The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-01-18

positions of truth, and yet the church
may be dead The membership that
grows only by accident of removals
and letters of introduction is in ter
rible condition. | would be afraid to
remain as pastor or member of al
church if for any length of time there
were none added to it's fellowship on
confession of faith. Whatever else
may be true concerning the church, if
there be no additions by new birth,
the church is dead, though it have a
name to live. The church that at
tempts to buy off its own responsible
ity by making donations to send men
down to work in slums which it does
not care itself to touch, is dead. A
! church into which only one class Or
caste of persons gather for purely self
! preservation, is libel upon the very
name of Christ Dress it up in choice
4 pharseology if you like. the fact re-
mains. such church is dead Despise
! the term with perfect hatred if you
/ will. but We have case of degenerate
christianity upon our hands today just
the same.
! Another peril in the church is the
passing away of the family altar ana
religious instruction in the home. We
have allowed the rush of these mod
err days to crowd out this institution
of divine origin and approval. Home
life is being broken up. Wives ano
mothers are made the keepers o..
cheap boarding houses and the father
and children from the pell-mell of busl
ness factory life and school are the
regular boarders.
They have no time to read Gods
quainted in thcse days. | think some
times We pastors comm. sin by
having something going on every night
Il of the year almost and thus rob our
!! people of their opportunities for de-
! veloping a strong devotional life in
4 young people. are ,orever on the go
and never take time to sit down and
calmly cor ider anything. Let us
impress the blessedness of home re-
ligion upon our people.
u The lowering of the standard of
christian living and consistency is an
J evil which threatens the church. Balls.
whist parties, theatre going and
) double dealing goes right on among
: our members with onl An occasional
rebuKe from the ulpit We are com
: promising. The devil has deceived
us in thinkir that we must secure
lot of his paraphanala, some of his
prime favorito lanes in haunts IT
sin and put them in our churches and
christian institutions in order TO
entce the sinners from open sin. Do
( we not know he will use those very
: things to draw young men into haunts
], of sin? ! suppose too each of US are
j, guilty of receiving and retaining
t persons in our membership with
], whose christian perience and living
we are far from satisfied Yet we
!, drag along wondering why We have
little success.
Sabbath desecTation is a well
3 know, me- ace to the church. If We
h allow the devil to capture the Lord $
Dav we are down and OFT for good. II
{. We can get our church people to OBJ
$ serve two day keep it holy. cut out
j, Sunday street car and railroad travel
: games of sport and chance, dinner
: parties and newspapers. the victory is
won.
y Robbing God e that which IS His
! tenth of the income, Is making tn,
q church a spiritual desert How car W;
u expect Gcd to pour out His spirit up
J. on church whose members continue
u TO rob Him? Many c! nrches need t.
= repept oday for breaking the com
mandment, Thou shalt not steal.
d Higher criticism the new theolog!
II with its foolishness and spirit of anti
d. Christ is vet San evilt1in the churche
t. to be dealt w. i in great faith, low
e and firmness. Some of the highe
u critics who occupy professorships il
i'd sc le Of o,u so-called leading univeI
le stiles and Summaries should be dunn
"a ed into the junk heap of fatalism an
II accommodated from the church IN
in stead of being allowed TO hold pos
I'd tions of influence with young men VIII
n are supposed to be preparing to preac
TO tho glorious gospel of the blesse
I'd Christ How can they. thus instructe
10 preach a gospel of true faith? TIL
to church has harbored such infides lon
I'll enough II there is any sign of re
he pentence manifested upoa the part {
p the so-called construc i've critics, le
ny the church show much n roy.
RS Another evil which threatens til
err church is a morbid fear Of persecutio
* and social ostracis So many men