Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-10-01


the attainment of divine conclusions. I
The trouble has been and is,that we
have mistaken theology for Chris |
tianity, the organization for the life, !
the membership roll for4rthe test OF |
membership. Quite otherwise is the |
mind Of Christ. The test of mem beF- |
ship Is not how warm we make seats. |
or how loud we sing, or how yehe- |
mently we pray. The final testing is |
the testing of service. Do you work |
as you pray? Do you warm hearts |
as well as benches? Do you make
souls to rejoice? Do you regard |
yourself not as your brothers keeper
so much az your brothers brother?
Are you true to Christ? Have you
keenness to serve the King?
why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and
do not the things which I say?" The
question Is as timely and applicable
as it was when 1t was propounded.
For there never has been a time when
the church more largely was cogniz-
ant of the ineffectualness OF lip serv-
ice and convinced OF the need for re-
sultful and helpful labor than she is
to-day.
The Protestant church Is in danger
of becoming priest-riddeu-the worst
that can befal the organization of the
church; ridden with priesthood
snorn of compulsory authority and
in whom the authority Of the Christ
is too precariouslv admitted to re-
side. The laity Of Protestanism are
too largely guilty OF hiring men to
do their work for then-at salaries
on the average that are an insult to
the Lord whose work they send their
| employees to do-rather than Of call
| ing leaders whose business it shall
! be to direct the energies, rebuke the
sins, vitalize the virtues, clarity the
thought. inspire the minds, intensity
| the spiritual conceptions and percep-
| tfons of the sons OF God who are
members of the church of Christ.
The church Of Christ is full Of 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 has
gone out of the most Of the meetings
of the church, the gath erings for
prayer are generally so dry and cold
and uninteresting that they are a
distress to earnest pastors and a re-
iection 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 laitv, and not infreQuent-
ly the clergy, have been so busy seek
ing material success that they have
bad no time TO serve the Lord after
the manner of the Master. The dol
lar has supplied SO many wants that
men have ceased to feel the pressing
I,need for spiritual supplies. It has
been declared impossible for a nation
to 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
to jail or execute them. The spirit
of the lex talionis-the lowest law OF
Judaism-is rampant in the settle
ment of disputes between nations and
nations. society and IT'S mem bers, in
dividuals 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 GOO for the
might of His power while fearful to
trust His sufficiency against the on
slaught of Satan We have talked
brotherhood and practiced an indi-
vidualism that has brought sorrow
Il where there is no. need for aught but
JOY, and strife where cooperation
would more thoroughly fulfil the
plans of God, by and with the con-
sent-tacit or active-of the church
The situation cannot endure. The
church must reform Or relinquish her
IL n 70 a yori
eyes Of leadership. Saying Lord
Lord" will make her acceptable
neither to coming generations nor tc
her bridegroom. Vain repetit1ons
are valueless to produce results. Ac
ton only is qualified to transmutt
| Ideas into achievements. To do Hill
work we must do His will.
Jesus gives US picture OF the emo
Of the institution or the man guilty
! | of lip-service or OF lukeWarm adhar
ence to the propagation OF the truth
mot every one that saith unto Me
, ! Lord. Lord, shall enter into the king
dom OF heaven, but he that doeth thu
will Of My Father" He forecast
{ the fate of those insincere and paltr.
Christians who stand before Jehova1
at the great assize.
) It is to be hoped that Jesus pic
ture will not prove photograph o
7 us. It is not necessary that 1T should
; We shall be recreant and without OK
/ ( cuse if it shall SO prove to be-. N.
3 man and no church need call upon tn
5 | Lord in vain. He who hath called u
) j and upon whom We call is both will
, ing ard able to perform through u
2 effective service for the welfare an
{ the salvation cf individuals and tn
t | race. God summons us In Christ t
r supreme labor. He provides contem
poraneously the power necessary
/ succeed.
In ColdniIa. 10 SNOW Aa
fallen in twenty-four fears.