THE PULPIT. AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY THE REV. JOEL 8. SLOCUM. Subject: The Church and the Men. Brooklyn, N. Y.— “The Church and the Men” was the subject discussed Sunday morning in the Greenwood - Baptist Church by the Rev. Joel B. Slocum, whose text was Ezekiel 10:8: ““And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man’s hand under their = wings.” Mr. Slocum said, among other things: It is significant that in the midst of the complicated celestial forces re- vealed to Ezekial there was the ap- pearance of a man’s hand under the wings of the cherubim, as though supporting their flight. There has never been a time when the multiplied machinery of Chris- tianity did not disclose, somewhere, the hand of a man. Never was the presence and power of that hand, and all that goes with it, more needed than now. No reflection is intended upon the great host of faithful women and earnest men who, in all ages, have carried forward the bur- dens of the church; but the need of the hour is more men. I saw, the other day, in the window of a grocery, this brief but pressing request: ‘“Wanted—A strong boy.” And the thought flashed upon me that we need in our churches strong boys who will grow up to be strong men. Not strong boys to tarry awhile in the Sunday-school and then graduate away from it and from everything else connected with the church, but boys who will stay and put their manhood where it will continue to count for the most. We are facing a somewhat startling fact—the fact that, as a rule, men do not go to church. Vastly more serious is the fact that the church no longer enters into the serious con- sideration of most men. Mine is not the mission of the alarmist and the pessimist. 1 do not seek to over- - emphasize an unpleasant truth. It is the purpose of the speaker this morning merely to look this condition squarely in the face as he passes to some other considerations. It is enough for our. present purpose to recognize that the men are not with us; and, without discussing the rea- sons for their absence, hasten to con- cern ourselves with the all-important business of bringing them back. The church that succeeds in this great restoration will be the church whose all-absorbing objective: is the kingdom of God. “But,” exclaims some hearer, ‘“‘do you mean to imply that any Christian church could have any other goal than the kingdom?” Most assuredly that is my implica- tion. Have you not known a church whose aim was centréd, ‘not in the kingdom, but in the church, the local organization itself? . . There is great danger lest we miss the proper point of view. It is one thing to be so absorbed in the pros- perity of the individual church. “of which we are members as to lose sight of anvthing beyond its advance- ment. It is quite another thing to see, with so clear a vision, the majes- tic opportunities and obligations of the kingdom of God, that we shall never fall into the error of supposing for on instant that even so sacred an institution as the church itself can be other than a means to that sublime end. 1 would not leave the impression that the Christian is to be a vision- ary, and, fixing his eye on some far- off glory, succeed in neglecting a nearer duty to his church. But I do mean . to suggest that the church that accomplishes the return of the men from their exile will be the church that is so moved by a spirit of devotion to the great ultimate pur- pose of carrying forward the kingdom to its earthly culmination, that non- church men will eatch the irresistible contagion of such a motive and join ranks with the advance guard of the soldiers of the cross. There is recorded in Chronicles a touch of patriotism that has always made my blood course a little quicker when T have read it. I refer to the gathering of a mighty host of war- riors, veterans all of them, who came from near and far, animated by a common purpose that made them one. That purpose was to make David king. The brief and yet thrilling narrative is thus concluded: “All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest, also, of Is- rael were of one heart to make David king.” The members of the Christian church will one day come together with a perfect heart to make Jesus king. And when they do, the cita- dels of sin will topple into dust and the royal diadem of the world’s sur- render will be put upon the brow of our Lord. There is yet much to be done. The forces are only gathering for the final advance. If all who can keep rank will take the field, not for self-glory and not even for the glory of the special church, but for the glory and triumph of our king, then victory is assured. Then will we comprehend the imperishable truth, that men do not now attend our churches are needed by these same churches, not primarily to swell the membership and meet the current ex- penses, but to enlarge the army of those who with singleness of spirit are moving on to make Christ king. Let us take our inspiration and pur example from Him who made no at- tempt to found a visible church, but who gave His very life to inaugurate a spiritual kingdom. The church is already organized; it now ‘becomes our duty to fling it into the great cause of subduing the world to Him who is the living