, 1876-07-10

pastor nn,l people, M, anxsous beyond what
can express u you that we shall do Eoo.s
II shall lie year Of enlarged prosperity beyond
ANYTHING VIC have known ii, the past. In ortcr
tiiat wc may realize this, WI should look At tha
work unto which VIC aro CALLED, arif shnuH M seeK
Al let forth ia tho toxt thls is to publish ".goosl
tlngs." ,,. 4 Shurel, T. cirist': evsange!. q. n
WORK to be done That a society must bc formed.
Societies have bc,orlc 70 nun!erons tllat tlielr
na1nc might bc called "leSion" Hut aospel
ies IT, Established s i. III tSis Sery psrpose pS
jsh HeotNl tidIngs' to mci. Hence It ls safe
to conclude that i is ,rreetscly adapted 70 tho
end prorosc,l; The Church at Icss9lonisn vas r.,
cause from II "Bullndnd out tho word Of tho
Lord" il was mn ryangcltz!ng agency and
power. And such should he every aosPcl
church.
la In publishing "good ttdings" 70 men, Q
re'iglon, Ito mike known 70 then, TIC method
which the Gospel Is something to he learned.
men the WY Of lifc. Jcsus said, "l.oarn Of me-"
antl Ills last command 10 Ills Disciples was,
"Go teach oil national. There arc certain
great central Qcspel truths relating to to, saliva
bcrs llave been mat1c familiar, md IL entcra
intu their works to "teac,, others al.o." An
Apostle said TO his brethren, "Yc ought, to By
teachers" Thc Gosrel Is . system VI "Eooti
lcssoas which they arc concerned 70 know. It
tells them what they nrc md whittier. they nro
go!ng. II shows them what they need md what
| thcv ought to do. 1t reveals to them how sin
hns wrong GIT their ruin, and l,ow they my ho
recovered through tho grace Of Christ. II opens
icforo them tho future; tells them Of tho destl-
nation Of the human soul; reycals TO them M
Woes of tho lost, ami shows them how thoym may
| EaIr tho ono and escape tho other.. 49,.
These great truths, andauch Us these, church
Ia commissioned to make known to nscn. A
claim " Christ md Hin ctucifled." It ,nust III
him up botore tho world, mud teach mon tho
lesson ttat there Is no other name given under
11cayon whereby they eau be saycd. While this
seek to allow men that they need just such 90.
! vlor as Jesus; that they arc sinners, aud cnnnot
save themselves, but that Jesus Christ 1s liable
to sayo to tho nttermost al who , come Unto 4n.o ao.i
how they can come ~ Christ and find rest for
thcir souls. Tho method Of salvation, the way
Of life through Christ, must be explained and
untoldcd 60 clearly that Tho wnylarlng man need
not err.
10y Dut tho "good tilings," OF Tho Gospel ON.
bruce something to he experienced ~ woll rs to
bu learned. Tic Gospel Is a power to renew and
aanctify tho heart. It comes TO man With fall,
| EUt QEDEAfcut ucEGutIAkV AAtuiG4 w @SitlT utt>s
transform That natuIe. II comes u him to take
away his Impure md stony heart, and to give
him q heart OF flesh. It comes TO change
his disposition and affections, his aspirations
aud desires. It comcs to work over him new
creation: to make him a nov creature. Tint u
nj exceedingly partial md imperfect view OF
tho Gospel that regards 1t merely as something
to DO learncd: to 30 received merely TX as o. IN.
Ia instruct and cnlfEhtenit, the "Eood t!alngs y
Of tho Gospel aim also to changc,-to renew tllc
heart. TO learn tho more theory OF tho Gospel
Is well IN its place, b4t TINT Is not enough. Il
inner lilo Of tho soul. 4 man may 30 always
learning md yet mover como to the knowiedge
Of the truth. Ifc must have heart experience
40 well as q head enlightenment. !Ic must BE-
converted rs we'll as Instructed. And thf!s
should bo ever kept in view in Gospel work A
church must lol,,r for tho conversion Of thcil
fcllow.mon to Christ While they know thai
that il Is work beyond and abo!o human WI
dom and might, stiff they learn from tho Bible
and cxpevicnco alike TINT there Is % work con
nected with tho conversion Of man that Is CON
!, , works In tho conversion Of mon through Hi
truth In the hands Of His people and In answcl
, to prayer. Tho work Is intruatcd to them o.
nosPel truth upon ~ tS 70 nnas thn ama
tho Holy Spirit will 50 work through that trati
as to make alive from tho dead When churcl
Ia thoroughly awake and alive to It's rcsponst
viii Whlo tllcy fully understand that they canno
= convert sinners, that It requires Divine powc
to do this, they nevertheless labor for convc!
= aons. Thcy press Gospol truth upon tue MIND ~
9e eaeneras si q sT oTee St tso hoy hSy s II
i to make lcGd sinners live. And this Is what
. hold up before you as our work this year; tha
!, wa slsall undertake. 90 To publish the .gnd tit
= A Church that docs not labor md work for cor
= versions signaly fails Ia It's true work. It losc
a sight Of tic grind design OF It's existence. :.
q Church, to answer the end Of its being, mn. .
:, souls to Christ. A thurch la m army, not,
= camp, hut In battle; not army Of dctonsc, br
~ ~ I'LL army of conquest. Her work ls not Ntmpl
% 70 hold her own {oft, but moro j., ,esPeeany u
y periodical work to bo dono at long intorval
We arc not to lahor few dnys or weeks K
:. tho conversion Of men, and ttcn rest for an I
',s bible. fho Gospel model Of Church " ono
~ constnnt aggression. It assumes that God, as
d loving Father, Is nlways ready to wc!coms Il
feturnog prodg"l that 1@aT Gh,st sn,,t + a'Wa
~ tint Gospel trutf, IL a'ways suited to the meet
Il, II Of mal. And this, submit, Is the standard
~ ~ which ono IN this Church should aspire.
~ ~ great responsibility rests upon Us hero TO lab
aa 'a for the conversion, OF our fellowmcn. God h
y: 10 act before us wide nnst open door. This, as
i, sccms to mo, fs pre.emlncntly thc work . IN U,
Whic ~ ara ow e pueisn sne g
=! who aro yet unsnyca. Wa arc hero lltto bal
y Of Chriatlnns, surrounded by mu!tltudca. wl
oro living Without God and without hope in u
world. W. arc going In little wl,ile with the
10 tho Judgment scat Of Christ. We bcl!cy
H. for thu lille touches, that without person
r@ .n faith In Christ they will losc tn
as rs souls. Our work, II possible, is to "lc
70 them to tbs exercise OF TINT faith; our wo
,i,s under uod is to hclp prepare them for u
saF future world to which thoy arc going 50 rap!i
". a,,l which may ho eyon now 50 near ut hand.
In (c) Wo pass next to notice that church m
re re publish these 'glat t!a'ngs". through, t
a no foremost instrumcntallty. While tho pastor
~ ". primarily the eoIyant ot Christ ai,d spssss
- he Is tho servant Ut tho Church and In which
b spcaks tor his brethren. lIc Is thc!r mouthp!'
10 the uuconycrted. Tho "gnui t!dtngsh
trusted to tho Church he sounds out to tho ~
plc. God Inns ordained to shre men shr0ll
nd "tho fooitslness Ut preachinE"; hence
lst members Of Church should seek to invest til
~" | r,t1pJf wifi, fFrHdfC6t nngSihqf