The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-03-17

evil imagining. Even Wien tne Mdslel
said to His disciples, "Be perfect. as your
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
help train US and let US help train you IN
truth and righteousness. Nobody needs
the help of the church more than you, VINO
will not come in. II 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
oostruct our work by talking against US,
thus preiudicing 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 doctrlnal
difficulty. Many man is losing his soul,
not because he cannot believe IN Chrlst,
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 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
aivzed because he could not reconcile the
possibility of punishment of sin with the
all mercy, all love OF God. Many such
assinine questions are killing mems enthu-
siasm for the work of the Lord. II those
inside of the church are influenced thus,
we reed not wonder that Christians. out
side of the church question So fooilsnlv.
think nf question:
inc 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
fat, or whether Jesus created IN SIX Gays
or in 5000 wears, 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 fixed bodles. Inc
reason you give for not demanding ln1or-
nation about these questions OF the sec
ular association, vet asking, it OF the
church. ia that these are not buiided on
these questions, while the church is. That
is where YOU are wrong. The church Is
not builded on the integrity OF the story
of Jonah and the whale, nor belief IN a. the
Garden of Eden, nor even IN the lnfaiiloll-
ity of the Scriptures, but on Jesus Christ
and Him cruci6ed. But you ask, 10
not your members believe in these ques,
tions?" I do not know, | am sure.
would not be surprised to md many "ne
do not. Will we not expel them! Yes; II
we find them as indolent and good tor
noth;no religiously as 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, ana 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
a Christian church as to expel such choice
souls as are they. ~,
But fourth reason you ignore the
church of Christ is because OF dlsIke OF
certain members of the church. Else or
its minister. This last reason IS more PREY, prey,
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 90 there;
If not of your own UNCONVENTIONAL oroer,
then of some other. rather than desplse,
the church universal and refuse 1t your
support. There is large difference oe,
tween being at odds with some especlal
church and holding aloof from all churches
IF YOU cannot walk in sympathy with some M,
one YOU are at fault if you DO not wax
in sympathy with some other. In BROOK
Iyn no one is forced to keep isolated from
all churches because he cannot live In mar
mony with some one church. II 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
init me to say it, it has been during taese
last six years verita bic haven OF re1uses
Tor those kinds of peop.e. We have rented
more pews to and baptized more people:
from other denominations: than those Oh
ing. Here are two pictures. You VIII IN
stantly detect the more pleasing to gaze
mon. Here is a person absentlng hlmseh
from all public worship, all Christian aetiv ;;
ity. because troubled over some Biblical
and doctrinal question, or because he does
not like the church of his early choice: ana
he is leading bitter, self-centered, lndo-
lent existence in consequence. here Is an.
other who has a similar grievance, 2qs
overcomes it for the Masters sake, he
believes the Gospel to be the. power OF 1oa
unto salvation. He IS convinced men are
lost without Christ. He believes he is re-
snonsible II the light within Llm becomes
darkness. Therefore he continues to DC
identified with that organization that rep
resents the kingdom OF Heaven IN the
earth. :ad
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 disliked some Of its mem
bers and preferred the width Of the avenue
between herself and them, but she pro-
fessed to be Christian and believed her
place was in the church rather than out;
For fifteen years she remained outside ana
criticised. A barren, unsatisfactory splr-
;tual 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 Christi. Wouid you
honor Him? Your place is inside the
church of Christ as truly as the SOLDIER
place is inside the legiment. or the sailors
On On board ship. But, you eSclaIm, 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 yourself speedily to Jesus
Christ. Go into your closet and shut to
the door with your prejudices on the out
side. Then fall upon your knees ana pray