head of the church. This leads me to say that the church that secures the return of the men will be the church that develops an intense enthusiasm for humanity. It is not merely because they are men that we want them back, but because they are among those for whom Christ died. I am not filled with alarm at the prospect of a manless church. It would still be an effective organization committed to a great work. No, I am not so much afraid of what will happen to the church as I am concerned about what will happen to the men who thus ignore the swectest privileges -of their life. There are some hopeful signs of the times. Indications favor the ime pression that the church is awaking to her opportunity. If you look closely at the record of the life of Jesus, you will not be long in discov- ering that He was not satisfied with the conditions that everywhere pre- vailed. His whole strength was reso- lutely set against the tide of igno- rance and worldliness that threat- ened to sweep men to destruction. He succeeded, as no one ever since has, in giving personal illustration of what ‘Paul means by advising that we do not allow ourselves to be con- formed to this world, but transformed or transfigured by the spiritual forces within us. The mission of the church is not to be conformed to the customs and conditions of this age; but to stand in the midst of this age as an effective agency for the regeneration cof so- ciety. Not to be a lump of clay to be molded in the fingers of every passing trickster, but to be an artist with a great ideal and a trained eye and hand to execute his will on the waiting marble. The work of the church does not grow more easy, but when she comes into her rightful heritage—the con- viction of her divinely ordained privi- lege as the lover of men—then she will begin to realize her mission. But first, last and always, She will gain her adherents in the ratio of her enthusiasm for and devotion to hu- manity. Finally, the church that brings back the men will be the church that takes Christ to the needy world. Tt sometimes seems as though there are so many other voices that the cry of the church and her Christ will be drowned in the din of materialism. But there are still some listening ears that will not be stopped. Into the midst of this wild storm of buying and selling, of loss and gain, of cry- ing and laughing, of sorrow and sin, will come, once more, the humble Nazarene® and His yoice will turn the tempest to calm: ‘‘Be still, and know that I am God!’ Jesus left an unanswerable argument to His interest in humanity when He gave Himself to men. Anything else that He might have given would have been criticised; but when He gave Himself, that softened the hard heart of the world because they saw that only love could do that. The fellow- ship by which Jesus is to unite men with Himself in His everlasting king- dom is the fellowship ‘of love. : The duty and opportunity of the church is to put forward the kingdom of God, to make sure the enthrone- ment of Jesus. Christ in the affections of men; to cultivate a fervid enthu- siasm for their souls; to take to the world’s sicknesses the matchless Physician who never lost a case in- trusted to His care. When men know that the church is praying and long- ing and laboring, with a divine pas- sion, for their souls, they will come to the Christ and to the church. The hour of victory seems long delayed, but every soldier must keep his place and by and by the warfare will be accomplished. We must Te- member that not-only was the man’s hand under the angel's wing, but the angel’s wing was over the man’s hand. God and the church will work side by side. The human and the divine will supplement each other. It is said that Napoleon once ap- pealed to his guards in the interests of a forlorn hope. He made request for only a hundred men. But they must all be brave. Every man would be éxposed to the enemy's fire, and nothing but death could be expected: “Let a hundred men step forward out of the ranks! Forward, march!” Af the word of command, not a hundred ‘men, but a regiment sprang forth as a single man and-were ready for duty and death. ° Ye Net And shall Christ ask in vain for volunteers? Has His cause come to be a forlorn hope? Ah, not to "die, not to die, but to live for Him, is all He asks. To the front, O church of the victorious Christ! What Love Owes to Love. A missionary was preaching to the Maori tribe of New Zealanders. He had been telling them of the suffer- ings of Christ—how He-had poured forth His soul unto death for them, and as he concluded the hills rang to the thrilling question: “It is nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.” Then stood forth a plumed and painted chief, the scarred warrior of many fights, and as his lips quivered with emotion he spoke: “And did the Son of the Highest suffer this for us men? Then the chief would like to offer Him some poor return for His great love. Would the Son of God like to accept the chief’s hunting dog? Swift of foot and keen of scent, the tribe has not such another, and he has been to the chief as a friend.” But the missionary told him that the Son had no need of such gifts. Thinking he had mistaken the gift he resumed: ‘“‘Yet perhapss He would accept my