Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-08-07

the duties which this age demands OF you,
you must on the one hand avoid reckless
iconocasm, and on the other hand not stick
too much to things because they are old. The
air is full Of new plans new projects, new
theories of government new theologies, and
am amazed to see how so many Christians
wan. only novelty in order to recommend
thing TO their confidence; and 50 they vacll-
late aud swing to aud fro, and they are USE
less and they are unhappy. New plans
secular, ethical, philosophical religious, els
atlantic, transatlantic. Ah, my brother. do
not adopt a thing merely because II Is new.
Try it by the realities Of a Judgment day.
But, on the other hand, do not adhere to
ANYTHING merely because it is old. There is
not single enterprise OF the church or the
world but has sometimes been scoffed at.
There was time when men deride1 even
Bible societies; AMI when few young men
met near haystack in Massachusetts, and
organized the first missionary society ever
organized in this country, there went laugh
Ter and ridicule all around the Christian
church. They said the undertaking was pre-
posterous.
And so also the work Of Jesus Christ was
assailed People criei out NV hoover heard
OF such theories of ethics and government
Whoever noticed such style of preaching
as Jesus hasf' Ezekiel had talket OF mys-
terious wings AMI wheels. Here came a man
drew His illustrations from the lakes, IRON
the sand. from the ravinc from the llI3i
from the cornstalks How the Phar.sn.S
scoffedl How Hero1 deridedl How Caiphfs
hissedl And this Jesus they plucSed by ta9
beard. and they spat in His face, and th'y
called Him this fellow All the great en-
terprises in and out OF the church have at
Zines been scoffed at and there have been
great multitude who have thought that tns
chariot of Gods truth would fall TO pieces IL
it once got out OF the old rut.
And so there are those who have no pa
tence with anything like Improve nent IN
church architecture or with anything IKE
good, hearty, earnest church Singing am
they deride any form Of religious discussion
which goes down walking among everyday
men rather than that which makes au ex-
cursion on rhetorical stills. oh, that the
Church of God would wake up to an adapt
ability OF work. We must admit the SIM
pie fact that the churches OF Jesus Chrlsv IN
this day do not reach the great masses
There arc ftty thou usaud people in Edinburgh
who never hear the G1spsl. There are one
million psople in London who never hear the
Gospel. There are at least three hundred
thousand souls In the city OF Brooklyn who
come not under the immediate mlniStrattons
Of Christ's truth, and the Church OF Go1 in
this day, instead of Icing place full OF
living epistles, read and known of all men,
is more like dead letter. postoftics.
But say the people, the world is going
to be converted. You must be patient. The
Kingdoms Of this world are 70 become the
Kingdoms of Christ" Never, unless the
church of Jesus Christ puts on more speet
and energy. Instead Of the church convert
ing the world the world IS converting the
church. Hereis agreat fortress How shall
it be taken, An army comes aud sits around
about it. cuts OFF the supplies and SAYS Nov
,..,n han i'm md
starvation they will have to give up" Weeks
and months. an perhaps year, pass along.
and finally the fortress surrenf fers throuSh
that starvation and exhaustion. But, my
friends, the fortresses OF sin are never to
be taken in that way. Ii they are taken for
| God it will be by storm. You will have to
bring up the great siege guns OF the Gosc%
! TO the very wall, and wheel the flying artil-
! lery into line and when the armed infantry
OF heaven shall confront the battlements you
will have TO give the quick command: For
ward! Charge"
All, my friends, there is work for youto
! do and for me TO do in order to achieve this
grand accomplishment Here is pulpit.
and clergyman breaches in 1t. Your pub
pit is the bank. Your pulpit is the store-
Your pulpit is the editorial chair. Your
pulpit is the anvil. Your pulpit Is the
house scaffo,ding Your pulpit is the mo
rhanic's shop. fmay stand in this place and,
through cowardics or through self seeking,
may keep back the word ought to utter;
while YOU, with sleeve rolled up and brow
besweated with toll, may utter the word
that will jar the foundation OF heaven with
the shout of great victory. On, that To-
day this whole audience might feel that the
Lord Almighty is putting upon them the
hands of ordination Every one go forth
and preach this Gospel. You bave as much
right to preach as have, or as any man has
Only find out the pulpit where God VIII
have you preach, and there preach.
Hedley Wears was wicked man IN tne
English army The grace of God came to
him, He became an earnest and eminent
Christian. They scoffed at him aud said,
"You are a hypocrite; you are as bad a.
ever you were" Still he kept his faith in
Christ and after awhile, finding that they
could not turn him aside by calling MIN
hypocrite, they said to him, "Oh, you arr
nothing but a fanatic" That did not dis
turb him. He went on performing his Chris
tian duty until he had formed all his trooI
into A Bible class and the whole encamp
ment was shaken with the presence Oh uo1
So Havelock went into the heather tempt
in India while ths English army was there
and put a candle into the hand OF each o
the heathen gods that stood around In tn
heathen temple, and by the light OF thos
, candles, held up by the idols, General haV'
lock ureached Righteousness temperance an
, Judgment to come. And VINO Will say,
/ earth or in heaved, that Havelock had nc
y the right to preach9
= In the minister's house where prepare
for college there was man VINO workeu .
te the name of Peter Croy. He could nelthe
s. read nor write, but he was man OF So'
D Often theologians would stop In the house
ie grave tbeolo gians--and at family praye
70 Peter Croy would be called upon to lead, an
IN all those wise men sat around, wonderStru'
re at his religious efficiency. When he pray
IL he reached up and seemed to take hola
ne talked with God till the very heavens we
Tn bowed down into the sitting room. Oh, II
* were dying would rather have piain Fe'
to Grow stand by my bedside and CONNIE
Nv NV immortal spirit to God than some hea
80 lesss ecclesiastic arrayed In costly canl
, ,Ve icals. Go preach this Gospel. You say
he are not licensed. In the name OF the "a
x, Almighty. this morning license you.
h' preach this Gospal-preachi 1t In the Saba
schools, in tho pray meetings, in the hie
,ro WAYS, in the hedges. Wos be unto you
ho you preach 1t no.
u remark, again, that in order to be qul
sy fed to meet your duty in this particular {
% you want uubounded faith in the triumph
81 the truth and the overthrow OF wickednt
Is How dare the Christian church ever get {
IN, couragedP Have you not the Lord Almig
nu on our sidep How long did it take God
M sIay the hosts of Sennacherib or burn
II dom or shake down JerichoS How long
OF it take God when He oncs arises in
me strength to overthrow all the forces OF Ii
IL uity? Between this time and that tf
me may be long seasons OF darkness--the cf
inc lot whesls OF Gods Gospel may seem to d
,g, heavily, but here is the promise, and yor
is the throne, and when Ominiscience
me lost its eyesight AMI D impotence falls
less impotant and Jehovah is driven from
ing throne then the church of Jesus Christ
hen afford to be despondent, but never I
nes- then. DaspotS may plan and armies
den march, and the con yresses OF the nation
r Of seem to think they are adjusting all th'
hat fairs OF ths world, but the mighty mel