^, 4^ ^t IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3; !.0 I.I ■ 18 lllil^u^ ^ 6" ► Sdmoes UHporaticn ^ 4^ <^ W >^ Y* ^ 2S WUT MAIN STRUT WIMTn,N.V. USM (7U)«7a-4S03 '4^ I CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIViH Coliection de microficlies. Canadian Innltuta for HInorleal MIcroraproductlona / InaUtut Canadian da mlcroraprodiictlona hlatoriquaa Technics! and Bibliographic Notea/Noto* tachniquaa at bibliographSquaa Tha inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may Im bibliographically uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction, or which may aignificantly changci tha utual mathod of filming, ara chacicad balow. 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V-" , -^ ' 1. v.- ■ .■*',•*. >"■,■'. ^\t;^Af::Sy^: < ;..■ i-,»'. ' -1 '■■r. ■ ;«.'■■ #■'. ■■■■' ' < A-, 'r. ■ , . r , /. . ■ . ^■■' . ,■ V ~ . ,, ."V" V ^^ *' IK^. ^V ' .:y, < ;* ..", . -J' ■ ., (• ; I . o-^ trvy ',i, 'fc- ., . ,.■'■■■*, '*■■ ?<, 'v.;- '..;,■'■ -^,.',M-, ;.' .. 'V,^K *'>'■■».• f- •/^* '■ ■ '(V: if'i Ik m .^'^V ;■ < ■>■-:••, \ ■{ VMWM€B MEMSMMSMI^i » % AND 9^HAT IT INVOLVES ft. A LECTURE DELIVERED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE 1 lUXILIARY huME MISSION BOARD, OF HANTS COUNTY, N. S., APRIL 20th, 1880, . ? Published by Members of the Board, • •♦ WINDSOR, N. S. i88o. 1 9BWI ■2_(oS .'5- * >-)> 1, CHURCH - MEMBERSI 1 1 P, AND WHAT IT INVOLVES. "A Christian Church," said the late ; )r. Ripley, "is an association of believers in Christ, who have been bapti/;ed on a profession of their faith in Him, and by their voluntary consent, yet in subjec- tion to the will of Christ, whose authority each member acknow- ledges, have united for the observance and maintenance of the Christian religion, their mutual spiritual Ix-nefit, and the extension of the gospel as a converting and saving power." If this definition be correct, then to unit'^i with the church im- plies a union with the body for certain purposes. What these purposes are can be easily determined. The union that takes place is a union of mutual love, watch care and coojicration for their own spiritual improvement, the conversion of others and the ad- vancement of the cause of Christ. By uniting with the church, we enter into a covenant or agreement, either actually expressed or implied- — promising that just so long as our membership continues, w0 will conform to all the rules of the church, and perform faith- fillly and to the best of our ability, all services that may be requir- ed to promote its prosperity. For, the very fact of our uniting with the church shows plainly enough that by associating ourselves, with those who have the same faith and who desire to secure the sarne specific results with us, we may labor more effectively, and receive that help iii carrying forward the great work of our lives, ^hich we cannot hope to do standing singly and alone. To give this help, both by word and act, is one of the express objects for wWch churches are organized. In this, as in all other relations of life, we combine in order to obtain results beyond the reach pf in- dividual ertd^avot, '"'''■'"" ''■/ ■'■"' ■'■■^^-"'^■"^■•-■■^^- ■■-■'" The duties which are generally admitted as among the most im- portant growing out of the union of the believer with the local church, and to which he should give personal labor, and contribute of his substance, according as God has given to him health, talents and property are these : In every proper way to provide for r.nd sustain public worship — the devotiona. meetings and the general benevolent work of the church — and to labor, or in some way seek to give strength and efficiency to the work of Bible instruction in the Sunday School, "7 caching them to observe all things whatso- ever I have commanded you." If this be the proper work of the Christian church, then a man might just as well abandon his family and neglect to make pro- vision for their support, as to absent himself from the public and social worship of his church, or decline to contribute means, or influence, or labor to the extent of his ability in the worK of the Lord. A Christian church is the religious home of the renewed soul. It is a family subject to its ruling head, and a man should be as much at home in the cluirch as he is in the bosom of his family. He should be like the Psalmist, who said, *'! was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go up unto the house of the I>ord.'" His heart should be so moved toward the church, that he could say with the Jews in Babylon, "If I forget thee, O, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning, — If I remember thee not above my chief joy, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth." A Christan, who has a proper idea of what a Christian church is, and of what member- ship in such a church consists, will have and cherish some such feeling. Besides, every church member shonld give unmistakable proof, by the time which he devotes, by the money he expends, by the •thought and energy he gives, and by the purpose which animates him, that he earnestly seeks, and gladly acknowledges the pre- emmence of the church. He who puts the church to which he belongs in a secondary place, practically puts Christ and His cause in a secondary place. No church member can consistently allow any social organization, or Temperance society, or Lodge, either of Masons, or Odd-Fellows, or Good Templars, not even tlie Sabbath School or the Y. M. C A. to usurp the place that sacredly and avowedly belongs to the church, and be true to his covenant and obligations. Often many of our churches are robbed of much of their