Morning journal and courier., 1882-09-25
Center Church.

!
 Rev. Dr. Smyth's first sermon as pastor of Center church was delivered yesterday morn ing before a large audience. The pastors text was Isaiah 554: Behold, have given him for a witness to tho people, a leader and commander to the people," The speaker in opening enforced the thought that the church of God is born for leadership that it must lead in every age or be untrue to it's birth right. The history of the church showed the ! hand of Gods providence. This thought was illustrated by rich and suggestive illustrations and allusions to events.
 This perpetual authority and paramount obligation of leadership laid, therefore, upon the church and it's ministry responsibilities of the most sacred and momentous nature. For the church to be behind the times in any gen.
 eration would be an inversion of the Chris ! tian order of progress. The church or de- | nomination not in the front fails of it's mis- l sion. The speaker next considered the prob- | lem how to reach men. One may have cir l cumnavigated the globe, yet never have fol- l lowed the deep places of his own soul. We ! must examine the understrata of humanity. \ One must dwell with the first born beliefs and ! listen to the pure primal wants of his own | soul One must discover beneath languages, customs and beliefs the permanent elements l of mans being and become familiar with the l elemental forces of human nature. To know men is surface knowledge; to know man is l the endeavor of all philosophy. Jesus had this knowledge of human nature. What is in us, what is in man anywhere, the real wants, the vital necessities, the inevitable fears, the deathless hopes, the earthward passions, the l heavenward aspirations, the true satisfaction l of the human soul in one word what was in | man Jesus knew
 He had taken upon himself mans very na ! ture. Thus with this perfect knowledge of 1 men and of man Jesus combined prior knowl- edge of the Father so he became leader of | the people, the commander of generations of men.
 l The speakers next thought was that per- sons who live by the wonderful common sense of the epistles of tke New Testament will gain the happy art of meeting men ! aright, and that moralities do not satisfy what is in man. It does not satisfy the souls ! thirst for the divine. The speaker ther drew
 instructive thoughts from the life of Jesus, l thoughts full of strength and beauty.
 Fourthly, this theology conservative of the
 best life of the past will also be progressive
 Real progress must keep all vital faiths of
 men. To cut loose, to drip, to stoop con
 tented with the little present at our feet, and ! to have no brave look forward as Jesus had
 for the future of life and history, this sure-
 ly is not gain. Our century is richer
 for the loss of faith. Unbelief is not gain
 and liberty, but defeat and despair and death.
 In that direction of infdelity there is no road
 further for man. But the church of Christ
 has not only 8 sacred past, but 8
 better future. It is not only the
 church militant but the church expec tant j;
 the church still militant against sin, suffering
 and wrong, the church expectant of the com ing of it's Lord. We need not stand mark ing time where our fathers stopped, their
 work done we must go forward if we would follow Jesus. He has new service and fresh providences for us, and larger meanings in
 his word. What is in man, it is true, re-
 mains unchanged. The last born child has the same human nature with it's primal re- ligious wants which Abraham possessed,
 which St. Paul found reconciled, and St. John , knew was satisfied in Christ. The essen tiaI truth also of the Gospel of , forgiveness and divine friendship are the , same-the prayer and hymn to Christ as
 God of the first Christian blend still with our petitions and our worship. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday. to day and forever But 5 men not the same; what is in man abides,
 but men are differe4t. They have learned of I late new sciences; they speak new tongues 8 ! of knowledge they are masters of new 2 forces, and busy themselves in new world @ of wonderful enterprises. The surface of s life is stirred by breezes that were asleep in r the early morn. Man remains the same but 8 men have changed, are changing: and with - the changing generation come to the church d which Christ calls to lead men duties of new g adjustment of it's faiths, and questions which is it must train disciples to meet and master d Social problems are upon us which did not l. trouble our fathers. Questioning voices arc n heard among the people, not always reverent @ which the church must answer with an hon e est faith an industrial civilization is break Il ing men up into classes, and leaving multi @ 1 tude hard worked and half hostile to all an l. cient institutions and the church mus 1t spread over all it's banner of love and leat
 society on to the liberty of righteousness ant
 the peace of Christ's kingdom Still, still i ia it the duty of the church to lead, and it's min ,e istry would be faithless toward the spirit o ,r | truth and heartless towards the wants o ia men if it should be content to repeat tn 10 | words of it's creeds with school boy ortho
 doxy; if it should not seek to enter for itsel
 into Jesus theology of the eternal love of Go
 and mans great wants and to comman s+ with it's truth the thought of the hour and t
 ! tba IT Christ I the hearts of men. r. The closing thought that the theolog L of life which Jesus gives his church, so ia
 as we receive it, will prove itself fruitful i
 good works. And this Christian leadershi ,t is the prerogative of the whole church. Jesu 10 is to be represented in the lives of his disc ,e ples Our lives should grow naturally int f usefulness and benefcence.
 z- My brethren, I have not forgotten that i Id speaking of the duty of Christian leadershi ,r have been uplifting almost an ideal dut of before both the church and the ministry ,e But ministry that does not begin wit G. ideals, or a church that should lose them of would be profitless and unworthy. It is n 8, easy task for any pastor and people to kee rs the position iR the front with the ever ad B. vancing providence of God, to which th
 church is called with the high calling O.
 Christ Jesus. This kind cometh not fort
 except by fasting and prayer. This grea ;; work in the name of the Lord can be wrough el only through the co-working of all true dis i'd eiples, according, as the apostle puts it, t a1 the effectual working in the measure of ever
 part. I need not bring to you in this m - first sermon in the memorable succession o s. pastors, who have been leaders of Gods peopl n my own personal fears or hopes The pulp H nH- seems to me place almost too sacred for tn
 expression even of those grateful feeling
 which pastor sometimes finds filling hi G. heart. But we now in the presence of trut Id and before duties which dwarf littl ,!- personalities and humble us all before God = l He calls his people to go forward. He give