St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-10-25
Does the Church Make Men Feel her
Interest In them as Christ did?

Interest In them as Christ did?
EXTRACTS from paper read by Rev. ]. K. Full
Ter at the State Convention, in Brattie-
boro, June II. 1861
Christ and the Church, two factors in
the establishment Of the kingdom OF God
among men, only one factor. if the full
mission oil the Church were understood
and fulfilled. How did Christ interest
and influence men? How does the
Church interest and influence men? In
comparing the Church with Christ We
must keep 10 mind the relative quality
and strength of the interest or influence
created either by Christ or the Church.
1t will be conceded at first by all that
the key note OF the Bible, uttered by
Solomon and followed by one greater
than he, was, Unto you, 0 men. call;
and my voice is 10 the sons OF man." 1t
must be conceded also that the mission
OF the church is precisely the same as
Christ's mission.
But we are confronted with the facts
that not over one-third of the member
ship of our churches is masculine and
only about two or three per cent OF
working men attend church at all. Facts
not altogether for pessimistic wailings,
for there are congregations composed
wholly OF men where the standard OF
piety is not high, and where attendance
at chapel is large and uniform, yet there
are no signs OF wide spread revival as
vet, There is truth and clear vision in
what DR.. Charles Jefferson said in a re-
cent issue OF the Congregationalist.-"l
many congregation strong men are
passing away, and the cry is, Where are
we to get men to take their plaees!
Death is removing the pillars. We need
men to hold things up, as Tennyson says
i son God and Godlike men we build oul
trust Such men are both ornaments
and supports, They give to the church
stability and beauty also. Without
them the church crumbles into ruins, thu
gospel losses its grip on the heart ane
conscience of the community. That Sc
many churches are just now lamentint
the lack of pillars is ominous and WORTHY
of consideration"
First. Christ interested and influenced
men to follow him. The twelve" thu
seventy" five thousand brethren.
The strategic point with Him was to in
terest and reach men. On good men anC
on bad men Christ poured out his soul
his iorgivng love, and or the good mad
better; and on shreds OF tattered virtue
that God bad given and sin had left, Fl
built his immovable and everlasting
kingdom. Christ interested working
men. His name is still greeted witt
cheers in the assemblies of the working
classes. The mention OF the Church re
, ceives only silence or Kissing! Awfu
commentary, ominous sign, solemn
warning.
When Christ was on earth he so inter
ested men, lowly men, sinful men, tina
; they hobbled to him on crutches, grope
with sightless eyeballs to find the Ligh
OF Lie; they elbowed their way throug
: the crowd to get healing touch of tn
: hem of His garment; the deaf, the dumt
the leper with his tainted breath, th
sick with fevered frame, all loved th
Christ tor they kne W that He loved then
Friends carried the ;mpotent on thei
/ shoulders, tore off the roofs OF houses t
get at the man who loved men so wei
Z 1t would be ia sort of sacred sarcasm
l. say that the Church has any such follow
ing today or that she manifests any sue
!. power to interest men in her activities c
Z character.
The Church is doing work, she inte
ests people. Multitudes can say OF he
d We were we'll fed and ye gave US mea
t. well supplied with water, and ye gave I
O wine; friends too numerous to ment1o
Z and We sent us cards of invitation; clotl
ing in abundance, and We sent us scarl'
r. and fine linen; healthy and robust ar
We visited us; out Of Jail and ye can
d unto US. The Church is doing a might
? work along social, educational and phi
anthropic lines. She is teaching the i
telligent, making friends of the mammc
of unrighteousness. But when it COM
y to interesting men, strong men, wee
q men, poor men, rich men, as Christ di
J. and doing the work He did, drivir
from Gods house commercial thieve
sending the devils headlong into the Sc
when it comes to feeding the hungr
N clothing the naked, welcoming the stra
ger, visiting the sick and in prison-we
,s as Ruskin said OF the English Churc
, "We might as well expect lightning OF
j., OF incense smoke as to get true action
}" passion out of our religion" and ado
"You had better get rid of the smo
n and the organ pipes both. Leave the
g. and the Gothic windows and the paint
10 glass to the property man, give up 20
carburetted hydrogen ghost in o