Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-02-10


inners a Gospel which tells them how
Tod the Father loved them how zoo
he Son died for them and how uod "
he Spirit renews them. al
Men who themselves had exper'eneep j
this new birth, are 10 go to sinners win
such Gospel; they are to be IN earn
est 10 teach sinners, to warn sinners
ami to win sinners, even as the greatest 1
or preachers did. with argument, e4o-
0uenc-e even as he himself said, " am
al tlings to all men, that | might by all e
means save souls.
In the Fourth place the Psalmist gives
the most glorious and difficult achieve
r,ent which We have been describing,
local kabitati0n And of Zion 1t shall
be said. this and that man was born an
her
The place Of great men and
great deeds has ever been matter OF
the greatest interest
Twelve cities coutended for the honor
Of being the place of Homer ma
tiyity How eagerly do we consult the /
books TO learn where this and that great |
man was born with what thrill OF
emotion do We say here IS the place
where Magma Cbarta was given to the
Baro1s, or in this place, was passed the
Declaration Of Independence, or IN THIS
was fought the critical battle Of the Rev
oiuticn.
This s3credness of place was the
main element of that enthusiasm which
produced the crusades, and what think
vou must be the feelings of the traveller
l.
the city OF the Great King, and the mem
cries of the men, and the deeds which
haunt the locality, come trooping upon
him; and especially as he thinks OF tbs
Man Of Sorrows No one can speak
Of his own birthplace with indifference.
Now that surprising change thesouIs
new birth, may literally take place. in the
home where family piety dwells, or in
field. OF shop or study, where industry
tolls. or in the crowded thoroughiar9, or
in some place of seclus;on, where the
anxious spirit is meditating on the most
momentious Of all questions What must
90 to be saved? Very sacred are these
natal spots OF the soul, they can never
fade from our memory or our love. But
there is a sence in which the church IS
the souls birth. As an instrGmen;aiity
the preaching OF the gospel is Heaven 5
chief agency in efecting individual and
and social regeneration Pious indi-
viduals do not produce the preaching OF
The gospel, but, fundamentally, the
preaching of the gospel produces the
pious individuals TIE church is not tn.
FIRST in the order of time and the preach
lar second, but exactly the reverse.
Thus in primitive times the Apostles
preached and as a consequence churches
sprung into existence.
Now il is true there is such thing as
preaching from house to house and in
private TO single individuals, but the
idea of preaching as a permanent agen-
cy, is associated with place set apart
to that exercise.
There are two distinct views OF The
house of worship The first regards i
as place of seeing certain ceremonie.
which are performed in the presence o
the congregation. This is the Roman
Catholic idea The other regards tht
house Of worship as a place in which
people both worship the Lord and hea
his word.
In the Jewish economy the Temple
was the place for the sacrifices and rites
the Synagogue the place in which tn
people heard the Scriptures read and ex
planned The Protestant idea of hous
of worship contains the Temple an
the Synagogue.
There the most solemn ri es ofreligiol
are performed, baptism and the Lord
Supper, and there, in the highest sense
the Gospel is preached, not before til
people, but to them.
There the word of God is read, tn
law unfolded, the fundam entail facts il
mans moral condition stated and proved
there is proclaimed Gods holiness as
moral Governor, and mans total sinful
ness as moral being; there is pro
claimed not only mans sinfulness, bu
Gods amazing mercy and the cost @
its exercise; there are proclaimed III
love and compassion of Christ and hi
entreaties to sinners to be saved; Their
Sinai is unveiled in all It's appalling tel
rCrs, and Calvary in all It's entrancin
l0VeHGess; there is depicted with tear
FIJI and solicitOus tenderness the perd
on Of the ungodly men, and the res
b ch rema;neth for the people of Goo
In enc word, there, in the Chrstia
meeting house or church, is preached
all its length, and breadth, and heigh
and depth, the love of God to sinners, {
presented in the Gospel, the centr;
fact of which is Christ crucifed.
This is the place which the gospel I
cUliarly is preached, the place which
lie seat or home of all those insurance
tai agencies by which God effects II
souls new birth Here the terms of IL
law scare men, here the love of the 90
pei woos them, here they cry out q VIII
must we dor and here they cast theI
selves on an all sufficient Savior in 6
the raptures Of a new love, new fait
q new life. Here they avouch the Lord
be their God IN profession and to Cbri
as their King; here they are baptiz;
and here they remember Jesus in the orc
nance of his appointment, with unaffeC
ed sensibility partaking Of the emblem
which represent his broken body ar
shed blood
Here they lavish their love on tho.
who love Christ and one another; hel
they gather strength Tor conflict an
comfort for trial here they matul
their gTaces until hope becomes fru
GADGCIe
reality.
Here they come in their strength
manhood as the sun mounts up
midday, and here they come in the
weaknessfof age. as the sun declines
It's setting Here, usually is the la
place we see them in life, lingering
TIE sacred shrine with tondness ak
to that which the Pilgrim feels as he
leaving his home, and here we bid far
we'll to their remains which we are abo
TO lay away until the resurrection.
In brief, the Church is the Christian
spiritual birth place, and that of his CD
dren, the seat of those mighty instr
mentalities through which sinners are l,
toGod Church is the souls birth plac
from which, again and again, in nev,
eeasing repetition, the news goes up
angels, who make Heaven resound wi
their JOY, {" he that was lost is found |