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September 18, 1912] THE]
Jesus Christ; one law, the law of love and sympathy;
and one end to bring the kingdom of
(jod through Christ back to our sinning and
troubled earth."
For weary years Byron's prisoner of Chillon
had been confined below the level of the waters
< it.. I .,|rn Aav. 1? .1 it L. J
oi iiic; juuuc ucucvtt. itius uj. uespuir mey uau
bet n. One day a bird sang at the prison window
the sweetest song he had ever heard. It
resurrected his heart of stone. It created a
yearning for a look over the land which was free
to the bird. So the prisoner dug footholds in
the plaster of the wall and climbed to the window
above, from which he might get a look at
the impressive mountains of his native Switzerland.
He looked out and saw the mountains
unchanged. He saw the snow of a thousand
years and learned patience. That look put new
life into him and gave him a vision that lasted
to the end. From that sight he obtained rest,
strength, solace.
So I have ventured to bring you this message
tins niommg or donn s aouots ana Jesus assured
answer, to suggest to you something of
Christianity's past, present, and future triumphs,
that together out from our dungeons of
cioubt we might cut footholds for our faith in
the promises of God; that we might climb up
to him and get his vision of life, and be forever
consoled by the sight of something grand and
living beyond this life, in which we are now as
prisoners; that we may catch a glimpse of the
towering peaks of immortality, of God's eternal
purpose to bring this world under the dominion
of his Son, and so in all love and loyalty and
confidence may now yield our lives to his loving
sway, so helping to bring about the glad day
of redemption.
PATENT REMEDIES versus EVANGELISM.
BY REV. W. J. M'MILLAN, D. D.
With an enthroned King leading and defending
His church; with Omnipotence leading the
forces of all historv wit.h the nromiso of His
abiding presence, be it far from us to give way
to a spirit of unbelieving pessimism. But it
were futile for us to close our eyes to the fact
that the church of Christ, especially the Southern
Presbyterian church, is not making that degree
of progress against the forces of evil and
in reaching the unchurched throngs, that is
conducive to a happy state of mind.
We are face to face with some very serious
problems, with adverse conditions, with perplexing
questions. These problems are press*
uig themselves upon the minds of thinking
men.
How to commend the preaching of the Gospel
so that the multitudes will hear it gladly,
how to get the church and the people together;
V . - ' -
uuw to fill the deserts in our places of public
worship; how to get the attention of men
fixed, upon our religious services; how to get
the truth into the hearts of the indifferent
church member, and how to arrest the attention
of the great throngs of people who are
bussing our churches in quest of pleasure, are
some of the problems that are pressing themselves
upon the attention of every pastor in
?ur bounds.
Of course there have been numerous remedies-proposed.
Some of these remedial offering8
come in the nature of "patent" remedies,
which have been concocted in great conven
' 'oils and conferences. But, like the takers oi
Patent remedies, the ecclesiastical patients have
, come from their treatments the worse for their
experiments. These "cure alls'1 hgve not met
the demands of the case, and their last state
w worse than the first.
Some churches have run the gauntlet of
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SO
"Drawing Music," aud a few men have listened
to the hallelujah choruses, have been entertained
by second-class orchestras, have smiled
at the operatic singers, ana nave reureu witn
hungry souls and with a determination that
in ine iuture tney will near hrst-elass entertainers
in the palaces set apart lor the entertaining
business.
Then there is not wanting the church which
has raised the clamor lor a "Drawing French
er, an uiiuuiiaiui oi tne lact that a preacher
is not an entertainer. Some oi these churches
have suifered many things in the name of religion,
and have hnaily learned that the believers
are to be gathered in by "the ioolishness
of preaching" but not by ioolish preaching.
some oi cur churches have tried ail varieties
oi sensational methods. We have heard
the '' whistling chorus,'' and the sensational parson
discourse upon the subject: "The Devil
akianed, salted and Peppered," and have seen
the "drawing card" in the shape oi a Unitarian
President, cheap politician, Jew, Mormon,
and iollower of Mary Eddy, standing in
a pulpit dedicated to the worship of the Triune
GodThen
other communities have tried "Yellow
Journalism" that they might get the unwary
sinner into the toils oi the Gospel. Business
method in our church life is a good thing, and
advertising is to be commended, ink is a good
thing for the church to employ. But the method
of advertising that appeals to most men is
that which is manifested in the becoming lives
of church members. When we read the local
paper and hnd it announced in good print:
"Bev. Dr. Advertiser will administer the
Lord's supper at the uioruiug hour next Sabbath,"
and when the eye, in near proximity,
detects the following: "Mrs. Jones, wife of
Edgar Jones, entertained at bridge, etc," the
good impression made by the enterprise of
the hrst is set aside by the unfitness of the
second advertisement, and we feel that the
best advertisement for the church is that
which is written in the lives of men and women
by the Spirit of the living God.
