Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-06-12

why he should turn quickly INTO me
straight and narrnw wy that leads to life.
Eevcnth-"Ihe secular side OF hfe ap.
peals so strongly to me that I find my
spiritual interest is becoming deadened,"'
writes q man who used to be member OF
the church, "and for this reason ! am not
attending" 1t is easy to understand how
men who live in q great city would say
this, and I wonder sometimes when L see
men in their place Of business and in the
Stock Exchange that they can he as good
as they are 1t is an alarming CONDITION;
and sooner or later such men will lind
themselves hopciossly enslaved and lost
These are the reasons presented. IL
would be better for us to call them eN.
cuses for excuses are very different from
reasons. An excuse is subtertugc behind
which men hide; reasons are entirely DIT
ferent. A few rea sons have been given in
the above remarks. but the most OF them
are excuses pure and simple.
III.
Tt 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 wei
acknowledge first as last.
First-We ought to recognize that men
cannot be driven to the church, but they
NAV be attracted. They will not go Simply
because it is their duty or because thr
Bible tells them to go, but they may he
won, and we ought to remember that the
average church building, shut up for the
week, with the undertakCr's 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 gcneraton, new
conditions present themselves. Within
>t,,-E va ba m t hnHe Of hllSlnpGS
have entirely changed, and indeed within
ten years new order of business prevails,
and the church must keep M 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 va ueesS. and
we have Scripture warrant Tor changing
our methods every Sunday until we have
one that will win the indifferent. This
warrant is found in the little word "un-
TILL" in the parable of the lost sheep, tl-
lost piece of money. and the lost boy. for
the Shepherd searched, and the woman
looked and the father waited until the
lost was found.
The Emperor of Russia in passing
through his palace with distinguished
visitor one day was asked as they looked
out the window why a sentinel was stand
ing at certain pace OH inc Ei"HS' i-'
Emperor asked the sentinel of the day.
and he did not know, and then he qucs-
TONED the gentleman in command OF the
forces. and he could not tell. but when the
records were studied it was found that
wears ago the wife of the Emperor had no.
ticed bunch OF wild flowers growing here
and had asked sentinel to stand there
and guard them. The order had n.ler
been reversed, and for years and years, the
soldier had been standing there, and there
are many people in these days who stand
guarding some withercd flower in the shape
of an old method or an old tradition IN
stead of shaping themselves t. the times.
We have n gospel infinite in ITS beauty
and its sweetness. and we with such
ought to make encouragement apparent to
lost men.
Third-We have to preach to com.
posite man. If church makes It's plans
to reach the rcn only it is not Christian,
whatever else it may be; If it plans SIM
ply to reach the poor Il rs not a .hrlNt
would have it. The distinction made be-
tween rich and poor arc 20 be dcspised; the
gospel is for all There is no more e'cc.
tricty to-day in the world than twenty.
five years ago. and not more IN America
than in the heart of Africa, hut Edison
harnessed it and makes 1t useful, and that
is the need of the day for the church. Oh.
for some man who can Ia &c the o'd gospel
which has been given to the world tor cen,
turtles and make it attractive, We ind
men with the influence of the week OF
business upon them, and he is the bcSt
preacher who finds men as they arc ana
then leads them to Christ. There are some
preachers more particular about their pro.
nunciation than about the lifting OF a 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 i'll great numbers IN any
church where the preacher lacks hoy
boldness in the presentation OF the truth.
Men will not come to the church to hca1
theories or spCculatlons: 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 ChriStlil>c spirit that
draws. Education is we'll philanthropy is
not to be despised, culture is . good
thing, but the church that makes its ho,d
upon society is the church that feels its
need and makes its contribution to meet
that need.
In other days when the church bells os
ST. Pauls, in London, ch,,med the md
night hour there used to be a tall. thin
gentleman with lantern and one OF two
assistants going from arch to arch and
group to group, STOPPING down by thus
hungry man and that ragged beggar, pick.
ing them up gently, feeding them and
clothing them, but better than all, telling
them of the Lord Jesus Christ, and so he
spent his nights. robbing his sleep OF its
allot--l time Who is this man! lie has
in his veins the bluest blood Of the British
royalty. He is Earl of Shaftcsbuly, who
leaves his palace at West End to dig with;
in the filth and squalor of these places oi
the Hilton viaduct. Finally the coster.
mongers said they would not receive help
from Lord Shaftcsbury, for he was too
proud and his blood was too blue, and 50
the great man became one of them, with
cart and donkey, and with his crest emf
blaZoned on the harness, and when they
saw that they said, Lord Shaftcsburr
stands with us and he shall help US
"NVhen did your reformation begin" Il
gentleman asked Christian man who had
been formerly great criminal with
my talk with the Earl, sir" he replied.
"What did the Earl say?' asked the gen
tleman. 1T was not SO much anything he
said, but he took my hand in his and
said, Jack, you will be man yet 1T
was the touch of his hand electrified by
his soul of love-" and that will be great
day for the church when men sit in its
"And what did the preacher say" and
they reply possibly "Well, l cannot tell
what he said" And what was his text"
might be the question, and the answer,
81 do not know his text" Well, then of
what value was your attendance upon the
church. and if the reply could be, 81 only
know that while the minister preached |
determined to be better man." preaching
of this sort would draw the un-churched
and win multitude to Christ.
Curious Dwelling Places.
The perforated landscapes OF kap
padocia must present a most remark
able appearance. In the district of
NJ nj