Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-09-20
Reaaiaa for the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lOrisinal.l
PREACH THE GOSPEL.

After the resurrection of our Saviour he
appeared unto the eleven disciples and gave
| them a commission to 60 into all the world
for the purpose of preaching the gospel to
every creature. This commission, Which
has all the binding force of positive COM
mand, still remains in force. In the eXer-
else of his mediatorial prerogatives, Jesus
Christ still continues to call members OF the
human family and send them to preach the
gospel to every creature. This ne Will con, 4,
tinue to do until the conSummation OF all
things. The apostle Paul says that when
Jesus Christ s'ascended upon high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men"
The ascension gifts are mentioned. They
are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors
and teachers. The purpose for which these
ascension gifts are bestowed is ''for the per-
fecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ Eph. iv.
Apostles and prophets were extraordinary
officers; evangelists, pastors and teachers
are ordinary officers. The extraordinary Of
ficers were chosen for particular purpose
and for limited time. The ordinary otfi-
GERS were chosen for all time, and TOR the
general purpose of edifying the body OF
Christ, which is the Church. They are evan
gelists, pastors and teachers, and the offices
which they fill are perpetual in the church
in this world.
The work which evangelists, pastors and
teachers are called to perform, and tor the
performance of which they are fitted by the
Holy Spirit, is to preach the gospel: The
end to De accomplished is the salvation OF
sinners.
A moments reflection will convince any
sober mind that to preach the gospel is the
most important charge that God ever COM
mitted to mortal man.
The gospel is defined by its author to be
'good tidings Of great joy, which shall be
to all people," To preach the gospel to all
people is to publish this good tidings Of
great ioy to all, in every quarter OF the
globe. It is to be feared that many in our
day and time, have yet to learn what is
meant by preaching the gospel. This igno--
rance is not confined to the pew, it is found
in the pulpit. A secularizing spirit seems
to have taken possession of Christendom
Evangelists, pastors and teachers instead OF
publishing the good things of great joy, en-
tertain their hearers with metaphysical dis
cussions about things which are profitable
neither for time nor eternity. Too often 40
preachers trifle with the immortal souls OF
their hearers by spending the Sabbath hours
of public worship in delivering polished,
but Christless orations. Too often are the
great truths Of revelation delivered in the
technical language of the schools, which the
unlearned cannot understand. and about
which the learned themselvesaren not agreed.
In such preaching there is no "good tidings
of great ioy." The intellect may be, in
some sense, developed by such preaching,
but the soul is starved to death. 1t is pass
ing strange that such preaching is, with the
multitude of professed Christians, immense
ly popular. They like it. They are de-
lighted with it. Is it not strange that plain
farmers and unlettered mechanics, who have
immortal souls to be saved or lost, can be
induced to listen, Sabbath after Sabbath, to
these declamatory pulpit exercises, which
there is, to them, scarcely particle OF III
StructiOn?
It is the purpose of God that the gospel be
preached bv men to men. This purpose is
consistent with the being and character OF
God. Further than this we need not inquire
into the matter. In the Scriptures preach
ing and teaching mean the same thing.
Such being the case, to preach is to teach,
hence to preach the gospel is to teach the
gospel. Before any one can be competent
and successful teacher he must have cor
rect and practical knowledge of what he
would teach others. In order to teach the
gospel to others, an individual must first be
brought under the saving influence of the
gospel, and be endowed and commissioned
for that special purpose by God. Every
pious man is not warranted in engaging in
preaching the gospel any more than every
pious Jew was warranted in assuming to
himself the priests office.
Simplicity is primary element of gospel
preaching. The style, the language and the
manners Of the preacher of the gospel should
be simple. In every Christian congregation
there is painful amount of ignorance. a
few have made commendable attalnmentS
in Spiritual knowledge, but the mass have
vet to learn the rudiments of the Christian
religion. If the preacher would do his
whole duty, he must present the truths of
Christianity in language that the most un-
learned can understand. Such preaching
| God blesses to the conviction andconversion
of sinners, and to the building believers up
| in holiness