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v * t , / * ' VALUEOFSVMPATBV DR. CHAPMAN'S SUNDAY SERMON. Some R asons Why people Do Not Attend Church -- Spiritual Happ2? r.ess in God's Love. New Yontc CITY.?The Kev. iJr. .J. Wilbur Onto :an, the popular pastor-evange!ist. who i- now preaching 10 overflowing congregations in litis city, lias furnished the following- eloquent -ernion to tlic pres.-. it was preached front the text "And the wan said. The woman whom Thou _uve-t to oe with me, she gave me of the tree. and J did eat." <>c:iesis3: 12. This may be counted a strange text for a sermon with such a theme as this and yet we will a!! agree, 1 am sure, that all men are the sons of Adam in this re.-pect as well a- in others, for there is always a disposition to excuse selr and place responsibility utton some one else for wrong doing and fai.ure. 1 have sent out letters through some personal friends asking those who were non-attendants upon church to ? 1 five n;e the reasons lor tueir position. ana have been amazed 10 see how many have found, fault with the church, and how very many with the ministry and how remarkably few with themselves. 1 shall give you these excuses as they have sent them to my friends, and yet 1 doubt not but it men were perfectly honest they would say that they were away from the liou?e of Cod because of something in their own Iran and life which made church attendance a constant rebuke to them. This is an important question we have to consider. More than half the inhabitants of our country do not attend church; of, the non-church goers the majority are men. and there are actually millions of men in this land of ours who have no connection with the church whatsoever A few of this company attend occasionally, I some of them are employed and cannot come, but the vast number have become indifferent. In New York City not more than three per cent, of the male population are members of the Protestant churches and of the church membership it is said three-fourths ere women. Not only is this true in the cities, but in the rural districts as well. All classes of people to-dav seem to have become affected with this disease, for there are Christless rich as well as Christies* poor. It is true that a crowd is not the only thing to be considered in church attendance. J; is easy to get a crowd; a balloon rv-cension always draws a crowd; if the minister is sensational he usually has a crowd about him. but there is this to be said about sensational preaching, while it draws it does not hold, and yet a crowd is necessaty to consider, for there is great inspiration in a great company of people. However, leu us not forget that some ot the greatest sermons in the world's history have been preached to the few. Jesus spent an evening with one man and preached on regeneration as no man has ever preached, and Xicodemus became a chiid of Cod. He must needs go through Samaria and stops at the well curb of Jacob because there is one poor woman there, and she had her life transformed by His teaching. One cold rainy night in England years ago a minister said, "I do not think 1 snail attend the church to-night, for no one will be there." and when finally he did go he found a scattered few through the pews. He was then almost persuaded to give up the preaching; when finally he did go on a boy up the gallery heard the text and began to live, and the boy was the preacher who led 13,000 people into his own church and drew a multitude to Christ the wide world round. His name was Charles H. Spurgeon. Yet I am persuaded that what is needed to-day is not so much ministers that will draw, that is what we hear on every side, but rather churches that will hold the people that attend, hold them by their sympathy, hold them by their manifestation oi the Spirit of Christ. These are the reasons wnieh men have suggested to me for non-church attendance. 1. First?One man wrote, "I am out of the habit of attending church." It is a verv r i.;_j easy Ullllg IU iurili any miiu ui a imun, I but if once broken it is difficult to begin again, especially if it be a habit to do 1 good. Our large cities are remarkable in ! this respect in these days, for with ovei thousands of people in them professional church members who do not frequent the church, they lower the spiritual atrrjsphere of the city and their last state is ' frequently worse than the first. Second?Another man wrote that he was not a church attendant because he had never been trained to it in his youth, and this is certainly true, for the homes have changed; for while it used to be that the father and mother and the children attended church, now the children are conspicuous for their absence., I can remember in my own boyhood's days that no one of the children, however young or however -..Id, had the right to stay away from rhe house of God. I tremble when l tJimK 01 tne next generation or nonchurch goers unless the church reforms speedily. Third?One young man writes that he has come to beliere that it is no? manly to attend church. That is a reflection upon the family life, for the father of the house ought to so reflect Christ in his home life that the children could easily say, '"Of ail the good men in the world my father is the best, and if church attendance can produce such a character I shall never be absent." Fourth?"I do not attend church," says' another, "because I am too tired," and in many respects this is the most reasonable excuse presented. 