New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-20
TTT CHURCH AND HER FOES
sup REV DIR, ROBERTS IN THE FOURTH
.vyNuE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

y -..rr,v 10 A DISCUSSION BY THEIR MOD
,roR ON "THE DIVINE AND THE
HUMAN IN THE CHURCH"
.oo,dspce with the usual custom. the MooerAU,i
~ General Assembly preached in the Cnur r.u
n tho rrh,ch the sessions OF the Assembly arc
u~ Tho Fourth Avenue Church was cro"uou ~ ho
beu. manning many OF the commissioners Vi tH
h1v being present besides DR.. Crosoys regular
e-asa,ion Dr. Robertss subject was " iho DIV 'No
fos' &c Human IN the Church. his text DeihG
1nSgns vii 60 "And they cried, INC S"''U ~
c,dson!,s He said in part as follows
The subiect here suggested for consideration - ,u
,,,1oan and the Divine In the Church. Nouoe ma,
.h.,r Amounted and natural order This Is eoV IOl
s, ~. text aThe sword OF the lord ana Oh "iu'0ii.
uoever great and important human ins I@'
ss thew must always be in spbseeney ana of the
don God If Gideon hSd RTof SSStep but by follow
Ing the strong arm and the cleaning S"OrN no
ioif ,s S the order that must be observed oy me
Cbystian Church! IL she would put 10 Dig s H. ,ba
ihIal enemies The moment she ia Is !" 90 God her
,Oistry will lose It's power, and her mission IN .nis
world will be failure IN some niace of the Cap
,spdS Ssivat6n the traditions OF the fathers are
substituted for Gods living oracleS, loS oca 90 rs
RsgStr nrincpIes and true pety. Though the great
Captain must march before The h0sS, Si . ~ ~
fathers are not 10 desPised yet they are not 10
he nut beside the Inspired Word creeas ana forms
have their uses bat they cannot be substituted Tor re-
llcous principles without reversing the appointed or
der Of things In the Church. ,,,. - a..u.,.,
Tendencies there is disposition among certain classes
of reHgonists put ethical culture ana t6e teaonnSs
Syhsn tbev admit that the Word, or portions Of IT,
sbonb have the precedence IN religious matters 1t Is
so often rstonazcd into weakness and not left in It's
rssSiveness and strength It found in the Bible.
It is subjected to process which reminds one, as
yIdAd separate
destruction Of the cheering object that smiled on the
Oss ding srg this process the Word loses It's power
It mets and evsporates the solid doctrines are trans
mist. thin and frail gossamer. which IS rent by
touch, and blown away by breath" When reduced
into this condition the Word Is no longer the sword
marching columns Of the Christian Church.
RELUCTANT TO ORGY THE CALL OF GOD.
Notice, secondly, the call OF God, and mems ro-
fuoeance 10 obey It, The Angel of the Lord, which is
supposed TO have bcen the Second Person Of the
Trinity, the great Head of the Church, issued TO
Gideon a commission TO deliver Israel from tho hands
Of INDIAN. He clothed him with power for the
task, and promised to be with him TO guide anil
strengthen him, to animate and support him. He
cast upon him look that ought 10 have revived his
spirit and diSsipated all his feaTs-it look that
mis- sion. But, instead Of elcitinG from him the
prompt reply, al am ready; girded with Gods
melancholy answer If The Lord be with u.s. or SC
corng 70 the Chadee II the Shechinah OF tho Lord
IS our help. why, then, is all this
We md the same want Of readiness 10 obey Gods
assembled Lord puts His great commission into the
hands of our Young men and bestows upon them tho
necessary physical, intellectual and spiritual gifts %
carry II out, they excaim in many cases: Whercwith
shall stem the tides Of iniquiy rescue the race
from the power Of Satan? Our family IS obscure and
pur personal gifts not adequate for the task.
when the Church. acting in the Of tho Master,
siects older or deacon, her voice in many cases
rs dsegaTded and she IS told by those whom shc has
rallied that they not willing TO assume the response
b1iues OF such Offices This apparent humility IS too
often pride put under the deceptive guse of humility.
when the sabbath school, acting presumably under the
guidance Of the Spirit elects superintendent this call
Is often left uDheeded. The one elected by them
tells them to turn their attention to more worthy
candidate.
We are bound to believe, Of course, that many of
these conscientious IN declining what others may
regard as Gods calls. Men are apt to compare their
understand TO be the demands OF duty. They ask
questions and entertain doubts, looking at crcum-
dances and reasoning from them as thefr postnlates
They think only Of what they in themselves and
theretopa inteject their butts and Ifs instead Of re
and pomfsed 1 them His grace TndispositoS to work
sfvsys the eye in upon ones struggling faith
RS TaSy
Goa has looked upon Them and that the needed aid
vert with the look.
cons WAYS AND MEMS WAYS!
Notice. thirdly the difference between Gods plan
Ior Christian work and that OF men. His thoughts
wsys our ways This is torcbly illustrated IN the con
ext. When Gideon was ordered to meet the hosts
n INDIAN he sounded note Of alarm and called
ogether as many as were willing and able 10 bear
sna these were thought by men e be far too few g
neat $4,000 Of well-eQuipped Mdianites. Whilst
iIdeoo was bordering the possibility Of properly arm
would have 10 msrrh against the foe The LORD
old him that the men who were with him were
ION of their number He ordered him TO bring them
Iown % the water, that He might try them for him
ne tbat Ispped as dog lappc;h, him he told 10
ct by himself likewise every one that bowed down
The inst mode sacrificed ease and comfort TO vigil
nee and faith n the God The latter mode sacrhccd
sere pronounced unfit for war. Only 300 out OF the
% 900 possessed the faith and selfdenia required
II men called TO encounter danger.
Christian Church Of our day much larger our 10 OF
al denominations how many Of them have the faith
md seEdebial Of the brave 3Ool Take ono
members arc earnestly engaged in Christian labor;
orty fifty would be q liberal estimate. Twonty
IN the majority Of cases ten OF fifteen do the greatest
part Of the work, and only few OF the blessed
The Nsbsmhhs who have fordtuds enough to ask IN
the face Of dangers Should such flee -
Claim are ready % I bs ssercsd on the altar
Of the Christian religion" the Chrysostoms who
the highest auSy t s ESdoE 70 1 st so ff e
nothing bat sinS or the early disciples who were
prudhed unto the worh,o " who walked not after
the flesh, but sfter the Spirit" who were trans |
formed by the renewing Of their minds who became
perfect 10 every good work and who were filed with
III the fulness OF GOd,' are comparatively few II
these tests should now be applied to the millions |
Of church members, Oh, what reduction Of their
numbers would take pacel fear that hundreds OF |
II not millions would retire from Mount
caead. But ] not sure that those permitted To |
,ema.n would not do more effective work
GOD IN ISRAEL SHOWN
Notice, fourhly, Gods approval Of his peopIs,s |
forts and their inability often TO that they have
accomplished anything. After the Midianitos had been
mt 10 fight and the 300 had taken possession OF their
vsalth and toasted out OF their cups and plaer the
. 900 that had been ordered 10 return to Mount |
Head began to reproach themselves With cowardioe
nd want Of faith. Many of them passed harsh judy
he dash and the brilliant victory Of those 300 had /
asst everything they had even attempted into the |
hsde. They came 10 the conclusion that they had |