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Show THE CHURCH REVIEW. <br><br> Christian Endeavor Dep't. <br><br> EDITED BY CHAS. T. HAWKES. <br> [Contributions to this department will be welcomed at any time, and should be sent to the above, care Geo. M. Scott & Co., before Tuesday morning of each week.] <br><br> Prayer Meeting Topic for today <br> "The Lessons of Gethsemane." Mark 14:32-52. <br> For the Juniors: "What were some of the sorrows of our Savor's life on earth?" Mark 14:32-36. <br> Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane cannot be comprehended by mortals, since none else has or can bear the weight of the sins of this world. Although perfectly able of himself to pass by this bitter cup, it was necessary that his humanity should rule at this time for "thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day: that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations." [Luke 24:46-47] <br> Two conspicuous lessons of the test are embodied in the Savior's words, "Not my will, but thine, be done;" and "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation." Would that these were heeded as oft as quoted. <br><br> A Live Society and a Vital Question <br> Address given at the convention by Rev. CHAS. F. RICHARDSON, Pastor of the Presbyterian church and President of the Local Union, Ogden, Utah. <br> A Live society? Of course not one of you need to be informed of that fact. Any society is a live one that has for its members such a large proportion of young women, as we know there are in that [liveliest] of all live societies:-the Christian Endeavor. Yes sir, and it is our young women who not only make this society a live society, but they make it a working society, they themselves being a society of workers. Oh, for more young men tho'; we need them in our Sabbath school, we need them in our church, we need them in our Endeavor society. In this connection I remember a very telling thrust that was recently made by a lady in a missionary meeting. She says: I remember once seeing a big Indian and his squaw in a canoe. The Indian was a handsome, muscular fellow. He sat in a state at the stern of the canoe, with all his paint and feathers on. In the bow was the squaw who did all the paddling. She worked hard, striking in on one side and on the other to push forward and guide the canoe. She seemed to do it willingly, still I could not but think how much better it would have been had the strong man at the bow taken his part in the labor. The other day, this little picture came more forcibly to my mind. How many big Indians we have these days in our churches, husbands, brothers, sons, who are letting the poor squaws do all the paddling. These canoes in the churches are heavy; there is need of more good looking, strong men at the bow to take hold of the work in this great Endeavor movement. The church, the Sabbath school, the Endeavor Society need the hearty sympathy and the cordial cooperation of the young men in our cities and towns. Into this live society of ours, to help get this craft along, let us get more of the big Indians to come in and do their share of the paddling. <br> A live society-certainly it is and the reason it is so, is because its heaven-born aim and God inspired purpose has always and everywhere pressed onward to three things-a consecrated society, a united society and a society devoted to the saving of young people. A live society not for a moment to be denied. But to hasten, what about the vital question? Well, to come straight to it, let us at once state, it is "Christian Citizenship." Endeavorers, the hour has struck for you and for all good citizens in this territory, in this common wealth, to take the forward step or else suffer a tedious delay. It is too late to say, that the Christian can afford to be indifferent in regard to the matter of good government; to say that, is to ignore the fact that the principles which underlie it, are to be found in the Word of God, you and I must be faithful, according to our ability, in expounding the general principles of Scripture that relate to good government and must speak out fearlessly when moral issues are at stake. There are some I know, who deny the right of the Christian to any interest and intervention in such matters; there are some who will tell us that you and I have nothing whatever to do with civil life and will say, "Content yourselves with monopolizing Heaven and let this little rolling ball alone." If we presume to rebuke wrong in high places, we are advised to mind our own business and are told that our domain is spiritual, not secular, but I am inclined to think a man may as safely take his political principles from the preacher or an Endeavorer as from the "saloonatic," or the gambler, but if the preacher, or any of us, as Christian men and woman, venture to apply the Gospel to the social and political life as it is now, to the ethical questions which enter almost every municipal and national problem, the practical politicians are disgusted and declare that our Christian character has been degraded. But Endeavorers, let me tell you, there is nothing more desperately required than that religion should be mixed with politics. Our Lord preached politics and theology and never for a moment hesitated to touch with a mighty hand any point of human life that needed it. He said, "go tell that fox," and last fall he would have said, "go tell that Tammany Tiger." <br> Ages before the prophets were inspired to intermeddle with politics, e. g. Nathan, Elijah; in Paul the Apostle, we see the statesman and in John the greatest political economist of the ages, and nowhere, either in their teachings or in their practice, do we at any period find failure to rebuke sin. <br> Endeavores, it is high time to show that "practical Christianity is practical politics and that practical politics furnishes a larger sphere for the exemplification of practical Christianity," and it is the Christian's place to do it. At present politics are a disgrace to our nation and for this fact many so called Christian people are responsible. If the members and attendants of our churches would do their duty rascals would be turned out and upright men placed in power quick enough. You are expected to be faithful citizens as well as prayerful Christians and rightly understood Christianity involves citizenship and its professors are as really bound to vote as they are to pray. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's." is the command of Christ, as well as "to God the things that are God's." I am well aware of the fact that if Christians insist in carrying their principles to the primaries and the polls, they are informed that such things are better fitted to your prayer-meeting; but politicians in turn may be informed that Christ, the scriptures and the church have to do with life in all its relations, and that wherever the fundamental principles of right and wrongs are involved in political and social issues the true Christian citizen will have something to say, whether he be preacher or Christian Endeavorer. It is your duty, your business, to go to the political conventions and caucuses, and by your presence and efforts seek to lift politics from their low level and make them purer. You want good government; you want a clean administration; then make yourselves felt all the way from the primary to the ballot box; secure if possible, the nomination of such men who are known to hold strong and positive convictions on the right side of questions which may be at issue, and then "sink or swim, live or die," support <br><br> |
