Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-12-13

The Rev. w. A. Sssdtier Installed al
affy Sc. Stsphen,s Church. sss4z

ton of st.. Stephens completely filled
Fletcher Hall Sunday morning on the
occasion of the installation of iss pastor
the Rev W. A. sadtler. The services
were conducted by the Rev. William Ash.
mead schaefer Of st. Stephens Church,
West Philadelphia, after which, the new
church is named and where Mr.. sadtler
has been acting az assistant. The charge !
to the new pastor as well as the charge to |
tho congregation wos delivered by tho |
Rev. BENZ amin Sadtler, D. d., of Balt- |
mora formerly president Of Mullen
berg College, ard father Of the pastor of
the new church. In his charge to tho
pastor he took his text from l Thessalo.
mans, 1, 8,
He said in part: sThe gospel has an
intrinsic excellence and inherent power,
by whomeoever preached, yet observation
shows that II Is not equally successfully
proclaimed by all. With equally favor
able conditions as to the Intelligence and
kindly good villa Of the congregations,
there are very unequal results reached in
the ministry OF the gospel. There is
somewhat in the personality Of its
preaohora that will give II access to the
heeftb Of their hearers with O power that
is Overwhelming. In the words of the
text. Psuls assertion. is "For our gos-
pel,n &c.' The personal pronoun particu-
larizes and limits II implies that there
il something of the individuality Of par
tfcular mon, that attaches itself to the
gospel, as IL passes through their souls,
that gives Il peculiar power. 81. :, \, =. ~
Whist shall Characterize our OF yonr
particular gospel as o persopal posses.
siona By personal appropriation Of It's
saving and sanctiiying power, this gospel
must be literally and actually yours. That,
gospel is to be yours not only as an inner
faith that brings salvation, through the
pardon Of your aims, but it is to ba yours
as life, sanosiiying its aims end Its acts.
But whilst true faith and its attendant
pisty makes the gospel your gospel ns an
attainment and possession, Paul used the
term in still another sense, as something
committed TO him and his associates to
dispense to others.
II the gospel shall possess and display
power in it's presentation to others, We
must preach it In it's sacred purity and
simplicity. Ours is the duty to preach
the gospel of salvation, not the philoso-
ply Of the plan of salvation. We are to
assert what the word asserts as the truth
of God. The only question, We
are called upon to settle withs.oursely is
whether the word is really Of God.
II we do not believe tho gospel
to be a revelation from God, then honesty
forbids US calling ourselves ministers Of
the Lord Jelus, end the sooner we step
down and out the better. That, system
of mental philosophy is wrong, that
makes the apprehension of truth to be
solely an intellectual process, that re-
quires logical proofs and scientific
, methods to produce 1t. Feed the hungry
| soul on truth, Ch1ist's truth, and faith
! will digest it, for the giver of the truth
and the author Of the faith are one.
II the gospel Ia to be administered In
! power, 1t must be preached with soul
: thoroughly imbued with each message
: In our ordinary ministrations we have nc
right to throw ourselves upon the excite
, ment of the occasion and claim q semi
\ inspiration. We ore not inspired. The
: Bible is the volume of inspiration.
. Earnestness Ia one Of the chief powers in
= the nnlnit, Y di@rms criticism and wins
i, victory for The truth that colder ele-
canoe Of style and diotion never could.
4 II the gospel Is to be preached in power
is must be preached In full sympathy with
the people to whom,we are called to mir.
. lister. A minister can commit pHssSie
= fatal blunder than to maksn&@ people
= feel that he is oondsscaedihg in taking
charge of them. .sssf that his stay with
them is to- = Only until he can fiud q
better -opsning and more lucrative or
! intelligent field.
His text for the charge to the congrega-
ton was taken from Thessalonians v,
: 1918. he said. "The duties of the
\ pastor are hard, exacting and full Of
. !. responsibilities, but the duty on the part
+ of the congregation equally 80, both in
social and church relations. A flock
' should esteem its pastor very highly in
9 love for the works sake, and for his
: sacred Office. BE is called reverend not
: because OF any man worship but because
4 he il the ambassador Of God, the great
!; head of the church. Accord your pastor
Just authority. Help others to a rever-
q ence for him. Guard well his reputation
8 In your own utterances and against the
2 Islander and imputation Of others A
3 thoughtless criticism Of his SERMON before
/ others can do much harm In your per-
d sonal bearing towards him be kindly ap-
y preeistive Of his efforts, Receive
his ministrations with teach
o able disposition. Your pastor comes
. to you examined and ordained BY compe,
% tent authority; hence tho inference ia
a Just that he will teach in harmony with
4 the divine word and the confessions OF
If the church. Let him not be met by
II blind prejudice, accept his teachings in
h the spirit. In case of doubt candid
y inquiry Of the pastor will oft remove all
y y misunderstanding. Adopt policy Of
q announcement toward your pastor, NOT
n, ~. Ankk nna nf thf
n best forms of encouragement is regular
N devout attendance on services. There IL
r. inspiration in numbers. Even better
!. way 10 encourage him is 10 honor the
q truth you hear by living It. The besi
y preaching of pastor is his holy living
so ia it with his flock. Unfaithful, god
less members do the church more harm
than all infidslity and isas lead abou
the heart OF the pastor. Pray for the
Divine blessing on your PASTORS labors
y Accord him your cheerful 90. operation il
% his work. You have long wished for th'
establishment Of Lutheran church
10 here conducted in the language which
you understand. A more appropriate
I place than Wilmington could not b
!, = found, for the Lutherans built your first
u church, the Old Swedes Church, which
7, has since become the property Of thi
j Episcopalians. The Lutheran church hal
= become firmly established in America;
y y is growing faster relatively than any othe
= denomination, numbering over one mil
NJ lion members" He closed with bless
:. ing on the new pastor and the congrega
y ton.
u The pastor was then duly installed b.
the Rev. W. Ashmead Soh@Her, in
y simple but impressive service. He viii
" preach his Introductory sermon on Sun
day next.
A-4-e-
r The Holidays
lie Al nal5nu x.,,,Hkan xuaathap ora t,ax