Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-11-18
s OUTLINE OF A SERMON
By T. ]. Wheat, on Matt. 25: 10.
Subject, Power Added to Ability"


1t was an ancient custem in the
Cast and in Russia for masters to en-
rust their slaves with some capital.
This capital was to be used in traffic,
or the improvement of which they
we're accountable to their masters. |
As these slave owners In the East on
,aking leave OF their slaves committed
% their keeping capital according to
Zach ones particular capacity and
ability" (Bloomfeld), just SO the
Son of God gives to each Of his re-
generated children power to work for
Him.
/. This poaoer is giuea TO HIS oaon
servants. What constitutes one
of God? Paul tells us: Rom.
5 IS. "Yield yourselves servants 10
obey, His servants ye are TO whom ye
obey This is what we claim for the
regenerate state. All regenerated
persons, as DR.. Raymond puts it,
obedience to God. Not
that that they are pure they are par
doned and quickened, i. e., made
alive. Hence, they obey God. Obe-
dience is, therefore, necessary con-
d.tion to servitude. 81 say to my
servant do this, and he doeth it."
{ Matt. 8:6.) To the obedlent the
Master will at last say, ''Well done
good and faithful servant. We
might give abundant Scripture prnsf
OF this position, but We judge it will
not be questioned. The pardoned
and regenerated are freed from the
guilt OF sin and made alive or quick
ened by the spirit of God. Paul says
of this class of persons Rom. 6 .l8):
"Yc become the servants of righteous
ness" The regenerated state, in our
version, is represented by the word
quickened, usually, and means to
make alive {2nd. Cor. 3:6. "The
Spirit g,veth life.' ''It is the Spirit
that oaickeneth." (John, 6:63.) }
The acts Of raising Up the dead and
making them alive are distinguished
in John, 5:29: "For as the Father
raiseth up the dead and quickeneth
them, even SO the Son quickeneih
whom He will" Hence, we conclude
that no one is a servant Of God who
is not regeherated, and that all the
regenerate are His servants. Then tc
our own intellectual, physical and
Divinely quickened state God, by the
Holy Ghost, adds power. The Syriae
reads: "Ability or power. God
bestows power meeting the exact
measure of ability. This is signifi.
cant fact. One is to exhort, another
ITO preach, another to teach, and eacf
one Dfvinely commanded to pursue
their appointed calling. whilst they
each need, as qualification, th.
added power of the Holy Spirit
Murdock, in the Syriac Testament
2nd. Cor s:3, expresses il thus
according to their ability, and be
yond their ability. in the spontaniet,
of of their mind That is, they ar
willing of themselves beyond thei
ability. 1t is 10 this class of person
that God adds power for their ei
ficiency.
II. What is power! We under
stand it in this sense to mean appiie'
/ force. The correctness of this j
seen in the promise: "Ye shall re
ceiye power after the Holy Ghos
has come unto you" (Acts, 1:S.
Hence, it is recorded { Acts, 4 :33)
"Witk great power gave the Apostle
witnesses" and that Stephen was fu
of faith and power. Acts, IS. An
that the Gospel came not in word only
but in power. lst. Cor. A 20. Hence
the power is an added qualification.
Is as true now as when the gres
Alfred Goodman said, ''Fhe peopl
heard Seneca, excellent man as b
was they heard the excellent truth
he spoke, and deterior...ed in the
morals, they got worse and worse.
1.-The world has been listening to th
teachings of Jesus Christ during thes
centuries, and has been getting bettt
and better. MIR. President, ! kno
Of no satisfactory answer than can /
supplied, except that our christiani,
has the Holy Ghost in it. - s.Tili
sir, is what our associations nj
churches are 80 much needing. W
, need the Divine power, the supe
natural power. It-is necessary to a
company and apply the, truth TO q
minds and hearts Of those with who
we have to do. In trying
do s. good in this world 1.-The II
, finite One fills us, inspires u
emboldens us, makes Us stroi
in the power of his might. Oh! Do
not this quiet, thoughtful, a,tenti,
audience see the point | would max
Entirely consecrated to the seryic
and then filed With God" The diffe
ence is perhaps mare marked in I
4 case of The Apostles. All up to t
/ time Of the erucifixion how dull, ht
obscure their vision, how weak thu
faith. On the memorable day Of Pc
,acest they Hwere filed With I
Holy Ghost and pivnlely *'endo
cd With power from on High" TIL
went preaching the gospel and eyer
where the Holy Ghost accompani
The word. Now, we believe
III. That vi,eneser the gospel
preached in ssthe demonstration of I
Spirit aud with power,' that slime
will be concerted. For the first fo
centuries the doctrine of the gift
the Spirit, after conversion, was ne,
called in question there was 4 gra
experience Of this baptism during q
period. This was not only the m
tyr age ofthe church, but also the q
Of power and glory. The victory v
by the blood of the lamb, and /
word of their testimony. Have
never known persons that were N
yels of grace? A few years ago
had a brother in tlls conference "
was regarded as very weak In
pulpit efforts, and vet he was
most wonderful man in all the c,
. ference. There was power in
! prayers; power IN his cxhortatioi
= power in his singing, and God bles!
!, that power in the salvation OF b.
; dreds Of souls. Why the. success
Mr.. Moody2 Il isn't because he
iouipaf ar the f3niah IF