Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TO ATTEND CHURCH IS URGED AS A CHRISTIAN DUTY Dr. Chapman Speaks of the Va!t:e of Christianity on the Character of the Nation. New Yopk City.?'The Rev. J. 'Wilbur r?Actnr-pvnncrelist of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of this city, has delivered a sermon in which he set forth the reasons why men should attend church. He preached from the text, "And He said unto them. Come ve yourselves apart into a desert place and rest awhile." Mark C: 31. John the Baptist had been beheaded and his disciples were in confusion. They wore truly as sheen without a shepherd* The apostles had heard of the disaster, and came to Jesus to tell Him of all the things that had come to pass, and then it was that He spoke to them in the words of the text. "And He said unto them. Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest awhile; for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat." I am very well aware that to some of von this may seero an inappropriate text, for if the church is ^ _ nc .ko I a ceserc men in u*vu n. iircscms ? ureason why so many men are away from it. and wliy there seems to be a growing indifference to its claims. Alas, it is true too often the church is a desert place. It will not help us any in our efforts to lead men to attempt to blind our eyes to the condition of thintrs. A desert is a spot without water, without habitation, a place of death and despair, and this is true of every church where anything is substituted for the gosnel. where the whole truth is not preached, and where Christ is not presented to dying men. The sermons may be perfect so far as their literary excellence is concerned, but without the gospel, as the heart thev are sounding brass and tinkling symbol in the estimation of Rim who is the ereat head of the church. Then again the verse in which the text is found presents us a picture of the world. The Master called the apostles aside to rest, for there were manv coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. This is indeed a representation of the business life of the most of men. The pace is terrific, and if any man fails to keep step with his competitor in business he is soon left behind and is counted out of the race. /vf rwro-t*oct neods nf the dav fc>T men in all departments of life, whether it be in the shop, with the ordinary day laborer or with the great merchant in his business, or the famous lawyer at the court, one of the greatest needs of the day is for rest. Rest does not necessarily mean idleness; when men rest as I have it in mind thev get their best conception of God, they work out their greatest plans for the future, they become in the truest sense as God would have them. Men cannot carelessly approach a great worl;. For the disciples it was "Tarry ye." before the going forth to service, and this is necessary not only in religious life, but in all departments of life. In a paner not long ago under the caption "Why do we go to church?" the following was suggested: Because it is the fashion. Because it has become a habit. ' Because it is respectable. Because we like the minister. Because we enjoy the music and other attritions. Because we feel lonesome when we do not go. Because we sing in the choir or are offi cia's and must go. Because parental authority enjoins it. Because it helps business. Are any of these the motives that move you to attend church? Som^of them may nave a subordinate place in one's actions, but they should never become a Drominent or a dominant force. Why should we go to church? For a hundred legitimate reasons, chief among which are these: Because the church is the tabernacle ol the Most High. Because it has always been the symbol and centre of worship. Because He plainly promises to meet us there. TWnnao wo need the heln the church af fords. Because others need the force of our exam ole. Because of the joy we find in public and social worship. Because without the church the community and nation would soon lapse into barbarism. Because close fellowship with God's people here is the truest road to the life hereafter. It is a fact that men are not attending church, and it cannot be true that this is altogether the fault of the non-attendants themselves. This is a cold world in which we live, and naturally the world wants warm words, warm smiles, warm welcomes, warm hearts, warm prayers and the warm spirit of brotherhood, and men have a right to expect that the church which represents Christ upon earth shall exhibit all of these things. The man of the world does not ?tay away from the church because there is too much of the Spirit of God in it, but rather because there is too little. The church must be united if the unsaved world is to be drawn to it. T X. The following reasons for church attendance have Deen presented to me by men of great renown throughout the country, great business men, great philanthropists, great leaders of men generally, and there is not one who has written to me but