Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-04-21
HEARING TmE GROSS FOR CHRIST.
A sermoa Preached in the First congroga-
tional Church at West Mill Grove, o.,
By Rev owen q jenkins. Reported for
the Perrysburg Journal By A. @. Russelie.


And he bearing bis cross went forth into n
place called the place Of skull, which In
called In the Hebrew, ualgotha. John xix, II.
IN the text we read Of Christ bearing Ills
cross, and we ask the question: For whom
did H. bear it2 lTo bore it for us that we
might bear it Tor him. Our subject shall
be, then Bearing the cross for Christ.
BgNRtSI THE cRo3s u A NECESSITY.
It is necessity arising from duty.
Whenever duty calls man to perform
certain duty lie ought to do it without the
least hesitation. II is the duty Of every
man t. bear the cross for Christ. Does
man bear the cross by making a public
profession OF religion and Joining the
church, Is this all that is included in
bearing the cross2 No. This is good
step toward it, but il is not bearing the
cross. Something more is required; prayer
must be offered, secret prayer, family prayer
and especially public prayer, and ! hold
that the man who seeks constant cOmmun-
ion with God who IL on his knees before
the Throne three or four times every day, |
hold that such man can offer prayer in
public. 81 eaking in public is included IN
bearing the cross, aud hold that the man
who reads his Bible who thinks and meli-
t,tes instantly upon the things of GDd, I
hold that such MN can speak for Jesus
im public ] have met with individuals in
most every place have been, saving with
u ,,considertble degree of emphasis, that
they couii not speak or pray in public
meeting" They admit that they can speak
In most any other gathering, bat they can't
speak in meeting because the subject is
strange. ! am very sorry to hear this. Is
il not the duty Of every christian TO make
hims,lf familiar with the subjects treated
in the praycr-mcctins? Here is the diff
Guilty, but it is seldom acknowledged pro-
fcssors Of religion do not make Themselves
familiar enough with the things Of God and
hence they do not know what to say in the
prayer-meelnC, the subjects are strange to
them; and il the things of God are strange to
them, is it not q strong indication that they
are strangers to GUd2 Men speak freely
and flucntly Of things with which they are
familiar aud ii many prof ssors OF religion
would make Themselves more familiarwith
things of God, il they would pray more, if
they would read theii Bibles more, il they
would talk more upon the subject Of rclig-
ion, they could talk more in meeting
IT Is NECESSARY FOR YoCR HAPPINESS.
Ask the uncOnvcrtcd man il he IL happy
and he will give you an affirmative answer /;
but is he truly happy? True happiness is
something that will be with man "at all
times and under all circumstances :" does
he possess this happiness? Is he truly
happy when II violent fever takes away
many OF his ncighbors and some of his own
| family2 l. he happy when lying upon his
dcath-bcd knowing that he has but a few
more hours 10 live? When he was in
health and strength and good circumstan-
ces he said he was happy, but when vio-
lent fever was taking away many Of his
friends and some of his own family he had
nothing then that he could call happiness.
He was very unhappy when the hand Of
death had taken hold of him and reduced
his strong body to almost nothing.
He is now the victim OF death. behold
his pale and cherries countenance, his eyes
have sunk back into his head, all his
strength has left him, and he is now unable
to move his slender hand, death will soon
take him. Is he happy? No He trembes
| like n Leaf. His doubts are many and his
conflict is great "tightings within and
fears without death approaches him; the
torments of hell begin to seize him-lifc is
almost ended and eternity is dark-man is
unable to save him and God is n stranger
to him. Where is his happiness2 gone
His imaginary happiness was :" a delusion
and dream" He did not bear the cross
for Christ and he is not happy.
Ask the barren church member if he is
| happy; he, also, will give you an affirmative
answor. When on his death bed ask him
| how he feels over his fruitIess life rs Il
| rI, g, l,; g 1,
never opened his mouth in pray
he cannot recall a single instance when hC
attempted to pray in public-many n time
he was called upon by his pastor but lac
never obeyed. He carried the erroneous
idea in his head that he could not be n
public worker in the church but the truth
in the matter is, he never tried and now
this brings to him pain, shame and remorsc
of conscience. lie cannot look back with
the least degree III happiness, everything
goes to show thet he had been "a stumbling
block III Zion. His barren life did not
preach Christ, there was not the least ten
dency in it to draw sinners to the cross Ii
was not fruitful and religious, but barreI
and inconsistent. The cold and Indifferent
church member stands in the way OF sin
nerS. When We invite the unconverted tC
Christ they Immediately call our attention
to Mr.. A. and Mrs. b., and say, "Do they
live as they ought to ?" "are they fruit bear
ing christians? p They put us to silence
| We cannot draw sinners to Christ whcT
these barren church members are in I'll,
way. In the name OF my God, beseech
you to get out OF the way, put on the ar
NOR and bear the cross. Have said any
thing about those who do not bear tn,
cross that is not true? And does th'
truths which have uttered produce any
happiness in their hearts? No; when thei
neglected duties are pointed out 10 them, i
makes them unhappy. You see, then, how
necessary ii is to bear the cross in order {,
secure happiness. The man who alway'
does his duty is happy man, and the man
who always nrglects his duties is an un
happy man.
1T Is NECESSARY FOR YOUR USEFULNESS
All men would like to be useful. Tn,
child would like to be useful, and tn,
young man would like to be useful. Tn,
young lady, when she joins the church
would like to be an useful christian
and the man who cOnsecrates himsel
for the ministry would like TO be an usefu
minister. All christians, especially, wOul,
like to be useful and now my question is
can man be useful, as christian, withou
bearing the cross and doing his part in ev
cry respect as christian? Is it enough
for him to work in the Sabbath schoo
only, or be prominent in the singing, o
pay well towards preaching? Will tn
performance OF any OF the things mention
cd make him an useful christian ? No
Where is the work OF the pray ermeeting
Let every man remember that his Iie, as
christian, depends upon his prayers Pray
er Is the key to the christian life, and ther
is no use for a man to try to live a chris
tian life without praying, and prayin
much. lie who is often on his bende
knees before his heavenly Father, implor
ing the divine blessing upon his soul, will
make an useful christian in the vinegar,
of the Lord. Why is it that there are me-
and woman in every church whose voice W
we hear in the prayer meeting? Why is
that they are SO unwilling to pray in pub
lie? Because they do not pray enough u
home they do not pray enough to max
themselVns familiar with the lanuuuop Il