Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-08-06
BY BISHOP
w. 4. GAMBLER

pointed to serve as the agents and at
torneys of all these pet schemes and
movements. What time Will any
preacher, in an urban charge. have
left to preach the gospel, if he yields
to every one of these lobbyists. who
wishes his particular cause to have
representation from the pulpits of
the land?
The preachers viii have 10 declare
their independence of all these lords
many; and the churches VIII have
to give these specialists TO under
stand that there is much work 10
lie done of which they seem to be
ignorant A thousand and one secu-
lar reforms Of more or less merit
have no place at all in houses of
worship, and ought never TO get adj
mittance into the churches. Houses
of worship are built and set apart
for Very different and much higher
uses. All these special causes might
utterly fail Gas most of them will
without seriously affecting the welfare
of manbind but if the church Of
God should fail, the world would be
undone.
Not only do these specialists charm
the churches, but as has already
been intimated. they arc in danger
of losing their own souls through
over absorption in their missions"
and "life-work." Canon Moseley has
uttered a great warning on this sub
iect He says, "Those who feel that
they have q mission may convert it
into a snare to themselves. Where
life is too prominently regarded in
this light, the view Of life as mis-
e~f1 81.
The generality may be born to do
their duty in that station in life in
which it has pleased God to call them;
but in THEIR own case the mission
over-tops and puts into the shade
the general purpose of life as pro-
bation; the generality are sent into
the world for their own moral bene-
fit, hut THEY are rather sent into
the world for the benefit Of that world
itself. The outward object with it's
display and machinery is apt to re-
duce to a kind of insignifcance the
inward individual end of life. 1t ap-
pears small and commonplace. The
success of their individual probation
is assumed in embarKing upon the
larger work, as the less is included
in the greater; it figures as a pre-
liminary in their eyes which may be
taken for granted; it appears an easy
thing to them to save their own
souls, a thing, so to speak, for any
body to do"
1t is most seriously true that many
of the men with a mission" are in
danger of losing their own souls; also
there are women not a few in the
same peril Many of the reformers
need to be regenerated. There is sore
need of a mission to the class of
persons who are never weary of
talking of my mission in life." and
who are filled with an acrimonious
spirit towards all who will not be
dominated by them in furtherance of
their speciality, Once they may have
been of the salt of the earth; but
now they should lay to heart the
words of Jesus, salt is good, but if
the salt have lost it's SAVIOUR where
with shall TT be salted?" And there
is another eXhortation of the Mas
ter which they should consider most
prayerfully, Have salt IN YOUR
SELVES, and have peace one with
another. Mark ix:50).
There are people who would rather
SOW the whole world down with salt
than to allow one small pinch of
that excellent element to penetrate
into their own systems. These are
they who dote on their missions"
and delight in making their machine
run round and round