Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-10-18

But guerilla warfare as a rule is in
effective, demoralizing, and disreput-
able. 1t damages the very cause it
tries to help.
In like manner there are some peo-
pie who claim to be Christians, but
who refuse to join the church. Like
guerillas, they unconsciously damage
the very cause they ought to help.
They cannot give a single good reason
for their position, but there are many
reasons why every Christian should
join some church.
|. There he can render the most eff.
fective service. He is one of many,
mander and for the same end, and
who, collectively, can accomplish that
could not be done separately. If it is
a good thing to have churches in
community, then Christians should
support them.
Remove the churches from a town,
and property would depreciate, busi-
ness would decline, and all good peo-
pie would move away. Sunday would
become a holiday, life and property
would be unsafe, and the town would
soon have such bad reputation that
no decent person would move into it.
For this reason every Christian owes
it to himself, his family, to society,
and to his God, to join and support
some church.
II. It is the only consistent position
for a Christian. In the church his in
fluence will help and not hinder; for
an outsider, who ought to be in the
church, damages the cause Of Christ
just as much as an insider who ought
to be out. A Christian who refuses to
join the church practically says to the
world that the commands of Jesus are
not binding or important, which is not
true.
III. A Christian who does not Join
I the church will soon lose his Joy, and
perhaps his hope. If, knowing his
Masters wish, he refuses to comply
with 1t. he cannot be happy person.
He may be a saved man, but he will
lose the joy Of his salvation. And if
he loses his joy he will also lose his
power, for 'The JOY of the Lord is
your strength"
Nv. To be a member of Christ's
church Is the highest honor this world
affords. Its sacraments are the most
sacred, its literature the most sublime
and its fellowship the most sweet and
enduring. All lodges and other or
! ganizations are man-made affairs, but
the church is q divine institution
founded by Jesus Christ, guided ant
guarded by the Holy Spirit, having
for its mission the evangelization Of
the world, and for It's destiny eterna
fellowship with God and heaven.
v. If it be objected that there ar,
some hypocrites in the church, the an
swer is: "Yes. 1t may be true, bu
Jesus Christ is no hypocrite, and he il
the life Of every church."
Remember also that when tn,
church goes through the pearly gate
there will be Sitting, and the hypo
critics will be left on the outside O
the gate, on your side, unless you ODE,
Christ, and you will have to spend al
eternity with them. Would it not, b
better to live with them few year
in the church than to spend all eter
nifty with them elsewhere? You mus
spend some time with those hypocrite
somewhere. Where shall it be?
VI. The Christian who refuses I
Join the church, dishonors Jesus Chris
1t is like proposing secret marriage
He is willing that Christ should di
for him, but he is not willing to liv
for Christ, or even to acknowledge hi
relation to him. He desires to
saved, but he is not willing to serve
He wants the benefits Of Christianit
without the sacrifices, whereas tn
sacrifices constitute nine-tenths Of th
benefits.
The meanness of 1t is well illustrate
by the following story: Doctor Lorime
once asked man why he did not joi
the church. The reply was that til
dying thief did not join the churc
and he was saved. "Well," said tn
doCtOrI IL YOU uO not DelOnS 10
church, you help support missions, {
courseT
mo" said the man. "The dyin
thief did not help missions, and
was saved, was he notY
"Yes," said the doctor. 'I suppos
: he was, but you must remember ths
he was a dying thief, whereas you al
! a living one."