The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-06-25

Churches are being built, colleges
are being endowed and equipped
orphans homes are being enlarged
the forces of civic referm are win
ming victories unparalleled in the
history of any time and undreamed
of by the most sanguine reformer OF
decade ago. The church every
where is proving her claim of being
apostolic in origin and militant in
character. The mighty call Of God
has sounded loud and clear in your
ear, and you and I as representa-
tives of His great church, WHETHER
WE ADMIT 1T OR NOT, are face to face
with the heaven-im posed inevitable
TO Do OR DIE AND BE FORGOTTEN.
Your fathers, whose memory all re-
we're and honor, wrought well, in the
past, and the monument they built
stands as a memorial to their faith
and fidelity. But you. their chill
dren, will prove yourselves unwor-
thy sons Of worthy sires unless you
carry on the work they so nobly be
gun to a more glorious consumation.
No church or people can live on the
inheritance of the past, however
| glorious that inheritance may be.
Serene contentment with the past
is the sure prophecy of decadence in
the future. Such emasculates spirit
ual manhood, weakens the inspira
ton of constraing love, and causes
to run dry the fountain of what
should be an ever-enlarging activity
The life of the church deepens only
as it spreads. A state of inaction
sinks into state of degeneration. A
reclining church becomes a declin-
ing church. It is law that always
holds good, that a church that is
satisfied with the achievements of |
the past looses its militant character, |
and weakens in all the elements of
Christian life and power. If the
above is in harmony with the testi
mony of history. | repeat that the
enterprise you have so nobly project
ed is no longer a mere matter of ex-
pediency to be considered at will,
but it is a matter of vital necessity
to the spiritual life of great people
whose past is glorious, and whose
present is pregnant with the mighty
possibilities of heaven ordained
service.
Under the disciplinary require
ments of our church. we are now
within 1925. 90 of having that
amount necessary to be obtained be-
fore your building committee can let
the contract As your pastor,
plead with you with all the earnest
ness of one who must give an ac-
count of his stewardship at Gods
Judgment Bar to make the enter
prise possible by your further liber-
atty Don't allow this movement
so vital to the spiritual life of your
self and of those who shall come af-
ter you to die for the mere sake of
this inconsiderable sum. If you
have subscribed already, think of
the needs of a new church and of
the blessing that has come to you
in the past, and let this constrain
you to subscribe again. If you have
subscribed only part of what you
propose to put into the building, then
for the sake of the success your action
would make possible, together with
all the blessings that would flow to
you therefor, subscribe the full
amount you propose to invest in this
enterprise so that the committee
can go to work before the summer is
ended. Ifyou have not subscribed at
all, then think of what it would mean
for building of this character to go
up and you have no part in it, and
then, going down on your knees in
an earnest prayer for forgiveness
and pardon, seek to know what is
the will of the Lord as to the meas
ure of your obligation and duty.
The call of God is sounded in your
ears. Far in the forefront of this
field of moral conflict, the voice of
your Lord IS heard calling you to go
in His all-conquering name I
and possess the land = To fear is
moral cowardice, to refuse is spirit
ual treason, to be Indifferent is OBJ
stinate perverseness, for each or all
of whichethe wrath of God will be t,
poured upon your head in that great .
day when the thunders of His Judg-
ment shall arouse the dead and pro-
claim the dissolution of all things
But to obey is better I
than sacrifice, and to hearken than
the fat of rams. For rebellion is as
the sin of witchraft, and stubborn
ness is as iniquity and idolatry"
The following gentlemen will be