The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-04-09

- ~
The Bores Remained
hi lion tIien adslsed ministers q
;tsoid sseif oc sstenres reported u
" en- church Where ie prstoF
Jed that the eaFl NEE iinmed latsly
hitter tie ser ice. IL stranger appeart
e. with the rest ind when asked why
he had remained. told them that she
was bofed as badly as anybody.
There was something worse than
zeal without knowledge IT'S knowl.
edge without zeal.
q would rather have q good charge
Of powder in my gun, because ! could
perhaps pick p;a few pebbles TO use
Us bullets. than to have bullets with,
out powder. for II ] have simply q
hard bullet without powder behind IT /
] can't hit anything Z IN,
at seems to me that our colleges
and theological ,seminaries are ltaking
The enthusiasm out Of people by In
nuendo, declared. theypreachers Some
dry.as,dpst man gets up and tells
them that II you show vim and eneri-
IS, IT Is a sign OF superticiality, and
the students are turned dry, prosy,
dead!
"a No Sin to Laugh
= ! . 81
e'Oh, that we might have some OF
the spirit that is evident in the New
York and Chicago Boards of Trade in
our prayer meetings. Too many Deo;;
pie think II is a sin to laugh or smile,
when the Bible snys 10 clap your
hands with JOY. If, some Sunday,
morning, when your pastor is preach
ing an earnest sermon, some Of you
people would arise and clap your
Hands. you would wake SONG OF those
old bench-warmers Of about twenty
Fave years standing. Who. don't you
put the same earneStuess into your
religion and the Gospel Of Jesus
Christ that you put in anything else?
You can be lazy in your home and in
| your business, but don't be lazy when
Won come here.
Religion Contagious
Among the early Christians every
one was a personal worker, Today
many people think It they 90 to
church once on Sunday and keep Out
OF jail during the week they are going
straight to Glory. From the little
that the average church member does
in aggressive Christian service II is
a wonder that God has not gotten dis
guested with the whole lot of us long
ago. Religion, like the measles, is
contagious. 1t takes life to reach
4 life in many churches there are
only two active members, the pastor
and the janitor. Should this ever oc-
cur in your church you had letter lock
the doors.
Three 'Genders Defined
"rhe early Christians" said Or.
Lyon, had personal endeavor. wish
that might be said of the modern
church. You are as much responsible
for saving souls as 'lsyour pastor. NO
man Is more handicapped than is the
pastor Some people seem to think
there are three genders-men. women
anu preachers.
THE world will never be saved en-
cept by personal work." he added
"You and are called the salt OF the
earth: bnt the salt can't keep the
meat fresh il the sa1tfs in the attic
aud the meat in the@cellar They
have to come in contact, and I'VE have
to get next TO the people II We are 50,
ing TO help them.
Last year." the speaker related,
-four great denominations showed an
increase of only two per cent in their
| church membership; fifty processing
Christians bringing only one soul 10
Christ. Suppose you had u life IN
surance company and hundred
good statesmen, and at the end Of Il
year those hundred men would bring
in only two policies. You'd discharge
the whole lot OF them, wouldn't you?
Its wonder to me God didn't dis
charge the whole bunch of. us long
1ago.
I'm 3.OOO churches in Two denomina.
lions. there was not single Access
sion last year. It's just rs much the
business Of the church OF Christ to
save souls as II is for II -four mill TO
grind wheat. and whenever the church
CT Christ becomes a mere admiration
society, or social club It had better
shut its doors. Some churches are
like the man that's walking the floor
with crying baby-iust holding
their own.
MANY people are kept busy merely
taking care of themselves. They hold
services, their young peoples meet
ings, prayer gatherings but they
don't get anywhere. It's like n SPUR