The New York herald., 1871-09-18
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.

Sermon by the Rev. ii. NJ. Gallaher ON the
Means Of Obtaining salvation.
The First Baptist church. in Nassau street. near
Fulton, contained Its usual numDer OF devout wor-
shippers and assiduOus followers OF the latest fan
fashions at the morning service yesterday all OF
whom. it is perhaps safe to say. were much pleased
and edited by the discourse OF the deservedly popu
lar PASTOR The Rev. II. M. Gallaher. Tnis eminent
divine selected for his text Philippians II. IL, which
reads as f0llOws:-"WherefOre, my beloved, rs ye
have always obeyed, not as in my presence only,
but now much more in my absence work out yOux
own salvation with fear and trembling"
The saving of ones self, said Mr.. Gallaher, Ii de-
pendent almost wholly upon his own exertiOns and
endeavOr. Christ came to snow US that we might
be saved, and not to tell US that We are sim
begotten people, utterly unable to better our con-
dition, and that, therefore, we must he forever
damned. To save ourselves requires constant and
unremitting toll and labor. Prayer alone Will not
do IT, nor yet simple conversion; nor being bap-
tized; nor in fact, oae OF these, or many other
things as some persons foolishly and unfortunately
believe We must work, struggle and persevere.
1t Is not, as many suppose, easy thing to be
good man TO be an upright Christian There ara
constantly things coming ur before us the doing OF
which are oh 80 pleasant and which would AFFORD
VAST DEAL OF PLEASURE
for the time being; but yet the very doing OF them
Is the committing OF an overt sim and therefore It
requires constant toll and endeavor 10 avoid them
On the other hand, We are called upon to do many
but We naturally shrink from the performance Of
them: nevertheless we must do them, ana this
again causes labor and struggle. None or It's shall
steal into heaven by sticking our heads, ostrich
like, INTO some creed or another ana saying. 'That
Is ali sufficient. am sure To be saved now, for am
] not a member OF the Church?' No; thou shat
work tor 1t. else thou shalt not acquire II. Saliva
tlon is not merely work, but 1t is constant work.
Meier think the victory
Nor lay thy armOr down:
Thy arduous work shall ne'er be done
Til you have gained the crown.
When one is converted, continued the pastor. the
work has but just begun. Conversion alone VIII
"a wise man OF iOol in moment nor yet In q
month. 1t has never ana never viii make saint Oi
habItual sinner in a moment or month. The
reason Is paln-the lie has been too much given
over to SIN and folly TO be changed SO wonderfully
in the twinkling OF an eye as II were. Besides con-
version Que needs TO work and
STRUGGLE CONSTANTLY TO SAVE HIMSELF.
In this work there can be no substitutes. In fact,
there are few, very few things, In TINS LIE that viii
admit OF ones having substitute and certainly the
work OF saving ones self viii not.
Mr. Galaner next spoke OF the meaning OF the
words '.lear and trembling In connection with the
text. What was meant 10y this, he said, was that we
We know not at what moment we may make iata!
step, although we may be striving to the utmost vi
our ability to walk nprlghtly. To illustrate TINS
gone i'll company with Mend, to see
Mrs. Colway's new aud elegant theatre, winch
at the present time is receiving It's finishing
touches. Together they assembled the long ladder
winch led up to the Immense scanodng upon
which the paintcrs were standing While performing
the work OF lasteiully decorating by arisuc ,9ucnss
OF the brush the ceiling OF the building, anu once
ND there how carefully lie walked about loose
plank, a missiep or even his own dizziness, might
result In his being dashed to pieces, and therefore
he walked with fear and Trembling And this Is
what is meant by the text where IL says, "work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling"