The Penn's Grove record., 1904-03-18

should stand in a good light that we may
do it good.
Your reason for remaining out of tho
church may be that Of Biblical OF doctrinal
difficulty. Many a man is losing his soul,
not because he cannot believe in Christ,
but because he cannot believe in Jonah
and the whale. More than one man has
said were it not for the Garden of Eden"
and the "Deluge" he would accept Jesus as
Saviour. | know a man who has lost his
religious fervor because he could not rec
oncile the doctrine OF election with the
freedom of the human viii and the uni
versatility of Gods grace. And another
whose religious activities have been par
alyzed because he could not reconcile the
possibility of punishment Of sin with the
all mercy, all love Of God. Many such
asslnlne questions are killing mems enthu-
siasm for the work Of the Lord. If those
inside of the church are Influenced thus,
we need not wonder that Christians out
side of the church question so foolishly.
Those same men never think of question:
ing what the president and officers Of the
club, or Masonic order, or Odd Fellows
organization to which they belong believe
about the world, whether it Is round or
fiat, or whether Jesus created in SIX days
or in 5000 years, or whether the earth re-
wolves around the sun OF the sun around
the earth, or whether heaven and hell are
states of existence or fixed bodies. The
reason you give for not demanding infor-
nation about these questions of the sec
ular association. yet asking it of the
church, is that these are not builded ON
these questions, while the church Is. b
is where you are wrong. The church -
not builded on the integrity of the story
of Jonah and the whale, nor belief in the
Garden of Eden, nor even in the infalilbll-
ity of the Scriptures, but on Jesus Christ
and Hin, orrfcfHo1 Rrf vou aGE I'm
not your members believe in these ques-
~tions?" / do not know, / am sure. L
would not be surprised to find many who
do not. VIII we not expel themg .Yes.h
we find them as indolent and good for
nothing religiously as you are who remain
out of the church because OF these qdes-
tions. But if they love Jesus Christ with
all their hearts, mind and strength, and If
that love inspires them towards righteous
ness in private life and make them eager
for the salvation of men, we would ais
soon think of ~relinquishing our charter as
a Christian church as to expel such choice
souls as are they.
But a fourth reason you ignore the
church of Christ is because of dislike of
certain members of the church. Else OF
its minister. This last reason is more prev
alent than you have any idea OF, and until
human nature Is more sanctiied than at
1 H. EScuL UCOU4C VII EEBdLaLG
Eom the church for this reason. But ii
one church fails you here Is there no other
church, no other minister where you can
worship at peace with God and man.
Your duty is to find such and go there;
if not Of your own UNCONVENTIONAL Order
then Of some other. rather than desplse
the church universal and refuse it your
support. There is a large difference be,
tween being at odds with some especial
church and holding aloof from all churches
because not in harmony with that one
If you cannot walk in sympathy with some
one you are at fault If you do not walk
in sympathy with some other. In Brook
lyn no one is forced to keep isolated from
all churches because he cannot live IN har-
mony with some one church. ii you can
not c-onseientiousiy enter one, / repeat It,
you are at fault for not entering some
other. As for this church, if you viii per-
nit me to say it, it has been during these
last six wears a veritable haven of refuge
for those kinds of people. We have rented
more pews to and baptized more peopse
from other denominations than those OF
our own UNCONVENTIONAL faith and tram
ing. Here are two pictures. You VIII IN
stantly detect the more pleasing to gaze
upon. Here is a person abser1ng himself
from all public worship, all Christian aetiy-
ity, because troubled over some Biblical
and doctrinal question. or because he does
not like the church of his early choice, and
he is leading a bitter, ~self-centered, indo-
lent existence in consequence. Here Is an
other who has a similar grievance, but
overeomes it for the Masters sake. de
believes the Gospel to be the power OF God
unto salvation. He Is convinced men are
lost without Christ. He believes he Is re-
sponsible if the light within Lam becomes
darkness. Therefore he continues to be
identified with that organization that rep
resents the kingdom Of Heaven IN the
earth. .
A woman told me a while ago she ;oined
the church because it was her duty and
for no other reason. She did not especially
like the minister. She could not digest all
the creed. She dislked some of its mem
beers and preferred the width of the avenue
between herself and them, but she pro-
fessed to be a Christian and believed her
place was in the church rather than out:
For fifteen years she remained outside and
criticised. A barren, unsatisfactory splr-
itual life was the consequence. She en-
tered finally for Christ's and her children $
sake, and the last year had been the hap
piest and most profitable of her existence.
Do YOU believe in Christ? Would you
honor Him? Your place IS inside the
church of Christ as truly as the soldiers
place is inside the regiment, or the sailor :
on board ship. But, you exelalm, the
creed. the doctrines, the membership, the
minister. Well, then, seek the church you
can fellowship, even though outside your
denomination, and if no such church can be
found take y~o,rself speedily to. Jesus
Christ. Go into your closet and shut to
the door with your prejudiees on the out.
side. Then fall upon your knees and pray
to be converted all over again. Some oil
us, YOU know. need to be converted more
than once. Even the seventy times seven
recommended bv the Master in the olden
times. Let God o~verrule your prejudices
and flood your heart with His grace:
Then 90 in the spirit of a little chId and
ask admittance Of the nearest Christian
church. Let nothing stand between you
and that important obligation. that divine
privilege, that necessary discipline, that
priceless JOY.