The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-08-09

$50 sl spiritual by alb
lSsssS 49, sOrptiOn in world
lESs*ssz asS*2i ly matters. More
serious, by far,
however, is the internal cause or the
church's neglect of the means of grace.
The tendency of fire is to go out. The
best fire in the world will go out in "a
hours if YOU neglect to put on fuel.
Even so, the fire of devotion in the
hearts of Gods people tends to go
out unless it is fed with fuel, and the
only fuel that will feed this flame is
the fuel of Gods Word.
The average Christian does not read
the Bible enough to keep himself In
spiritual health. The consequence is
that he loses ground gradually until
the fire dies down, and is almost ex-
tinct. When this becomes general in
church. it is necessary to resort to
special measures to restore life to the
| church; and these special measures
usually consist of nightly meetings in
which the fuel of Gods Word is piled
on the slumbering embers until they
begin to blaze and burn and give out
light and warmth. which is the nor
NAL condition of Il church.
Notice that the words, awake.
awake: put on thy strength, o Zion"
are not an eXhOrtatiOn, but a
positive, per1mptory command. Chris
tians sometimes speak of their
spiritual weakness as a misfortune,
but God regards it not as a misfOr-
tune. but as a sin, as needless as it
is disastrous. "Be We strong in the
Lord. and in tho power of his might"
is Just as binding as any command
ment in the DecalOguc.
A Christian has no right to be weak.
God has provided strength in abund-
ance. and he holds rs accountable for
the use of it. "All power is given
! unto me in heaven and in earth. Go
we therefore and disciple all nations"
Matt (2S:1S). "Tarry We at Jerusa-
lem until We be endowed with power
from on high" duke 24:49). 81 can
do I'll things through Christ which
strengthened me" (Phil. 4:13).
The real mission of the church is
not educational, though it does edu-
cate people continually; not to fur
nish soup, soap and potatoes, though
it may do this kind of work when nee
essary; not to furnish entertainment
for the community, though it may
wisely have en- oversight of such mat
ters, and see that pernicous enter
| tainments are kept out by providing
some of better quality. No. the real
| mission of a church is to proclaim the
Gospel. to WELD spiritual forces, to
bring down power from heaven to
suhdue proud minds and stubborn
wills and passionate tompers. This is
| the real work of the church from
| which she is never excused.
And for this work she is well
| equipped. There is work enough to do,
| and power enough to do it with. God
are impossible in her own strength
but which are easily possible to those
who know how to avail themselves of
| Gods strength. There IS 4 good Illus
| tratiOn of this in John 6. \ great
| crowd had followed Jesus out of the
| city to listen to his marvellous teach
! ing The day was far spent. and there
was no place where the people could
| obtain food Under these circum-
! stances the apostles suggested to
Jesus that he send the people away to
| the villages round about that they
might buy food.
But Jesus answered and said unto
them, GIVE We them TO eat. How
! many l0aves have ye?' And when
| they had canvaSsed the company they
reported that all they could find was
| a little lad who had five biscuits and
| two small fishes; and this amount of
| course was utterly inadequate. New
| erthlesS the Master babe them bring
him what they had, and arrange the
| people for supper. And when they
! had finished distributing the pieces
| which the Master broke OFF from those
five biscuits, they found that they
! had fed five thousand men and had
twelve baskets full of fragments left
| over.
When we anulyze this story it may
ne summed un IS follows: GIVE We
them to eat" 'Eut we cannot, Lord.
Put YOU must" AaH when they
brought all they had and laid it AT
the Masters feet they did it. Even
So. God says to his church in every
community: "Eahold the starving
Ground yen! Give We them to eat!'
"nut we caanot. Lord. We are 50
weak" Tut you must DO it. and you
can 10 it. With God all things are
possible. and You have God to draw
upon"
And when the church really rccog-
| niZos hrY mission as the spiritual
tnachor or the community, as the opcr
channel through which Gods grace is
10 flow to the unSaved around her
| when she realizes what power can be
| ohtaincd through prayer, what ron-
! viction can be carried to impenftent
| hearts. she will begin to see those
who are spiritually hungry coming to
| her doors. ana the lame and the blind
ana the oppressed f10Cling to her for
| comfort. and guidance and dc!iverance
| from the power of sin. Thirsty boys
! know where the cool springs are. and
| go,llnSS people soon find out where the
| water of life can be had. and uncon-
| Scious,y are drawn thither.