St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-23
And Accepts the Responsible
tiles of a New Minists-
rial Term.
Lessons Of the Past and Their
Effect on the Futures
Course.
The Power Of Retrospection
a Great Source OF Future
Supply.

renewed term as pastor of the Church
Of Christ, and so announced in his ser
mon Yesterday. He took his text from
Paul's epistle to the Philippians and
on the themes. Looking backward
and farther forward" said:
Looking backward and farther forward
Philippians Ill, 1874.
The power of retrospection is not the
least among our mental traits that can
be made source of supply for future
endeavors. 1t is not the wisest philos-
ophy that eXhorts us to obllterate en-
tlrely the past. 1t is not of advantage
to any person that they should abso-
lutely forget the events that have cursed
or blessed their life in the DAYS that are
gone. The mind that is pOWerlesS to
take retrospective view is in an alb
normal state. Our greatest difficulty
lies in the fact that we too frequently
forget what we should remember. and
remember what we should forget. The
best rule to follow in our exercise of
memory is to let our retrospect be of
such nature as to encourage and in
spire laudable ambition to outStrip the
achievements Of the past, and with eX-
perlence as Sign-bOard, avoid what
has proven hindrance to the best and
highest development in our spiritual
life. One OF the strongest possible ap-
pealS to move men toward the kingdom
OF God is based on their power of mem
Dry. TO best argue mans necessity for
Saviour is to point out for him in his
own LIE the disappointed efforts he has
made to save or justify himself. When
the true value OF the power the human
mind possesses of looking backward is
tn
make greater progress toward our
ideals. To remember your weakness is
to fortify yourself against a reconcur-
renee of failure at that point. TO call
to mind the methods ami means that
have previously enabled you to come off
More Than COnqueror
is to open the way for grander con-
quests. In the language of the apostle
to which | have directed your attention,
the emphasis seems to be placed on the
power to forget, rather than the advan-
tage of remembering. Unless we are
careful to qualify or limit his words as
recorded in the text, this statement as
made by him will elsewhere be proven
incorrect. Among the noticeable feat
ures of PauFs epistles are the episodes
he calls to remembrance in his struggle
to save mankind by and through the
gospel. In his previeW of the reward
he so confidently expected he reviews
his past labOrS and cries, II have fought
a good fight" Could he have thus
exulted in his last days unless he had
remembered the battles fought how
and where the conflict ragged, and the
victories achieved? If, then. his state
ment is limited, how are we to regard the
utterance? The Limitation proposed does
not in any way vitiate his utterance.
Forgetting the things that are behind
and pressing forward" involves dual
idea; first, the apostle does not propose
that. having Waged splendid cam-
paign against error and sin his soul
Shall rest upon what it has thus done
and perform nothing farther; second,
whatever of persecution and distress he
suffered in his work for Christ would
not by his recollection of them, deter
him from continuing in his chosen
work. The lesson he teaches is Obvi-
Gus. Let us not dwell forever in the
atmosphere of past triumphs. nor un-
ceaSingly ponder over failures that
have been incurred.
Defeat Should Inspire.
Use your experienceddefeat as flame
to ignite your courage and determine
ton. so that under the same circum-
stances you may be enabled to gain
where you lost, and, standing over the
slain corpse of some temptation, cry:
Victory through. our Lord Jesus
Christ" AS you remember the cOndi
tions that blessed your former efforts
with success, make of those conditions
steps by means of which you shall
climb nearer to God, approach the con-
summation of your hearts desire, and
stand in the place where you shall catch
the reflected glory of the Christ. This
is the lesson in my text for the individ-
ual. Shall we not consider its general
application to the church as whole?
Surely whatever in spiritual life is OF
importance and advantage to the indi-
vidual is greatly multiplied in strength
if it be copied INTO an organization
made up of the persons thus Slngly ben
Gifted. In the application of this thought
to our Christian warfare as church,
would speak first of the argument for
the necessity of church body. What
can we offer the world in justification
of our existence as religious factor?
You are cognizant OF the assertions
made by those who care nothing for the
church and hold its worship and life
and labor in light esteem.
Protested followers of Christ at times
belittIe it. Can a person decry the Or
ganizaton called into being by Christ,
founded and established by the Saviour,
and yet claim allegiance with the Son
of God? In carnal warfare do the SOL
diers assume an independent attitude
and each fight for himself? Do they not
form a league, confederation, and
unitedly do battle? How long would it
take general to conquer an army that
scattered its forces, instead of coalesing
and combining its strength? Then dis
card your
Puny and Worthless Logic
that would in day lay the church of
the living God in the dust and shame
fully betray Christianity into the hands
of its enemies. God commands us to
organize and amalgamate and unity
our spiritual interests into the church
the Savior built upon His own person
atty. Our plea for existence is strength
ened when you consider the mission of
the church. 1t is to call mankind into
the presence of the only true and living
God. it is to bless humanity for time
and eternity. 1t is to surround with
supernal glory and pay homage and re
spect to the Son of God. 1t is to coro-
nate Jesus king of kings and lord of
lords, and. by intoxicating faith in His
power to save. send the eternal and
Overwhelming sunshine of Gods love
into sin-cursed world.
In the true church are to be found the