Still other discoverers have gone forth and
with inventive minds have fashioned ecclesiastical
machines, wheels within wheels, and have
announced that the produce of their use will
be a reinvftnatAfl 1 - ??
_ w... iunuuiij , OJJ.U. CI SUiUllOLl
to all of our ecclestiastieal woes. In following
out this prescription some of our churches have
become filled with whirling pulleys, resounding
cogwheels, flying belts, and all sorts of intricate
appliances for the ecclesiastical machinery.
It is to be noted that the preachers in these
churches have discarded their long coats that
they may move with less danger among the
wheels and belts.
Thus, we might proceed to mention many
other proposed solutions for our arrest eoplpai.
astical problems. And we might observe that
the faithful application of these proposed remedial
agencies to the problems of the church
have generally failed in their purposes, and
our difficulties are growing and our perplexity
is increasing.
But what are we going to do about the matter
? It is far easier to point out a defect than
to remedy it; to criticize a movement than to
construct something better. However, there
are some things, which might De briefly suggested,
that might be tried to the edification
oi tne cnurch and to the salvation of men.
1. Let the church, acknowledging her failure
in her self-dependence, turn unto him to
whom all power is committed. Let us plead
with him for Zion's sake. Let us sink ourselves
into his will, and tarry in his presence
0 T H (1057) 3
uaiu ui& puwcr pun>alet? in every nuwr ol the
tuv ui cue cuurcn.
ijci uic pi'cuciicia rei.Ui.ix 10 uiv pruciawuuun
oi cue axxnpie uuspci ui aaivutiun tnrougn
jurist uo tue uniy reuieuy xur tun. uet meui
nit up vuuiai, iinu ixmi erueiiieu, ueiure tne
uuie ui tne ^aa&ing iiuunga, auu give an tue
putver or lnniu anu ueart to cue proclamation
ui tuat turn Die tsLoiv wuxcn (.hum. i.>
mess 10 me salvation ox men.
u. net iijo cnurcn tniun more auout uer oueumnce
10 ner juoru man aoout me results ox
tnat oueuience. curist nan sent us lo tne utsx.
ui proclaiming uie uospei lu au peoples. Juet
ua ace mat we arc uoiug mat to wmcn ne sent
ua. vv e arc 1101 sent miu luc worm to save uie
worm, ror mat is not tne worn, ox man; out
to preacn ine Uospei to c*ery creature, xxeep
toe mmu more upon uie taan man upon lue results.
xvecp tlie neart mure upon tne xuaster
man upon me liar vest, wmeu in 11is.
?. .net every pastor anu minister ,oi our
cnurcn iook at me oaviour s metnous, at. me
metnous ox inc aiscipies, at me metnous ox me
great apostles, anu uctcrnunc xor memseives
wnetiier or not it is sumcient to erect a building,
prepare tne sermon, organize tlie cliurcti,
ana ring tiie Dell.
\v e nave uependeu too mueU upon tnat
metnou ox doing tne worn, aim me niultituues
nave ueen passing oy tnrougn ail me
centuries. \v e must cnange our metnods.
n<very pastor must become an evangelist; every
niemoer oi tne cnurcn must become a disciple,
auu every woruer must * launcn out into tlie
deep." JtSecause the multitudes will not come
to us lor tlie Uospel cannot excuse us lor neglecting
personal ett'ort witli tne passing millions
who liave souls. 11 tne task is to be completed
we must replace our emphasis, and
that emphasis must be put upon persistent,
peripatetic, personal evangelism.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IMMIGRATION TO
AMERICAN CITIZEN SHU* AND
CHRISTIANITY.
J UA-N OBTS GONZALEZ,
llavp. vfm nnti/iofl I""- *1- '1
j uvuwu uun uuiu me immigration
and the foreign missionary movement have appeared
together in their intensity and have
grown together along parallel lines. One hundred
years ago there was no immigration in
the sense we speak of today, neither was there
any foreign missionary movement of importance.
Fifty years ago the number of immigrants
began to increase and the foreign missionary
movement also grew. Ten years ago
toreign immigration began to be a tremendous
problem and the foreign missionary movement
assumed the greatest importance and became
the most tremendous problem for all evangelical
churches.
Today immigration pours in individuals of
all races and of all civilizations, by the millions
and today also the foreign missionary movement
think and plan to gather in for Christ
these millions that know him not.
Have you noticed, my brethern, how the
longings of many Christians today are for the
evangelization of the world in this generation
and how the official reports of immigration call
loudly to the Christian Church saying: Behold
I count upon my record books indivirlnoi?
from all countries, citizens from all nations,
members of all races. I offer to you the possibility
of this marvelous opportunity.
Do you not see a divine plan in all these
movements ? I see it and I see more, I see that
nowhere, either in China, or Japan, or Korea
or Africa, or in any other foreign fieid can the
longings for Christ and the lessons of the
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