The Indianapolis journal., 1892-07-11


gramme. is an inspiration 10 all men who
have been attracted by His glorious per-
sonality and his equally glorious plans.
We have found various sources of opposi-
tion to the programme OF Jesus, both out
side and inside the Christian church. You
recall the confident boast OF Voltaire. in
W hich he ventured to announce that be
fore the beginning of the nineteenth
century Christianity will have disappeared
from the earrh.n In recent years we have
come upon q class of more scholarly OPP
posers, who appear to think meanly of the
spirit, and power. and work OF the church.
Mr. rockingham represents TINS class or
opposers. He is q literary man of the first
rank, who preached in public hall in New
York city for many years. but gave up HIS
preaching in 1881. Mr.. rockingham said
on quitting his pulpit:
AS to the fact that revealed religion. as
we call it. is stron ger to-day than it was
twenty years ago | have no doubt. 1t Is
stronger here and in Europe notwithstand-
ing the much-talked of German material
ism. And the religion OF to-day IL all the
stronger than that of twenty years ago III
that il IS throwing Oft the accretions OF
ignorance and presents fewer features in
compatible with good sense and charity.
Looking back over the last twenty years
no careful student of such matters can
deny this heaithful process, and l, who
have stood aloof from all revealed religion
during that timc cannot but acknowledge
that Its opponents have made no headway
matter the work which i have been
dong appears to lead to nothing: and may
have been grounded upon mistaken prem
isea. Therefore 1t Is better to stop. But
do not wish to give the impression that
recant anything. ! simply stop denying
and wait for more light"
If Mr.. Frothipgham were to make an
addenda TO this remarkable statement IN
the present year of grace he would need
only to speak the letters Y. p. S. G. K. In
diana has six hundred accredited delegates
to that mighty New York convention now
in session. When did Indiana ever send
six hundred regularly accredited delegates
to any sort of convention thousand miles
away from our chief city And when you
consider not only this Observation-Disclosures
society with its more than million MEM
bers, but our Methodist society, the Ep-
worth League with it's half million mem-
bers, and the Baptist Young Peoples
Society, with yet other similar denomina-
tiOnal organizations, one can see that all
hostile Oppositionand all scholarly opposi-
tiOn to tho programme of Jesus Christ In
this world is futile and fored0Omed TO de-
feat.
But even within the church we find
source of opposItion to this large pro-
gramme. The world is full of timid souls
who have no confidence In the success of
anything until it has succeeded. The
church is made up of people who live in
this world. and therefore must show the
common frallties of humanity. The church
walks of life are crowded with them. The
farming business is q good illustration OF
this weakness OF men. Last year our ln-
diana wheat crop was worth hfty millions
of dollars. And when 1t was gathered 1t
was announced that there could be moth
ing else very good. But the record for the
year shows the most remarkable harvest,
taken oil in all, which we have ever
known in Indiana; This year the usual
doubts were prevalent about the future.
but 1t may be confidently asserted that We
will not starve in Indiana in 1892! If any
one doubts this assertion beg TO postpone
any heated discussion of the matter until
all the harvests are gathered. Have you
read Riley's Thoughts for the DISCOURAGED
Farmer" They are also most heaithful
thoughts for the discouraged Christian.
and might well be read on Sundays at
family prayers. What should We all do TO
keep ourselves in hearty sympathy with
the programme of Jesus Christi
First, l would say that we need to
secure for ourselves an intelllgent compre-
hensiOn of the mission of the church. We
need to think, to think in straight lines. TO
think at mark, until we grasp the plan OF
Jesus, and until we are thrilled with rapt-
ure over the fact that we are with Him In
His areat campaign for souls Now mark.
/ do not say we are to convert the world.
We arc not charged with that. be Will do
that after O manner of His own. We are to
keep ourselves unspotted from the world,
and to keep ourselves clear as Witnesses
whole church must be raised in its grade
1t must come to the toplevei. Our common
frailty ie to drop to the bottom level, be-
cause that requires no effort. But nothing
is worth while which costs no effort And
can we win character and the immortality
of heroes without effOrts
In personal sanCtity We must emulate the
saints. We have moro saints now In the
world than ever before, but we always
need more; always more in NUMBER and
always an improvem in quality. In all
business pursuits, In all eOcial engagements
and in loving carefulness for souls. we
must bear the marks of the Lord Jesus. 10
At the Sixth Presbyterian
In the absence of the regular pastor, Rev.
j. E. Brown, the Sixth Presbyterian con-
Rregation was led in worship by Rev. Mr..
was based on Psalm 1l9, fifty ninth verse,
Il thought on Thy ways and turned my
feet unto Thy testimonies" The minister
set forth that to think is the first duty of
man. who is prominently the thinking
animal. This divine function, it was
| nrgcd. lays upon man IN infinite RESPONSE
bility. and failure to use 1t unto his own
| salvation and the betterment of
the wS World is at his own S
| to religious thOughr, so as TO clear the
| heart of sin and make it ready and fit for
| the indwelling of God and the enjoyment
| of His love. II is only thus that the sonl
| may be prepared for eternity and shielded
| from the evil results of sin. The sneaker
| closed with an effective lesson, empbacized
| by the hymnists line. Eternity with con-
| science is hell enough for me-"