spiritual power by the hurtful, wasteful and unauthorized scattering of the members in societies, which either ought not to have an existence, or if so, ought to be held in a subordinate place. What would be thought of one who should assert that to be a member of a church, consists merely in having one's name inscrib- ed on the list of membe'-s? And yet there are many who are giv- ing only that outward and visible sign that they sustain any rela- tion whatever to a church. They do not attend its public services, they do nothing for its support, they count for nothing in its work for the Master, No matter what the church has done for them in welcoming them to its fellowship no matter what forbearance it has practised — no matter what solemn covenant they have entered into with it, they are now away from it, and keep themselves away and apparently mean to do so, and lift not one of its burdens with so much even as a little finger. It seems stiange and unaccount- able that such persons can be willing to remain in connection with a church. But that there are such members in many of our churches is too pamfully evident. They are members in name, but are not any vital part of the membership. The church would be stronger without them; they may talk as they please about their general interest in the things of religion ; they may talk about their poor weak hope, which. they profess to haye. Is it any wonder that it is poor and weak ? Is not the wonder that they have any hope at all ? They may call themselves branches of the Vine, but if so they are dead branches, and as such they positively cumber the church's roll, and spiritual life. They hinder and hamper the church in her work on earth. They are a dead weight for the church to carry. Then, too, such members are persistent covenant breakers. Hav- ing enteted into an agreement to walk with the church and to do certain particular things for her, they entirely ignore and repudiate their agreement. The violation of a business engagement is no light offence. Is a Christian's enpigement with a church of Christ of less sacredness, and may it continue to be violated with impunity ? Is the covenant which a member enters into with his church at baptism, o( so light a character that it may be shaken off for the most trifling reasons ? Besides such church members are apparently without conscience so far at least as concerns their treatment of the church. It seems to le a matter of the utmost unconcern what effect their course may have upon the feelings of the other members, or upon the general wc!f:tre of the body. Now the question is — and it should not be passed over as of lit- tle or no moment — is such a state of things to be tolerated? It is one of the sad features of our time that while one may have a conscience at drawing off from a fellow citizen or a child, he may neglect his church for a whole year and have no conscience about it at all. There is no doubt that a little healthydiscipline in this direction might awaken these sleepers to their senses and be the means of preventing others from going off into a doze. Is it such a terrible thing for the chuich to withdraw fellowship irom them, seeing 'that they have practically withdrawn their fellow- ship from the church ? And yet, how often has this been the re- sult, that a delinquent, who has for years withdrawn from the church, bitterh- complains, if at last the church withdraws from him, and is almost sure to enlist the sympathy of friends and of others who may have a secict hankering after the same kind of h'fe fpr whirh he wns dealt with. A cburrh. in the nialtcr of discipline, is bound to consider her own interests as well as that of any of her offending members. The tree lias some riplilri as v.ell as one of the branches, 'i'here is such a thin[^ a:; sacrificing the well being and autliority of th.c church on the altar of mistaken kii.dness to the individual. A church has a character. r\u(] is Iniimd l)y every jjrinciple of honor which obtains amonp; n,en to n.aintain it. AT>i tl..)t has bet n snid thus flir applies with equal weight to a mem!)< r ufa cluirch. who has removed to another community and declines to ( hange his memljership. A church member, living in another conimvnit}', declining to imite with a church where he re- resides, shoukl be ex]>ectfd to contribute to* the sujiport of the church where he retains his membership. If he declines to do so, he should be treated as a church would a resident member who failed in the same direction. rhe excuses often given for not uniting with another church are usually wenk, often indeed flim.sy. Frequently they will be found to have their origin in a desire to get rid of responsibility. Nothing like this should be encouraged. The face of the church should l)e set as flint against all and every such attempt to evade the duties of church membership. Then again., chinch membership implies a growing knowledge of the word of Cod, and an increasing desire for a more perfect Christian character. Fvery church siiould see to it that that all the members are provided with .suitable Biblical instruction. There is no agency outside of the home, so adapted for this work as the .Sunday School. Every church member, if he can, should be in the Sunday School, either as a teacher or learner. For a Sunday School is, or should be, the church at work, teaching the word of God to others, or receiving instruction herself. It is the only way we can retain our older scholars — the only way we can most effectively maintain our principle-s — the nearest and best field for Christian endeavour — the field that yields the best returns for the time