St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-15
There Is No Retrogade Move
ment in Christianity's
March.
Church AceesSions Increase
as the Work Of Christ Is
Executed,
And Proportionataly They
Exceed the Populations
Growth.

are become the Kingdoms of our Lord
and of His Christ, and He shall reigL
forever and ever" He said:
WHO can describe the rapurous
vision here depicted? What soul, soar
ing on pinions of faith. can hear this
shout of heavens multitudeand not find
itself lifted into highest hopes and an
ticipatiohs for the future Of the church.
Swelling down from the throne OF the
Eternal like a mighty torrent, it over
whelmS and brushes the difficulties that
caused some to despair. and fills
the earth with the knowledge of
God as waters cover the sea. The
language of our text means that in
her glorious and conquering march the
church meets no barrier 1T can not sur
mount. DO foe it can not defeat. no ter
rItory it can not call its own. We must
not wait to conquer before we shall cry
victory. The soldier who fights best is
the one to whom victory has become
reality ere the battle is fought. TO an
| ticipate defeat III our struggle against
| sin is to throw aside the shield of faith,
| and waYeringIy contend against OppoS-
| ing forces To hear the great voices of
| heaven pealng out the halleujah of
! success as they measure the strength
| of Gods omnipotent arm is to to see the
| standard of our Lord already planted
| on the rampartS of the enemy, and His
| loyal Iegions enc0mpasSlng the earth.
In the presence OF our text how small
| has seemed our faith! Eighteen hun
| dred wears ago John could hear a mes
sage that forever precludeS the poSsi-
bility OF Our
Becoming Discouraged
| provided we understand and appropriate
rightly the message of our text. Just
now our fair city is being awakened to
display an interest in spiritual things.
| The churches have banded together in
an effort to inaugurate reign Of right
eOusness and enthrone the Prince of
| Peace in the hearts of our citizens.
We have called prophet of the Lord
to dwell among us for season and turn
the thoughts Of all Godward. Have you
| any misgIving as to the result? Do you
| doubt that much good shall result from
| the special services that are being held
from day to day? If you do, then for
! you victory is a fOreg0ne conclusion.
| | think that Rev. Mills heard the
message from heaven recorded
! in my text. So sanguine is he of sue
| cess that plans for StupendouS Work
| have been draughted. Yet that servant
| of God must needs be supported by the
churches Of the city if he would accom-
are Christian people in this city makes
| it possible for him to attempt the work.
| Only as our faith is enlarged shall we
| behold the contamination for which we
| so devoutly pray. In contemplating the
work God has given into our hands let
us consider the prospect that lies before
US in our Christian labOrs. Before we
| touch upon the outlook for the church
| let us first make an introSpection.
| The proper place at which to start
is consideration of the church
as it is at present, and then
| shall we be better enabled to read its
! future. What is the object Of the
| church; what its strength, and what
! forces can it now command that will
| tend to produce the result described In
| our text? In reference to the aim OF
| object of the church. no more fitting
| words could be chosen than those found
| in the great commission: go We into
all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature; make disciples or Chris
| tians of all nations, baptizing them into
| the name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all
! things whatsoever have commanded
ycu." In the early part Of this century
| that command
Was Not Obeyed
| as it should have been by the children
of God. The church selfshly believed
herself as too holy to mingle with the
| world in order to save the souls that
were perishing at her very doors. She
| seemed not to feel her awful RESPONSE
bllity in reaching out to save the lost.
No person, they thought, would receive
an impress of our Fathers love unless
He were already within His fold.
They had yet to learn the lesson we
have since learned, that God not only
loves the saint, but also the sinner. He
has especial favors to bestow upon the
saved, but He also stretches forth His
hands and tenderly calls the uncon-
verified. We are now convinced that our
blessed privilege as Gods children is to
work, to labor for the salvation and
happiness of others. AS the Saviour in
HIS day graclously blessed the multi
tudes, the church is learning to initiate
his example. AS result, the uufortu-
nate portions of humanity feel the touch
of sympathy and love and benevolence
that goes out to them from the people
of the Lord. With such message and
mission we may fondly and securely
hope that the words of cur text will :
speedily find their fulfiilment in the
coneuests we shall continue to achieve.
We might we'll ask what is it that best
serves to bring us nearer and nearer so
great a cOnSummatiOn. On what prin-
cipally does the future success of the
church depend? What power is 1t that
like mighty blllow shall bear on its
crest the souls of those who have drifted
far out into the sea of iniquity and
sweep the perishing multitudes upon
the shores of the land of promise? Need
l say to you that the more of spirituality
there is present in the church the nearer
are we to a universal victory. Therein
lies our power. If one thing has him
dered the cherished desire of our hearts
for the conversion of the worla, it is
our familiarity and friendship and al
lance with those things that belong to
Satan and darkness. Oh, how pitiful a
sight to witness the Lambs bride
Suing the World
for favor and bending upon her knees
ask it for aims. Instead of assuming
the position of mendicant, the church
should lift her head like some towering
mountain, and, catching upon its sum-
nit the radiant glory of the Lord, there
by lead humanity to look up to it for
warmth and blessing. Let US not de-
Jude ourselves with an idea that God
slumbers. Believe not that Gods arm
is shortened or HIS ear heavy that He
cannot save. The church has allowed
herself to contract an alliance with the
world. and she seems not to heed the
power she is losing. In obedience to
the divine call, and with prayer
for mercy, let us bravely refuse
to cherish our improper relations
with the world. Let 1T not drag
us into the valley of the
shadow of death, but with brave
determination in the name of Christ
beseech you, beloved, to cultivate
deep and abiding spirituality, and lead
tae world into the fold of righteousness.
Thus shall the words OF my text be
more tina n sentiment and Imagination;
they will then portray glorious real
ity. What lnStrumentaiities are there