Smyrna times., 1885-12-23
REPORTED FOR THE TIMES. I
Presbyterian Church.


Rev. G. Collins, Of Philadelphia, preach
ed in the Presbyterian Church on Sunday
last. In the morning from PHILIPPIANS i. s:
Being confident of this very thing, that
He, which hath begun a good work in you,
will perform it, until the day of Jesus
Christ" His subject was first, Gods work
in converting the soul; second, the abso-
Lutte security of the believer in the prom
ises Of God, and thirdly, by way ofapplica-
ton, the necessity Of self-examination to
discover, whether truly, this good work
had been begun in the individual soul"
In the evening the text was John iv, 35: :
Jesus saith unto them: "Say not We.
There are yet four months, and then com
eth harvest? Behold, | say unto Won.
Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields
for they are white already to harvest y
by way of Introduction, Christs meeting
and conversation with the Samaritan wo-
man, was referred to at length, together
with running exposition and some words
OF personal application; then particular
reference was made to this wOman's work.
rs the first gospel nissionery for so soon
ms she herself was impressed with the fOrci-
Bile teachings of Christ, she abandoned her
water pot at Jacobs well, and with an
earnestness worthy of imitation, made her
way by quickened footsteps back to the
city, crying out in most enthusiastic words.
Come, see man which told me all things
that ever l did Is not this the Christ pr
Mr.. Z. then depicted the excitement, in
answer to the ardent invitation of the wo-
man, as the pOpulace pressed their way
from the city, men, women and children.
crowding each other in haste to reach
Jacobs well, to see and hear the wonder
ful parsonage, who had so deeply interested
the poor Samaritan woman.
Ihe next cOncOurse of living persons.
now gathered before Christ lie speaks
thus: My meat is to do the will of Him
that sent me and to finish his work. Say
ye, that there are yet four months. and
then cometh the harvest? Behold, | say
unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on
the fields for they are white already to
harvest"
In presenting the subject, Mr.. C. alleged.
that the teaching of Christ in this passage
and the context is plainly this, that wher-
| ever unregenerate souls were found, they
! represented "the fields, white already to
| harvest" So, that unsaved men and wo-
men, whether located in the distant and
| benighted places of the earth, or more i'm
/ mediately around us, these living souls.
without God, and literally having no hope
1 yet with an eternal destiny before them,
are set forth metaphOrically by the Great
I Teacher, as the fields, ready for the saving
| influences of the Holy Spirit, and ready
! also, for the great hereafter ever near
! Death
After a descriptive glance of the un-
saved and unenlghtened millions in the
! dark places Of the world, Mr. G. referred.
| by way of illustration, to the United States:
| the city of Philadelphia, with its nearly
| hve hundred well appointed places of wor-
ship, and the comparatively few who reg
ularly come up weekly to worship God 4:
! also, alluded to the much smaller number
who acknowledged God in the way of de-
/ votion and daily prayer. Then. to bring
| the subject nearer home, he said. let us
| look at Smyrna. where we speak. How
very few, IN the aggregate OF the adult pop
! ulatlon faithfully wait upon God in fulfil
ment of His claims He demands the hom-
age, reverence, obedience, worship, love
and gratitude of every individual heart.
How very few of the inhabitants of this
| place, render devoutly, sincerely, and reg
! ularly, the willing and full conservation
/ and service of their hearts: He continued.
Is there not greatly lacking, on the part
| of individual Christians disposition
to seek out and kindly ihvitethdBe who aro
seemingly indifferent as TO religions things,
and IT need be- bring or compel them TO
come to the church, and hear what God s
! message, by his ministering servant, NAV
be TO the careless soul? He then gave one
or two fOrcble instances, where much good
! had been accomplished by personal s0lici-
tatiOn. One example was that of a Roman
| Catholic woman, who has been baptized
and received into the Presbyterian Church
she having been brought by an humble
christian woman, to attend divine worship
with her. Who, among those present will
Z begin, and daily pursue this errand with
the message, Come thou with us, and we
/ will No thee good, for the Lord hath
spoken. go69 c9nG&tAipg lsraal." Follow
ing, this, Mr. G. disenssea The greyailing
eoldness, and mar rked apathy in the Church
at laTgei saying, how wilfqlly Indifferent
many ohflstlans seem 10 bO to the admOni-
tlons Of Christi Behold, say unto you,
lift up your eyes, and look on the folds
Only open your eyes see In oVary COM
munlty, IN your own neighbOrhOOd behold
them, without Christ, in a dying world,
uncOnverted, sAnctihed-unsaved He
remarked, that this stOlid indifference. the
want OF serious thought on the part Ofthose
protesting to follow Christ often resulted
most disastrOusly; adding, that it was most
emphatically condemned by the Almighty.
TIE or knOweth his owner and the ass
his Masters Glib but Israel doth not know.
my pebple doth not consider" Mr.. g.
then said that recently It had been made q
most serious question Of Inquiry BY the
Philadelphia ministerial association, 80 wlat
is t36 scst means, to bring the. massesl che
neglecters Of ptb!ic Worship, under 'thein-
fqenee Of the PredcH6@ gbspk,." The in
terr0gation had ELECTED much debate, a4q
various expedients were SUGGESTED; b0t
afteF AID he declared that the best and niost
sueeaSsfal iheMQa was the missionary
spirit exhibited Ia tho lilo OF tie Samaritan
woman. The plan which God seemed 10
honor was that Of going personally to the
individual, with a kind, persuasive spirit
and then invite them, as we'll as press
home upon the conscience, the necessity of
personal religion in the daily life.
The spirit of the age seemed to inspire
the worldly mind with sort of popular
reform. The old fashioned preaching Of
tho gospel 10 such, was regarded as among