The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-09-18
"a ri Hfracf fha eneTPfes. Tebuke the

be to direct the energies, rebuke the
sins, vitalize the virtues, clarity the
thought, inspire the minds, intensity
The spiritual conceptions and percep-
tons of the sons of God who are
members of the church of Christ.
The church of Christ Is full or men
and women who have their names
upon its rolls for no better reason
than that it is polite or proper or
polite or profitable socially and COM
mercially so to be enlisted. And the
consequence is that enthusiasm mas
gone out of the most Of the meetings
Of the church, the gatherings for
prayer are generally so dry and colo
and uninteresting that they are
distress to earnest pastors ana a re-
lection not only upon the intelligence
and spiritual experience. but also
upon the gratitude of the church
The reason for this is not far to
seek. The laity, and not 1nfrequent-
ty the clergy, have been so busy seek
ing material success that they nave
had no time to serve the LORD aIter
the manner Of the Master. The DOL
lar has SUPPLIED so many wants that
men have ceased to feel the pressing
need for spiritual supplies. 1t has
been declared impossible for nation
10 believe Christ, disarm and be pre-
served against the rapacious agrees
sions of the armed. Business men
have declared it impossible to follow
Christ and succeed. The best we
have done, till very lately, in the
MANAGEMENT of criminals has been
10 iafl or execute them. The spirit
If the lex talionis-the lowest law OF
Judaism-is rampant in the settle
ment of disputes between nations and
nations, society and its members, In
diyiduals and their fellows. We have
forgotten the God of life in the ex-
cellency of our livings. We have
prayed for reforms that we have
neither advanced, expected or de-
sired. We have thanked God for the
might of His power while fearful to
trust His stfficiency against the on
slaught of Satan. We have talked
brotherhood and practiced an indi-
yidualism that has brought sorrow
where there is no need for aught but
10y, and strife where cooperation
would more thoroughly fulfil the
plans of God, by and with the con-
sent-tacit or active-of the churcn.
The situation cannot endure. The
church must reform or relinquish her
claim to primacy and to the privll-
eyes of leadership. Saying Lord,
Lord" will make her acceptable
neither to coming generations nor to
her bridegroom. Vain repetitions
are valueless to produce results. Ac-
ton only is qualified to transmute
ideas into achievements. To do HIS
work we must do His will.
Jesus gives us picture OF the END
of the institution or the man guilty
of Hp-service or of lukewarm adher-
ence to the propagation of the truth.
"Not every one that saith unto Me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the king
dom o? heaven, but he that doeth the
will of My Father He forecasts
the fate of those insincere and paltry
Christians who stand before Jehovah
at the great assize.
1t is to be hoped that Jesus pic
ture will not prove photograph OF
rs. It is not necessary that 1t should.
We shall be recreant and without ex-
cuse if 1t shall so prove to be. NO
man and no church need call upon the
Lord in vain. He who hath called US
and upon whom we call is both will
ing and able to perform through us
effective service for the welfare ana
the salvation of individuals and the
race. God summons us in Christ TO
supreme labor. He provides contem-
poraneousiy the power necessary TO
succeed. He energies and verlfles
and inspires and enthuses every soul
and every society that with high de-
sire and dedicated purpose calls upon
His name.
Not Lord, Lord but Lord, here
am T. send me-" What wilt Thou
have me to do?"
Brooklyn, n. Y.