well-tried rifle. Unerring of aim, the chief cannot replace it.” Again the missionary shook his head. For a moment the chief paused; then, as a new thought struck him, suddenly despoiling himself of his striped blanket, he cried, with child- like earnestness, ‘Perhaps He who had nowhere to lay His head will yet accept the chieftain’s blanket. The poor chief will be cold without it, yet it is offered joyfully.” Touched by love's persistency, the missionary tried to explain to him the real nature of the Son of God; that it .was not men’s gifts, but men’s hearts, that He yearned for. 3 For a moment a cloud of grief darkened the rough features of the old chief; then, as the true nature of the Son of God slowly dawned upon him, casting aside his blanket and rifle, he clasped his hands, and look- ing up into the blue sky, his face beaming with joy, he exclaimed: “Perhaps the Son of the Blessed One will deign to accept the poor old, chief himself!” — The Cottager and Artisan. A Warning. When you begin to grow lax about keeping in communion with God; when vou begin to neglect your Bible, and when you get too busy about other things to pray, something else is going to happen, something which will bring sad surprise and humilia- tion to you.—Western Christian Ad- vocate. the liquor busingss in the State of ‘protest against SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONS! INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM- MENTS FOR NOV. 24 BY THE ° REV. I. W. HENDERSON. Subject: World's Temperance Sune day, Rom. 14:12-23 — Golden Text, Rom. 14:17 — Memory Verses, 19-21, The nub of the lesson is to be found in the stumbling block and the judgment seat. We are to be scrupulous in all things as well as in the use of intoxi- cating liquors lest we shall be stum- bling blocks. And we are further to be very careful because we are to render account before the judgment seat of the Almighty according to our deeds in this life. 1t is usual to apply this scripture to the man or woman who uses intox- icants. Especially is it applied to the Christian man or woman who uses liquor. And it is well. Drink is a good thing to dispense with regard- less of our rights. It is a waste of money. Its pleasure is fallacious. Its consequences are too uncertain and may be definitely vicious. Its influence may be worse than we ever dream it could become through us. Taking all things into consideration it is no unwisdom to say that every man ought to leave liquor entirely alone as a beverage. But while it is the custom to re- member what we ought to do with liquor or ought not to do with it in its personal relations to us it is quite as largely the fashion to forget that the most of us, especially those of us who are given the suffrage of a free manhood in this land, deliberately place liquor as a stumbling block in the way of men. And we do it by permitting the business to exist at all. We do it by granting it the right .by and with the consent of the Govern- ment, which in fact we are, to create as well as to supply a demand, to bring sorrow and misery and destruc- tion and death into the homes of our fellow-men. ; It is not enough that a man shall refrain from drinking intoxicating liquor himself. He must see to it that so far as his consént at least is concerned the Government will not be allowed to grant a license to a business which the whole Southland for economic and moral reasons is getting rid-of, which the courts of the country have declared to be a nuisance and. to have no constitution- al right to exist, which is admitted to be a chief agent of the forces of wick- edness wherever it is found, which debauches government and destroys theopportunity for. multitudes of men, women and children to possess that peace and contentment and chance in life:to which under the Constitution of this country as under the laws of Almighty God they are entitled. Furthermore it. is illogical for a Christian man who has done his duty in the premises so far as his civic re- lations to his own community or com- monwealth is concerned to refuse to wage the fight relentlessly against the national forces of this organized iniquity. For we are not simply a confederation of States, we are a na- tion. And Massachusetts helps¥to make the laws that regulate the pub- lic policy of the State of Oregon. The South makes law for the North as: well ‘as for itself. And if it is wise for a man to refuse. the sanction of his suffrage to the allied forces: of Georgia {t'is no less wise for him to a governmental ac- quiescence to- its national.exjstence. A man who is an abolitionist so far as the saloon is concérned in the city of Boston has no business to be any- thing else than that ‘as a citizen of this United States. . : The liquor business will go when the church ceases to allow it to be a stumbling block in the way of a na- tion. And it will not go before. But whether it go for economic or for moral reasons its end is in sight and sure. For it is as unscientific as it is immoral to allow it to exist. To perpetuate it is to perpetuate a plague and a national disgrace. And we will not do it. We ought to refuse to sanction it at all because of the fact that we shall give an account before the judgment seat of Christ according