whose name is known throughout the whole world. First?Man needs the church. Temptations assail him on every side; there is no man that lives without temptation. The whose salary is $2500 per year. "My pros?erity will be my defeat unless I am careul. I find now that I ara constantly thinking of business and scheming to increase my riches," and then the tears pressure of materialism in these days is terrdic. and unless a man has a strong upward pull, at least one day in the week he will find himself gradually going down. The commercial spirit of the aav is something marvelous to think of, and unless one day at least in the seven is spent in worshiping God the other days of the week will dwarf and starve that spiritual nature wmcn every man possesses wnetner fee is conscious of it or not. The tendency to look down and not up will after a while give the man a halting, hesitating, blind ava.y of walking, while the man who one day in the week at least looks up and not down will find himself purer and better end stronger. "Men are sure to retrograde and lose ground if thev neglect the ohurcli," said a man to me the other day, started as he said. "I question if 1 am as happy as when 1 was on a small salary and lived in a very simple way." Second?The church needs men and the work of God cannot be accomplished without. It has always been God's way to work through instruments sometimes as humble as the rod which Moses neid in his hand and yet as important as Moses himself. God means to win men through mer, and if the men of the day absent themselves from the church of God for the loss of the souls of other men they are held responsible at the day of judgment. Third?Men ought to attend church because of the intellectual culture that is there gained. The average man has little time for reading, little opportunity through the week for recreation and lectures and it is the opinion of this distinguished business man that the average sermon will he a stimulus to his intellect. Remember, it is not so much what you hear as the impression it makes upon you and the after effects upon your life. Men may have forget- , ten the (.^reek thev learned in college, and ' -e U._1 ??.i | t Tie principles Ol WW IIIKIIC1 nmuivurau.,, but no man coubi pass through college without coming out stronger and better in every wav it lie were true to his ecluca- ; tion. and the effect of a sermon rightly heard and received is to make the life purer, the mind clearer, the character stronger. Fourth?The example of church going affords an important means of promoting the good crder of the community. The reflex influence upon oneself is of the very best, and the influence upon others is conducive to regular habits and good order. Fifth?The idea of recreation in church attendance is one of the most important reasons for faithfulness in this regard. "Surely." writes a distinguished man, "church going will afford this." A change of occupation is rest and a working man who feels that he must sleep through the hours of the morning because he has toiled faithfully through the days of the week, will And that he is beginning his week duller than if he had been true to God; while the business man who reads through most of the hours of the day because he feels that to attend church would be a sense of weariness would find that he begins the week more weary than if he had been loyal to Christ. n. There are certain facts which we must remember in our efforts to reach and to help others. First?There is a worshiping faculty in man. and it is the climax of all his other faculties. For the exercise of his voice man has the air. for his feet he has the earth, for hunger he has food, for'thirst he has water, but for bis soul he must have God. John Stuart Mills was one of ivoAafiiai man Ko Vl 1 H AnP f VlP greatest minds we have known in these latter days, but his early life, his father's blood and his education had drawn him awav from thp church. He tried to kill all faith, and yet he could not kill the demand for something to worship. He eulolized his wife until he worshiped her, and the seven and a half years they lived together were the happiest years of his life. When ?he died the light of his life went out. There never was a sadder closing to mortal life than his. Second ? Men have misunderstood the spirit of the church. Criticism has been made that the church is a class institution existing for the favored few, but this is not true. The existence of the St. Bartholomew Mission House in this city, where people by the thousands have been reached and blessed;*the p.esence of the Madison Square Church House, so recently dedicated to the glory of God and the helping of all classes of people is an argument which directly meets this disposition on the part of the unchurched. Jvot long ago a man went about through the churches clad as a poor man, plainly dressed, and found that he was repulsed by no one and welcomed by nearly all. The church is the greatest factor in the world, but its work is first