Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-03-24

wis CA1oG ACldCAOu WHICH Cu0 SCHOOL UD&S
to the little boy. As it trains him for
rich intellectual existence by and by, so
the church trains for rich spiritual exist
ence By and ny. The most important
condition of both is unwillingness to be
taught. The church, in it's relation to the
great victorious Commander, leading the
way. In relation to it's membership it is az
training school, where we are trained for
service and fitted for living in time and
eternity. You'll not stay out Of the
church then longer because Of this very
to be perfect, for you got the idea not
from the Word Of God, but from your own
evil imagining. Even when the Master
said to His disciples, ''Be perfect. as your
Father in Heaven is perfect" He really
said, be complete as He is, and when He
asked the rich young man if he would
be perfect, to follow Him, He really said,
if You will be full grown, if you would
cease to lack the one thing you now lack,
come and follow Me. The reason, then.
we want you in the church is that you may
truth and righteousness. Nobody needs
the help of the church more than you, who
will not come in. If you still resist our
invitation to enter where you belong. be
more charitable. toward us, anyway. And
If you will not be one of us, pray do not
obstruct our work by talking against us,
thus prejudicing the world before whom we
should stand in good light that we may
do it good.
Your reason for remaining out of the
church may be that of Biblical or doctrinal
difficulty. Many man is losing his soul,
not because he cannot believe in Christ,
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 man who has lost his
religious fervor because he could not rec
oncile the doctrine of election with the
! freedom Of the human will 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
| assinine 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:
club, or Masonic order, or Odd Fellows
organization to which they belong believe
| about the world, whether it is round OF
| fat or whether Jesus created in six days
| or in 5000 years, or whether the earth re-
wolves around the sun or the sun around
the earth, or whether heaven and hell are
states of existence or liked bodies. The
reason you give for not demanding infor-
nation about these questions Of the sec
ular association. yet asking, 1t OF the
church, is that these are not builded on
these questions, while the church 9I IS. That
not builded on the integrity of the story
of Jonah and the whale, nor belief IN the
Garden of Eden, nor even in the infallbll-
ity Of the Scriptures, but on Jesus Christ
and Him crucified., But you ask, DO
not your members believe in these ques..
tions?" I do not know, | am sure.
would not be surprised to find many who
do not Will we not expel them? Yes, it
we find them as indolent and good tor
| nothing rehgiously you are who remain
out of the church because of these ques-
tions. But if they love Jesus Christ with
all their hearts, mind and strength, and II
that love inspires them towards righteous
ness in private life and make them eager
for the salvation Of men, we would as
soon think Of relinquishing our charter as
Christian church as to expel such choics
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 sanctifed than at
present people will separate themselves
from 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 denomlnatlonal order,
then of some other, rather than desplse
the church universal and refuse it your
support There is 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. Il you can
not conscientiously enter one, repeat 1T,
/ you are at fault for not entering some
! other As for this church, ii you will per-
, nit me to say it, it has been during these
last six years a veritable, haven of refuge
for those kinds Of people. We have rented
, more pews to and baptized more people
from other denominations than those OF
t our own denominational faith and tram
, ing. Here are two pictures. You will IN
, stantly detect the more pleasing to gaze
upon Here is person absentlng himself
5 from all public worship, all Christian activ--
| ity, because troubled over some Biblical
: and doctrinal question, or because ne does
r he is leading bitter, self-centered, 1ndo-
lent existence in consequence. Here is an.
; other who has similar grievance, but
$ overcomes it for the Masters sake. He
0 believes the Gospel to be the power OF Ooo
unto salvation. He is convinced men are
e lost without Christ. He believes he is re-
e sponsible if the light within ham becomes
u darkness. Therefore he continues to be
|. identified with that organization that rep
: resents the kingdom of Heaven IN ths
h earth.
u Do you believe in Christ? Would yos
n honor Him? Your place is inside the
: church of Christ as truly as the soldier
t place is inside the regiment, or the sailor ,
: ON board ship. But, YOU exclalm, the
e creed, the doctrines, the membership, the
: minister Well, then, seek the church you
r can fellowship, even though outside youl
;. denomination, and if no such church can be
: found take yourself speedily to Jesus
y Christ Go into your closet and shut te
: the door with your prejudices on the out
e side Then fall upon your knees and pTa!
d to be converted all over again. Some o.
II us. you know, need to be converted more
r than once Even the seventy times sever
e recommended by the Master IN the older
L times. Let God overrule your prejudlce'
e. and flood your heart with HIS grace
1t Then 90 in the spirit of little child ane
;, ask admittance of the nearest Christian
1t church. Let nothing stand between yo'
'e and that important obligation. that divine
e; privilege, that necessary discipline, tha'
= priceless JOY.