The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-06-12
hours of a theatrical performance which

thing but the gospel. They arc 4 disgrace
TO the profession and a dishonor 20 Christ.
1t is, however, my privilege to know as
many ministers as the most OF men. and
| know comparatively few III all tins great
company VINO preach anything out the
GOSPEL OF Christ 1t is true. however, tHat
the world feeds upon dry haSks. Remem-
Der the story OF the prodigal.
Eight am just as good rs the mem.
beI,s of the church; why should | attend:'
But that is not at all the question that
should be considered by the writer OF this
letter. lie may be As good as some mem-
bcrs OF the church, but Is not 1t little
strange that men who take this position
always pick ont the weak members and
line up beside them. Why not take the
strong characters OF the church instead.
The question is, How does your iltc COM
pare with that OF Christi" He is the
ideal.
Ninth-"The reason why ! am away from
the church is because when l attend the
sermon rebukes my manner OF living.
| Then | beseech you, in the name OF Christ,
change YOUR hie and to the man who
writes this letter | send out a special plea
that God may lead him speedily to Him
self.
Tenth - 'If I should attend church."
writes another young man. Il should have
| to give up my evil companions, and am
not prepared now to do that" 1t Is an
awful thing for any young man to say that
| his love OF certain companions hlnders his
| desire to be right with God, and the writer
| of this letter presents the strongest reason
why he sholld turn quickly into the
straight and narrow way that leads to life.
These are the reasons presented. 1t
would be better for US to call them eX-
cuses tor excuses are very different from
| reasons An excuse is a subterTuge behind
which men hide; reasons are entirely dlt-
ferent. 4 few reasons have been given in
! the above remarks, but the most of them
| are excuses pure and simple.
II.
1t 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-Ne ought to recognize that men
| cannot be driven to the church, but they
may be attracted. They will not go simply
because it is their duty o. because the
| Bible tells them to go, but they may be
won, and we ought 10 remember that the
| average church building, shut up for the
week, with the undertakers sign the most
| prominent upon its exterior, is 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, and indeed within
! ten wears 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 new truth which cannot
| be found in the word of God, but old
methods may be absolutely valueless, and
we have a Scriptural warrant for changing
our methods every Sunday until we have
one that will win the indifferent. This
warrant is found in the little word ''un-
TIL" in the parable of the lost sheep, tk-
| lost piece OF morey, and the lost boy. for
| the Shepherd searched, and the woman
looked, and the father waited until the
lost was found.
| Third-We have to preach to COM
posite man. If church makes its plans
| to reach the rich only it is not Christian,
whatever else it may be; if it plans sim.
ply to reach the poor it is not as Christ
would have it. The distinction made be-
tween rich and poor are to be despised; the
gospel is for all. There is not more e!ec-
| tricity to-day in the world than twenty
| 0Ne Years ago, anu uOl luOlS III -lHISi'So
| than in the heart of Africa, but Edison
harnessad it and makes it useful, and that
| is the need of the day for the church. Oh;
| for some man who can take the old gospel
which has been given to the world for cen.
turies and make it attractive. We lind
men with the influence OF the week OF
business upon them, and he Is the best
preacher who finds men as they are and
! then leads them to Christ. There are some
preachers more particular about their pro,
nunciation than about the lifting of soul
into the kingdom of God, but We are
thankful that these are few in number.
| Fourth-Let it be known that men have
never been found in great numbers In any
! church where the preacher lacks holy
boldness in the presentation of the truth.
! Men will not come to the church to hear
theories or speculatlons; they want the
truth. the whole truth and nothing but
the truth, and positive theology In the
pulpit is the most pleasing to the pew.
Fifth-It is the Christlike spirit that
draws. Education is well, philanthropy is
not to be despised. culture is good
| thing, but the church that makes its hold
upon society is the church that feels ss liz
need and makes its contribution to meet
that need.
In other days when the church bells OF
St, PauPs. in London, chimed the mid.
night hour there used to be tall, thin
gentleman with a lantern and one or two
assistants going from arch to arch and
group to group, stopping down by this
hungry man and that ragged begEEar, pick;
ing them up gently, feeding them and
clothing them, but better than ell, telling
them Of the Lord Jesus Christ, and so he
spent his nights robbing his sleep of its
allotted time. Who is this man? He has
| in his veins the bluest blood of the British
royalty. He is Earl of Shaftesbury, who
leaves his palace at West End to dig with.
in the filth and squalor OF these places OF
the Hilton viaduct. Finally the coster-
moncers said they would not receive help