spent and the labor performed — and it is the work that appeals most strongly to the heart — for it has to do with our fire- sfdes, and the places we call home. Again, church membership leads to personal labor for the con- version of men. . Only as churches keep this object in view, are they true to the mission of Christ on earth. Every church should seek to promote revivals of religion — special efforts should be put forth in this direction from time to time. There is a spirit which obtains among some that such a course would be going beyond the bounds of our prerogatives — that these times and seasons are with God Himself — that it is for Him to bless with many or with few, — that He alone can give the increase — that when he wants to pour out His spirit upon a church or com- munity, he will do it without help from any of his children. Tliis may be the way in which God works in the spiritual world, far be it from me to express any views that would seem to make the grace and sovereignty of Jehovah of none effect. But I hold that we are living in the dispensation of the Spirit — that God is ready to bless His people now-^that He is always ready — that His churches are to use the means at their disposal, and that we have no reason to expect any increase, except as the Paul's plant and the ApoUos's water. At least once a year the church should be engaged in special ef- forts to "rescue the perishing and care for the dying." Possibly, however, the reason some of our churches do not enjoy more fre- quently "times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord" is, be- cause the Lord of the harvest sees that the pastors and churches are not prepared to do their duty by those who might thus be gathered in, and therefore the blessing is withheld. There is a sowing time — there is also a reaping time. He who plows should expect to have the sickle in hand ere long. It is poor husbandry that never reaps. It has been said that the churches should be always in a revival spirit, and if so> there would be no need of special efforts being put forth to save men. But does this follow? Has it not been the history of the churches from the day of Pentecost until now, that no matter how active and earnest a church may be in the Master's service, there will be special manifestations of saving grace? The churches of the past have been buiU up of revivals. Our denominations has grown by the use of just such means as have been indicated, and it would be well if we were to walk in the old paths, at least, until we have found a more excellent way. But church membership implies more than a desire to promote the weal of the local church. It includes a hearty co-operation in all the work of the denomination of which the church is but a fraction. Dr. Hovey, in an admirable address to the graduating class of the Newton Theological Seminary, in speaking of the perils which environ a pastor's life, said : "Another source of peril is a too ex- clusive regard for the churches which you are called to serve. The greater part of your time and thought must be given to those churches, but they should not have it all. The field is the world, and you cannot make your people feel this unless you feel it your- self You cannot teach them to pray for all mankind, and to give freely of their substance for the spread of truth, unless you do these things yourselves. Every pastor ought, therefore, to cherish a living interest in the work of his denomination, in her missions, her schools, her literature, her progress, and also in the work oi other Christians wilh whom he is less intimately connected. But there is a sort of regard for one's own church which may prevent this — a desire to lighten the burdens of one's own people, by con- 8 trading their efforts to a narrow field, which forbids him to look .abroad and consider the claims of the world. Suffer not this feel- . ing to remain in your hearts. If the voice of God has not called you tp do pioneer work on heathen shores, go up at least with Moses into the top of Pisgah, and survey the promised land ; let your icye rest upon the broad domain that will be given to Christ, and your heart be enlarged and filled with the prospect. Then lead your people to the summit of the mount of vision, and show them the fields rlready white for, the harvest. In no other way canyon •serve either them or the world according to the Master's will." These are weighty words from the lips of a weighty man, and ought to be known by every pastor in the land.- But what is good for pastor is also good for the people. The more church members know about the work of the Denomination to which they belong, the more interest thev take in that work. In these Maritime Provinces there are two great enterprises which deserve the hearty support of every Baptist in the land. Edu- cation and Missions — Home and Foreign. As a denomination, we need to lay emphasis upon the necessity of more knowledge — higher education if ycu will. Two reasons make this plain, our yrivciples and our church poUly. We ac- knowledge the right of private judgment, and not only so, we in- sist upon it. The open Bible is put into the hands of every man, and he is taught that he must read and think for himself, and that he is responsible to God for his convictions. The Roman church looks upon this as a dangerous thing, and for conceited ignorance it is dangerous. That the Bible is a Look easily misunderstood, must be evident from the thousands of vol- umes which have been written, explaining its meaning, and no two of theiii alike. While it is true that "the wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err" in