Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-10-12


Sunday Morning, September 26M, 1869.
And was with you in weakness, and in fear, and
in much trembling.
enticlng words oil mans wisdom, but in demonstra
tion of the Spirit aud of powcr.-I Cor III Caap'
"a
L have selected these words, my friends and
brethren, because of the position L hold to-
wards you who have come up to this house
to-day. 1t is my lot to stand in this pulpit
as It's legal occupant for the last time, and to
look my last look upon faces endeared to me
by many tender memories. But two years
ago | came to you stranger The most had
never seen me, and the most [ had never
seen. We have learned to know each other,
and l trust. to love; and yet the wise provi-
dcncc of God orders us apart-me to lighter
work, and you, hope, to ministry more able
and more faithful, and so to fuller measure
of blessing When came to you brethren,
it was to be predcher--a preacher of the
Gospel and as my authority for the claim and
position then advocated l gave the Apostles
statement; "Whereunto am ordained
preacher" and to-day think 1 can claim
your assent to my plea, and go hence assured
that have never beyond this magnifed my
office; never claimed for myself the prerog-
atiVcs Of priesthood, or done aught to show
that I believed them to be my due. But
though | put thus, what some would call
low estimate upon my Office: [ feel that there
is enough Of honor in it to satisfy reasona-
bic mind, and enough of responsibility to JUS
tify the utterance to-day adopted: "AMd
,caS ,riM you az readiness and in tear, and IN
much ncn,Gliny" There is, my friends, no
presumption in making the language Of such
a man as the Apostle the expression of our
Nh,sti
heart and every truly ministerial heart, the
world over, there must be likeness of quail
tiles, brought about as the state of that heart
is by the same Spirit AS the Apostle then
said to the Corinthians, q was with you in
lccaLmeSs,' so say VIC to you, and without any
fear of self exaltiug analogy. And what
did he mean? He may have meant that be
was with them oppressed by physical iniirmi-
ties-under the necessity of waglng daily
battle with the enemies of manly vigor-ever
conscious that he was weak III comparison
with the work which in Corinth offered itself
And in perfect truth might the speaker adopt
the language and apply il, as thus understood,
to the short life amoug you, which to-day is
brought to a close But rather would con-
slider the Apostle as having reference to the
moral aspects of his position-as having in
view the calls made upon his heart and mind
by the religious interests of those to whom
God had scnt him as the herald of immortal
life And so understood, my friends, his ut
terance belongs to every man in the Christian
ministry; for verify arcaAncSs is our attribute,
whatever else may belong or be ascribcd to
US. We bear the tidings Of eternal life. We
witness to the revelations which God has
made We plead with each Eearcr for his
soul, and, rs best VIC may, seek to lead him to
that fountain where sin and uuc!eanness are
washed away. But against US are arrayod
foes of no mean spirit, and athwart our shafts
come shields that arc not tempered in mo-
mcnt or day. There is the human heart,
that guilty thing which hides from truth, be-
cause it loves it not. There is tie hearers
,cW. set against God, and because under the
influence of earth, ard of that power which
comes from sin. There is the hearers habit
of life, wrought and welded into shape by
acts as numbcrless as motive and volition.-
And. there as that ac0rld which is made, in
Scripture, the enemy Of souls, and to love
which is not to have the love of God within
u.s. All, weak is the human pleading before
these opponents, friends, defeated arc VIC dali
ly when in combat we essay to break through
to the prize, and to carry off the heart as
trophy to our Lord. But these are not all
the force which meets the man who goes out
to plead fer Jesus Yelled to human eyes,
covered by the mantle of invisibility, and
busy against God and Truth, live the spirits
who kept not their first estate and these ar
ray themselves against every preacher of the
gospel aud withstand him. Is it not record
cd, and by this very same Apostle, that ''we
wrcstle not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places?" And if that be of the true be-
liever-cvery Christian-all who are the re-
cipients of Christ i'll his grace and converting
power, it is doubtless right to say, as well as
10 believe, that when would make Christ
ians. lead souls TO the Cross, the same pow
ers offsets us with their wiles, aud render
gatory our efforts But this too is recorded
and recorded as the uttcrance of one nobler,
more exalted wiser, greater and more rever>
end than Paul, Christ Jesus: "The sower
soweth the word, and these are they by the
wayside where the word is sown, but when
they have heard Satan cometh Immediately,
and taketh away the word that was sown in
their hearts" (Mark 4-16) So that evil
dent is the doctrine, clear the teaching that
when we preach devils oppose. Reason, then,
have we for the position assumed, in weak
ness has our ministry been exercised. But,
mark, friends, that the lack of power is not
in the cause, but in the man. To the cause,
understanding by that the truth of God, the
divine word, the revealed plan of saving men,
we attribute not the element by US confessed.
That word is quick and powerful-mig
through God, aud where the spirit worketh
with and by it, it is His power unto saliva
ton, willing, in the day of his power, immOrs
tai spirits break loose from the bands of
death; rise from the lethargy into which sim
full habit has thrown them; open the eye to
the great things of faith and hope, and over
the world, the flesh and the devil victorious,
offer themselves as living sacrifices unto God.
And, to-day, we thank God for such-the
seals set to our ministry in this place, and the