Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-10-16

consequently we have not paid much attention
10 criticisms. No man, no organization, no
institution, no church can hope to have every
one speak well of them The master said:
woe unto you when all men speak well of You ~
And you may be assured that ministers and
that churches are serving the devil quite
satisfactorily against whom sometimes some
unkfnd things are not said. There is a story
OF how some soldiers, during the war; saw a
light, and the captain said "Fire on that
campP' They did. They opened musket
ana cannon. But brighter and brighter the
light grew. They fired faster and faster, until
after awhile the light proved to be the moon.
The man in the moon just looked on, smiling,
and continued his journey in the God appoin-
ted orb in the sky. Brethren, sisters and
friends when we have been fired at and upon
we have tried to move along in what we have
considered our divinely appointed work, and
have always found that after awhile the
musketry and canonading of the critics have
ceased We have not tried by any slight of
hand performances to bring about quick and
startling results. We have kept in mind
that all real solid, permanent growth takes
time Shakespeare says:
"Small herbs have grace
Great weeds do grow apace.
ANA so, methinks, would not grow so fast,
Because sweet flowers are SLOW
And weeds make haste"
Now the Lord, who hath hitherto helpeth,
will help in all the future. Hath He not
said: 81 will never leave thee or foresake
thee" This some great God who hath In the
past been your guide and counselor and
helper, will cheerfully and lovingly still be
yours in the future.
/. BE loved in the Lord, be farsighted and
rn,,t,, toe
mote, far-off motives that are among the
most effective? If any are nearsighted and
think they must shape their lives and service
by looking at things nearest, just harken to
these words of Peter: "He that laclxeth these
things is blind and cannot see afar Off"
Now you know that men and women who
have succeeded in every Department. of human
thought and effort, have ventured. IfColum-
bus had not started upon that remarkable
voyage-well you know the rest If the eagle
had remained in the shell-well YOU know. n
n n And if you should settle down now, n
"We are to expect great things !" said
the immortal Carey, "that we may achieve
them" May you begin at once planning.
2. Continue in doing individual work; con-
tinue in making it point of your business to
bring some one to Christ and into the church.
If the world waits for a few minister's to bring
all the unconverted to Jesus it will wait in
vain. This was recently said by member of
Protestant church in Paris: "For YOU must
know 1t is rule in our church that when one
brother has been converted he must go and
fetch another BROTHER and when q sister has
been converted she must go and fetch another
sister. That is the way 100 of us have come
from atheism and darkness to simple faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ" There you have one
of the great secrets of the way =
g. Again, have strong and abiding faith in
the promises of God. General Sherman once
said: THAT General Grants distinguished
characteristic was his unbounded faith in his
own ultimate success L never saw anything
like it. If Grant was to have an arm or a
leg shot off and bullet through his body, and
should lie helpless on the battle field, he
would still fully expect to get up, mount his
horse and win the day" And such absolute
belief in ultimate success insures 1t. Now
| something of this "absolute belief,' we shall
| need; and there will be no presumption in 1t;
| for 1t is simply taking God at his word
| Don't you know that faith is the strongest
force in the world; and the next strongest is
doubt. The only thing that can hinder the
| Son of God in the work of human redemption
is unbelief. l read over here that it chained
| His hands and sent Him from the ancient cit
sorrowful and unsuccessful "He could do no
mighty works there because of their unbe-
lief" Doubt is the enemy of God. Doubt
paralyzes, cripples, destroys. Doubt opens
up hell, shuts up heaven. Faith opens heaven;
closes hell. Faith is the victory that over
comes the world. Faith in ourselves, faith
in our being called of God to certain work.
faith in the promises of the Lord VIII enable
the church to "go forth in her might, fair as
the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an
army with spears"
And with your faith couple an entire depen-
dence upon the Holy Spirit. Have you not
noticed this great fact that there is no mark
ed instance of great success on the part of the
apostles where we have not the account pre-
faced by some such statement as this "Being
filled with the Holy Ghost" Well, there is
no use in our trying anything today for the
cause of Christ unless y Not sermons
not music, not vast assemblies, not organiza-
tions, not machinery, not might, not by pow
er, but by the Spirit. Be filled with the Spir-
| it and then shall cavilling lips become dumb
scorners appalled, testers made serious; back
sliders reclaimed; sinners converted; beliey-
ers astonished and set on fire; the church
built up in every departments; and the Lord
shall be greatly glorified. 1 tell you if our
churches were only filled with the Holy Spirit
they might be able to blow up the very gates
of hell that obstruct the coming in of the
King of Glory.
1 must stop speaking. have already de-
| tained you much longer time than is my
| custom. But let me mention three things
which make me sorrowful tonight.
l. This is one: That my work has been SO
poorly done, and that much must now be left
unfinished. My feelings must be somewhat
| akin to those of one drawing near the close OF
life and is overwhelmed. Many kind words
have been spoken and warm grasp of the
hand has been given, but none of these things
move me. It's the poor sermons preached;
the feeble prayers offered; the opportunities
gone forever that press upon my soul this
hour. First asking your forgiveness and
then that of my Master, let me then ask you,
members of,this church, to carry forward the
good work along the line of saving souls.