The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-01-12
And Reportorial Remarks of the
Services.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
In the morning the pastor preached
from Proverbs, II, 80: ''He that winneth
souls is WISE" The wisest man the
world ever saw here tells what is one
mark of true wisdom, but why must
souls be "won," and why is that express
sion used? Because they are in bond
age to sin and Satan and must be
brought over to righteousness and Crhist:
must be translated out of the kingdom OF
Satan and with the kingdom of Gods
dear Son." 1t is a mark of wisdom to
win souls to Christ. because they need
him and because they have such immense
value.
l. Men are made in the image OF God.
2. The soul is immortal.
3. In every soul is the possibility of
the highest heaven or the lowest hell.
4. Christ died to save souls !; that is
the estimate he put on their value.
But how are we to win souls
We learn this best by Chrlst's own
example. How did our Lord win them ?
1. He went out after them, If they
wouldn't come to Him.
2. He reached the soul by kind offices
to mems bodies-we cannot improve upon
His example.
9. He brought his efforts to bear upon
indiUiduaIs-Christ never talked about
the masses.
4. Christ always showed a deep respect
for humanity, even in its degradation.
8. Christ won souls through self.sacri-
fee. That is the root idea of our relig-
ion. The incarnate God washed His dis
ciples' feet. If l am rich or talented or
in high position, by so much am 1 in
debted to the poor, the ignorant, the
lowly.
O TL.,.4 bod to;.l, 4, .bo ,,o,,,or of 81, n
gospel and its adaptation to the deep soul
wants of man. So must we.
Z. Christ felt the "burden of souls"
upon Him So we must feel a respOnsi-
bility for the salvation of our fellow-men
if we do them good.
The speaker closed by an appeal to the
impenitent to notice how God, the Father,
Son and Holy Ghost, and good men were
interested in their salvation and besought
them at once to fly for refuge to the Lord.
He also appealed to Christians to strive
to win souls, for God says ''they that be
wise shall shine as the brightness of the
armament and they that turn many to
righteousness as the stars forever and
ever" At night the pastor of this
church preached upon Soul in Durance,"
drawn from the arguments used by life
insurance agents.
SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIA CHURCH.
The congregation was unusually large,
the occasion being the communion. DR..
Smoot announced the names of thirteen
persons received into the church. He
read a statement from the board of dea-
cons and clerk of session, showing the
present membership to be 200. When he
came to Austin. five years ago, the num-
Der was y By removals, deaths, and dis
missions, the church has lost IA members.
These figures show that since DR.. Smoot
took charge of the church, there have
been added to its roll, 211 members. The
debt of the church now stands at $500.
When he took charge of the Church the
debt was S9992. The debt is r. idly being
paid of by monthly lnstallments. Three
persons have surrendered their pews
or declined to pay for them any further,
but eLeUeR new pew holders have been
entered on the list since Christmas day.
There are more applicants for pews than
can at present be supplied. There is talk
OF putting in additional pews. The
church IS up on the pastors salary for
the past year. All the contingent and
current expenses are paid except one
item of $16.50. The sermon was from
LIST Corinthians, chapter X, verse l6. At
ter few Introductory remarks DIR. Smoot
said:
''The supper Is one of the sacraments
of the church under the New Testament
dispensatIon. 1t was instituted by the
Saviour himself. 1t has reference
to the covenant of grace and rep
resents Christ and the benefits of
that covenant. 1t confirms the obli-
CATION upon our parts to be the
Lords as we have vowed IN our baptism.
There are two things to be considered
first, the outward visible signs; second,
the things thus signified. These signs
are arbitrary, not natural. They are by
the appointment of Christ himself as one
having supreme power and authority in
the church. They address themselves to
the understanding-they are presented to
the senses. A man may understand how
bread may represent broken body, how
wine may represent blood shed. The
things signifed are Christ and the benefits
which flow from him to the believer.
This is according to Gods cove
nant. Any man may eat.and drink,
but it is only the believer who is bene-
flied. The uubeliever eats and drinks
Judgment to himself. The fellowship is
with Christ and with all believers through
Christ. No two persons or any number
of persons can commune in the Lords
supper except they be united to Christ by
faith in his blood.
There is an essential prerequisite upon
the part of all who would be benefited by
themselves as to their worthiness to par
take of the supper. They must be able to
discern the Lords body as set
forth in the bread and his blood
as set forth in the wine. If they
cannot do this, "the cup of blessing
which we bless" will not be "the commu-
Mon of the blood of Christ" and "the
bread which we break" will not be "the
communion of the body OF Christ" This
power to discern comes through faith, |
penitence, love and obedience. 1t leads |
to selEexamination as to our own faith. |
whether it is the work of the Spirit of |
God in us uniung us to Christ in our |
calling. 1t leads to self-eXamin- |
alton as to our penitence, whether we |
have been convinced of sin and misery, |
enlightened in our minds and renewed in |
our wills. Itleads to self-examintion as to |
our love, whether we have been enabled |
and pursuaded to embrace Jesus Christ |
freely offered to us in the gospel. 1t |
leads to self-examination as to our own |
to whether We are willing |
to suffer and bear and do all things for |
His name and His cause by the help of |
His grace. When such an examination |
is made, we can then determine, each |
one for himself, whether he can feed |
upon Christ by faith in His name.
The end of this sacrament ia to " set /
forth His death till he come again." We
bear witness for Christ every time we |
celebrate this communion; we publicly |
Is ours, and in Him alone are conferred
0ur hopes of salvation.
AT THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
DR.. Poindexter preached from the text |
Ephes. III, 14,15. The extension of privi-
eges and blessings of the covenant with
and his seed, to the Gentiles,
Paul declares mystery, which was hid |
len from partriarchs and prophets, but
now revealed to the apostles by the
spirit. "That the Gentiles should be fell
ow heirs, and of the same body, and par
takers of his promise IN Christ by the
gospel" This Fellowship of the mys-
.ery was from the beginning of the
world - according 70 the eternal pur-
pose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus,
)ur Lord" For this cause he bowed his
'knees to the Father of our Lord, Jesus
Christ, of whom the whole family in
heaven and earth is named"
l. Mark the designation of the church,
If all ages and chimes. "The whole family
n heaven and in earth"
This, an endeared name, exciting many |
ond remembrances. Itimplies common
ancestry, kindredship, and intimate rela-
ions. 1t suggests mutual affection, and
community of interest. The family is
from all other human COM
,inations by its basis.
Other associations, whether religious,
commercial, or scientific, are
and based upon an identity of
opinion, taste, or interest. But the
amily is natural and God instituted it. 1t
S the starting point OF the race, and ante
Tor to all human institutions. 1t is found
ID upon, and bound together by affinities.
chemical affinity is that species of at
raction by which the particles of differ
mt substances are united. So there is a
Natural affinity which binds the family
ogether. We are born into the family,
lot arbitrarily induefed into il