The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-21
THE GREAT THEME.
Christ Crucified Basis of Evan
gelical Preaching.
MEASURE OF MINISTERIAL POWER
Rev. DR.. Ford's Sermon ut the First NJ.
Z. Church-Congregational Fellow
ship Meetings-Notes.

ioA VIC CCdtilc utstTlCt VI Tue 2hCthOUiok
Episcopal churches, preached yesterday
morning and evening at the First Method
list Episcopal church to large congrega-
tions. The morning discourse was ad-
dressed more particularly to Christians
and church workers. "Christ Cruciied"
vas the theme, and the reverend doctor
dwelt upon it as the one great subject of
1 evangelical preaching and the measure
of ministerial power and church prosper
ity. Taking his text from Corinthians
liz, "For determined not to know any,
thing among You save Jesus Christ, and
Him crucifed." he said in substance:
The author Of these remarkable words was a
man OF transcendsnt intellectual power and OF
supereminent qualities of heart The former
enabled him to grasp with wonderful compre-
hensiveness the problems about him. The lat
ter put him in touch with his social environ
ment The harmonious blendings of his d.
versifed gifts made him a master.
Whether he be considered SAUL the lawyer
Of Tarsus, or as Paul, the Christian minister
be was one OF the most illustrious men of his
day. For eminent ability, dauntless courage,
administrative skill, wide influence splendid
achievement and extending usefulness, no
stands out in the history of the world today
without q superior. Born in no mean city, OF
noble ancestry, in early life he became student
OF Gamalie man learned In all the law. He
became very proficient He was graduated with
honors; went forth upon his chosen profession
strait Pharisee, jealous Jew, devout re-
ligionst, with future aglow with promise.
But Unexpectedly light above the brightness
Of the sun in meridian splendor ehone around
him. He was stricken with blindness He
heard a voice from hesven speaking to him in
the Hebrew tongue. He found himself in new
conditions, with new experiences He saw the
truth as revealed in Jesus Christ in its sim
plicity, beauty and power. mighty trans
formation was wrought in him. The whole
trend of his life was changed. The relentless
prosecutor becomes defender OF the Christian
faith
With other traits of his character he was
honest though In error. His judgment was
grossly perverted, but his candor was unim-
peachable. His unquestioned sincerity accounts
for his tenacity. An honest man Is always
tenacious OF his opinions, though not necessarily
obtrusivs and intolerant
As soon as he discovered he was blindly fol.
lowing delusion, he cried out of the depths of
his awakened soul, "Lord, what wilt Thou have
me- dor He was told he had been chosen of
God to be minister Of the gospel, an embassa-
dor OF the Lord Jesus, and without comforting
with flesh and blood he accepted the obligation,
reproach and honor OF his new, high aud holy
calling.
Before passing would put emphasis upon
some preliminary lessons deduced from this ac-
count:
l. An honest man may be mistaken. Hon.
esty is not a guarantee of infallibieness Mis-
takes, though wearing the garb of service to God
and devotion to man, If not discovered and
abandoned, will issue in disaster. Sincerity OF
thought and purity of motive will not deliver
from the direful consequences of being deceived
and deceiving. An memorable law holds men
responsible for correctness of judgment up to
the full measure of their opportunity. Heresy
Is possibly only where the truth may De known;
otherwise it is hesthenism, and God winks at it.
.. When q man finds himself deceived and
pursuing phantom, he should be honest
enough to confess 1t. aud sufficiently courage
Gus TO renouuce it and to embrace and declare
the truth at whatever cost.
When God calls men to go work in His vine
yard, even honorable, useful and lucrative pro-
LESSONS, for which the most thorough prepare
ton has been made, should be promptly aban-
doned and His voice obeyed with glad mind
and will.
These principles found Illustration in the
case of our apostle. In the spirit and power of
the Transformation wrought by his miraculous
contact with Jesus, whom he was prosecuting,
he declared, amid perils, bonds and stripes,
hat he would glory only in the cross of Christ
He counted all things but loss for the excel
lency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, the
Lord
Let us consider.
!. The imp port and scope of the declaration.
To know and to make known Christ and Him
cruciied, was TO be acquainted with and exalt
the inimitableness of His personal life, the
glory and achievement of His official character,
and the grandeur, feryency aud triumph Of His
mediatorisl reign.
To do this was the illuminating principle and
controlling purpose OF st. Pauls ministry.
But We are not at liberty to so interpret these
words to exclude from the realm of pulpit
discussion every topic excepting that of the
crpcifxion of Christ The declaration is COM
prehensive 1t sweeps out over the whole field
OF the atonement A narrow construction would
put the apostle in false light and muZze the
mouth OF Gods ministers and destroy the throne
OF their power
Paul was consistent. He preached in Corinth
the same doctrines he preached in Rome, adyo-
Gated in his sermons the same principles of
uprighteousness, Judgment and temperance that
he embodied in his letters.
His preaching took a wide range and Ais
epistile are epitomes of the divine economy.
To determine the full import of his work We
advert TO the circumstances surrounding him.
He was at Cornth, the most celebrated city OF
ancient Greece occupying strategic point be-
tween two seas, controllingthe commerce OF the
East and West, with its schools of philosophy
Rld rhetoric, with a proud, ostentatious and
efeminate people. Surrounded on the one side
by Jews who maintained that the Mosaic sys
TEN with its manifold ceremonial drapery had
was al impostor; that His teach
ers were deceivers. introducing dangerous
innovations. aud on the other side by
philosophers and rhetoricisns, who insisted that
everything presented to them should be clothed
iu the most charming style and delivered
HcCordn TO the most finished rhetoric, with
the FIRE of conviction burning in his soul and
the light of The divine presence illuminating
his lie, he threw Himself into the tournament
and declared He would know nothing among
them save Jesus Christ and Him crucihed. TO
the Jews q stumbling block, to the Greeks fool
tshuess.
And he determined not TO preach Him with ex
cellency of speech, not in the words OF mems
wisdom, but in simplicity and power, that the
faith of his converts should rest, not in him,
but in Christ whom he preached in cemonstra-
ton OF the spirit and Of power. lie made this
subject of flequent and distinct discussion: IL
illustrated, pervaded and enforced all his
teachings. A declaration of such import and
so bold in the presence OF forbidding conditions
comes 20 us with accumulated force. II is no:
the utterance of aweaklng fanatic or mad
man. but of full-orbed man in the zenith
of his power Paul was not child tossed to
and fro BY every wind OF doctrine, cunning, craft
ines. and the sleight of men he had put away
childish things and become man. In giving
up his religion, abandoning his profession, for
sxking his associations and becoming minister
OF Him who was dsspised and rejected he had
good reasons.
This brings us TO consider;
IL The grounds of the apostles declaration
In this as in every other case wisdom Is
.usiifed of her children"
l. The sscrifcial death of Jesus Christ is the
central thought of revealed religion, the dis