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4o THE PRESBYTERD
| Devotional and Selections j
TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST DOMINANT IN
PTIRT-Tf AT?FATT?S
Two questions were sent to sixty leading men of
the nations by Bruce Barton, president of a Men's
League, in Chicago, early in December. One related
to the dominance of the spirit of Christianity. The
other was "Is it an advantage or a disadvantage for
a public man to be known as a professing Christian?"
One of the first to answer was James S. Sherman,
vice-president of the United States. "To your first
inquiry," said the vice-president, "I beg to answer
mai ix is mv oeiict tnat witn tlie progress of education
and civilization throughout the world, the spirit
of Jesus becomes more dominant not only in business
or in politics, but in the smaller affairs of every dav
life."
"In answering your second question, I hate to be
lieve, and I do not believe, that it is disadvantageous
to any man in any calling to be a professing Christian.
I am firm in the conviction that the time will never
come in this country when a man in high position will
hesitate to reply frankly and freely to such questions
as you propound."
WHY WE OUGHT TO GO TO CHURCH.
In the good olden days the Sunday sermon was the
intellectual treat of the week, the main topic of conversation
from one Sabbath to another. That day is
forever past. Books, magazines, daily papers, entering
every home, are preaching sermons on the moral
issues of life every day of the year. Yet the field of
the pulpit is not pre-empted. The Christian minister
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may sun spcuK wiui autnority on tne spiritual aspects
of truth. The pulpit platform, with all the sacred surroundings
of the sanctuary, rcenforced, too, by the
pjreacher's personality, can make an appeal to the
^notions, the imagination, the will, such as can not
come from the printed page.
But aside from the sermon itself, be it inspiring or
otherwise, people ought to go to church to worship
God. Should there ever arise a generation that forgets
to worship at appointed times and places, moral
advance will have received its death-blow. It is instinctive
for man to worship a power higher than
himself, and it is the Christian church which conserves
this instinct. The Church has always been too closely
identified with the moral and intellectual progress of
maiiKina to anow its innuence to languish. Can there
be an easier or simpler way for every man "to lend a
hand" than to have a revival of the good habit of
church-going??Leslie's Weekly.
GOING TO CHURCH.
"But mother, a fellow doesn't get much good going
to church when the whole business bores him."
"My son," said Mr. Stevens, laying down his fork,
"I have something to tell you."
Mr. Stevens was a man of few words, often sitting
silent through the entire meal, and at his earnest voice
we all stopped eating.
"When I went to college," he continued, "I promised
\N OF THE SOUTH January 12, 1910.
my mother to attend church everv Sabbath morning,
as I did- For several months it was a trial and a bore,
but it brought me one of the greatest blessings of my
life. A young man can gain nothing but good from
regular attendance at church, and I expect it from you
so long as you have respect for 1113* authority, whether
you like it or not."
This sounded very stern, but Mary touched her
father's arm. "Won't you tell us about it?" she asked.
"There's not much to tell. I went to church when |l
it rained, and when it snowed; when the boys were
amazed, and when they ridiculed. I suppose it did
seem cjueer to them, for I was not a Christian." 1;
"You were a lover of your mother," said Mrs. Stevens.
Her luibsand Hashed her a grateful look. "I was,"
he said briefly.
"Cut, father," persisted Mary, "you have not told
us about the blessing it brought you."
F miurlit nnr Krno tli ~\ f 4.^
* v%*v?giii. inj ?ti11 v.113 uas nut given iyj
retailing his emotions, and I should not have dared
that remark; but he took no offense.
"I had a roommate after Christmas, and he went to
church with me. I don't know why I was such a fool
as to go all alone that first term. I could have found
some one to accompany me, I'm sure."
I did not wonder at his going alone. Mr. Stevens
was that sort of a man.
"When you don't like to attend church," he continued,
"take some one with you. It helps matters
wondrously."
There was silence for a minute.
"But about the blessing," said Mary.
Mr. Stevens smiled. "You'd call it a very commonplace
blessing," he said, "but it made me over again.
fen-**- ?* '- a new purpose m me. .My son, do you
know of one instance where your influence has made a
man better?drawn him from evil ways?"
"No father," said the young man, in a low tone.
"Then don't quit church-going yet for a while. You
have not got your eyes open."
"But how about the blessing?" inquired Mary.
"H'm! I found out that I had been recommended
by the secretary of the Y. M. C*. A. to my roommate
as a companion who would help him to quit his evil
ways." Mr. Stevens was transformed. His eyes,
flashed and his voice trembled; his face was all aglow.
'"Think of it! I was not even a Christian, and yet
that young man who had fallen among wild companions,
and sought help, was sent to me, and I knew
nothing of it. I thank God and my mother that I lived
straight and steady in those days."
"And voiir rnnmmu+f vi - ' ' "
j . .viuiiiicu. asKeci Alary.
"He did, and he and I joined the church together J
the following Easter. That's what came of church at- 9
tendance, even though I took no pleasure in it. The /
Y. M. C. A. secretary told me that all he knew of me /
was that for three months I had attended church every J
Sabbath morning, with no one to urge it, nor evei/i
any one to accompany me." /
Mr. Stevens arose and pushed back his chair. "N.fy
son," he said, "stick to the church. Some dav it /vill
surely bring you a heart blessing which will swefcten
the hard places of your life.?Christian Guardian.f
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