The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-05-13
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
The Divine Power of the Church.
Lerington, Va.

The Divine Power of the Church.
The Church seems at the present day
to be unconscious of the pOwer with
which her exalted Head has endowed her.
Christ said to his disciples just before
his ascension, eye shall receive poaver
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you" And his command to them was,
"Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until
ye be endued with pOaOer from on high."
The promise of this heavenly gift was
made to the Church IN all ages. 1t be-
gan to be fulfilled on the day of Pente-
cost. The ''little flock" of the Great
Shepherd might still develop this power
if they would ''renew their strength. !"
1t is to be feared that her Lord has
somewhat against his Church of the
present day. The means furnished and
required to be used, have been to great
degree neglected. But apart from the
use of the divinely appointed means, the
divine power will not be bestowed
Whilst God might have supplied the Jews
with water, in the wilderness, without
any human Intervention, he put the rod
of his strength into the hand of his SER
want Moses. Instead of casting down
the walls of Jericho, simply by the Word
of his power, he required his people to
compass the city seven days. A power
is promised to the Church, Gin the last
days." for a much more important pur-
pose, even the pulling down of the strong
Id &c ~ Destroying, the works of the
devil, and saving lost souls. We may
view this power under three different as
poets.
1. The power Of utterance.
The promise was made to the persecu-
ted disciples of Christ in all ages, Il
will give you a mouth and wisdom" "
The gift of tongues has ceased, but Dot
the power of utterance. 1t was said of a
praying assembly, that "They were all
filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake the
word of God with boldness." 1t was
said of those who listened to the speech
of Stephen, that they ''could not resist
the wisdom and power by which he
spake." That promised wisdom and
power were granted to Luther, and Cal
vim, and Knox. Is not the power of ut
terance still granted to him who address
es sinners in Gods name and by Gods
authority, and who stirs up the gift of
God that is in him; so that he may say
with Paul, my speech and my preach
ing was not with enticing words of man s
wisdom, but in demonstration of the
spirit and of power, that your faith should
not stand in the wisdom of man, but in
the power of God The heralds of sal
vation, who ought to feel as the Apostle
felt, that they are not sufficient for the
great and responsible work of the minis
try, may also, like the Apostle, deliver
the heavenly message 'not in words
which mans wisdom teacheth, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth.' One reason
why the pulpit has lost much of its power
is because the preacher, yielding to the
demands of an unsanctifed public taste
depends upon scholarship, eloquence, at
tractive manners, and such like impor.
tant accompaniments of the power, ra
ther than upon the power itself. The
highest scholarship, the most fervid elo
ouence, the lovelest social and pulpit at
fractions, dependant upon outward de
meanor and action, in the man of God
can never be proper and sufficient sub
stitute for the amounting of the Holy
Ghost. While the first is absolutely use
less without the last for the great end Of
saving souls, the last can accomplish the
work without the first. A man of plain
ness and simplicity of speech, of awk
ward manners, having no pretensions t.
scholarship or eloquence, but who is fillec
with the Holy Ghost, utters in a quie
way, but with an eloquence which may b
said to be divine, the simple words whicl
proceed from a soul burning with love t.
God and to the souls of men, has lie,
multitudes to the cross of Christ; Will
the man who has attracted crowds by tn
eloquence of manner and expression, an
by his sublime thoughts expressed i
smooth and sweetly flowing sentences
has simply excited admiration, and give
5 an hours delicious entertainment to tn
3 mind. Alas the people of God ever