Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-04-04

rem when / came to you, came not with
excellency of speech or of wisdom, de-
Starring unto you the testimony of God
And my speech and my preaching
was not with enticing words of mans
wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power; that your faith
should not stand in the wisdom of men,
but in the power of Cod 1t seems
scarcely open to question that If any
considerable number of persons in a con-
gregation reach the point at which they
wish the preaching of Gods word to be
turned into a Sunday entertainment in
which they may enjoy scientific disserta-
tions, or literary essays, or musical per-
formances, the preacher must sternly call
them back to the true ends sought by
the worship of Gods house.
1t should be said that it is not the
truly cultured who clamor for show
of learning in the pulpit; men OF real
thoughtfulness do not like any dainty,
literary dealing with the great interests
of their souls. 1t is the half-educated
and shallow who are perpetually prating
about the Gloss of the cultured classes
to the church.; they vainly imagine that
when they quit going to church all the
Intelligence in the land forsook the pews
in Gods temples.
But whether it be the really educated
or the half-educated who seek to have
the preachers and the churches seek their
patronage. they should be fatty given to
understand that we have not so learned
Christ, and that we swillnot so teach Him
to others. When all who have ever come
to Christ sought the Saviour they came
as penitent sinners, and not as proud
and eondeseending patrons; they did not
feel that their discipleship brought God
and the church, heaven and earth, under
obligation to them, but that they them
selves came under boundless and invio-
liable. obligation of service to Him who
loved them and gave Himself for them;
they did not stipulate that they would
remain followers of Christ and members
Of the Church so long, and no longer,
than the whims of themselves and their
class were humoured and pandered to.
Both the world and the church in the
present day need to revert to the funda-
mental principles Of Christianity. Christ
Jesus came to establish kingdom, not
to seek the suffrages of the masses, or
of the classes, that he might get him
self elected to the presidency OF re-
ligious society in which the members
are free to withdraw att will when they
are not satisfied with it's management
To be sure, men are left free to adhere
To His church or to fall away from it,;
but they renounce allegiance to Him at
the peril of their souls. He has poured
out His life unto death that all men
may be saved, but He will not dishon-
our His own royal nature by begging
for votes in the market place By the
mouth of the prophet God said of the
Messiah, Il have put my spirit upon
Him. He shall bring forth judgement to
the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift
up nor cause His voice to be heard in
the street"
one can not think of Christ or His
apostles adopting the neretricious meth
ods of pulpit advertisers and clerical
sensationalists trying to secure the at
tention and patronage of the world by
offering startling utterances and enter
tanning, discourses without reference to
human salvation or divine truth. The
suggestion of such an idea is repulsive
to the reyerent mind. And by so much
as we dare not associate Jesus and His
early disciples with such methods, we
of today ought to remove ourselves
equally far from them.
aAe mission of the church and the
ministry Of Christ is too high and sa-
cred for them to submit themselves for
one moment to the semblance Of those
who bid for the patronage of mankind.
They have eternal truth to proclaim, but
| they have no favours to ask Tor them
selves They are in the world to carry
DGnGIlJS TO OlncTSs 1Ol u. SCCh oONoAAb7
ages and position from the world they
are among men not to be ministered I'M
to, but to minister.
The effort to establish christianity
on any lower level must always prove
vain and dishonouring. If the servants
of Christ can not influence men by
commencing themselves to every mans
conscience, in the fear of God any other
sort of commencing themselves and
their message to tn eworld will be worse
than useless. 1t is much to be feared
that the prevalence of the questionable
methods under discussion has already
done much to corrupt the public con-
science and to lead multitudes to feel
that they are quite Justified in giving
the church and the ministery orders for
the particular brand of gospel they will
take or refuse to take. Are We not rap
idly reaching the point where gospels
are made to order? Shall we have bar
gain-counter sermons and services to-
morrow, guaranteed to be of pale
tint, not too long, and offered on any
terms without a collection? God save
us from traders in the temple, crying
their cheap and shoddy wares defraud-
ing a forlorn world, dishonouring a
forsaken God!