1 believe the time is coming when the business life of our large cities must be adjusted so as to give those . who toil more time on Saturday, thereby giving them a better opportunity on" Sunday to worship God, and yet one of the busiest men in this country, with whom it was my privilege for a number of years to be associated, the Hon. John Wanamaker, who attends church every Sunday from early morning until late at night, declares that it rests him, and that he begins Monday always refreshed. Rest is not idleness, but a change of occupation. Fifth?One man writes that he had rath or sleep and read than attend church, but that is pure, unadulterated selfishness. A selfish man is-one who is out of proportion. I have no right to consider simply my own comfort. I am a citizen and 1 am responsible for the morality of my city. I ought to be willing to do anything that would make my own life betfer or my brother's life better. Sixth?"1 do not attend church because the sermons are too long." said another, and ye: he confesses that he has not been in church for years. I am well aware that the sermons used to be long. I have sat many a time through an hour sermon with my father, but as a matter of fact very i few men preach long sermons to-day. and I yet strange to say the very men who object to long sermons could sit through ! hours of a theatrical performance \yiiich would he crucifixion to some o: us. Seventh?'"1 am fed upon dn' husks when I attend church," writes another, and that is true in some places. There arc so-cahcd ( hristian churches where men preach an; thing but the gospel. Tiny arc a disgrace to the profession and a dishonor to Christ. It is. however, my privilege to know as many ministers as the most of men. and I know comparatively few in all this great company who preach anything hut ;ne gospel of Christ. It is true, however, that the world feeds upon dry hasks. Kemeiuber the story of toe prodigal. l-.ignr? i an: jiit .1* .u-> int.- m?riu1>cin of the church; why should J attend?'' Hut that is not at a!) tlie question that should he considered !?y tiie writer of this letter. 11c may be as good as some members of tlie church, but is not it a little strange that men who take this position always pick out the weak members and line up beside them. Why not take the strong characters of the church instead. The question is, "How does your 'me compare with that of Christ?" He is the ideal. Ninth?'"The reason why I am away from the church is because when i attend the sermon rebukes my manner of living." i hen 1 beseech you, in the name oi Christ, change your life, and to the man who writes this letter I send out a special plea that Cod may lead him speedily to Himself. Tenth ? "If I should attend church," writes another young man. "1 should have to give up my evil companions, and 1 ajn not prepared now to do that." It is an awful thing for any young man to say that his love of certain companions hinders his desire to be right with Hod, and the writer of this letter presents the strongest reason why ae should turn quickly into the straight and narrow way that leads to life. These are the reasons presented. Jt would be better for us to call thein excuses, lor excuses are very different from reasons. An excuse is a subterfuge behind which men hide; reasons are entirely different. A few reasons have been given in the above remarks, but the most of them are excuses pure and simple. II. It is said that an honest confession is good for the soul, and there are some things that we as members of the church and as pastors of the church might as well acknowledge first as last. First?\\ e oughc to recognize that men cannot be driven to the church, but they may be attracted. Thc-y will not go simply because it is their duty or because the Bible tells them to go, but they may be won, and we ought to remember that the average church bui.dir.z, shut up lor the week, with the undertaker's sign the most prominent upon its exterior, is not attractive to the un-churcii people. The inside of the building may be beautiful, but doubtless they do not think that. Second?With each new generation new conditions present themselves. Within twenty-live years the methods of business have entirely changed, and indeed within ten years a new order of business prevails, and the church must keep up with the times. The old truth is sacred and can never be changed. God pity that man who tries to present a new truth which cannot be found in the word of God, but old methods may be absolutely valueless, and we have a Scriptural warrant for changing