those truths which are essential to man's salvation, it is no less true that a high degree of learning is necessary to a correct interpretation of t'.ie written word. Bigotry generally sways the unenlightened mind, and bigotry blights and warps and stunts. In such an atmosphere there is no growth, the air is full of miasma, breeding pestilence and death. Jjut a stronger reason for diffusing a higher education is found in our church polity. Increasing intelligence is of vital importance to Baptist c:hurches. Our bishops are of the New Testame?it type, and we regard the local church as the highest authority in spiritual matters in the World. Of all Christians, we are the most independent and the least or- ganized. Christ never mtended that His church should be united in an unhol}' alliance with the civil power, or that too much power should be concentrated anywhere. For this lack of organization, each individual member must make the most of himself The pastor and members of a Baptist church should have no superiors in piety and intelligence, for they have no one above them If / i 9 to correct their misdeeds or to hush their quarrels. In those de nominations where one hand controls everything, it is only imi)or- tant for that one hand to have a well trained mind. But we have neither pope, nor lordly bishop, nor synods, nor conferences ; our people govern. Before that tribunal all the interests of the church must pass for judgment. The pastor is tested as well as the sex- ton ; as.or e has said, "The voice of the people was never more effectively the voice of God than with us." Therefore what is uttered should be the language of thought and of sound doctrine. Next to our piety, the intelligence of our people is the measure of our greatness and endurance. The kick of this has been the cause of too many internal dissensions. A good Baptist will never quarrel with his church. He knows better than to do so. A lack of knowledge too has been the source of the false views which have obtained so widely. A man with right ideas of Christian doctrine would never be found guilty of saying, "It is all one whrt a man believes, so long as he is sincere." Such talk, if acted upon, would uproot all faith, and would end in the destruction of Christianity itself. A church in which the people are supreme cm be bound to- gether only by a hearty and enlightened fellowship in the Apostle's doctrine. Without this we may be units like grains of sand, but never a unity. When this unity is destroyed we are lost. The doctrines of the Gospel are to be seen as well as received. Jelly-fish may do without back-bone, but a man, cannot, with ever so Christian a character, be built up without principles. God's commands are positive as well as negative, tliere are the "thou shalts' over against the 'thou shalt nets.' It is one thing 'not to be,' it is quite another thing 'to be.' \Vc must possess a "thus saith the Lord" for our faith ; and to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ makes his people free, we must be rooted and grounded in the essential facts of the Gospel. The Lloyds, I am told, will not insure a ship until their Ex- aminer has seen every bolt, and timber and plank entering into its construction. They know that a ship well built is protection against peril. In God's sight which is worth the most, a ship or a church ? And yet, how careless we are as to what our people believe. How can our churches be strong unless the members kr vv and are able to give an intelligent reason for the hope they pro. ess to have? Men cannot stand in the evil day, and having done all, stand, unless they know what they are standing for. On the i8th of June, 1815, there were two men on the field of VVaterloo, upon whom the eyes of all Europe were fastened. One was Napoleon, on his milk-white charger, the other was Welington in his grey wrap, under the apple tree. Wellington simply stood in his great might — the might of right. As fast as the lines were broken he ordered the gaps to be filled. His men became like him in their steady endurance. They stood when the generals of 10 divisions were inquiring, "How long shall we endure this ter- rible onslaught?" The chief ;plied, with compressed lip, "Until the necessity ends." Hour after hour he stood, and saw his men mowed down by thousands- At length, from the white lips of Napoleon there burst forth the cry, "The guard, the guard — they mingle, they mingle." And the day was lost, because Wellington stood, and having done all, he stood. Every Christian occupies iiuch a post of responsibility. Welling- ton stood for the honor of England and the welfare of Europe — you stand for the truth as it is in Jesus. But how can Christian men stand like that if they have no sense of such responsibility — if they do not know that great issues are at stake — and they have been set for the defence of the Gospel. The idea of personal respond "bility to God should be fastened upon the consciences of all our members. Our Baptist ancestors had this spirit in large measure. They contended against fearful odds — they could not overcomj. but rather than yield one truth, they fell where they stood. Their blood became the seed of the church. They died, but the truth which is immortal, endured. Is it left for us, when the odds are on our side, to unbuckle the armor and lay aside the sword of battle, that has so often flashed in the ruddy light of truth ? The weapons of our warfare are nc . made from the traditions of the fathers, nor the sophistries of scnoolmen, they come direct from the magazines and arsenals of heaven. Entangling alliances and sentimental unions will