The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-14
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT.
Drs. Mcleod and Haines Resume Labor
for Their Respective Charges.
Rev. J. II. Doddridge Reviews His Pastorate at
Pletcher-Place Church-Rev. Hilary
Goblin at Central-Ayenue.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
The Lands and Tongues to Which IL Has
Spread-How 1t shonld Be Heard.
Rev. James Mcleod, d. D.. pastor Of the Sec
md Presbyterian Church, preached to the con-
gregation of that church yesterday morning,
the first sermon since his return from his sum-
mer vacation, taking as his text Luke viii, 18,
take heed, therefore, how We hear"
DR.. Mcleod spoke substantially as follows:
l suppose there never was a time in the his
tory of the world when the opportunities TO
hear gospel truth were abundant as they are
today. 1t is almost certain that more than
hundred thousand Christian ministers Will to-
day, within the bounds of Christendom, read the
word of God and preach the gospel or Christ In
the hearing of not less than twenty millions OF
people In addition to this, more than million
of Sahbath-school teachers will to-day be en-
gagged in the blessed work of teaching divine
truth to | know not how many millions
of the children and youth of Christendom.
Then, when we think of the millions of Bibles
and religious tracts and papers, magazines and
books which scattered throughout Chrsten-
DOM as thick as leaves which strew the plain of
Vallambrosa; and when, along with this, re-
member that the Bible in whole or in part has
been translated into more than three hundred
languages and dialects Of heathendom, and that
it will be read or heard to-day by many in Japan,
and China, and India. and Africa, and Green
land and Madagascar-I say when we think OF
all these facilities for hearing the gospel we will
surely consider that the Christian church
has not been altogether uumindful of the great
work intrusted to her by her King and Head.
But the question arises, why. with all these ia
cilities for doing and getting good why. with so
much preaching, and teaching, and reading, and
hearing of gospel truth, is not the spirit OF
Christ more manifest and his teachings more
practiced throughout Christendom2 Why is that
not only outside but even inside the sacred in
closure OF the Christian church there is 30 much
said and done which seems utterly at variance
with the life of Christ and with the teachings of
his gospel9
If this exhortation were needful in the days Of
our Lord, it is no less needful now. for if it be
true, we heard last Sabbath. that there is
much preaching in these days That hardly de-
serves the NAME it is no less true that there is
vast amount of hearing which is most unprofta-
ble
in order to a proper understanding of the text,
let us ask and try to answer two questions. !.
What is it to hear the word of God arightY 2.
What may expect as the result of such hear
ing3 In the first place. to hear Gods word Alright
we must hear it with reverence. Reverence is
not superstition. nor is it necessarily associated
with terror alarm.
Israel at the foot of Sinai, seeing the lightnings
flash and hearing the thunders roar, state of
things 70 terrible that even Moses said exceed
inely fear and quake Heb. xii, 2l)-ths is not to
be taken as the type Of the Christian church,
nor is this the feeling we should cultivate when
come to hear the word of God We rot
asked to come to Mount Sinai with its fire, and
blackness, and darkness and tempest, but to
Mount Zion, with its light. and Joy, and minis
tering angels, and its still small voice Of love
and mercy, telling US of that blessed Savior,
whose word speaketh better things than the
blood of Abel Yet while the gospel message is
not intended to fill the soul with fearful ave. it
is fitted to fill us with profound reverence. Take
heed how We hear is a most needful caution in
these days. Perhaps there never was an age when
God and sacred things were looked upon
with less respect and esteem than they
are in cur own time and land. This is
not looking through the glass of the pesslmist.
| am not q pessimist, but think it is true that
among the masses of the people there is great
lack of respect for sacred things. The Bible,
the Sabbath, the name of God, His attributes
and ordinances of the sanctuary, the Christian
church, her creeds and confessions and pulpits,
and holy sacraments-these are regarded by
multitudes with but little concern, and even
among those who do speak of these
things with much respect there are
not few who do so as mere mat
ter of form, and not because they reverence
and adore the Christians God, and are devout
!. worshpers of the divine Redeemer. 1t is here
that many stumble. They go to the house of
God more or less regularly. blu: they do not con-
slaer where they are going. Some go to hear
something that will tickle the fancy, please the
lIudRlHdLlOn. OF SFdLlly Luelr IICuiHS CARS. OOlO
mon describes such hearers as giving to God
the sacrifice of fools. In closing their
ears to the divine will, they close
their hearts to the divine love.
Let not such hearers, while they remain in that
condition. think that they shall receive anything
He can give. There must be some little
excuse for being careless and inattentive, if the
word to be read or the address to be delivered
were only the word of a man. In that case it
might not deserve serious attention, for it must
he eOpfaSSPd that sO-called
preached that are not worth listening to- But
that cannot be said of the word of God. That
is always worthy of our careful attention.
Trihes are attended to with eagerness, while the
immortal soul is allowed to go to everlasting
ruin without SO much as even one honest, earn
est effort to hear the word of God that the
SOUL might be saved forever Is it not true that
MANY soul has been lost just because of mat
tention, and carelessness, and neglectY God
called them, but they would not regard Him.
There is no man in this broad land-I may say
there is no man in Christendom-whoh has not an
opportunity of hearing Gods word, either by
visiting some place of Christian worship or in
some other way, and the reason why they do
not hear is because they do not wish to hear. To
hear is one thing: to heed is quite another thing
There are multitudes who do the former who
sadly neglect the latter The attentive nearer is
the intelligent hearer, and if we would hear
Alright we must hear with faith and meekness
Why are there not more conversions and more
holy lives as the result of all the preacbing2 The
came gospel is preached to the Sabbath.
breaker, the liar, the in6del, to the
immoral and vicious, the very same gospel is
preached to them that is preached to us. They
have the same warnings, and promises, and
gracious invitations that we hear. There are
not two gospels of Christ; there is only one
gospel. Why, then. this difference2 Why do they
not fly as doves 10 these open windows and find
rest2 The reason is that the word preached did
rot profit them, Dot being mixed with faith in
them that heard it. They hear God voice in his
gospel, but they will not receive with meek
ness the engrafted word which is able to save
their souls. Hence. they are to-day outside the
church Of Christ Many of them are bitterly op.
posed to His truth and righteous
ness. To hear Gods word with
meekness and faith does not imply that we are
TO sink our individuality aud private Judgment
and take it for granted that everything the
preacher says is true. That would be to act
Contrary to the Scriptures. We are commanded
70 search the SerIptures. To study them