculations and philoso-
plies of various kinds are flooding
in upon us from all quarters. Men
are trying to search into the un-
known and absolutely unknowable.
Even religious teachers can be
found who seem to delight to teach
and preach with an "if" or "but'
or may be" and in treading
where "angels fear to tread" l
make no charge against the prayer
full study of God and man, or of sin
and salvation, of life and death and
Light on these subjects
is to be expected, and is to be hailed
with Joy. There are, however, GER
tain great truths which have been
plainly searched and long tested,
which have been proved in the fires
of prosecutions and of experience.
They have upon them the seal of
the Eternal God. Wherever there
is a Christian Endeavorer, or
Christian Endeavor Society, or a
Christian church, let them hold to
these settled things and rally for
their defense.
Many a small and comparatively
unknown church as to being a bull
wark against infdelity and preserv-
ing the truth in it's purity, is more
a winning church than many large
and conspicuous churches which
spend their time in nothing else but
either to tell or hear something new.
Be not discouraged, oh men and
women of God, if your society and
your church are still holding to
these truths. We are passing
through a decade of peculiar mental
and moral agitation. The skies,
are to clear-the storm
is to calm. We shall see some old
things in new light and some new
things will be revealed. But Gods
love for man, and mans need of
God, Christ's atoning sacrifice for
poor sinners, and the sinners need
of such a sacrifice, faith in Jesus
and fellowship with the unseen
world, the duty of repentance
these and others like them. are
deep mysteries, yet settled and
eternal truths, which shall survive
all the questionings and shiftings
of the ages. These are rock of
refuge, a sure foundation on which
to build. The Christian Endeavor-
ers that hold to these eternal truths
are sure to win, for truth must tri-
umph.
Third, in the saving of the unsaved.
In order to do anything along this
line, Christian Endeavorers must
command the respect and confidence
of the community. The people
somehow must be made to believe
in the society as made up of honest,
earnest, devoted, self-sacrifcing
young people, whose lives are purer
because of their Christian faith.
The society can not expect addi-
tons to the church unless the socie-
ty is seen to possess the spirit of
the Master.
The object of Christian Endeav-
or, aside from help IN building up
and rounding out Christian charac-
ter, is the conversion of souls.
Christian Endeavor to win along