Christian herald., August 25, 1882, Page 4, Image 4

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and therefore tends to bind men in
The Supday Newspaper.
indifference of the. people. Jt is be­
cause we too soon tire in an , effort ■ The following is from the Ch ria- the chains of materialism. We say
EDITORS: '
and give up the work. Compara­ 'firm Covwnwnvvalth on the above that those chains art* riveted fast
enough on the week-day, and that ‘
D. T. S tanley , B ruce W olverton , tively few protracted meetings are subject:
on. the Lord’s day such food should
being held', and they usually'last a
Monmouth.
Portland.
We do not hesitate to say that,
very few days—generally not more from a moral or spiritual point of be offered to the intellect and the
heart, as will loosen them. But
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1882
than three or four.
..... ......
vk t ! Jj s. Su nbiy _ in * w spape r rea< 1 -
The o growth of the church I<v
the ing rs an enormous evil. It is not whilst tin* evil is patent, it must Re ­
.
•z.
Success in Meetings.
present method of work may be foi-us,.,as. journalists, to condemn admitted that it is not easy to
“ Why are not our protracted more permanent ; that is, th?*re with unjust severity any portion of point out a remedy. The law can
meetings successful like they were may be, and doubtless is, less bad the newspaper press. We heartily not help us. Ami morality,'enforc­
many years ago?” This question material gathered into the church. believe that the newspaper, taking ed by evil process, is at best but
often meets us and is a proper one While we think that'very* numer­ it all in all, is one of the grandest artificial, having no root, and with­
for consideration.. Brethren who ’ ous and very lengthy meetings may creations, and one of the mightiest out either vigor or fruitfulness. It *
have.seen meetings where there was liecome partly an evil, the other ex forces’of these modern times. But may lie said that one way, and the
an ingathering of a hundred or treme to which we are now tending •this does not blind our eyes to the most effectual wav, of inducing
people to lay aside the newspaper
more, often wonder why they ilo is not less so.
fact that newspapers of a certain
not see thy -like repeated on this
A reasonable number of pro- class are fast tending to secularize on Sunday would be to give them4
coast. In the eastern states, the ■ tractcd meetings of sufficient length the Lord’s- day. We are not of something better.-, 'Ibis is true as
repetition of the desireable result to fully arouse the people, Iwth in those- who hold rigid Puritanic far as it goes, but it does not go
of large numbers of accessions, is and out of the church, arc necessary views on the Sunday question, ami very far, for rlready the people
far less numerous than formerly, to our liest growth and greatest who insist that the Lord’s day have something .better within
reach. They have the Bible, peri­
though such a result is occasionaly activity.
should be observed in a spirit of I
odical literature which is pure as
met. - <
. -
. During the six years that we slavish" legalism. But it is the
well as entertaining, and standard
Is the Gospel losing its power ?
have been in Oregon, we do not Lord’s day, after all, ami man’s day
works
of biography, devotion, expo­
Are people . becoming deaf to the
now think of a single meeting that to be us<‘d only for His- glory.
sition, and. every branch of Chris­
call of mercy ? "What is the cause
has continued as long as two weeks, Whilst prepared to give much lib­
tian knowledge. But what they
of the change of results ?
conducted by our brethren. That erty to men within certain limits,
. ..,
s ■
We feel no alarm at the present we have pot grown in numbers we contend that there must I m * lack is the capacity to appreciate
state of the cause. We do not be­ rapidly is no matter of surprise t > limits, ami we are against those these blessings. Their life is so
lieve that tin*.Gospel has lost any us; it is rather a matter of sur­ who 'would altogether remove them. filled with animalism that they
of its power, but, on the contrary, prise that we have held our own so An<l one principle by which we turn with revulsion from that
which is spiritual. Here lies the
believe that the Gospel was -never Well.
hold fast on this question is that on
evil,
and it is an evil which can .
more a moving power in the hearts
But we must awaken to the ne­ the Lord’s day as Jittle work of an only be cured by the grace of God.
