The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-28
. THE PULPIT.
Rev. I. W. Read Discourses ON what
Has Been and What May be-,

Kew L. w. heau, OF inc DaptlSt CnuFcn,
at 10:45 yesterday morning. delivered his
third annual sermon on What Has Been
and What May be-" The synopsis of his
discourse is as follows
Today closes three years of labor to-
gether as pastor and church; and desire
to speak familiarly to you, basing what |
shall say upon words found in Acts 80:
10, "lIe thanked God and took courage !"
Paul was on his way to Rome and was in
most disagreeable situation; he was a
prisoner in the hands of the enemy he
did not know what the end would be;
his journey thus far had been an event,
full one. At Appiiforum his friends
came out to meet him and give him SYM
patty. His heart is touched by these
acts of kindness and remembrance. He
is not hopeless, neither helpless. His
mind reverts to God, and in this condi-
ton, where many would have tainted,
che thanked God and took courage" In
thus looking back he saw how God had
been with him, and had graciously led
him; then his heart was full of gratitude,
which gave him assurance for the future.
Many times if we look back and note the
way in which God has led us, and the
blessings We have received, We receive
strength for the future, and are ready for
other battles. Let us today take briei
retrospect of the last three years and SET
if We have not reason to thank God
|. What has been accomplished MOI
as much as We would desire, and yet
enough to prove to us that God has
has been with us all the way, and blessed
us in innumerable ways The temporal
things of the church have been looked
after and advance has been made. I'm
provements have been made upon ou
property to the amount of So 900, littl,
more than half of which has been given
by one man. In benevolent work vol
have not been Indifferent. The churcl
has not done so much in this line a.
many of us no doubt had hoped, and a.
it was our privilege to do, and vet we dt
not present it blank. Between $500
and 5000 have been given to the various
benevolent societies of our denomination
This is over and above what has beer
done in our city.
There has been growth in Il spiritua
sense. No words of bitterness calculated
to produce discord have been uttered
There has been the most complete har
mony during the entire time. Besides
the church has been at work. In th,
Sunday school the growth is plainly dis
cernible. Three years ago you wert
struggling along with about eighty al
told, while now We have about two
and one half times as many, anC
our home school. with pros,
porous mission of more than ont
hundred upon the roll. This mission
has been in operation two years, and il
carried on exclusively by our young peo-
pie. Recently lot, splendidly located
has been decided to the church upon
which to erect chapel There has beer
steady advance iu other lines of work
The prayer meetings have constant,
grown in interest and have as well, in,
creased in numbers. The'youug people.
meetings have been, and are, source Of
strength and encouragement. The con-
gregations, while they are not what they
should be, are much larger than in the
beginning. Besides all this We have had
nearly one hundred added to our member
ship, the most of them by baptism
; Another reason for thanksgiving is that
only five of our members have been TAX ell
from US by death during these tire,
years, and three Of the five were beyonC
eighty years of age, and one more thai
ninety. Not single young person ha,
been taken by death, Your pastor has at
tended to his duties somewhat faithfully
, Besides the immediate work of the churcl
he has attended forty funerals and mar.
ried about sixty couples.
What may be accomplished? We com
now to that which is OF most importance
God has saved us by his grace, and we
r have been gaining strength, now the
question comes what are We going to do
how is this strength going to be used
by US? We ought to grow in grace al
7 the time None of US nave any right tt
be as weak christians today as we wert
! yesterday. No excuse can be offere'
for not growing every day. There ar
certain things necessary to this growth
but all within our power. A willingness
to grow and making use of th,
, means of growth are things essential
No one can grow unless he gives his con
sent to it and uses every means in hi
power toward this most desirable end
We ought to build up this church in in
fuence and power in this city. Wha
sort of influence should it be? Manifest
ly that which tends TO Goodness
: Such influence only is worthy of q
church of Christ. The important ques
ton is how this NAV be accomplished
Certainly it will never be done by idleness
1t cannot be done by any such way, be
cause the controlling law of the univers
J is work. No man succeeds by any othe
method either in secular pursuits or chris
tian. Work is the road which leads t.
the heights of success.
Neither can this be done 10y semi in
terest-that is an interest four weeks GU
of the fiftytwo in the year. Work fou
weeks and then sit down till the sam
time next year. Christ's cause cannot b
sustained thus. There must be constan
interest--a constant looking for some
thing to do The interests of God mus
be made first. If you emphasize tina
word again and again you have my mean
ing. 1t must be first in the professions
life and in the business life. When thi
is done we are doing all we caa TO bull
up our church. for we believe it to be III
channel through which we are to wor
for God. This cannot be done by tellin
how insignificant We are. That fact
apparent But want to say this churc
has the ability to do anything she will i
this city for God. When you invite pee
pie to church. please remember that it
not simply TO hear a sermon. or elegar
music, or anything of that kind, but it
to meet God. Away with the idea tina
we are to 90 to the church to find societ
in the social sense of that word. ANY
thing else than going to get blessing
] contrary to the true idea of WORSHIP
This great work is to be done by chez
full obedience to all of Gods demand.
Scolding will never save a soul, bl
, | chnerfullv praanntipu Chriot will IT,