be like the spider to the fly ; If we enter into them we sell our heritage more cheaply than Esau parted with his birthright, if we would over- come the scepticism of the day, it we would grow in grace, if we would perpetuate Gospei principles, we must use the means, every disciple to be thoroughly furnished and equipped for the Master's service. Are our views worth oreserving ? In other words, are Baptist churches a necessity ? If the principles we hold were worth establishing, they are worth maintaining, unless it can be shown that they have fulfilled their mission. It cost something to plant them, and to give them the hold they now have in men's hearts and consciences ; but depend upon it, they can only be nurtured and fed by the same spirit of fid !ity animating us as fired the souls of those who have passed away. Ignorance, sentiment, fervor, emotion, zeal, will not place us in the van as the saviours of the world. But piety, with a solid sub- stratum of knowledge, fired with a holy and sublime purpose, will enable Baptist churches to take the front rank in every effort put forrh for the weal of our common humanity. The Baptists of these Maritime Provinces can never begin to tell the debt of gratitude which they owe to our Institutions of learning in Wolfville. They are leavening and moulding the character of our people as nothing else can do. It is to be feared that we do not take in the significance of this influence. Our llr .fe Educational Institutions may be our glory or our shame. Too many of us regard them as mii'tr, whore I3a|)ti.st ministers are coin- ed. Our Heavenly Father knew what wc needed, and so sent re- vivals of religion, which resulled in the couvennon of many of the students, who were thus led lo r.nke llie ministry cf the Word their great life work. For this evciy (J^,ri^tian he.irt i.hould praise God. But I submit to your judg'ueut. if •; i.s nol ;i nn'blake to expend all our prayers and efforts on ibc niiriisiry as such, or on the Col- lege as a field where minislci:- only are to be grow n. May not the wisdom of the course be questioned, \.hieh ai;i»eals to the churches to support the college as if it «. A i Led solely to supply them with pastors? Cught we not t<^ ta'alvation of his fellow countrymen, and when I iliark how God's manifest blessing has rested upon the work of Oncken and his associates in Germany — if one needed inspiration other than the marching orders of the great Captain of our salva- tion, he would get it in these inspiring records. Nothing inspires like success. An army always in the trenches is a defeated army. A church always on the defensive is not a growing church. The fact is, loo many of our church members either belong, or think they do. to the church of the Heavenly Rest. My brethren, \/hen I think of it, that every member of our churches has been buried with Christ in baptism — that he has not been led oi borne to the waters of baptism by pious parents to be dedicated to God as they have called it — in this ordinance — nor that some mystic rite being performed upon him, he might be, un- known to himself, regenerated in the very administration of that sacrament; but he has been touched by the Spirit of God, and fill- ed with the love of Christ — has first of all yielded himself u}) to the Lord that bought him, and then his love moving him onward, he has stood forth in the presence of other disciples, and before that Christ who bore his sins on the cross, has gone down into the water to be buried with Him into death, that like as He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, so he also might walk in newness of life. Brethren, no other Christians have committed themselves so for- mally as we have done I None! none stand side by side with us before the world, as men who declare that they have put on Christ. And therefore, because in our baptism we have deliberately, openly, man- I9P"" u fully declared that we are not our own, but Christ's-that Christ lives in us — that Christ is the element in which we move and have cur being, therefore it is demanded that we Baptists rise to a level which other churches no not pretend to have reached, and that from such a high vantage ground we advance to the subjugcition of our country to the crown rights of our kingdom, 'that in every village and hamlet in these Provinces, nay, in this whole Dominion, there be planted, and fosti^rcd, and nurtured a Baptist church able to care for itself; then to assist in planting and nurturing others until the whole land, from ti-.e Atlantic to the Pacific, shall be dot- ted with churches where shall be preached, in all its fulness, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." But brethren, will you rest here, when you know that the Lord Jesus Christ, seated upon the tlirone of glory, and looking out upon His broad domain, says, "The field is the world?" Oh ! it is a glorious work, to win the world to Christ, to be the humble instrument in hastening the time when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ ! K)' , , . i*,^l'.i I .lij [' ^ I I ' 'C5»*" i ■ ■; * ■ ■( NOTE. — The Baptist Convention of the Maritime Provinces has adopted a scheme for raising money for the various benevolent ob- jects of the body : — Foreign and Home Missions, Education, In- firm Ministers, etc By tliis scheme, the Churches endeavour to raise a sum, equal to at least- One Dollar per member. The Pub- lishers of this Lecture hope that Christians who read it, will be moved to give, according as God has prospered them, toward ac- complishing this result, as well as a fuller discharge of other obli- gations involved in Church Membership.