The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-06-13

straight and narrow way that leads - lite.
Eleventh-"l'he secular side oi life APP
peals So strongly TO me that | fad nav
spiritual interest l. becoming deadened.
writes a man who used 60 be a member of
the church, "aud for this reason | am not
attending" liz Is easy 10 understand how
men who live IN a great city would say
this. and | wonder sometimes when | see
men IN their place OF business and m the
Stock Exchange that they can be as good
as they are. IL Is an alarming condition,
aud sooner or later such men VIII find
themselves hopelessly enslaved and lost
Twelfth-"There are greater attractions
elsewhere" God pity the man who SAYS
this He was made 20 be filled with God
and can be satisfied with nothing less. l
read the other day of the man who was
PLAYING violin aud Russian viohnlst
taking il in his hands said. This must be
a hundred years old at least Then said
a bystander 1T must be very valuable.
That does not necessarily follow said
the Russian musician, because II a violin
has been used 10 play a low order OF music
n comes % vibrate easily TO that class OF
music and does not respond 10 the higher
class. and this violin has evidently been
used for an inferior class OF music, there.
fore its value il not great IL j. an awfu'
thing for man 20 let his nature respond
and vibrate 20 lower things when God
meant that he should be toned 10 the mu-
sic OF heaven.
Thirteenth-"The music is too poor in
the church, especially the Congregational
music" | sympathize with the writer of
this letter, for there are few things So de.
pressing as the singing IN some churches.
and few things so inspiring as the hearty
music of God in Congregational music,
Fourteenth-"I am not church attend.
ant" writes another. because of the petty
uuarrels OF the church and this Is sad
thing 10 confess that 10 have been church
members and at variance with each other.
God pity the man who mars the harmony
of the church. as Joseph Parker SAYS, For
every other sinner | have gospel as high
as heaven. but for the man who mars the
body of Christ an anathema,' Yet II our
battle ships when they moved out against
the Spanish vessels had turned their guns
against themselves how fearful would have
been the picture.
These are the reasons presented. II
would be better for us 90 call them eN.
cuses, for excuses are very different from
reasons. An excuse IL a suhteriuge behind
which men hide; reasons are entirely diff
fercnt A few reasons have been given IN
the above remarks, but the most of them
are excuses pure and simple
H.
II is said that an honest confession is
good for the soul, and there are some
things that we as members OF the church
and as pastors OF the church might as well
acknowledge first as last.
First-We ought TO recognize that men
cannot be driven to the church, but they
may be attracted. They will not 90 simply
because 1t Is their duty or because the
Bible tells them TO 90, but they may be
won, and we ought TO remember that the
average church building, shut up Tor the
week, with the undertaker's sign the most
prominent upon its exterior ~ not attract
i've TO the un-church people The inside OF
the building may be beautiful, but doubt.
less they do not think that.
Second-With each new generation new
conditions present themselves. Within
twenty-five years the methods OF business
have entirely changed, aud indeed within
ten years a new order of business prevails
and the church must keep up with the
times. The old truth Is sacred and can
never be changed. God pity that man who
tries TO present a new truth which cannot
be found in the word OF God, bat old
methods may be absolutely valueless, and
we have a Scrlptural warrant for changing
our methods every Sunday until we hay'
| one that will win the Indifferent This
warrant IL found in the little word 'un
! TIL" in the parable OF the lost sheep, tl@
! lost piece OF money, and the lost boy, ioi
| the Shepherd searched, and the woman
! looked, and the father waited until the
! lost was found.
The Emperor of Russia in passIni
! through his palace with a distinguished
visitor one day was asked as they looked
| out the window why a sentinel was stand
! ing at certain place on the grass. Ih'
! Emperor asked the sentinel of the day
| and he did not know, and then he ques
toned the gentleman ln command OF th'
forces, and he could not tell, but when th'
records were studied II was found tina
years ago the wife of the Emperor had no
| ticed a bunch OF wild flowers growing ther
and had asked u sentinel to stand ther'
and guard them. The order had nsye
! been reversed and for years and years th'
| soldier had been standing there, and Their
| are many people In these days who stan'
guarding some wlthered flower IN the shap'
of an old method or an old tradition IN
stead OF shaping themselves TO the times
| We have a gospel INFINITE IN Its beaut,
| and It's sweetness, and we with sucl
ought 20 make encouragement apparent t
lost men.
Third-We have 10 preach 20 a com
| posite man. Ii church makes its plan
TO reach the rich only II ~ not Christian
| whatever else Il may be; II IL plans sim
ply 90 reach the poor 1t Is not M Chris
| would have it. The distinction made be
tween rich and poor are 90 be despised, th
!
| tricity to-day in the world than twenty
five years ago. and not more m Amerlc
! than in the heart Of Africa but Ediso
| harnessed IL and makes II useful, and tha
70 the need Of the day for the church oh
for some man who can take the Old gospe
/ which has been given 20 the world for cen
turies and make II attractive. We tn
| men with the influence OF the week o
! business upon them, and he Is the bes
| preacher who finds men az they are AM
! then leads them % Christ. There are som
| preachers more particular about their pro
! nuuciation than about the liitlng oi a sou
into the kingdom OF God, but We ar
| thankful that these are few m number.
FOurth-Let u be known that men hav
| never been found 90 great numbers in an
! church where the preacher lacks no!
boidness IN the preseutatiOn OF the truth
| Men will not come o. the church 20 hea
! theories or specu.atOnsi they want IN
truth. 'he whole truth and nothing bu
| the truth. and a positive Theology iu ia
puluit d the most pleasing 10 the pew.
Fifth-ft i the ChrI-tike spirit tha
| draws. Education b. well. philanthropy .
not 20 be de-pi -cd. culture u goo
thing. but the church that makes ~ hol
upon society u the church that feels -
need and makes ~ contribution 10 NEE
that need.
In other days when the church bells Q
St Paurs. in London, cnlmed the md
night hour there used % be a tal, thu
gentleman with lantern and one or wv
assistants going from arch % arch an
group 10 grOup. st0Dtiug down By hi
hungry man and that ragged begzar. picb
ing thcm up gently, feeding them an
clothing them. but better than al. tellIn
them of the Lord Jesus Christ. and 20 b