The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-10-10
which necessitated her Church Mill

| which nece66ltated her q Church Mill
tant are past. We have learned man
difficult tasks and we are to learn tn
difficult task of overcoming the habit
and Tenderness which arise from our de
PRAYED estate.
| After describing the fate of the curse
OF bis brethren, who lis cast out t.
trouble and torment no more," tn,
speaker referred to the condition of the
Church Militant and said: ''The meth
DDS by which this is to be accomplished
are both human and Divine. The Di
vine part of the plan is suggested in the
single phrase in the text-'the blood o.
the Lamb
There is no occasion for us to discuss
the probability of Gods arranging such
plan for human redemption, since he
announced it as his plan. He tells us
also that in him we will have not only
redemption but remission through His
blood. Christ is everywhere spoken OF
as the Son OF suffering. In His blood
our lips are to be washed. Our con-
science and courage may do works to
serve the living God. 1t would be a
happy opportunity in which to pursue
the thoughts already suggested. 1t
would be pleasant to speak of the blood
OF Chrlst,-of the Divine part of the ar
rangement for human redemption, but
| purpose to waive that satisfaction. |
purpose to forego that pleasure by rea-
son Of the importance, as 1t stands in
my mind, of the thought of the human
part of the method of redemption. Of
course the Divine part was absolutely
essential. 1t was necessary in order
that there might be peace between God
and man."
l. In the human part there must be
satisfactory atonement to God and the
cooperation of man in the saving of the
world, and so man is given the ability
and the privilege of pouring out testi-
mony. The Militant Church, In order
to become a Triumphant Church must
must be witnessing church. AS in the
Old Testament times they, though few
and secret. spake often, one to another,
so both in Old and New Testament times
God has constituted His people His wit
nesses.
In order that witness may be cred
tied in court it is necessary that he
should posse SIS a personal knowledge of
the facts. He must tell what he knows,
not what he believes or has been told
So it is when we consider this matter.
The ultimate realization of personal
We realize that that is the very highest
source of power and God has provided
for the testlfylng to the personal con.
science of his people with reference to
the facts in the matter of personal re-
demption. This was distinctly prom
ised by Christ. The power that
he was to communicate was the
witnessing power. It did not nee
essarily add one item to their in
formation about Christ. 1t did not ne
cessarily add one idea to their theologi-
cal notions concerning Christ, but it did
add to that which they did not possess
personal knowledge of personal re-
demption by the blood of Jesus, so that
this was communicated to the church
and we are not surprised to find in an
other part of the book the statement that
the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophesy. Prophesying when preach
Ing is testifying of Jesus, and this was
what Christ commanded us all to do
to GO to preach and to teach, and this
was his plan fer the redemption Of the
world.
The purpose of Christ was to substi-
tute testimony bearing in the place of
combinations of wealth and learning.
He intended to capture the world by
testimony bearing The method of
Christ has always been found to be suf-
ficient. 1t was not the doctrine of i'm
mortality which Christ taught, for the
future may be contemplated without
hope. 1t was not the power of morali-
ty. These things do not save men. 1t
was the personal testimony of those who
had experienced the saving power. This
was to be the agency of redemption.
The results ofsuch testimony always have
been wonderful and the explanation of
its power is in the fact that 1t is Gods
plan and Gods work Just as He makes
the storm cloud a path for TIE light
ming, just as He makes the paths OF the
mountain side tracks for the riyelets and
streams to reach the rivers and ocean,
just as He uses the cradle of the great
deep for the waters of the ocean, so He
uses the testimony of believers for the
contamination of His power. For His
grace, starting just where prejudice was
most bitter, just where bigotry was most
by the testimony OF
believers disarmed prejudice and de-
feated bigotry.
Prosecutors became loving disciples
and carried testimony into the camps of
mailed warriors and before the courts of
crowned kings, until they assembled the
throne Of the Caesars and gave laws to
the then known world
Other questions arose and occupied
public attention. The testimony grew
less and less confident. until at last it
largely ceased to be true. What was the
result? The power of Christ waned and
what were known as the dark ages COW
cred the earth.
Reviyals have ALWAYS been periods of
religious testifying. AS there is no argu-
ment so powerful as the rhetoric of
holy life, so there IS no power which
can prevail against the voiceful testi-
mOny of redeemed soul.
You cannot tell me how it is that the
rays of the sun, passing through that
great void and reaching the earth, de-
velops itself into bud. and puts forth
branches and fruit. You know that
there are golden grapes around the vine
and in them the very bottles of sunshine
from beyond the clouds. So [ cannot
tell how the grace of God works in the
human soul.
You may think: "I do not know there
is this marvellous power in telling of
God" If you don't believe it, when you
leave this place this afternoon, If you
are mother, take up your babe and
Groom over it, and mother it, and Just
let it hear the accents of your voice as
you tell it what God has done for you
and these sylables will fall with dewey
freshness upon that infant heart. Take