our methods every Sunday until we have one ^hat will win the indifferent. This warrant is found in the little word "until," in the parable of the lost sheep, th? lost piece of money, and the lost boy. for the Shepherd searched, and the woman looked, and the father waited until the lost was found. Third?We have to preach to a composite man. If a church makes its plans to reach the rich only it is not Christian, whatever else it may be; if it plans simply to reach the poor it is net an Christ would have it. The distinction made be1 ??J Ko /I Vio iween ricn duu twc ..? ?. gospel is for all. There is not more electricity to-day in the world than twentyfive years ago, and not more in America than in the heart of Africa, but Edison harnessed it and makes it useful, and that is the need of the day for the church. Oh. for some man who can take the old gospel which has been given to the world for centuries and make it attractive. We find men with the influence of the week of business upon them, and he is the best preacher who finds men as they are and then leads them to Christ. There are some i preachers more particular about their pronunciation than about the lifting of a soul into the kingdom of God, but we are thankful that these are few in number. Fourth?Let it be known that men have never been found in great numbers in any church where the preacher lacks a holy boldness in the presentation of the truth. ?*11 > -i * a 4 V?rv aViii r*n k f/\ Koor r -tjen win nut tuuic iu vuv v.uiuv.1 vv ..v?>. theories or speculations; they want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and a positive theology in the pulpit is the most pleasing to the pew. Fifth?It is the Christlike spirit that draws. Education is well, philanthropy is not to be despised, culture is a good thing, but the church that makes its hold upon society is the church that feels its need and makes its contribution to meet that need. In other days when the church bells of St. Paul's, in London, chimed the midnight hour there used to be a tall, thin gentleman with a lantern and one or two assistants going from arch to arch and group to group, stooping down by this hungrv man and that ragged beggar, picking them up gently, feeding them and clothing them, but better than telling them of the Lord Jesus Christ, and so he spent his nights, robbing his sleep of its allotted time. Who is this man? He has in his veins the bluest blood of the British royalty. He is Earl of Shaftesbury, who leaves his palace at West End to dig within the filth and squalor of these places of the Hilton viaduct. Finally the coster mongers said tliey wouia not receive neip from Lord Shaftesbury, for he was too proud and his blood was too blue, and so the great man became one of them, with cart and donkey, and with his crest emblazoned on the harness, and when they saw that they said, "Lord Shaftesbury stands with us and he shall help us.'' "When did your reformation begin?" a gentleman asked a Christian man who had been formerly a great criminal. "With my talk with the Earl, sir," he replied. >"What did the Earl say?" asked the gentleman. "It was not so much anything he said, but he took my hand in his and said. 'Jack, you will he a man vet.' It was the touch of his hand electrified by his soul of love," and that will be a great day for the church when men sit in its pews and pass out. and others say to theih. "And what did the preacher say?" and they reply possibly, "Well, I cannot tell v.-hat he saia." "And what was his text?" might be the question, and the answer, "f do not know his text." Well, then, of what value was your attendance upon the church, and if the reply could be, "I only know that while the minister preached 1 determined to be a better man,' preaching of this sort would draw the uu-churched and win a multitude to Christ. ' FIVE APPLICATIONS ALREADY j Many Candidates For McLnurln'j Seat. In politcal circles all seem to take it as a settled thins that Senator MeI.anrin will be appointed to the bench 7 nitrifl Ctotnp eon r\f nnnnolp c/i in; v it j iv u uiatva vuui t ui ucjjcu'o and that his resignation will soon be handed the governor. I Gov. Mc Sweeney said last week that thcro was as yet nothing before him ?n the matter but thus far the friends of five different loading South Carolinians had either made application in behalf of those gentlemen in writing or in person. He has filed all these applications away and has informed each person that in ease the resignation comes in the names of | each man presented will be given due * consideration. In writing to one of these parties the governor intimated in case the matter came before him he might conclude to appoint some person whose name had not been presented. The only official communication the governor has received in regard to the matter came yesterday in the form of the following telegram sigred by the mayor of the city of Charleston, Hon. J. Adger Smyth: "Charleston earnestly requests the appointment of Capt. F. W. Wagner to fill the unexpired term