to our deeds done in the flesh. It is doubtful that any Christian man will upon sober second thought care to admit in the présence of Almighty God that by and with his personal consent as a citizen of America the curse of the American saloon, ruined homes, blighted lives, sank precious souls for whom Jesus died in the mire of unspeakable iniquity. It is doubtful if any of us if we thought of it carefully would care to have upon our souls at the judgment day any portion whatsoever of the blood that has been wrung from innocent hearts by the viciousness of the liquor business. But so long as we perpet- uate it we are responsible in no un- real fashion for it, for its crimes, for its attendant misery. God grant that soon we shall all gee that to grant a license to the liquor business is no better than li- censing a brothel or incest or murder or all the crimes upon the code. God grant that soon the church will see the blood that is upon her hands. For we have stood so idly by and given our consent. Like Paul when the church awakes to a consciousness of her wickedness there will be an exhibition of religious consecration that will revolutionize the world. Chief Powderly, of the bureau of im- migration at Washington, reports ap- plications from State officials for 256,- 400 laborers—men, women and chil- dren—at wages ranging from $3 a week to $3.50 a day. This is a moder- ate estimate of the general demand, says the Boston Post, but it shows the persistence of conditions which have been operative throughout the year. It is a good sign. The further report that in three States alone -the commissioners of agriculture call for more than one million settlers to take the land indicates the possibilities which still exist of healthful growth in home-making. In Holland the horn as a warning signal is reserved exclusively for the EPWORTH LEE LESSUNS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24. The Evil of Strong Drink—Prov. 23: 29 35—Temperance. Passages for reference: 15: Isa. 5: 20-25, People very Hab. 2: quickly forget the danger of drinking. The evil results must be frequently depicted. Its mis- _eries are as old as the habit of con- suming spirituous liquors. : Liquor drinking does no ‘good, is never necessary, is always dangerous, and is therefore inexcusable. The general manager of a great railroad system in 19023 wrote to the editor’ of the Epworth Herald as follows: “I believe every railroad in this country, and necessarily every managing offi- cer, is not merely an advocate of temperance, but of total abstinence.” Frances KE. Willard once asked Thos. A. Edison why he was a total ab- stainer, and received the answer, “I always felt that I had better use for my head’—than to addle it with liquor. Luther Burbank, the wizard with plant life, never uses tobacco or alcohol in any form. He says his foreman informed him, “The men I found unable to do the delicate work of budding invariably turned out to be smokers or drinkers.” Secretary Taft said recently: “To the active individual drinking is unsafe and a hindrance to success. To the youth it is a positive danger, and for a doctor to prescribe liquor to any but the aged, is a real crime.” The old story of its need for the consumptive, even, has been exploded. The American Federation of Labor recently issued a circular advising consumptives to leave it alone. The best physicians now say that it actually feeds tuber- cular germs. Finest practitioners de- clare that liquor is never needed asa _medicine. Baron Liebig, the celebrat- ed German chemist, has demonstrat- ed that as much flour as will lie on the point of a table knife contains as much nutrition as “eight pints of the best beer made.” » CHRISTIAN ENDENORNOTES NOVEMBER TWENTY-FOURTH. : The * progress of immigrants. Num. Home missions: work amcng the 15: 13.16, 29-31. o The ends of the earth. Ps. 22: 27- a1; ’ Exalting Christ. Ps. 45: 1-17. Exalting the church. Ps. 48: 1-14. Pure living. Ps.- 51: 1-19. Dependence on God. Ps. 67: Rarnest supplication. Ps. 86: VJe cannot expect the 1-7. 1-9. strangers among.us to do better than we, the p- homebhorn, are willing to do.’ * Mo assdeiate’ foreigners with us in all our church work.should be a great joy. to us, since we know it is so great a joy to our Lord. Distinctions of laws, customs or ‘caste that make a difference between foreigner and homeborn are essential- 4y unchristian. - pire We are not to oppress the stranger, but neither are. we to allow the stranger to oppress us, and carry things with a high hand. : The Stranger Within Our .Gates. Secretary Patton urges: “Let Eng- land, if she will, be the great commer- cial power of the world, let Gérmany be the war power, let France stand for science and Italy for art; but let us supremely stand before the world as the great missionary power!” Foreigners are now coming to the United States at the rate of a million a vear. Twenty-five of our states and territories have a smaller population than a million. According to the census of 1900, we had in the United States more than ten million white foreigners, more than fifteen nrillion whose parents were foreigners, and only forty-one million native whites. THE DRUNKARD’S DOOM. Alternate Topic for November 24: The drunkard’s doom. 