The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-14

ice and convinced or the neeu LOT rs
sultful and helpful labor than h Is
to-day.
The Protestant church is in danger
of becoming priest-ridden-the worst
that can befal the organization OF the
chnrch; ridden with a priesthood
shorh of compulsory authority and
in whom the authority of the Christ
Is too precariously admitted to re-
side. The laity of Protestanism are
too largely guilty Of hiring men to
do their work for them-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 1t shall
be to direct the energies, rebuke the
sins, vitalize the virtues, clarity the
thought, inspire the minds, intensity
the spiritual conceptions and percep-
tions 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
D O it's 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 gatherings Tor
prayer are generally Sc dry and cold
and aninteresting that they are a
distress to earnest pastors and a re-
Election not only upon the Intelligence
and spiritual experience, u also
upon the gratitude of the church.
The reason for this is not far to
seek. The laity, and not infrequent-
ly the clergy, have been so busy seek
ing material success that they have
had no time to serve the Lord after
the manner of the Master. The dol
lar has supplied so many wants thai
men have ceased to feel the pressing
need for spiritual supplies. 1t 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
nations, society and its members, in
dividuals and their fellows. We v
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 suficiency against the on
slaught of Satan. We have talked
brotherhood and practiced an indi-
vidualism 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 church.
The situation cannot endure. Inc
church must reform or relinquisn ner
claim to primacy and to the priVl!'
eyes Of leadership. Saying "Lordt
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 a picture OF the emo
of the institution or the man guilty
of lip-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 of 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.
It is to be hoped that Jesus pic.
ture will not prove a photograph OF
us. 1t is not necessary that it should.
We shall be recreant and without eX-
cuse if it 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 n
the salvation of individuals n the
race. God summons US in Christ to
labor. He provides contem-
poraneously the power necessary 10
succeed. He energies and verihes
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 7, send me-" What wilt Thou
have me to do?"
Brooklyn, N. Y.
.g D.o-n