The Penn's Grove record., 1903-10-16

100 VI ia ~ IL .
tus-eating atmosphere, ~listless, idle, unac-
complishing.
liberation is a long advance from intoE-
erance, but liberation easily becomes in
difference, and both are utterly made
quate to express the ideal relationship be-
tween bodies of Christ's followers. Toler
ate? Endure? Be Indifferent? Shame on
those who would thus cruelty the Christ
afresh! Like a mighty army moves the
heart beat answering to heart beat, steps
swinging in time to the martial music of
the church militant and the church trium-
plant, Like a mighty army moves the
church of God" No regimental sacrifice
of conviction, but above the flag of the
regiment, the flag of the army above the
standard of the denomination, the white
banner of the Captain OF the host, the
Commander of the armies of the faithful,
the King, omnipotent and ~eternall Not
intolerance, not liberation, not indiffer-
ence, but fellowship, is the ~rallying cry,
and W. may believe that it finds a sympa-
thetic chord in every heart Of this great
company.
A good beginning has been made. Fed
grafton Is fellowship put into practice.
Federation of churches and of Christian
workers has ceased to be a dream; 1t is
far from uncommon to-day, in single COM
munities, in counties, in States. Let me
indicate a very few of the lines which have
been suggested and actually followed in
this federated work. A religious census OF
| a given community, resulting in a religious
directory, showing church and Sunday
school membership and attendance; Chris
tian citizenship efforts. including those
against the legalized saloon. and against
| the dissertation and humiliation of the
day of rest, a bulwark OF our national life
now thrown down and trampled in the
dust-our brethren under other national
| flags are not free from the bitterness of
this assault; a common rallying for the
preservation or the securing of IN ideal
public school system; where it can be done
a wise direction of UNCONVENTIONAL enter
prises in the way of the founding Of new
churches, thus tending to economy of eff
fort and wise stewardship of %resource, but
chiefly, chiefly, cooperation in the vital,
invaluable work of the church universal in
evangelization, this above everything else
the joining hands Of those who believe
that the world is lost without Jesus Christ
in harmonious and loving fellowship Of
action for the worlds salvation. In all OF
these endeavors we may work together,
our hearts beating as one in our eommon
love and loyalty to our common Lord.
Let me suggest two thoughts which may
strengthen US in our fellowship.
First-The enemies of Christ and lis
followers are neither dead nor sleeping.
Luther said, as a representation of the
church in his day: "Who would paint a
picture Of the present condition of the
church let him paint a young woman In a
wilderness, or in some desert place, and
round about her let him figure lions, whose
eyes are glazing upon her and whose
mouths are open to devour her substance
and her beauty" That is the natural con-
dition Of the church. When the church
in that age, In this age, in anv age, is truly
alive, and is fulfilling her destiny, she will
find about her, as Of old. men more cruel
than ravenous beasts. The gospel means
battle. 1t is rightly on the offensive, not
the defensive. The gospel divides, when
it is manifested in a disciple whose en-
bodying of the gospel is strong enough to
divide anything. The blocl; viii bear al
most unmarked the edge of an axe ham
died by the feeble fineers of IN infant, but
the axe goes cleaving through the wood
when the edge comes down under the
True, multitudes of nominal Christians
live on most amiable terms with the
world, and know next to nothing of any
tribulation or opposition occasioned by
their profession OF Christianity. But that
is not because there is any real alteration
in the consequences of close union with
Jesus. It is because their unio is SO very
/ SIRut Ii 6uPCl1Alk04- LIN "a
own, and what can it find to hate in the
shoals of people whose religion is confined
to their tongues mostly and has nothing to
do with their lives? 1t mas not ceased to
be a hard thing to be a real and thorough
Christian.
To be sure, opposition finds different
foes to-day than in some other days. You
know to what lengths &c has gone. The
Inquisition, the massacre of st. Barsholo
- - DL,t.- TT f S-afr fhe
Duke of Alva with his satanic deeds IN the
Netherlands, the fires of Smithfield, these
are not SO far in the past that mists O.
oblivion have shrouded them. But lei
us understand, my fellow Christians, thai
the world and the flesh and the devil an
against Christian building and Christian
living still, just as they always were
I do not believe In people looking fol
trouble, searching for some n who vii
consent to prosecute them, but l have ar
idea that the sting Of Smithfeld fires and
the wrenching of Torquemada's rack, L
those experiences could be repeated, might
correct some vagaries OF modern theology
The laundering summons of the enemy
at the door might be a wholesome anti
dote for some conditions in our churche.
of to-day. There is something in the cal
to battle, battle for a cause which l
righteous and supremely worthy, which
stirs the deepest and the best in US. IL
it true that there is to-day little OF ths
heroic in religion to appeal to men: Ala
for us if that be SO.
The statement comes from some of oul
theological seminaries that there is SOM
dearth of candidates for the ministry
Why? Why is it that the ministry doe
not appeal to every stalwart, able. earnest
unselhsh Christian man in his college days
It does to some. A part of the produc
Of our seminaries to-day was never sur
passed. But why does not the claim o
this great vocation press upon every sucl
/, an one until it is soberly settled one wa.
or the other? 1t is not because youni
men are afraid. There was no difficult.
in filling up the ranks of the Rough Ride
: regiment. though every man knew that b.
was taking his life in his hands when h
volunteered. There was no lack OF volun
teers for service when the Merrlmac wa
to be sunk at the mouth Of Santiago har
Dor, though it meant a voyage into tn
jaws of death. Eight men were needed
you know the response to the call for vol
unteers.
Second-The insistent call for servic
has not ceased. Dean Frederick W. FaI
rar, who has but recently passed from
among us, has said: as not this fatal
true, that the lives Of very many are friv
olous, useless, egotistical; that the lives o
very many are wasted and self-ruined b.
their own vilest passions; that the live
of some are ike a mere poison and pest
lence to all around them; that it is tn
lives Of few only which are noble and gen
erous, brave and unselish, merciful an
just, pure and true? And the main ours
Of most lives is that they think only @
self and live only for SELF / hope tha
the words contain an exaggeration. / ca
but believe that each of VI knows IN hi
own circle lives which, though they b
hidden from public view and knowledg'
al sbrave and unselfish," "pure an
TT =" But the words of the great church
man are a challenge and an appeal. Th
insistent call for service has not ceased.
Thank God, history shows that the ca
has not been in vain. In the social streal
: of the life of this world it is good to thin
of men and women who have not please
! themselves, but have gone about doir
) good, great souls who in their stubbor
devotion Il the truth, in detestation
. falsehood and lies, have faced a lyiI
) world and the hatred of the base and ii
!, storm of weak and cowardly criticism, M
!, holding their lives dear unto themselves
: l lear some one say, 1--WE have no sue
call as they" but we have. The only ca
they had we have-the call of the neet
!, We might, the humblest of us, be usefu
Perhaps very few eyes will be wet for u
and they not for long, while others, wit
less of opportunity than ourselves, hav