and foremosf with the soul and its needs. Men have been disposed to censure us because we do ! J 1 - ?L- -l_V J <lu, I no ao wnai uie ciuu uucm, uui nuau iue i lodge does, but it should be remembered that the church is not a charity institution, nor an educational institution; it is a place for regeneration, conversion and eternal salvation. The church has a. social mission, it is true, but first of all it has a saving mission. We must keep first things first. The lodce may have its place in the ranks of men, but woe be to that man who allows it to usurp the place of the church in his life. After Rossini had rendered "William Tell" for the five hundredth time a company of musicians came under his window in Paris and serenaded him. They put upon his brow a cold crown, and in the midst of the cheers Rossini turned to a friend and 6aid, "I would give all of this just for a day of youth and love," and there is many an old man in New York who has passed his Sundays in the house of God who knows more of real joy be cause ot this than .ne man venose name is famous throughout the world and counts his money by millions. In the Yellowstone Park there is a famous point where on one of the peaks of the Rocky Mountains the falling waters seem to hesitate for a moment as if to say, "Which way shall I go?" This point is the Continental Divide, and a gust of wind determines whether the water shall flow east to the Atlantic or west to the Pacific. I doubt not but some one is reaching a decision as to what his true relations to j the church may be, and if he decides against the church he is to be pitied, while if his decision is in favor of the church all will be well. First ? His individual life will be strengthened, he will meet temptation^ j but overcome it; he will meet trial ana rejoice in it; he will have the approval of ' his own conscience, and this always makes a man courageous. i Second?His social life will feel the impetus of his decision. Men's lives count 1 for evil. Dr. Munhall, the celebrated evan- j gelist, says that before he became a min- j ister he went one evening to the theatre . just to please a visiting friend, and the < next day met upon the streets a young . man whom he asked again as he had askeu ' him frequently to be a Christian. The \ ni3n looked at him and said, "I never want 1 you to speak to me on the subject again. 1 1 saw you in the theatre last night, and I < have little confidence in a man who pro- < fesses to be a Christian and was found in i a questionable place of amusement." "1 never won him,' said Dr. Munhall. "He ' gradually drifted away from the church and from Christ, and I met him in the West a hopeless wreck." If a man's influence may count for evil then who can estimate what would be accomplished among 1 men if we were true to Christ and true to j the church and lived out the principles of ; both in our business life. Third?The home life would feel the impetus. Mr. Moody used to tell the story J of the father who came to his home, found ] his little child suffering as he had been for ( weeks ai*l months. The little fellow said, "Lift me up," and he raised him from his j bed, and then he said, "Lift me higher," ' and then he held him up for a moment as 1 h.gh as his arms could reach, and when he ! took him down he was dead. "He had i lifted him/'^ said Mr. Moody, "into the very arms cf Christ." This is possible for ( every man who lives as he ought to live and works as he ought to work; is true to Christ and faithful to the church. May ) God help us all to be just this, . ' HE DESERVED WHAT HE RECEIVED. A. Bad Citizen of Spartanburg Was Soundly Thrashed By Indignant People For a Black Crime. Sparta* ourg, Special. ? Tuesday night si >r*ly after 10 o'clock a crowd of about 75 white men went to the house of J. C. Perry, who lives with r.is who ana cm .urea on iirawiey succl. in the Hanl-urg section, and surrounding the premises, demanded to see Perry. That individual endeavored to escape, slipping through a window in ihe l'-ar portion of his residence, but in the back premises he was caught by some of the crowd, and led off the entire mob following. He was led to a deep woodland beyond the Austin r'.ace, about three miles from the s<yusrc oi the city, and was stripped from his head to his waist, and men with belts of leather administered severe castigations on hto body. His groans and cries eventually aroused a sense of the humane, and a pause in the punishment was the result. At this juncture Sheriff Vernon, Chief of Police Dean and a posse ar rived to the succor of Perry. They took him in charge, carrying him by his home to secure seine clothing ha desired. He then fcecought them to carry him to the Southern depot and watch by him until the southbound train arrived at 12:26, when he would leave this city for good. The Officers watched by Perry until he boarded me midnight train and he left vowing that he would never put his foot in this citv again. The devilment of Perry, for which he was whipped, was of