Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-07-31
Pastoral Letter to Members o
Bethesda Church

Pastoral Letter to- Members of
Bethesda Church
The following pastoral letter has
been issued by the session Of Bethesda
Presbyterian church at Rockbridge
Baths to the members of the church;
Dear Brethren: The Session Of Be-
thesda Church, jealous for the glory OF
Christ our Savior, longing for the sal
walton OF all our members, and anxious
that their Christian lives comport with
their Christian profession, hereby
write this pastoral letter, in which we
declare our love to you, and our
earnest desire that you may be present
ed faultless before Him, at His coming,
and, to that end call your prayerful at
tentlon to the following facts;
l. The need that every family oo-
serve the worship Of God in the home.
We urge you to set up an altar OF wor-
ship in your house, day. II the men
do not, then the women should do go.
Neither Is exempt from responsibility
in this matter. Save your house from
the curse that says "Pour out thy fury
upon the heather that know Thee not,
and upon the families that call not on
thy naue. Jeremiah 1925.
II. We reiterate the injunction both
Of the Presbytery and the General As
serbly, when we Impress upon parents
the duty of dedicating their children to
God in baptism.
III. To beware of the various forms
of worldliness that threaten the
Church,:
1. We speak, first, Of the great
danger from the use Of strong drink.
Some evils are followed by results far
away In time; but, not so with this.
The results ere so apparent and so
heartrendirg, the case needs no argu-
mentation. We do not cay that our
community is worse off in this regard
than formerly; but, the danger is here
and we warn YOU to desist from the use
Of all intoxicants.
2. We call attention to the fact that
the course of this Session has been uni
formly consistent in opposing the
modern dance, as being harmful to the
Christian life, whitening in its effects
upon personal piety, and that it pre-
sents an atmosphere In which growth in
grace Is impossible.
8. Our Chuich may not,as far as we
know, be in any sense suffering from
the evil OF which we now speak, but. IL
Is an evil that is so widespread and so
terrible In its effects. that we must
mention it. We refer to the craze for
card playing that is abroad In the world.
All agree that gambling is wrong and
that Christians should not indulge In
that.in any form. But, the tendency OF
card playing gems so universally 10
lead to gambling, that one OF the SAD
dest and most Hateful sign OF the times
is that of Christian women card play
ers. and card playing Christian women
gambling, more or less, all over the
land. Editors, judges, juries, and edu-
Gators are deprecating the fact. Should
the Church Of God be silentH AS a
matter of expediency let us desist from
it altogether, rather than help en- 80
unhappy result. Let u" avoid the very
appearance of evil" Let us cease to
do evil and learn to do we'll"
4. See to it that you do not fail to
give of YOUR substance according to
Gods command: "as GCd hath pros
pered" you. Are you more prosperous
than formerlyY Then, do not forget
this command, lest He who has sent
the prosperity withdraw it; or, what Is
more to the purpose, send "leanness
into your souls.
". We would, in the last place,
urge a more sacred observance OF the
Lords day. Not only in refraining
from making journeys and visits Oh
that day, but also that the time b.
spent in public worship, aud then at
home that there be some kind of study
of the word Of God Coneregating at
the springs and idling away the day is
not in keeping with the will of God for
its observance. We beg that you will be
much In prayer, not only on that day,
but every day, for your own development
In the Christian graces, for our Church
and for the extention of the Redeemer'
cause to the ends of the earth.
Begging that you will earnestly and
prayerfully consider the contents OF this
communication, we remain yours. II
the service of our Savior,
Respectfully,