The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-23

there be sociability in tho church OF
Chrl st ] have been gratiiicd to sec
marked Improvement in this respect
among you. Strangers will come again
II half dozen OF you will take them BY
the hand and welcome them.
Another evidence OF the working Of
the Word OF God ID that our religion
should be very practical religion,
religion not OF the Lords day only, but
OF every day. There is another particu-
lar which marks the eAcctual working
OF tho word, the conviction OF tho fact
that "Jesus Christ is our only hope in
life and death"
| have endeavorcd in tho last ten
years preaching TO set forth Jesus
Christ as our all and in all. lie is SUI
promo; all other things are subordi-
nate. He is the souls salvation, and
He alone. lie is the only escape from
sin and darkness and death. 1t is well
said that "if the Bible is plain on any
thing, it is plain on that point"
Believe in Jesus Christ and live. Re.
fuse Christ and die. That is what the
word of God proclaims. I have tried
hard to present this truth with all my
might, instead OF the many modern
fancics that men have invented rs
substitute ior tine truth and the religion
OF Jesus Christ. And Just in proper
ton rs YOU receive this great, grand
cardinal truth OF Christianity, this
foundation principle OF the only true
religion, and cxempliiy it in your
everyday life, can measure my work
among you rs n minister by the grace
OF God permanently successful.
| have reason TO believe that my con-
grcSation, with very few possible exccp-
tions, hold Christ as He is represented
in Gods Word, as supreme over all hui
man authority and power. He is our
all and in all. Christ's Word is,iaw and
supersedes all otherassertion. His will
concerning you is paramount and all
else must succumD to it. And the
church is cmphatically His organisation.
1t is His body. In comparison with all
other institutions that claim our atten-
ton, the claim OF the Church is above
them all and incomparably SUI
perior 10 them all. And when demands
OF time and attention conflict, the
Church must in no sense be put to sec
ond place, or receive secondary atten-
ton. The precedence must always be
given to the Church for Christ's sake.
These are tho days when
THE ORGANIZATIONS OF MEN
have multiplied-labor unions, bencf-
cial organizations, lodges and associa-
tons innumerablc. They all have an
object, and many OF them-most OF them
have laudablc and praiseworthy OBJ
jccts. But none OF them are intended
to do for us what Christ's organization,
the Church, is intended to do for US.
What they do for us is only temporal
good. None OF them has for its specific
object the regeneration and salvation OF
the soul and the evangclization OF men.
The church has the means OF grace
and this is the specific mission OF the
Church given it by its Divine Founder,
Jesus Christ. lie bestows through the
ministries of His church the efficient
power for the souls eternal salvation.
No purely human organization can be
rightfully submitted for the church;
nor dare it be allowed to take its place
in the affections or attentions or services
OF men. Such is making m ungratciul
discrimination against Jesus Christ. our
only Lord and Savior; and this merits
and receives His just indignation.
! am not now speaking against the
lodges and their specific work and OBJ
jects, but | do warn men against the in.
jury they do themselves BY abusing their
principles and making them superscde
the Church OF Jesus Christ in their
affections and dcvctions.
Temporal benefits cannot be in safety
substituted for eternal bcnctits-:he
twoarc notcqual. Theunwisc lover and
dcvotee oil the human organization in
stead OF the divine will suffer irrepara-
Bile loss; as the drowning man would do
who would develop more love for Il
sheai OF straw than q solid rock, and
hug it to his bosom in the tcmpestous
waters of 4 troubled sea, and go down
with it; whereas. il he cluns to the
rock towering above tho turbid tide, he
would be saved. Ii any OF tho things
OF time interfere with
OUR DUTY TO OUR GOD AND HIS CHURCH,
We must always give the preference
to the church OF ourRcdeemer. IN con-
iiicting duties, others must give way,
not the church. In our lives VIC must
give forth evidence of the power OF the
Word OF God; and this ain glad 10 see
done among YOU.
So in wealth and worldly splcndor,
society or political preierncnt; none
oil these things dare superscdo Christ in
our affections. Many things present
dazzling appearance, and men arc
allured away from Christ by them, as
the fatal ignis fatuus allures its victim
into the sinking quagmircs. But this
dare not be SO with those who are
grounded in the Word OF God, and in
whom its power is manifest.
1t is related in the memoirs OF
Bartoli, one OF the distinguished italian
antiquarians, that when excavations
wore made at Rome ON tho Puatine
hill, at about the middle OF the SEVEN
tecnth century, under the pontifcate OF
Innocent y, n chamber was found,
lined with brilliant gold brocade, whose
rich splendor almost dazzlcd the eye,
but which faded, rs sunlight strcamcd
upon it, till the fascinating brilliance
had entirely disappeared. An apart
inent near this was found lined with
silver; and another covered with sheets
OF lead. The silver was eagerly stripped
from the walls, tho lead was left. But
when after time the lead was re-
moved, unsupported riches OF coined
gold were found securely lodged and
hidden behind it."
A fair image seems hero represented
OF the difference between organizations,
which specifically attract, and treas
rres OF worldly goods and honors, which