such an increSible and enormous nature that it is hard to conceive of a human indulging in the same. There is not the slightest doubt as to his guilt, for he acknowledged that, and there were responsible witnesses to testify to it. The wonder is that he escaped with his life. Perry for two or three years past has been ninuiug a junk shop in Spartanburg. His \ areroom is situated near the Charleston and Western Carolina depot, but he has an up town office on East Main street over tbe "tore of Trakas Bros. For some time past several little white school girls, ranging in years from 13 to 15, have been seen occasionally going up to his office and remaining-there for some time. The regular attendance of one of these children grew notorious, and people daily transacting business in that quarter of the city took it upon themselves to investigate the matter. The result of their observances and Investigations were to the effect that Perry's conduct towards these little ones was anything Dut right and proper, and his immorality was of the most pronounced type. The man is at least 40 years of age, with a wife and children, and the actions of criminal guilt were a shock to many who knew him when the statements began to spread. From a gossip of the corner the matter was taken in hand by friends of one of the girl's parents, and hence the reason of the Hogging. Dismantling the Exposition. Charleston, Special?The wrecking of the exposition is making rapid progress. The midway has now been al* mcst entirely leveled. The work of moving out the splendid government ovKIKIf Kor/on ir\r\n\r onrl tn o Hav nf two the spacious colonades which were so attractive to many people will be empty spice. The postofflce department was the first moved, and then came the fishery display. A large force is at work shipping the agricultural department, exhibits. The wrecking oi the buildings is also rapid in the natural section. The Cincinnati building is a thing of the past The Palmetto hotel is. almost down and in a few weeks the art building and the woman's building will be the only structures standing in this section of .the grounds. Ersktne Graduates. The year at Erskine college closed last week. Dr. Pressly presented the diplomas. There were three post graduates who received the degTee ol A.. M. They were C. M. Boyd of Mississippi, J. Y. Bryson of Abbeville and E. E. Strong of Tennessee. Each of them took history as his major study md English, or metaphysics or science as the minor. Diplomas in the A. B. course were given R. A. Lummus, J. IV. Good, G. W. Hanna, L. W. Jenkins, R. C. Knox, S. R, Lathan, J. R. Sandifer, C. W. McCully, and Miss Janle Burns; in the R. S. course, W. J. Irwin and Miss Luna Tribble. Certificates for the honorable completion of special courses were awarded H. S. Blackwell and R.,W. McDaniel. Much good work has marked the past year. New Bank For Spartanburg. Spartanburg, Special?In about two months another national bank will begin operations here. J. H. Sloan, who is interested in various industrial and financial concerns in Charlotte, Wilmington and ether cities, will be the president of the proposed bank. Neither the names of the other officers nor the site of the building have been determined upon. The other capitalists interested are: J. W. Norwood, president of the National Bank of Wilmington; D. A. Tompkins, of Charlotte, J. E. Reynolds, vice president o' the Mercantile Trust Company, of New York, together with capitalists from Eastern cities. The capital stack of the new bank will be 3100,000. * Pat Cp a good "Bluff." The Rev. Alexander Allison, Jr., pastor of the Southwestern Presbyterian church, in a recent sermon on the subject of "Lying," illustrated his text with numerous stories, and one of these showed hew, even in church, a man's falso pride sometimes leads him to prevarication. A young man took his best girl to church and, when the time for "collection" came round, rather ostentatiously displayed a $5 gold piece. Presuming upon the engagement to marry that had been made by her, the young lady placed j a restraining aand upon the arm of ner nance, "way, auni ue so exua.vagant, George," she exclaimed. "Oh, that's nothing. I always give $5 when I go to a strange church." Just then the deacon came with tne plate, and George dropped a coin. Everything seemed favorable, and the young man heamed with a sense of generosity. Then the minister made the announcements for the week, and concluded with the wholly unexpected announcement of the day's collection. "The collection to-day," said he, "was $3.75." George hadn't much to say all the way to his fiancee's home. Ihe comet just discovered to be revolving about the sun in one-fourth the number of c ays required tty any comet eyer before observed arouses the belief that the autcmobile craze is extending throughout t.ie solar system. Pedestrian planets must hereafter fence in their orbits or take the consequences. J. H. WfcUUll\ HARD! 29 E. 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