The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-08

entity listening TO his wordsl why this pulpit
sacredly separated from the rest OF coos
house2 Why DO the people in the peWs 1hslsG
that only certain class of men shall stand
hereq Why has this scene travelled over thou
sands of years, repeating itself In hamleG ana
town. in the country and in the city, multlpy-
ing and widening itself as the ages rollY Are
the millions dupes and idiots that they consent
to be imposed on by hollow farce? Or has this
spectacle some nigh, some profound slgnln-
cancel What necessity so vast and vltaR What
interest immense and immeasurable that eX
plains this scene visible to-day in every land,
involving it does the conservation ana Tree
will offering of treasures delved from earth, dug
from mountains, drawn from seas, drained
by sweat and toll, from thousand Industries,
TO perpetuate this service4 What is at the bot
tom Of all thisl Man has lost his way TO heaven
A world is lost. God has come out OF eternity
in amazing wisdom, love and power TO recover a
ruined race. He has invaded this World with
love- and by the attraction of this infinite love-
as manifested in the crucfxion of his son Christ
Jesus, He would lift all men up to divine Fellow
ship This is the gospel and he has commits
stoned his ambassadors to preach IL TO every
creature.
81 say 10 thee, do thou repeat
To the first man thou mayest meet
In lane, highway, or open street,
That ne and we and all men move
Under a canopy of love,
AS broad the blue sky above"
Tell the world that have come out to save It,
Thrill mems hearts with the glad evangel, point
them to the of Calvary, preach Christ
crucifed.
It is Gods appointment for evangelizing the
world Other things are Important put inns TINS Is IS
the truth Other things affect our happiness
and welfare; this overwhelms us by its death
less, eternal significance to our immortal des-
tiny. 1t is the one theme OF the pulpit; and just
here is the demand for courage, conscience, and
conservation, to go on preaching an uncomprO-
missing gospel amid the pelting storm. smooth
it as you will, the highest function of Christian
minister Is to be an expert in saving souls He
is called of God to depopnlate the kingdom of
Satan, and to increase the census OF the Kingdom
of Christ. To be sure, he is to edify saints, and
build up believers but he cannot do this till
thew have bean converted. YOu not a
minister on the two continents of the earth who
"liberalizes" the gospel, mixing 1t with human
philosophy, eoquetting with advanced thoughb
falsely Notwithstanding for the popular
taste, that is distinguished for bringing souls to
Christ. On the other hand, call the roll of men
who turn many to righteousness, and who shine
as stars forever. Wesley, Whtefeld, Edwards,
Baxter, Flnney, Spurgenh nan, Ouyler, COOK
man-and they all limit their ministry co preach
ing "Christ crucified." Essential divergence
from this specific work impeaches the character
and cancels the mission of the preacher. Let
minister preach the wisdom OF the schools, in
stead of the wisdom OF God; the beauties of the
humanities, in place of the beauties of holiness,
and laures shall be woven for his brow by men,
but his crown in eternity shall be starless. On
great moral and social questions affecting the
dumb. All vice anu orlme are 10 DE
smltten with thunderbolts. Everythng
which impedes the gospel work
OF eievating and regenerating humanity is an
enemy of Christ, and must be autaEonized by
the true and loyal minister of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Against iutemperance, dishonesty, so
cial corruption and Kindred vices, the pulpit has
a gospel of honor and purity, but the essence of
this is Christ crucifed Take this out and you
HAD as we'll strike the sun from the solar system
and expect summer and flowers and fruit. As
we'll destroy the great batteries that generate
electricity and expect the Atlantic cable TO flash
messages under the sea and around the world.
Take this out of the Bible and the book is with
out meaning. Let denomination expunge 1t
from its creed and 1t becomes Dead sea of life
less sentimentality. Eliminate il from any pull
pit and the preaching is merely sounding brass
and a thinking cymbal. There is
verse of the Bible, if we would
expunge infidelity, skeptict7m, ntemperance,
RIGHTEOUSNESS and SabbaJh dissertation,
that must be allowed to go preaching
"The blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanseth us
from all sim" This is our citadel Pride grows
red with anger that preach n crucified NaZar-
enc as the saviour king. Philosophy SCOTS at
the doctrine that the blood of Jesus cleanseth
from sin. Here the battle has RACED for
eighteen centuries. The earth is red with, the
blood of saints who gladly empted their hearts
rather than give up the blood of Jesus. Luther
fought the battle in Germany for the restora-
tion of the primitive doctrine OF pardon and
purity by faith IN the blond of Jesus. Wesley
found the old banner hidden away under the
stagnant Journalism of "a dead church, and
threw it to the breeze, bearing the crimson let
ters ''The blood of Jesus Christ, His son, cleans
eth US from all SIM" John heard the song of
melody around the throne, and it was: "rhOu
hast redeemed us TO God by thy blood out Of
every kindred and tongue and people ana ma
ton THE Greeks seek after wisdom, but we
preach Christ crucltied"
1t is not mutilated, emasculated, pOpuariZed
gospel that the minister is to proclaim. It is an
easy thing to so preach as to secure the popular
tty of the minister. But this worlds great need
Is Christ 2ructed rather than ministerial popu-
larity. Ministerial popularity, have observed,
is very superficial and thin thing, and what
ever takes root in that only is likewise super
fetal and uncertain. The Christian ministry ex-
erts a very powerful Influence in the church.
God instituted the ministry for that purpose,
The demand and need of this age is an able and
efficient ministry. [ am persuaded that more
power is needed in the pulpit in order to perform
Its work to-day than at any previous time But
/ want here TO invite your attention TO the
Thought that upon the church devolves the duty
as shall meet the demands of the hour.
The churoh exercises great influence
over the ministry. This influence is grounded
in the fact that the ministry originates In the
church. God calls men out of his church to
preach the gospel-.called from among those
who have been saved through the instrunentali-
ties of the church The intellectual training of
the minister Is Indispensable bur his prime ele-
ment of power lies in his spiritual endowments;
aye, in that which makes the Christian, his con
version to God Without the divine light
throned In The soul. culture is in vain. The
ligious character of those who enter the minis
try is first of all determined ny the church. The
church Influences the character of her ministry
through the estimate she places upon the office.
and strips it of Its divine inves iiture,
she takes away the foundations of strength
and leaves her ministry comparatively helpless.
If the church takes sentimental view
of the pulpit, and demands from her ministry
esthetic treatment of popular SUBJECTS if she re-
CARDS the pulpit the r0strum where intelli-
gent and cultured people may be supplied with
flights of oratory. then she robs the ministry of
Again, the church Influences her ministry by
her atmos phere-by that subtle Influence that
one life has over another. cold, formal church
will produce a conventional, formal, pOwerless
ministry A cultured, refined, estnetic cnnrch
will tend produce learned, polished, rcspecta-
BILE, cold ministry. An ignorant, fanatical, rant
ing church will elumOr tor demonstrstive, SEN
sational, declamatory ministry An Intelligent,
scriptural evangelical, spiritual, working church
will produce an educated, spiritual, powerful
ministry. What We need workers together
under God, in the pulpit and in
t1,a 10 aY hmm nf
We need both wisdom and power, and this com
bination find in Christ crucitied; not the wis
dom of man, and the power of man, but of God.
And then God requires of us the consecration
of all our power and possessions to the service of
Him who hath redeemed us. God has a specific
part to perform in the education of the race. 1t
follows q GREAT law of nrOgress Mhich NAV be