The Princeton union., 1906-07-26

tion of wOrshipers from Sabbath to
Sabbath what he sees in the faces of
his people and he will tell you that he
finds there most everything except that
one thing which makes men and
women look as though they were pre-
pairing to move among the amazing
and marching sanctities of God. Be-
loved, pause a moment, "the place
whereon thou standest is holy
ground" When we approach God in
that spirit of reverence and devotion
which Moses manifested when God
spoke to him from the burning bush
such a deep impression will be made
on our own lives that we shall not halt
to ask concerning the manner of our
going. We shall be so enthused that
we shall go straightway and our ap-
peal to every man will not be in,vain.
We are losing something from our
worship and in consequence we are too
often impotent when we should be
strong. I would that we might be
possessed, as our fathers were, by
that spirit of worship and reverence
which is the gateway into realms of
grace and light. This near approach
to God is not a relic of prehistoric
nor medieval age. It is not a relic
of pagan superstition and darkness.
It is the dynamic of the Christian re-
igion, and failing to possess it we
shall have no more power to influence
the lives of men than the lone rain
drop has to turn the factory wheel.
I like that picture of reverence which
Robert Knowles draws in his est.
Cuthbert's." Men and women leave
the sanctuary with look upon their
faces which only those can wear who
have met and talked with God. Such
men 60 out into the world to do and
dare in the Masters cause and they
always accomplish something in His
name Such men leave their impress
on other lives because they have not
an impoverished conception of God.
And what shall be our message to
these classes that are alien to the
church? The spirit of heroism has
not died out of the hearts of men.
Even though it shoulders so low it
cannot be seen it is still there. A
spark of the divine is in every breast.
It is the church's business to fan that
spark till it flames and burns with
fervid heat Let us, then, not make
ours weak appeal. Challenge men
on the ground of heroism. We are
commissioned to lead you forth into
new land, but it is to be a land of
strife where you are to meet and con-
quer the moral Hittite and the spirit
ual Jebusite. We do not lead you to
realms where you may lay your head
on your pillow at night secure in the
thought that there are no more battles
to fight. The church's challenge is
not alone. "Ho, everyone that is
athirst, GOMEZ" but there's is also the
challenge to heroism, "Come, all ye
who desire to give" "Ho, ye who be-.
lieve it is more blessed to give than to
receive, come" have never known
of any man who ever amounted to
much without making sacrifices. eff
any man will come after me let him
take up his cross and follow me,' so
said the Master, and that must be the
true one Of any appeal that strikes
down deep into the hearts of man.
"Men, I have not called you to
pleasure," said Garibaldi, eff you
go with me, you will not have an easy
time, I cannot promise you wealth or
comfort. No, I will call you to war,
to long marches. to hunger and wear
mess, to discomforts thousand fold,
to lighting, and even to death. Will
you come with me on these terms for
our county's sake?" That is the
spirit in which the church must make
her appeal to men. When we as
church come SO close to God that OBJ
truding thoughts Of business and
pleasure are shut out from our minds
in these moments of worship, the
divine voice of authority will come to
us so clearly that we shall be impelled
to leave all on the altar, and 90 into
the world and challenge men to hero
ism.
We want iron in our blood. We
want more of aggressiveness in our re-
ligion. I thoroughly believe in the
church militant. We have a message
to deliver, a mission to fulfill. Is
there any reason why we should lie
meekly down and surrender while the
arch fend of mans soul rides tri-
umphant over our PROSTATE forms?
So long as we fight His fight the God
OF battles is with US. We must not be
content to simply hold our own, we
must push the fight. Instead of ask
ing, as some men do, whether the
church is needed anv 1Onper T wOu1d