The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-11-22

the times. Indications favor the inn
preston that the church is awaking
TO her opportunity. IL you look
closely at the record of the life of
Jesus, you will not be long in discov-
ering that He was not satisfied with
the conditions that everywhere pre-
vailed. His whole strength was reso-
lutely set against the tide OF igno-
rance and worldliness that threat
ened TO sweep men 10 destruction.
He succeeded. as no one ever since
has, in giving personal illustration OF
what Paul means by advising that
we do not allow ourselves to he con-
formed 10 this world. but transformed
or transfgured by the spiritual forces
within us.
The mission of the church is not
10. be conformed 10 the customs and
conditions OF this age, but TO stand
in the midst of this age as an effective
agency for the regeneration of So
ciety. Not 10 be a lump of clay 10
be nodded in the fingers OF every
passing trickster. but 10 be an artist
with a great ideal and trained eve
and hand 10 execute his will on the
waiting marble.
The work OF the church does not
grow more easy, but when she comes
into her rightful heritage-the con-
viction OF her divinely ordained privi-
lege as the lover of men-then she
will begin TO realize her mission. But
first, last and always. she will gain
her adherents in the ratio of her
enthusiasm for and devotion 10 hu-
manity.
Finally, the church that brings
back the men will be the church that
takes Christ to the needy world. IL
sometimes seems as though there are
sn many other voices that the cry of
the church and her Christ will be
drowned In the din of materialism.
But there are still some listening ears
that will not be stopped. Into the
midst of this wild storm of buying
and selling, OF loss and gain, of cry
ing and laughing, OF sorrow and sin,
will come, once more, the humble
Nazarene, and His voice will turn
the tempest 10 calm: BE still, and
know that I am Cod" Jesus left
an unanswerable argument to His
interest in humanity when He gave
Himself TO men. Anything else that
He might have given would have
been criticised; but when He gave
Himself. that softened the hard heart
of the world because they saw that
only love could do that. The fellow
ship by which Jesus is to unite men
with Himself in His everlasting king
dom is the fellowship of love.
The duty and opportunity of the
church is to put forward the kingdom
of God, 10 make sure the enthrone-
ment Of Jesus Christ in the affections
IN,,
siasm for their souls; to take to the
worlds sicknesses the matchless
Physician who never lost case in
trusted to His care. When men know
that the church is praying and long
ing and laboring, with divine pas
sion. for their souls, they will come
to the Christ and to the church
The hour Of victory seems long
DELAYED, but every soldier must keep
his place and by and by the warfare
will be accomplished. We must re-
member that not only was the mans
hand under the angels wing, but the
angels wing was over the mans
ham God and the church will work
side by side. The human and the
divine will supplement each other.
It is said that Napoleon once APP
pealed 20 his guards in the interests
OF a forlorn hope. He made request
for only hundred men. But they
must all be brave. Every man would
be exposed to the enemy's fire, and
nothing but death could be expected.
LET a hundred men step forward out
of the ranks! Forward, march, AT
the word of command, not hundred
men, but a regiment sprang forth as
a single man and were ready for duty
and death.
And shall Christ ask in vain for
volunteers? Has His cause come TO
be a forlorn hope? Ah, not to die,
not to die, but TO live for Him, is all
He asks. To the front, o church OF
the victorious Christ!