St. Paul daily globe., 1893-02-06
GOSPEL FOR MANY
The Coming Big Revival Fur
niSheS Another Theme for
Rev. DR.. Vail,
And He Expounds the Great
Problem, "What Shall We
Do TO Be Saved ?"

"What Shall We Do to Be Saved?"
Anticipating that the time is coming
soon when this question will be on the
lips of hundreds of people in-this city,it
seemed to me proper to say word upon
it before that time shall come, for L
fancy that when we are in the midst of
a revival movement we may not be SO
lenient in opinion as we are in calmer
times. Then it seems to me good to
notice one other fact connected with
some of these problems-they were al
ways in the world, there never was
time when in some form they were not
in the minds of men, they were dis
cussed in your earliest childhood, and
they are discussed today. Men are pre-
dieting that they will soon pass away,
but when you and l are all done with
the world, when we have finished our
warfare and laid aside the armor of the
soldier, still will men be discussing
these topics. They did not come in
with the Bible. They are found in the
Bible in ali its parts but they existed
before the Bible, and they are found in
the earliest history of man who was al
ready in the world. And in the world
they will stay to engage the interest of
man until the last wreck shall drift
upon the seas without a hand to guide.
What shall we do to be saved? The
very first step towards an answer will
be to find what it is that man is to be
saved from; then we may talk about the
means. What shall do to save that
man from danger? Tell me, is it the
man who is clinging TO the side of
mountain while the avalanche is tbun-
dering down? Or, is it the man who
has fallen over the taft rail of the ship,
and is struggling IN the water. while the
birds are screaming and the captain
giving his orders to throw out line?
Or, is it that man who has just come
out of the thicket over there, while the
brigade is approaching from the ridge,
and unconsciously nearS the spot that
will expose him to their murderous ire?
Now, tell me which maI it is you want
to save. and will try to tell you of the
best means to be employed, for we
would not employ the same means to
save all. SO tell me the danger to which
the sinner is exposed. what the condi-
tiOnS are, and then | will try to tell you
what you may expect III his case.
1t is not enough to give the traditional
answer. "Believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ" That answer is very common,
but what does it mean? There Is the
important question; for when you get
to that you stop and say: To-day three
sermons are preached on this question
and they are all answered in the same
way, and yet the men are so different
| that it seems as if something must be
wrong about the answer" Yes, the men
are very different. One is Roman
md. I'D lNt,0 NIxrfn
| veloped in the smoke of burning in,
cense. sustained by magn ificent organ
! and full-voiced choir-and he says
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ" An
| other is an evangelist, say Mr.. Mills,
t and he is surrounded III more simple
; way, but, in the midst Of the enthusi-
! aSm that fills the place, he too says Be
! lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ" An
, other is Unitarian, like DR.. Hale, let
me say-the direct descendant, by the
way, I'D personal appearance OF Elijah.
with polish of modern life added-and he
too uses the words. Well, is 1t not plain
that those words have different mean
| ing to each of these men? We speak of
! men who are liberal in opinion. To one
man Thomas Paine is representative
| liberal. TO another Phillips Brooks was
an ideal liberal. Archbishop Ireland
| fulfillS that idea exactly in the mind Of
a third. The words had limited mean
| ing in the mind of each. In word,
! every expression arOuSeS in your mind
| picture, an idea, or all emotion as The
case may be-the same expression may
rouse an entirely different idea or pic
ture or emotion in mine. If 1 have
made this clear you will see that to use
the phrase, Believe in the Lord Jesus
! Christ, without qualification, will simply
arouse in your minds here today the
| ideas that are there potent and latent.
; impression that | preached the sermon
according to your conception of what
| that phrase means.
| If l have rightly estimated our condi-
ton. then, what shall we do to be saved?
| Control our appetites. Use our ambi-
ton by turning it into worthy direc-
j tions. Let it be our pride to do the
| deeds of charity and go on the errands
! of mercy. But how shall we do this?
By rule and custom. Some may do it
that way. Only a few have the pa
/ tience, the perseverance. No; the ma
| jority will need the incentive of an
! emotional conception of some ideal
! and in one form or other, the means,
all that is symsoled in the declaration,
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This
will mean different ways to different
i people. TO Carlyle that ideal came by
personifying the life of his nation as a
hero. and he felt the first thrill when
! he declared that two lads of
| Annandale would show the uni
versitV the quality of their inheri-
tance of character. st. Paul lived
| in the hope of return of Christ to the
world. He expected to see with living
| eyes the descent of the Lord, and to
| hear the trumpet sound that would
awake the dead. He urged men to live
as eXpecti lg this. Others live in the
IDEAS of life. hope and the promise of
immortality. But. however we get our
| ideal, let US have One-have one that
we believe in. and follow it as we would
! follow compass.
| And remember two things: There is
| a hidden man in your heart. He will
| never be satisfied with the excuses you
! make to me. 1t was this hidden man
that laughed at Jean Vatican; it is the
/ same that laughs at you when you try
| to excuse yourself. Find that ideal and
! make peace with it. When you do that
| you will find ChriSt-yOu will be recon-
! ciled to God.
''THE BANkRUPT."
! The Swedish POETS Drama Well
| Rendered at the Metropolitan.
The Swedish poets drama. "Ein Fal-