The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-14
AMBASSADORS OF GOD.
An Interesting Morning Sermon at
the Grand Street Methodist
Church.
REQUIRES High Moral Courage to
Meet the Obligation OF q
Minister.
Experience of ma Eastern Preacher Who
Was Tald tn Talk AbOuA tho
Experience of nm Eastern Preacher Whd
Was Told to Talk About tho
MOrm0ns.

At yesterday mornings services at the
| Grand Street Methodist church the pastor.
Rev. M. Shaffer, took as his text Cor. 2;
15-17. For we are unto God a sweet
SAVIOUR of Christ, in them that are saved
and in them that perish; to the one we are
| the SAVIOUR of death unto death, and to the
other the SAVIOUR of life unto life, and who
ia sufficient for these things" Mr.. Shafer
said in part: The thought of the text is,
Ministers as ambassadors for God" To
him who has experienced the responsibility
involved in tho life Of a minister OF the
gospel. the question of the great apostle ia
a natural and pertinent one-called
of God to an Office involving
great d~elicacy and immense burden,
he realizes his insufioiency and exclaims,
in the language Of the text, WHO is sufli-
cientp" The office Of the gospel ministry
is a distinct and separate one. superior in
point of honor and responsibility to any
earthly one. He is Gods ambassador,
his m%outhpiece-a limited but very ex-
allied position. Men choose their life work
as inclination suggests. Not 80 with the
Christian minister--and no true one ever
entered this work without mental protest.
| As Moses stood trembling in the presence
of the burning bush and heard the voice of
Jehovah, speaking from the fiery depths,
commanding him to go speak to Pharoh,'
he protested his insufiiciency.
The apostle Paul, stricken with deep
conviction and falling headlong at the feet
of a prosecuted and wounded Christ. hears
his command and receives his commission
to "Go preach to the Gentiles," is only per-
shaded to assume the awful commission by
the "Woe is unto me if l preach not" and
the like experience characterizes every true
ambassador for God. The thought that he
is to express and emphasize the word aaa
will of an infinite Being. superior In good
dread. The fact that he is to speak to
diving men of interests that are eternal.
and who possibly may be hearing the last
message ever to be given, inspires the pro-
test of insuficiency.
1t requires moral courage of q high order
for any man to meet the obligation of a
minister of the gospel, a courage equal in
all PARTICULARS to that that inspired the
martyrs to endure the flames anu the rack.
He is to rebuke popular sins, contIovest
error, and overcome prejudice. Men are
not disposed to receive the threatenlngs of
Almighty God, as given by the faithful
ambassador, nor to accept the exposure OF
their sins, with complacency. 1t is COM
paratively easy to rebuke the sins OF the
city of New York, but, l as a minister. am
interested and disturbed about the sins of
my wi city. The evidence of moral ruin
are all about US. Men and women t1aunt-
ing their Sins in the very, face of God.
The ulcers upon the body social, affecting
the entire community call for mighty ie-
buke. Cry aloud and spare not! Lift up
thy voice like a trumpet and show my peo-
pie their SINS"
The minister finds it easy also to rebuke
the sins of the Jewish church, who repud-
lated the son of Mary and crucitied him,
but to rebuke the sins of the modem Chris
tan church is a matter requiring coui age
of a different order. The teaching of the
church in many places ID iowa d world
Illness. Card playing. dancing and theater
COINS are becoming in the estimation of
many venial sins, if sins at all. And many
prominent in church will not suffer these 10
be ebuked. A minister in an eastern CITY
WAS called to take charge of a church. He
entered his pulpit Sabbath morning, and as
the congregation was gathering, one OF the
officers of the church approached him and
taking a seat by his side, said: Brother VS.
do not know how YOU preach. you being Il
stranger, but | would suggest that you re-
frain from preaching against dancing, as l
see Mrs. Blank and her daughter are out
to-day and they believe in dancing, and
YOU do not want to offend them" He then
saw Mr.. Smith enter the church. and said:
1 6co NIL. ouliVA blbO III tuo house, anu ne
is n wholesale liquor merchant and helps
support the church. Don't preach against
the liquor business" And just then des-
crying MI. Brown, who was a respectable
card player and worldly member of the
chu Oh. he suggested that it would be we'll
for him to fight shy of that form of sin.
Tue poor preacher looked appealingly to
the office. and asked in despair, "What
shall l p each about?" the brothe hest
tated a moment. ana then as a safe way
suggested itself, he said, "Oh, preach
against the Mormons they haven't a friend
in town"
Again the nature of the message we are
to deliver suggests fearful responsibility.
1t is one of lite or death to the hearer.
son Of man | have set thee a Waterman
upon the walls of Zion. If thou warn the
wicked OF his way to turn from it, if he do
not turn from his way, he will die in his
inquiry" We ara the Savior of life or
DEATH" Every man who hears the message
of Gods ambassadors. ia, by eve y sermon.
made better OF worse-sottened, melted
under the appeal, or hardened and con-
tirmed in his ain and rebellion against the
king. How awful. then, the work COM
mitted to men. Do you wonder that the
great apostle trenib!ed under the mighty
pressure, and shall not We, so much infe-
rior, protest GU insuiiciency.
l conclude my remarks by saying that
as every earthly ambassador returns to
report his work, 30 we, as Gods embassa-
doris, will be required to report as to our
f~aithfulness. We are not responsible for
the acceptance or rejection of the message
of the King of kings, but we are RESPONSE
bic for its faithful ana untiinohing deliv-
cry. We and the people to whom we are
sent are to meet at the bar of God. We
shall all stand before that bar. The faith
full messengers to receive the crown of
blessing. The unfaithful, with the curse
of an insulted God burnt into their souls,
to be driven into shame and everlasting
contempt. Our heaIe 9, with palms of VIC
tory in their hands, to receive the welcome
words of Come We bles sed of my father
O If disobedient to the commands of the
King Eternal, to take their place, where
peace and pardon can never be- found. All
truly did the poet sing:
Ills not n cause of small il port
Tho pastors care demands,
Hut what might fill an angels heart,
And filled q savioI's hands.
They watch for souls for which the Lord
Did heavenly bliss forego,
For souls that must forever live
In rapture or in Woe"