1 Cor.. 6: 9, 10. (World's Temperance Sunday.) If the drunkard’'s doom were soli- tary, it would be less sad; but it al- ways involves the doom of the inno- cent. Some apologists call drunkenness a disease. If so, it is a preventable dis- ease, and that is a sin. In proportion as you could have prevented it, and did not, you will be involved in the drunkard's doom. The united saloon forces are never to be conquered by sundered temper- ance forces. The seal of the drunkard’'s doom is the loss of will power; his salvation nust-come from outside himself. MILK AND HONEY. A French writer and user of honey, both comb and extracted, says that if those who use comb honey would pour milk on it they would find the honey greatly improved, as the milk deprives it of the intensely sweet flav- or that prevents most people from eating more than a spoonful at one time. That is all true, as I know by experience, only 1 improve the milk by dropping the honey in that. Father Langstroth once wroie an article in which he showed that milk is the nat- ural complement of honey, and that the two should be used together when honey is used for food. In ancient times, as we learn from the Bible, milk and honey were always considered as supplementary to each other. Eigh- teen books in tne Bible refer to honey, and in every instance it speaks of it favorably, and generally as a great blessing. If all the tenement dwellers in the lower east side of New York city should be in the streets surrounding their homes at one time, reckons the New York Herald, they would be so use of motorists. crowded as to hardly be able to move. New York City.—Unquestionably cutaway coats are favorites of the Q 2 ny) A variations are shown. This one is jaunty and youthful in the extreme, and consequently suits young girls peculiarly well. "It includes the long Scarabs in Favor. Scarabs are much affected now among those fond of antiquities. Your scarab may not be a genuine antiquity, but so long as your friends ‘}don’t know it it’s all right. Walking Skirt With Panels. The skirt that is made with panels is a favorite among the latest models and has much to commend it. The _ long narrow gores give slenderness to the figure, while there still is abundant flare at the lower portion and there is unusual opportunity af- forded for effective use of the fash- ionable stripes. This one combines plain gores with fancy panels and is exceptionally graceful. As shown, it is made of hand loom Scotch tweed in shades of brown and tan, and is finished with stitching of belding silk, but it will be found appropriate both for all fashionable suitings and for the similar materials used for the odd skirts to be worn with the sepa- rate coats that are promised such vogue. If striped materials are chosen the pleated portions of the panels would be peculiarly effective cut on the bias or cross. The use of but- tons makes a distinctive feature of the season, and the tailor ones illus- trated give unquestioned finish, but the detail is, nevertheless, optional as the skirt would be perfectly fin- ished without. The skirt is finished in nine nare row gores with panels between, and these panels are made in two sec- pl i] - Zz = ; 0779 % >. he 0 < sleeves decreed by fashion, and it is fipished in the severe tailor style that marks the latest and best modes. The original, from which the drawing was made, is designed to be worn with skirt to match, the material being cheviot, in one of the new dark blues, stitched with = belding silk, but the coat serves quite as well for a separate wrap and is adapted to all seasonable suitings and cloakings. Shadow effects and inconspicious plaids are much liked for the suits and green and black with collar of green velvet is both chic and girlish. The ceat is made with fronts, backs and side-backs. There are the regu- lation collar and lapels finishing the neck, and the sleeves are cut in two pieces each in true mannish style. Button-holes with handsome buttons effect the closing. For a girl of sixteen years of age the coat will require three and one- quarter yards of material twenty- seven inches wide, two and one-eighth yards forty-four or one and five- eighth yards fifty-twe inches wide. The Popular Coloz. The decided color of the moment, is green instead of Nattier or Copen- penhagen blue. Green in dark emer- ald, lettuce, spinach or onion peel shades are the most popular. Bluish- green is fashionable for some gowns. Mother of Pearl Links, Mother of pearl cuff links are much’ prettier to wear with shirt waists than gold plated ones, or even ster- ling silver. tions each, the upper plain, the lower pleated. As illustrated, the skirt just clears the ground, but varying oN lengths are-correct, and what is most becoming makes the best for each individual. The quantity of material required for the medium size is eleven and one-half" yards twenty-seven, six and three-quarter yards forty-four or five and one-half yards fifty-two inches wide when material has figure or nap; eleven yards twenty-seven, five and three-quarter yards forty-four or four and three-quarter yards, fifty- two inches wide when it has not. Mussy Veils Disgraceful. It is disgraceful to wear a mussy veil.
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