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]
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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.