Home Missionary Work
375
the church, “Ye are the light of the world,” unless the members of the
church are actually imparting light?
Let those who have charge of the flock of Christ awake to their
duty and set many souls to work.
Let the Churches Awake
Peculiar and rapid changes will soon take place, and God’s people
are to be endowed with the Holy Spirit, so that with heavenly wisdom
they may meet the emergencies of this age, and as far as possible
counteract the demoralizing movements of the world. If the church is
not asleep, if the followers of Christ watch and pray, they may have
light to comprehend and appreciate the movements of the enemy.
The end is near! God calls upon the church to set in order the
things that remain. Workers together with God, you are empowered
by the Lord to take others with you into the kingdom. You are to be
God’s living agents, channels of light to the world, and round about
you are angels of heaven with their commission from Christ to sustain,
[437]
strengthen, and uphold you in working for the salvation of souls.
I appeal to the churches in every conference. Stand out separate
and distinct from the world—in the world, but not of it, reflecting
the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, being pure, holy, and
undefiled, and in faith carrying light into all the highways and byways
of the earth.
Let the churches awake before it is everlastingly too late. Let every
member take up his individual work and vindicate the name of the
Lord by which he is called. Let sound faith and earnest piety take the
place of slothfulness and unbelief. When faith lays hold upon Christ,
the truth will bring delight to the soul, and the services of religion will
not be dull and uninteresting. Your social meetings, now tame and
spiritless, will be vitalized by the Holy Spirit; daily you will have a
rich experience as you practice the Christianity you profess. Sinners
will be converted. They will be touched by the word of truth and will
say, as did some who listened to Christ’s teaching: “We have seen and
heard wonderful things today.”
In view of what might be done if the church would meet its God-
given responsibilities, will its members sleep on, or will they arouse
to a sense of the honor conferred upon them through the merciful