The Progress., 1893-07-01


tiun about salt win never accomplish -
work. .Au exposition Of tho theory OF
mustari plaster will not cJlrrany man
it must BE- put or him. So tn" cnurcl
that triumphs must be- the church tha'
prraches-that applies a practical gospd
of salvation 70 mcu rs men are today. 4
society "a it is today, 70 the city as it lie,
in all it's darkness. in all its squalor an
wrctchcdncs3 and sin and crime.
SENsATIDNALISM.
Thirl-Such church triumphant vii
be- church that returns to apostolic
sympathy IN method. by this do ne
mean that We are 10 wear sandals, rs IT,
apostles did. do not mean that we an
to COPY all their ceremonies or all the
forms. But do mean that we are e.
put into practice in the nineteenth cen
tury the apostolic spirit with tn" apos
:olic ideal before we can hope for 3
church triumphant Tho idea of Paul
the greatest of all the apostles, wal
simplicity itself. He took the cue fror:
his Masters lips, "Ye shall know thcI'
by their fruits" The method of Pau.
was the method of success, and it is j;
startling contrast with some mOdcr.
ideals Tho secret of his success Is founl
i'm this simple statement Of his methods
Il am becpll" all things 70 all men thai
may bv all means save some That i
to say. the apostolic method of churCi
work means. first, sacrifice of tire tra
ditions of the ages and the intcnScst p,r
soual convictions on the altar of the sue
ccss Of the mission Paul was u tradi
tionalist He was n phariscc of tie
pharisecs. Yet he laid aside his prccon
cciycd IDEAS of church life and churc1
methods upon the altar of this consum
ing passion for the salvation Of men. II
sunk his personal preferences in his burn
ing desire 20 save men at all hazards.
His education and his training were ira
ditional and conventional To the last de-
gree.
The cheapest way of going is the easy
going way. the way Of laZiness and ot
sacred and of solemn traditions. The
church needs to pray today az 1t never
prayed before, Lord, help rs to bury
our past. 70 slay our own ideas of sue.
cess and lay them on the altar of today
consuming needs" The way To con-
duct church affairs is the WAY that
saves men. The apostolic method Or
church work implied in the highest de-
gree sensationalisIn. and in my humble
opinion the church that Will triumph III
the city in the future will be a church
that In the best sensc is sensational. |
do not mean a church that de'ccnds 70
buEoonery and dog shows and the like,
but do mean church that does not
know what the word dignity means.
Dignity is Of the devil. 1t begins with
the same letter. Dignity is the ono
devil that is in the way 0f the success OF
hundreds of our great city churches to-
dav. The apostle made 4 sensation
wherever h went He could not help
it. The gospel he preached was "a gel
sation. He turned the world upside
down. He stirred men Tsp. They ar
rested him, they prosecuted him. they
drove him ont. He preached the truth
rs it was in Christ, and She truth III
Christ cuts the world like IL two edged
sword
Jesus Christ himself was a sensation
alist. His methods We're sensational,
his life most intense in its dramatic as
poets. Never man spake rs this man.
They were struck with his word, with
his manner. They were thrilled. F'
spoke not as scribe or pharisee. H'
spoke with an awful emphasis as one
Al L. ~ hn fps
prophets Of the Hebrew race had spoken
with iesintervening between theil
voices. His life was series of sensa
tions between Cana and Calvary: III.
ministry series of sensatSOns-the heal
ing of the lame, the halt, the blind. the
raising of the dead He broke the ira
ditions of the elders. He broke tho Sab
bath He consorted with publicans am
sinners. He reached and stirred th'
masses of the people. He was of them
He lived w h them. Even when the!
deserted him he loved them, lived TO
them and died for them still.
TEN SUICIDES WEEK.
The apostolic method implies also con
secrated common sense or the adapta
] ton OF meLnOuS 10 Inc HteuS vi H.cH di'
times. The Apostle Paul saw an awfu
need. He stood in Greece and saw ~
in her wretrhedness and sin and hell
: lessness. He saw world that lay l
> darkness. He heard the sad cry of tn
5 lost on the mountains bleak and bar
sick and helpless and ready to die-lo;
in wild speculations about the soul an
r human life and human destiny. As !
= gazed thus into the face of race dri'
!: ing without compass there was insI
I ration enough to kindle the great resol'
in his great soul, Il will be all things
/ all men if by all means | may sa'
d some" In Greece | will be Grccia
: in Rome, Roman; among slaves,
l. slave. will preach in the market plac
= | will stand on the Acropolis. | vi
10 preach in the synagogue-anywher
J; everywhere. that man may be foun
!; may be reached. may be saved.
l. 4. .,..l. arrn ~