of men who hear it in its simple
cessities of the times. We need every-day character should be done
purity, than now. The falling off more protracted meetings among us as possible. Only what is necessary The wickedness which is rampant
around us, and which makes men
in results may be traced to an en­
and those continued to greater can be justified. But is the Sunday heedless alike of their moral obliga­
tirely different cause. In those
length. Thus our preachers will newspaper necessary, in any sense; tion, of their nature as men and of
good old times of which some de
hedome more enthusiastic, the or to any class of persons ? We their duty towards God, can only
light to »talk, preachers of earnest-,
church will I m * more alive, and the answer emphatically, nd. In these be removed by the Gospel of
ness and zeal, with a good knowl­
number added to the saved will lie days, when an altogether exaggera- Christ. So that what we have to
edge of the holy Scriptuivs which
ted importance is attached to the
great.
are able to make men wise unto
mere superficialities of politics do is to go on teaching to the world
Preaching bretlwen, wake up to
the Gospel. Only as men arc sub­
salvation, would go to a place where
when scandal-mongering has come
the simple plea of the word of God the demands of the cause. Breth­ to Be recognized as one of the in­ dued by its principles will they
was comparatively unknown, and ren and sisters, everywhere, renew stitutions of “ society,” we know it fear God, keep his commandments,
l»egin to preach. The people were your zeal, and let us make a grand is difficult for people to get over reverence his day, and generally
first taught their duty in a long march against sin,■and bring many Sunday without hearing the latest act like spiritual beings rather than
Series of discourses, and shown the sons unto glory.
political rumors or “ society ” gos­ animals. To get at the heart of
errors prevalent in the religious
sip. But the deprivation would do the world’s iniquity, viz: the heart,
world. They were then invited to
May we once more call the atten­ them good, nevertheless. It mfrdrt of man, is slow and difficult work ;
■ - but lebus remember that if we are
forsake sin and all humanisms, and tion of those who subscribed to the perchance, if such essentially friv
be built upon the one foundation of Lot Fund oftin* Portland <4mr«b< olotts beings are capable of serious doing this work at God s call and
apostles and prophets, take the As we shall bo absent from Port­ thought at all, force them to think under his guidance, his spirit is
word of God alone as their creed, land soon, the list will lie left with that there is a God, to whom they working with us and for us.”
ol>ey its commandments and enjoy Bro. W. H. Adams, of the commit­ owe obedience ; and that they have
Christopher North never said a
its promises. The people in great tee to whom amounts are to la* a soul, which must live forever in truer or wiser thing than in his
numbers heard, believed and sent. It is almost unnecessary to either bliss or woe. But thoughts “Soliloquy on the Seasons:” “Turn
obeyed.
say that every dollar is needed ; like these are not to the taste of from the oracles of man—still dim­
But this was not the work of a interest has been accumulating for the Sunday newspaper reader, and even in the clearest responses—to
day or two The meetings were two years, which the churches has one object of his newspaper lead the oracles of God, which are never
continued without cessation for had to meet.
w. ing is to drive them away.
dark. Bury all your liooks, when
two, four or six weeks, The re-
It will be seen, then, that our .you feel the night of scepticism
suits justified such " protracted
In a note from Bro. Spriggs, Sa­ opposition to the Sunday newspa gathering around you—bury them-
effort, while preaching a day or two lem, he says that there have been ,p *r is not based on the mere fact all, powerful though you may have
at eax-Ti place would have been nine accessions to the church since tb it it is prepared for Sunday I deemed their spp|ls to illuiuipatp
wholly without visHdr-rasuJts,
he took the work in May. He is reading, but. rathe’- on the nature ' the unfathomable; open your Bible,
The trouble with our meetings bnyoying l‘*s labors, and from what of its contents.
occupies itself and all the spiritual world will be
pow, is not .inferior preaching, or we hear, ItnrtwuyojjH'*ut U mutual. solely with things that are earthly, , as bright as day. » ”
C hristian H erald .
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