The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-12-30

Some peoples Jaws are locked,
tenguss tied. and mouths closed like
q hank vault; when 1t comes to saying
anything for the Lord.
The Pharisees' religion I'm the days
Of Jesus. would make nine -tenths Of
me church members Of Sumter look
like plugged copper cent beside a
government bond.
The churches are being murdered
~ these disnified. ossined. petrifed.
niids~ed. codnshy people.
The devil of respectability. is
numbering spirituality.
The church members Of Sumter
nssd not be afraid Of getting into
fanaticism. You are forty-seven bill
lien miles below where fanaticism be-
gins.
II has been years since some Of
these boulevard churches has had a
revival, and the result Is, that they
have gone into the cold storage, North
pole. Arctic-resion. frosty. icycley,
brigade.
We hear lot about church prob.
lens. such as the mill problem and
the rural district problem: but tn,
great problem that confronts the
Church Of God today is these high
toned. seif-righteous. dissatisfied.
pisasure-loving, sinners who are sub
stituting church membership. bap-
tism. communion and a little church
activities for Christianity. Thev
don't know any moro about repen-
lance and regeneration and the wit
nsss Of the Spirit, than polar bear.
It's happening today a. much as In
the time Of the Scribes and Pharisoes;
that ths temple In put In place Of the
Lord. The house and It's services. are
sSalted; and the Lord of the House
10 sst aside.
church workers have the most SUPER
Aeial experience. and some have none;
having lost II all. by placing their
work above Christ. and the temple
asovs the Lord Of the Temple.
~ We preachers don't 60 to preach
ing M dying men to a dying people,
you may read 'Tchabod" on your
door~post: Thy glory is departed"
There is u class Of men that never
seem to hear anything from the
spiritual and heavenly side. No warn
Ing affects them. no laundering Of the
law moves them: but perfectly i'm
ynsrssd In the pleasure or pursuit of
this world. they do not seem to have
q thought. interest or anxiety con-
ssrning another world. Thought is
not exercised. conscience is asleep.
thU soul dead; and the Holy spirr
departed.
The Gospel seems powerless to
reach them. Every one OF the differ
snt messages seems to fail.
No matter who breaches. 1t Is tho
same to tho iull-eyed. heavy-facs1
congregation Of the dead.
The clear. faithful warning sent Ivy
Cod. through men: does not alarm
them. nor appear even to lave been
heard.
have seen women with their fing-
err ringed. and arms jeweled with
saoush powder on their faces that IL
,ou had kissed them. II would have
stvsn you painters collie. criticising
and condemning sacred scenes Of
rses. about which they knew no
more than q Hottentot; until our
souls fairly sickened within us at the
revolving. idiotic spectacle.
The day after Baiaam disobeyed
the Lord. a mule could see more Of
Cod. than could that back -s,idden
prophet.
Judas bought a ticket to hell for
thirty pieces Of silver: and didn't get
. round trip ticket either.
The way q lot Of people live I'm the
church Of God. you would naturally
think they had through ticket TO
heaven. In a Pullman palace car. and
were waiting for the porter to wake
them up when they headed into the
yards Of New Jerusalem. But you
will be sidetracked with a hot box.
long before you get there.
Death Is hells currency. that a man
will receive for"a ,ife Of sin.
We hear so much In these days. of
what the sinner has In natural gifts
and nobility. II might be well for
~ to know what he does not have.
I am almost afraid to make some
tslk laugh. for fear Of breaking an
antique piece OF bric-a-brac.
pity anyone who cannot laugh.
There must be something wrong with