The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-03-21

have set watchmen upon thy walls 0 Jeru
salem which shall never hold their peace
day nor night: ye that make mention of
lhe Lord keep not silence and give Him no
rest until He establish. and till he make
Jerusalem praise in the earth.' Ancient
cities wer- surrounded by walls upon
which watchmen we're placed in order to
alarm the inhabitants of approaching dam
ger. What watchmen were to such cities
ministers are to the church of God. They
are Gods wstchmen. They are divinely
commissioned to 'watch for FOULS, for
whom the Lord did heavenly bliss forego."
Very few Of the details of christian wor-
ship are explicitly regulated by the word
of God We read nothing there of the
several denominations nor 81 most Of their
peculiarties. The church was founded but
the nameby which it shall be called aud
the mode in which it shall be governed are
matters referred to human preference.
The ministry was instituted-but just how
and when and under what conditions il
shall be ordained aud appointed to its work
down through the ages have been left 70 the
goodly judgment of men. Baptism was
made the outward sign of inward grace and
the rite of initiation into the christian
church, but just what mode of admins
tration shall be employed has not been re
yealed. The preaching of the cross is God s
| chosen method of saving men and in order
to compass this end he calls men to this
work. He might have employed angels
h.,f ha A. oA,,h
chosen from ''men of their own coasts"
80 ministers are chosen from men OF like
passions with the rest of mankind. Some
times the people forget this and expect
too much of them. Sometimes ministers
| forget it and ''lord it over Gods heritage
as though they were superior order of
being. They are responsible to God for
their fidelity. The souls of men, and their
own souls too, are al stake This is often
sufficient to account for what sometimes
seems like undue severity in the denuncia-
tion of wrong. In the evening the latter
part of the text was dwelt upon and the
need of corporation ON the part of both
ministry and laity was enforced. If the
church is to become praise--a centre of
moral and spiritual influence and power
the whole church--''the Lords remem-
brsnces are to be ceaseless in prayer and
effort to this end. Sometimes the popu-
lsrity of minister is a bar to his highest
usefulness, because the people trust more
in his efforts than in Gods help. Some
unacceptable ministers have great revivals
of religion because the church is driven to
supplement his inefIiciency by increased
effort and more earnest prayer on their
own part. Gods promises are conditioned
upon the ardent desires and earnest prayers
of his people. And where these exist with
reference to the prosperity of the church
the windows of heaven are opened. +"
Many of Gods obscure and suffering saints
doubtless do more by their prayers for the
success Of his cause than some who are
more prominent and active. VINO can
tell the limit of the good results of prayer
that is born of strong desire While feel
ing grateful for being appointed TO serve q
kind and appecative people he desired
most of all their ceaseless prayer to God
for the prosperity of His cause. Such
prayers lead to action-to increased atten-
dance upon all the services of the church
more personal work among the unchurched
and unsaved masses-they infuse life into
prosy sermons and dull prayer meetings
and bring down the blessing of God upon
the whole community.