The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1910-01-13

is. not difficult for the minister to
preach over the heads of his audi
ence. The saying that men are
reading more now is misleading.
/ How many men spend their spare
time : in reading Shakespeare, or
Browning, or profound works on
history, science, philosophy, theol-
Iogy ? The reading of the average
man comprehends anything else
than subjects which are conducive
to thought and genuine mental
discipline. The ministry of the
! present is more than a match for
the average hearer.
| s. It is said that there are so
many in the church like DR.. Jeckle
and Mr.. Hyde whose feigned piety
is disgusting TO men. We wonder
if men are really disgusted at hy-
pocricy and feigned piety1 If so,
it would be one of the wonders of
this age. Do men retire from bus
mess because there are men in bus
mess who feign honestly Do men
abandon politics because there are
political frauds7 Do men refuse
gold because there are counterfeits2
Yet men will reject Jesus Christ
because there is Judas Iscariot in
the company. How puerile, and
tunmanlike. How insincere is the
man who offers such an excuse for
his irreligion.
6. Another reason men offer IS
their dislike for antiquated doc
trines which, it is said, the church
proclaims. If this is a reason at
all it is certainly not a valid one.
No man who thinks would even
suggest it, because it is founded
upon very grave misconception
of mans moral situation. Man is
sinner, and Christ s.the only
savior from the damning guilt and
pollution of sin. Times change,
opinions change, customs change,
but sin never changes, and it is
most certain and absolute that the
cure for sin has not been altered
by High Heave5 Antipathy to
the antiquated doctrines Of the
1church is a recent production. Il
lis due to other schemes of saliva
ton. A few years ago the doc
i trine of evolution was applied to
life and this gave birth to Higher
or Pseudo-C Criticism; Higher criti-
cism gave birth to the New Theol-
ogy and the New Evangelism.
| These are antagonistic to the car
/ dinal doctrines of Christianity, such
as the the Trinity, the Incarnation,
the Atonement, and Regeneration
by the Spirit of God. The aver
age man, employing the phrsse
tsAntiquated Doctrines. would
manifest very great embarrassment
Iif called upon to explain the mean
!. ing and philosophy of his position
But Notwithstanding there is non,
other name under,heayen whereby
men may be saved, but Chris
FIIesus. Would that he could ge
! |their ear, as he solemnly says o
himself, 81 am the way"-the onl,
mediator between God and man
HaI am the truth" the revelation
of Gods mind and will; 81 am tn
Ilife"-the source and giver of lif
to souls dead in trespasses am
sins. Look unto him all ye end
of the earth and live.
But then there is another clas
of reasons why more men do no
Iattend church. These are base'
Iupon the observation of Christian
ministers and people.
Il The Sunday Newspaper. Thi
. Iissuesis the climax of the week. ]
is sensational. 1t appeals to tn
baser instincts and desires in man
kind. 1t is what men want an
: they get it. Demand creates tn
t supply. The result is, that it de
stroys the relish for higher things
] isuch as are involved in worship
prayer, praise, and attention to
!. discourse on truth and things pei
: tanning to eternity. The habit {
t reading and feeding on the senss
$ tional productions Of the Sunda
Newspaper holds multitudes {
. men enthralled.