The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-08-28

- rrs - -~~sn my tnS uaiolikf are Ous
POWER OF TRUTH ILLUSTRATES.
Nr. Asnnedy On Agrippa's Confession &c
Fisss fresbyterian Church
The text taken for his sermon by the
Kew. samuel j. Kennedy. . visiting min
lister who filed the pulpit Of the First
rresbyterian church last night, was
Almost thou persuadest me to be q
Christian" Acts xxyi:28 The story Of
fauFs conversion was first told and Of bis
being taken for trial before Agnppa. who.
after hearing Paul's discourse on the prin-
cipies OF the Christian religion, says:
Almost thou persusdest me to be
Chrlstian." The preacher then went on:
we see here the mighty power Of the
gospel truth. IL could almost wean from
his religion that honorable Jew. Axrippa.
And yet Christianity was then neither
popular nor respectable. although the
creed OF the king was shaken to its founda-
ton.
Here il 4 glorious evidence OF the power
OF gospel truth-of the power of our re-
Bgion- Blessed be God IL Is to triumph
over all systems--it 10 20 be the conqueror
OF oil religions. We care not what may be
their antiquity--or conReniality with de-
PRAYED tastes We care not though their
principles be inwrought in the moral heart
OF men, Bring the religion Of the cross
into contact with them and they shall
vanish like the mists Of morn before the
summers sun. ft shall dispel every error
that darkens the human judgment; snap
every fetter that enthrals the soul. IL
shall give 70 every soul its freedom, the
long lost inheritance OF man
The mighty power OF the gospel
strengthened the heart Of Paul. While
Agrippa trembles Paul 10 calm. What
braced MP the soul of the Apostle with 50
much unconquerable energy That which
made Agrippa tremble-even gospel truth.
The Cloudy Pillar of old which shone
brightly upon the Israeiites in the Red
sea frowned in midnight darkness upon
the Egyptians. The former IL cheered
and & addened. the latter 1t filled with
terror and alarm. So hero gospel truth
had . very different effect upon these two
men. And does IL not always act thusf
While 10 overcomes the sinners with the
terrors OF convection does II not I'LL the
Christian with JOY and peace in believing
This illustrates also the grand aim of
the gospel What Is its aimf II seems TO
us It's one grand aim is to make men
Christians. What Is IL to be q Christian?
This is the paramount question OF the day.
Paul answers the great quession-.ro be as
tuted Paul a Christianf Well, three
things az least. He accepted the atone
ment OF Christ as the only hope Of saliva
ton He made the will OF Christ his sole
rule of conduct He cherished the love of
Christ as the inspiration Of his life. These
three things. we think, made the apostle
what he was, and these, too. are the essen
tiai elements of the Christian of today.
Now you ask me what is the value of
the object which IL 10 the design
of gospel truth TO confer-what
j. the worth Of the name3
cannot tell. Ii Is name above every
human name. A name that shall live IN
memory when the proudest names of
earth shall be forgotien-when every title
that now emblaxons the pages of heraidry
shall be blotted out by the ruthless hand
OF TIME. A name with which are con-
nected the subIimest possible privileges.
Are you Christianf Then the great
God whom We worship 10 your father,
Jesus Christ your elder brother. angels are
your servants. and heaven will be your
home. Are you Christian9 Then you
can claim an interest In all things, for all
things are Jesus. for ye are Christ's and
Christ Is God
Notice. too, the practical method of the
Gospel. How does this powerful truth
attain this sublime object7 Only by
moral suasion. This implies two things.
The existence of evidences TO convince the
Judgment and motives TO change the will.
How tremendous the motives contained
In the gospel for this parposef Motives
gathered from every source lifted TO
awaken the oonscienee-from heaven and
hell--life and death. the scenes Of Sinia
and the mighty wonders OF the cross On,
the cross contains universe Of motives in
itself. Every page of the gospel is charged
with infinite motives TO bow down the
sinners conscience and change his will,
H. tat saf -.
the mind Is persuasion: is the means by
which men are 90 be made Christians
This II q regularity of our religion.
Knowing. therefore. the terrors of the
Lord. We persuade men. The religion OF
Christ can only spread through and leaven
the world by fair exhibition OF gospel
truth 10 the heart Of man. IL has a self
propelling power God has promised to
give II success. NV word shalt not return
TO me void. bat shall prosper in the thing
whereto sent it.
Then. too. Agrippa's confession Illus
trates the solemn failure Of gospel truth.
What. IL may be asked, was the reason
Agripps did not yield 10 the divine In
fiuence brought 20 bear upon him. Not
because Paul was not in earnest or failed
60 get a hearing, but because be did not
think properly about the truth brought
before him. An individual may ply me
with arguments ever so powerful, yet IN
less | think upon them they viii fall
powerless upon my soul. suppose You
had an undutifnl son who had left your
home. His absence grieved you through
the day. aud made you restless through
the night Tidings reach you of his
abode and Of the gay. sinful aad
ruinoas conduct he Is pursuing. You
resolve TO write letter 10 your
boy, putting into il ali the pathos
of a loving fathers heart. After you have
written IL you show IL 10 your partner in
life aud the mother of your dear boy. She
reads IL. returning IL with fearful eyes,
saying. Ii anything will move him,
surely that letter will. Now. l ask on
what depends the success of that letter =
Not on its being sent. net on its being
read. but upon his setting down aud
thinking over iE carefully aud calcniat-
ingly as being the product OF a loving par.
ent's heart, which ne has well nigh
broken. Just SO IL Is with the gospel lt
IL letter sent down from oar Father on
high. fall Of loving tenderness. 90 His IN
dnuiui children, asking them 10 return 10
His home, and the one great reason shyis
does not succeed - because they DO not
think. Let men but sit down and think
over the gospel message as they would
over some deal in real estate, and more Of
the men Of today would be not only a.
moss but altogether Christians.
Are you almost Chrlstlansg Then you
are resisting the ministry Of the gospel by
raent and the conviction of your. con
science Meshinks il on the Judgment
siav there be one visAgs more Impressed
with agony and despair than another 10
will be the almost Christian. There are
.,,m~w <AA fzsfurpS in skf. wnrki The fAit-