of United States Senator in case vacancy occurs. His public spirit and generous devotion to South Carolina's best interests deserve this acknowledgement from you." Whiskey and Pistols. Spartanburg, Special.?Near Greers, in this county, two negro men, Colo? Smith and Frank, alias Babe .Tones, had a quarrel about whiskey. As a result Jones shot Smith, the ball entering the stomach and inflicting a dangerous and perhaps fatal wound. Smith was carried to his home in Greenville county, and the attendant physician says there is no probability of h.s recovery. Jones was arrested immediately after the shooting and was subsequently brought to this city and lodged in the county jail by Constable Charles Dearman. It is said the fuss started by Jones asking Smith for a drink of J whiskey, which was refused. He then gave Smith the lie. Smith returned this ; by striking Jones. The latter produced a 38-ealibre pistol and shot ono time, the ball taking effect in Smith's abdomen. The Prize Exhibit. i Spartarburg, Special.?The beard ol I /.mm** ( /.mmioQirtnprs nnrl SunerviSOI | Leonard held their regular monthly meeting last week. At this meeting th? i Spartanburg county exposition commissioners met with the board, and requested for consideration at this joint meeting the preservation of the Spartanburg county exhibit at the Charleston exposition. After considerable discussion it was decided to instruct Mr. Paul V. Moore, who has this county exhibit in charge, to ship it from ! Charleston to this city. It was deemed a very laudable scheme for awhile to have the complete exhibit preserved, but this is impracticable on account oi the fact that a large portion of the exhibit is made up of articles loanod by private individuals, and these articles will have to be returned. When the exhibit reaches this city the individual! who loaned articles can call upon the proper persons and secure them. A New Mill. Last week an application for a charter for still another cotton mil] was filed with tho secretary of state and a commission issued. This is the Corona mill to be located at or near Anderson. The capital stock is to be $20,000. The corporators are R. E. Ligon, W. R. Osborne, E F. Geiger, i D. P. Mt'Brayer, G. W. FJvans, Calhoun Harris, J. W. Roberts, W. A. Bower and R. E. Burriss. In the last ! month applications for charters fo new cotton mills have been coming in rt.pidly, and it is said at the office of tie secretary of state that this year s record in the matter of new cotton mills, while it would not reach the high water mark of year before last will more than likely run far above that of last year. Special Election Ordered. The governor has ordered a special town election to be held in accord ance with the act governing such elections in the town of Blenheim, Marlboro county, on the 19th Inst He appointed Wm. Evans commissioner of election to conduct such election and named the following managers of election: Ed. Townsend, W. C. Bruce and J. F. Matheson. Last "Wednesday Jim Black, the chief actor in the terrible tragedy, was carried from Savannah to the scene of his crime. He confessed his guilt and named three others, who aided him in tt.e commission of the crime. He was hanged to a telegraph pole in front of Jones' place and his body riddled with bullets. The news of the lynching and of Black's confession reached Walterboro, and at 2 o'clock Sheriff Owens, apprehensive of trouble, endeavored to send Ford to the State penitentiary, but his deputies wore twice overpowered en route to the depot and Ford was tied to a pine tree and shot to death. * m ?' .' * i?V-Aik;. Gaelic Lnngcafo in Canada. Tho Hon. Jofch C. Linehau, insurance commissioner of New Hampshire, and one of the prominent members of the pension committee of the Grand | Army of the Republic, is one of the I most accomplished Gaelic scholars in this country, anu received a degree from Dartmouth college for marked proficiency in the ancient language. The other evening he remarked to the writer: "l'p in Canada, not far from old Arcadia, there is a large territory, composed of nineteen counties where English is never heard. Gaelic only is spoken, a'nd it is taught iu the schools and preached in the churches. The people are largely Catholic and Presbyterian, and the old tongue keeps them on excellent terms. It is a country where vice and crime are unknown, and where bolts and bars are never considered necessary." Mr. Linehan's brother is pastor of one of the Portland (Me.) churches, and on one occasion recently an old lady from that particular country? and who was born and raised there? went to confession, and it was found that she had no word but Gaelic. Luckily the good father was versed in the language and was equal to the emergency.?New Century. The First Powder Gun. The first powder gun, according to the Cologne Gaze.tte, was put in operation near Metz, in the year 1324, and the first rifle was used in Perugia, Italy, in 1364. J.H.WEDD1N HARP! 29 E. 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