The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-07-25

A SUNDAY DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
PASToR.zVANCELlsr

Subject. why Men Should Attend Church
Motives which should Not Influence
the Worshipcr-Nailon Would Relapse
Into Barbarian without Gods Temple.
NEw YonE Cry The Rev. y Wilbur
Chapman. The popular pastor-eyangclist Of
the Fourth Presbyterian Church of this
city. has delivered n sermon I'M which he
set forth the reasons why men should at
tend church. Tie preached from the text.
"And He said unto them. Come ye You.
selves apart into q desert place and rest
awhile Mari, g. b.
John the Baptist had been beheaded
and his disciples were in confusion They
were truly az sheen without q shepherds
The apostles had heard Of the disaster,
and came TO Jesus to tell Him of all the
things that had come 30 pass, and then it
was that He spoke to them in the words
of the text And Tie said unto them,
Come ye yourselves apart into a desert
place and rest awhile; for there We're
many coming and going and they had no
leisure so much as TO eat" am very well
aware that TO some of YOU this may seem
an Inappropriate text for If the church is
a desert then i'm itself it presents to us the
reason why so many men are away from
1t, and why there seems 10 be a growing
Indifference to It's claims Alas, it is true
too often the church is a desert place. 1t
viii not help us any I'M our efforts TO lead
men to ATTEMPT to blind our eyes to the
condition of things A desert is a spot
without water without habtation, a place
of death and despair and this is true of
every church where anything is substituted
for the gospel, where the whole truth is
not preached. and where Christ is not pre-
santed to dying men The sermons may
be perfect so 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
is the great head of the church Then again
the verse in which the text is found pre-
sents us a picture Of the world. The Mas
ter called the apostles aside to rest, for
there were many coming and going, and
they had no leisure so much as to eat.
This is indeed a representation of the bust
ness life of the most of men. The pace is
terrific. and if any man fails to keep step
with his competitor in business he is soon
left behind and is counted out of the race
| One of the greatest needs of the day for
men in all departments Of life, whether 1T
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 llE EIfditel uttNs VI tllt uhN
is for rest. Rest does not necessarily mean
! idleness; when men rest as / have it in
mind thev get their best conception of God,
| they work out their greatest plans for the
| future, they become in the truest sense as
God would have them.
Leonardo da Vinci. the great painter,
| was once employed by the Emperor to pro
! duce a picture which was to be finished
/ bv a certain date. After working some
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 to come to the royal presence. "Why
have you neglected the painting of the pic.
ture we have ordered" was the question
sternly put to the artist. 81 have not neg
lected it. sir" was the answer "But we
know that you have not had the brush in
hand for these eight days" said the won
! dering Emperor. "True, sill" said the art.
list, "but 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 I went that pic
ture has been in my mind and slowly and
! hJEdullg udNG bCCl ENbvlllS lAbO pleLOC tllN
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
famous painter.
Men cannot carelessly approach a grea'
work For the disciples it was "Iarry We, ,
before the going forth to service. and thi
is necessary not only in religious life, but IL
all departments of life. In q paper not Ion;
ago under the caption 'Why do we go Il
church" the following was suggested:
Because it is the fashion.
Because it has become 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 d.
not go.
Because we sing in the choir or are off
cials and must 60
Because parental authority enjoins it.
Because it helps business.
Are any of these the motives that NOV
you to attend church? Some of them ma
have a subordinate place in ones actions
but they should never become a prominen
or a dominant force Why should we 90
church? For hundred legitimate reasons
chief among which are these:
Because the church is the tabernacle G
the Most High.
Because it has always been the symbc
and centre of worship,
Because He plainly promises to meet L
there,
Because we need the help the church a
fords.
Because others need the force Of our e2
ample.
Because Of the JOY we find in public an
social worship.
Because without the church the COMMIT
nifty and nation would soon lapse into ba
barism.
Because close fellowship with Gods PEI
pie here is the truest road to the life her
after.
1t is a fact that men are not attendin
church, and it cannot be true that this
altogether the fault Of the non-attendant
themselves This is a cold world in whic
we live, and naturally the world wan