Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-13
TO THE RAW ONES
Or. Taimage's Sermon at the
Tabernacle.
DARKNESS MUST BeASSAUlTeD
A Man Cannot Become Christian With
OAR an Effort 90 Conquer Tsmpts-
ton Without . Struggle.

EEooKLzs, June 12-Dr. TzlmAge
pzefscod lls sermon this morning with
a statement ID tho eject that he would
sail on Wednesday next for Europe aud
might DO able to Be present "a the dis
tribUtion IN the famine sxricken districts
Of Russia Of The Christian Herald relief
cargo, consisting Of three million pounds
Of toar and other supplies. which goes
ont tbs week on the steamship Leo,
chartered far lbs purpose. He congrstn-
lated the American people on the gener-
ous spiris svincsd by this magnificent
gift % Tie starving people. His sermon
was from shs text. Epaosians vi. IL, "Put
on the whole Axaror Of God
There Is IN this text great rattle Of
shields and holmets and swords- Sol
diers are getting ready for battle. We
have had recently In this church new en-
hstmenfs. and shall address myself 70
those IN this and other churches who are
putting ON the arnor Of God. and who
may feel themselves To b as yet only
raw recruits. Mastery retreat" 10 q
term often used IN military circles, but
IA religion those Is no such thing. Il Il
either giorsp2s advance or dizgraceful
and ignomanious falling back. 1t would
b . strange thing il all our anxiety
about men ceased the moment they were
converted
You would almost doubt tho sanity Of
that farmer who. having planted the
corn and seen II just sprous above
ground. should say: MY work u all
done. I have NO moro anxiety for the
field" No. There il work for the plow
and the hoe, and there must Be careful
keeping upof the fences, and there must
be frightening away Of the birds that
would piIlage the dsld- And say the
entrance upon Christian life Is only tho
tmplAntAtioa Of grace in the heaxt There
Is earnest. bard work yet 10 Be done and
perhaps many ycan of anxiety before
there shah be heard the glorious shout
Of Harvest home"
The beginning 10 be Christian b only
putting down the foundat3on; but after
that there arc years Of hammering, pol
ishang. carving. lifting. before the struc-
ture y completed. 1t takes five years to
make . Christian character; il takes
twenty years, IL takes forty years. it
takes seventy years, il . man shall live
% long. In other words, . man dying
after haH century Of Christian experi-
sncs feels that he has only learned tho
"a B Cs' Of glorious alphabet. Tho
next year win decide . great deal In
your history, young Christian man. Il
win decide whether you arc to Be- . burn
ing and shining light Of the church, or .
spark Of grace covered up m . barrel Of
aahas. Il VIII decide whether you arc
to be . strong man in Christ Jesus, with
gigantic blows striking tho iron mail Of
darkness. or . bsdwprfsd, whining.
grumhRing soldier, that ooght to be
drummed out Of tho Lords camp with
the ssRoguss' March" Yoa have only
just bcm lHuncheds the voyage = TO Be
madaL Earth and hsaven and hall are
watching 10 50 how Inst you win sail.
box we'll you vin vssSher tie tempest,
and WHISTLER at last, amid the shouting
Of ang1A you shall como into tie right
hsrhx. My God hip No this morning
10 give yoa three q four wosdsof Chris
tian oounssl, - / sddre0 myself moro
especially 10 thcse who have list now
eutsrcd The ChrisE1nn lie.
HOLD cH1R - DAfrDN.
Ny fzss word Of oounssl =, hold Be-
fore your soul very high model. Do
not ~, II With ! could pray Ike that
man, or speak hks this man, or have the
cousscrasion Of tkds one" Says ~Here
b tho Lord Jesus Christ. . perfect Pct
tsrn. By thai mean, with Gods grace,
10 shape I'll my life" In other words.
you win nsvor b any moro Christian
than yoa strive to Be. II you build .
foundation twsuty BY thirty feet You
viii only have q small house. II you
build foundation one hundred BY ono
hundred feet you viii have largo house.
II you resolve TO Do only . middling
Christian you win only be q middling
Christian II you have no high aspira-
ton In worldly direction you win never
succeed m business II you have no
high aspiration in religious things you
viii never succeed in religion
You have q right to aspire 70 the very
highest style of Christian character.
From your feet there reaches out path
OF Christian attainment which you may
take. and deliberately say that you may
be a better man than was Paul or David
OF Sunmer6eld or Doddridge-s better
woman taan Hannah More or ChArlotts
Elizabeth Why nos2 Did they have a
monopoly Of Christian graces Did they
have a pFivsss key TO the ssorehouse OF
Gods rnsxcye Does God shut you out
from the 81 .dness aud goodness to which
they were insrodGcedy On. no You
have just the same promises. Just the
same Chris. Just the Same Holy Ghost,
Just the same osgsis OF present and ever
lasting love. and il You fall short Of what
they were--aye, Il you do not come NJ
20 the point which they reached and 60
beyond it--it IL not because Christ has
shut you ont from anY point Of moral
and spiritual elevation, but because you
dsliosrate,y refused 70 take n admit
that man cannot become Christian
Ike that without struggle. but what
do Won get without fgnsing for IT. The
forFreS<es Of darkness are &C. De taken by
STORM. Yen may by scuse strategy
Cans the nests Of tsxaptation. bat there
are sempsasiens. there are evi,s IN the
way that you viii have 20 nsest fsce 70
face. And 10 vtn se shst for shot. gun for
gun. g-ip FOR grip. slaughter for slsugh-
tss The apostle Paul over and over
a4z.s represents tie Carissian afe - q
com oat.
when ss- wsv v--esl ct Cariss's church
comes tnso txy hrfnxsnx It's crew aid