The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-13
A PASTOR INSTALLED.
Rev. Matthew l.. Haines Installed as Pastor
of the First Presbyterian Church.

Rev. Matthew l.. Haines Installed as Pastor
of the First Presbyterian Church.
Last night large audience gathered at the
First Presbyterian Church to witness the in
stallation services OF the pasror-elect Rev.
Matthew l.. Haines. The sermon Of the evening
was preached by Rev. j. A. Rondthaler, from the
text, Sir, we would see Jesus" to be found in
the twenty-frst verse of the twelfth chapter of
John He said that this request, coming as it
did from the Greeks, who were strangers to the
Christian faith stirred the heart of the Savior.
The attitude of the world to-day toward the
Church is the same which those Greeks took: Sir,
we would see Jesus" The world must ever press
the church for knowledge of Christ; for
ciety and the street give no satisfactory answer
to religious inquiries. The preacher must not
labor to draw his audience by any theatrical
means, but preach the word. Jesus demands
that the soul be born again. The world may, in
its fiGStuating likes aud dslikes grow tired Of
the gospel; but the pulpit must be firm in its
labor to promote the simple gospel If the min
lister would preach as the world desired, the
spirit of Christianity would be kept out of the
church. We must have emphatic gospel of
Christ The lecture should be relegated to some
sphere outside the pulpit. Some people expect
to be amused at the church, just at the theater
and circus They want a midget of gospel and
a giant of entertainments but what
they need is the gospel of Christ.
The world does not know its deepest want: it
knows what will interest it, but not what will fit
it for the celestial land. So the church must
not be dictated to by the unthinking people. The
minister must always keep on Gods ground, and
reflect the light of the Scriptures to his flock. He
must teach the brotherhood of man and the
fatherhood of God, despite the morbid cravings
Of reckless world Sin has its abode earth,
and must be interpreted and hated by all true
Christians as God demands. The solicitude of
hna GIN rll oOd fhn
pulpit must help God lift it out of
degradation. The world naturally shrnks from
vigorous gospel, and would desire weak and
entertaining sort of religion; but the minister
must be inhexible in his attack upon vice and
worship of truth. John the Baptist preached
distasteful gospel to the people, but for all of
that he achieved marvellous victories for
Christianity. The simple gospel has been the
most powerful. Sturgeon in England, John
Hall and Moody in this country, all preach to
crowded houses, and their gospel is the undi
luted gospel Of Christ Their churches do not
fall and crumble, because they are founded
upon rock, and viii 60 on forever. No man
has a right to expect a theater or
political harangue from the pulpit. The thing
which has made the power of Presbyterianism
and all other churches, is simple, whole-souled
gospel of Christ, devotedly preached. The
world has no theme like Christ, the Son Of God.
After the sermon the installation of Rev Mr.
Haines was taken up. The usual questions
from the ritual and constitution of the church
were propounded by Rev. J. A Rondthaler, and
answered by the pastor elect.
The charge was given by DR.. Tuttle, of Wa
bash College who implored the new pastor to
preach the word, just as Paul adjured Timothy
to preach it. He said that the minister should
not talk Bacon, Emerson or Carlyle; not amuse
but regenerate the soul, and advocate the word
of God
DR.. Hay delivered the charge to the people,
He said the basis of the church's success lay in
the conception of the people as to what church
| really is. Absolute and profound subsection to
the word of God is what the church must have
The Doctor showed the importance of remuner-
ating properly the new minister, and implored
his flock to yield intelligent obedience, and
hearken to the words and teaching of Christ.