Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-04-29

The subject of the Rev. s. Conn's dis
course yesterday morning at the First Pres
byterian church, was ''The Savior's last
command the text being, $50 We into all
the world and preach the gospel to every
creature,'' 16 Mark, 15v. DR.. Conn first
described the circumstances under which the
mandate was given, adverting to the solem
nifty and preciousness of parting words.
Parting requests or parting commands are
tenderly sacred and binding he said The
words of the text, he said, were among the
last sayings of tho Redeemer, and
10 doubt the very last to many who
heard them, and to all the last command.
The occasion was not only solemn
from the fact of its being parting scene,
but doubly so from the great and honorable
responsibility which would, ere many days,
rest upon those upon whom was placed the
injunction-the destinies of a world of ruined
men we're to be committed into their hands
tho cause which had been contemplated
with deep interest from the foundation of
the world by angels and patriarchs and
prophets-which had brought the eternal
Son of God from Heaven. The command,
be said, was not addressed simply to the
apostles as such, but to the church-to the
church of that day and Of this, and of all
time.
In considering the words of the text the
preacher said the first thought was "what is
the message which is to be proclaimed
the text said 'preach the gospel" After ex-
planning the term gospel, God-spello, he
showed by apt illustrations what is good
news or glad tidings, and deduced that no
better news or more joyful tidings could be
brought to poor sin burdened suffering
world than the tid1ngs of the way of saliva
ton. This simple way, in words of scrip
and then said that the injunction was to
preach Christ in His person, character and
works; in His example and in his atonement
and priesthood; in His three comings-His
coming to bear our sin; His coming by the
spirit as the comforter and His coming in glo-
rious majesty to judge the quick and the dead
and to establish his kingdom, which is
knowledge, and peace, and joy. They were
to preach repentance and remission of sins.
They were to preach the whole gospel, ana
the gospel only.
In the second place, he called attention to
the extent of the commission which Christ
gave to His apostles and to His church
they were to preach in all the world and to
every creature. The Jews alone had heard
the gospel preached, but now it was to be a
light to tighten the Gentiles and the glory
of His people, Israel. The word of God was
to 60 forth to men Of every nation, and kim
dred, and tongue, and people-every CONT
nent, every island, every corner of the
world was to hear the glad tidings
Of salvation. The Injunction, he said,
was still in force, the Christian church is to
be church of movement. It's journeyings
IRE to be co-extensive with the earth. It's
commission is only to terminate when the
last prodigal has been reclaimed to. his
home, when the kingdom of the world has
become the kingdom of our Lord and of His
Christ.
The third point considered was that all
the world needs the gospel. He showed that
i'll all parts Of the world-civilized or bar
barous-in China or Africa, man is the same
by nature, without knowledge, without hope,
without faith and without love. Wherever
is a child of Adam, whatever his color, there
is one whose heart is desperately wicked and
who needs the blood of Christ, the renewing
of the Holy Ghost and reconciliation with
God. He then drew vivid pictures of men
gospel teachings, desert bling them as lives of
misery, wretchedness, degradation, cruelty
and suffering. He said that our home
world, alone with it's darkness, it's profanity,
its carelessness, it's crimes and consequent
misery, call aloud for commisseration, but
he wished to call their especial attention to
the darkness of error and ignorance abound
ing in other worlds-the Catholic world with
its eighty million souls sunk in the deepest
ignorance. the Mohamedan world of one
hundred and sixty millions and the eighty
millions of Greek and Eastern churches
with the truth overlaid by dangerous error.
Then there are the thousands upon thou
sands of Jews, scattered all over the world,
besides the eight hundred million of
heathens. After describing the pitiable
state of ignorance and superstition of
these, he urged the necessity of missions, as
expressed in the sentence, "How shall they
believe in Him of whom they have not
heard, and how shall they hear without a
preacher" In the fourth place, he pointed
out the duty of every Christian in obeying
the mandate of the text, which he said was
as imperative upon the nearer assthe preacher
every Christian was commanded to spread
the good tidings, either personally or
by proxy. 1t mattered not how mar
row our means, we were enjoined to do
our utmost to send the good tidings which
had gladdened our hearts to our fellow man.
Every Christian can help in the work by
prayer and by contributions. Christ will
not work without US, nor answer prayers for
the coming of His kingdom while we go to
sleep over our duty and do not obey the
mandate of evangelization. May new
spirit of obedience, of conservation and OF
self forgetfulness, come into the church's
heart our own. Work, hope, prayer-these
three and the victory is Ours