THE CHURCH NOT A PLACE OF REST.
THE church is not a Pullman sleeper, in which one may embark on earth and in due time awake in heaven. It is a place for work which is to result in blessing to the individual and salvation for others. The most useful and successful churches are those in which suitable work is found for each person, and where each is found at his work. Mr. Moody somewhat recently said: "There is a great mistake that a good many people are making at the present time. They have an idea that the church is a place of rest. Instead of going there to work for God, they go there to rest. 'There remaineth a rest for the people of God.' We will rest when we go home. We will have all eternity to rest in. We do not want to talk about rest here. I hope the time will come, and I believe it will come, when they will ask this question of all who are candidates for membership in the church, 'What work do you expect to do?' and if they are going into the church to rest, they will be told that we have enough of such members now; and if we could only get them out, and get some others in who will go to work in earnest, it would be a good thing for13all. We should understand that we come into the church to work. All that seems to constitute Christians these days is to unite with the church; and then, after they have joined it, every one in the church must wait on them—the ministers, the laymen, all the members must go and call on them; and if they do not do this they go to some other church—and the quicker they do it the better. 'There remaineth a rest for the people of God.' The idea of our talking about rest here, where Christ has been cast out, where they have taken the life of God's own Son! Why should we want to stay in the enemy's country at rest and peace? As long as it is the enemy's country, let us not dream of rest. We will rest by and by, when Jesus comes. Let us not talk about rest now."