Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-10-16

under d sinlitHr hprden, you saw no opeI
door for outside assihihnee, God breath he'd
new courage into your own hearts, verify.
Ing his promise unto you-"As thy day, &C
shall thy strength be"--and under HI
blessing you accomplished tho impossible
yourselves. This Is the first Sabbath fol
long years, when you can say "We have nc
foRting debt on this church. God grant
that heneefofth forever you, and those to
come after you. may keep II free from any
further floating indebtedness. And you
Will do 1t, IL love continues to prevail,
mutual love-so much better than csnsnre
| and formal pressure and disciplinary meas
| ures.
You have learned from the past that two
! OF the great secrets OF harmony and pros-
| perity in church life are, compromises as to
| non-es5antials, and high spirituality, When.
| ever differences of opinion arise, outside
the sphere where conscience Is imperial,
| inquire at once for the middle ground OF
compromise. And alter all remember that
no adjusting oontrivances for harmony aud
prosperity are equal to truly spi,ituallzad
heart and life. There Is nothing like near
ness TO Jesus to melt all GOODNESS and dis
solve all differences. "Ablua In ms," said
j slls, land l In you" "He THAT abideth
IA Me, and j In him, the same btingeth
forth much fruit; Tor without Ale ye can do
notning"-nothlng toward holding together
prosperously large number of men and
y rmonlzlng conflicting judgments regard
Ing tho advancement of the Redeener's
cause, nothing toward bringing Heaven to
earth and lifting earth to Heaven. ''Abids
70 me, and l In y6u." YeR verify,
! need thy presence every passing hour;
what but my grace can Toll the tempter's
power?
Who like myself my guide and stay can he?
through cloud and sunshine, oh Il bide with mel
Inc past 20 years nave taught us tnat
mn ffrNV, l..
grow OF themselves. When the table Is
ready for guests We have to go out tof them
aad compel them to come in. Jesus said:
go out Into tne high ways and hedges and
compel them to come in, that my house
may be filed" And he meant the compul.
sion OF repeated Invitations, OF faithful
conversations and OF cordial companion
ship.
We have been taught by our first quarter
century OF church history, that we should
Do very guarded In the reception OF mem
be s. There should be- much delIberation.
Pastor should be satisfied, aad then a Large
committee OF the church should come to
the same conclusion, before the church is
asked TO consider anu decide. Il Is great
and solemn responsibility.
We have seen also that most useful mem
bers need continued supporting grace, with
out which even they may fall away, and
from being pillars in Zion become its
burdens and Its reproech.
IL mas abundantly appeared also that The |
IL great test of Christian |
fidelity. Those VINO are to be relied upon |
generally In church work, will bs found to |
be the faithful supporters OF tha regularly |
weskly prayer rneeting
And all along these twenty FIVE years we
have seen, that the specially burdened ones
In life have been the most helpful In bear
Ing the burdens of ihe church. The good.
for-something elsewhere have =lwaya been
the sond-for something here.
Moreover, the lesson OF the past Is that
40 one OF us Is necessary TO thIe church.
There is only one Corner Stone, and thaC "a
leither you nor me. We are but incidental;
Christ only is essential. Others will
quickly fill our places, when one alter an.
,ther, ut our Divine Leaders call, we break
rom these ranks and ground our arms ct
ne pierced feet Of Sovereign Grace and
Dying Love.