Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-08-21
AT THE FIRST M. e. CHURCH.

Rev. A. b. Sanford, Assistant Editor
OF the Methodist Review, breaches
an Excellent Sermon at This Church |
"A Large Congregation Present-I
SLet Us Not Fear for the Church,, |
- The Need OF Christian Strength
and Fortitude.
Despite the stormy and Indictment con-
dition of the weather yesterday morning
large congregation came out to listen to
the sermon at the First Methodist Episco-
pal church by the Rev. A. B. Sanford, as
| sistant editor of the Methodist Review,
which is published bi monthly In New
York and of which Rev. DR.. Kelley, for
merly pastor of this church, is now one of
the editors. Mr.. Sanford preached here on
the s0th of last April, which was about
the time that DR.. Kelley's passionate was
drawing to close, and he made very
favorable impression here at that time.
Mr.. Sanford chose for his text Yesterday
morning the last clause of the goth verse of
the 18th chapter of Judges: "And they cried
the sword of the Lord and of Gideon
The preacher spoke in part as follows:
"Let 1t not appear strange to you that
God has cared for that which was His in
the world and will at last bring out the
church triumphant before the throne of
the Lamb. Take, for instance, the matter
of Christian finances. Just see how He
has cared for and watched over many of
the poorer churches throughout the ooun-
try, permitting many of them to pay off
their debts and making 1t possible for still
, | others to build new churches. tell you
, that the on1ipotent Lord is the great
church treasurer. The cattle that feed up
on thousand hills are His. His are the
! pearls which lie at the bottom Of the In
dian ocean. All the wealth of the uni
, verse belongs to Him. Thus we need not
fear but that He can and will care for His
own.
"We are often times anxious over the
: fate of our missionary enterprises. We
: say where are those coming from who are
going to meet the foe and fight our battles
in the future. We wonder If they will
j come forward and present themselves at
the altar at the right time, to do the work
in the foreign fields. But tell you that
He that called Mills and the great Dwight
| Moody will call others to take their places
a in our mission fields. And He is even now
> doing 1t to-day, and our fields are being
7 constantly filed with heroic men and
8 women, who are spreading the precious
:. message of Christ's gospel. So let us not
n be anxious for the missions. Christ has 8
y lost of workers to finish His unfinished
work. God can watch over the interests
I | of His own in untiring vigils, while mer
r slumber and sleep. And so He has de
signed to watch over the church of home
4 land, and He will keep Its doors open tt
i offer rest and consolation to all nations
a for all time.
a "rake again the matter of human owner
!, ship in the church. The church belong
4 to man in joint ownership with the AL
n mighty. So We should take an interest IL
all departments of the church work, espec
Il tally in the educational institutions whicl
are under the fostering care and guidanc
n | of the church, and also in the great mis-
d sionsry societies of the church. We SHOULD
r feel concern in every individual churcl
d | of any denomination whatever where on
"a | God is worshipped. Human indifference
and incidence have been the great stun
Id bling blocks all through the cen
+ turtles, which have interferred Wit
the progress of Christ's kingdom
n Consecrated individualism In these Las
ia days ia being more and more emphasize
xe from the Christian pulpit. And when
is realized you will gee the fullness an
IN | glory Of Christ's kingdom
10 "There is suggestion In our text tbs
no it is through the union of the human an
III divine that the only Christian victory ca
r.. be brought to the church. And the churc
can only come to her final victory in til
ia | world through the endowment of the FOL
n Spirit upon its membership. I believe
the Holy Ghost, land that 1t will be throug
10. Its workings alone that the world will |
II | brought to Our Lord