The herald., 1893-05-01
THOUGHTS FOR THE SPIRITUAL.
Doctrines Taught Yesterday
from the Pulpits.
Rev. Daniel Reed on Christ's Con-
stant Presence.
United Presbyterian Church-Rev.
j. w. Campbell at the First
Methodist.

Rev. Daniel Reed. pastor OF the First
Baptist church, preached before a large
congregation at both services yesterday.
His text was from the Goth verse of the
28th chapter of st. Mathew.
Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever l have commanded
you; and 10, I am with you always, even
unto the end Of the world. Amen
"The author of the Country Parson
said most strikingly, There is great
deal in the way Of putting thing
Stated in one way truth may seem
dull and prosy and imperative. Stated
in another way, it becomes vivid, i'm
pressive and effective. And it is inter-
esting to see that the Spirit of God is a
master OF rhetoric, and puts the truth
in the most forcible way. For example,
in l, Cor, 1873, our common version
reads And though | bestow all my
goods to feed the poor and have not
charity / am nothing But the exact
form of expression of the Spirit is,
And though deal out all my possess
sions in gifts to the poor, etc. This
form of expression represents that given
as personally dealing out his wealth in
charity to the poor, while the other
form of expression would permit the
idea of mans making one great gift of
all his possessions and leaving other
people to make the dietribution. In
this case the man gets the honor of lib-
erality, while in reality he has no trou-
BILE in the daily care OF it's disbursement.
But in the other case the man not only
parts with his money, but he also gives
time and thought and often wearisome
toll to distribute it wisely. He goes
about and looks up the needy and de-
serving person, and gives to each person
that which is most needed. In such q
case mans charity is more exacting
and more real, and shows kinder and
tenderer heart. And yet, says the Spirit,
in such case ii the giyer has not love,
he is nothing.
Our text is another instance of an inn
presHive divine rhetoric. The real form
of expression as given by the Spirit is,
"Lol am with you all the days unto
the completion of the age" This way
of stating this precious truth makes it
much more impressive and COM
forting. II Jesus had said,
II am with you always," this
form of statement would seem to take
in the gospel age as whole; one great
period of time. the age. This concep-
tion seems like the great blue sky, a
vast and distant dome embracing all the
earth, both sea and land, and therefore
all that is on and in the sea. But the
other way of stating this promise, the
exact way the Holy Spirit has chosen,
viz: Lol | am with you all the days,
or every day, till the completion of the
age. This seems more helpful and COM
forting, bringing the promise down to
our limited and narrow way of looking
at things. We can take in the concep-
tion of day when we cannot grasp the
great always, the age; and we know
what it ie to need help each day for that
days need. And 80 we have the Divine
promise of daily strength for daily
duties, and daily trials and daily com
forts for daily sorrows and daily guild
ance in daily perplexities and daily
cleansing for daily SHINING and daily
Joy for daily sorrows and
daily inward renewing for daily
perisS:v Of the outer man.
Tt m of the promise is thus like
the FIRE of each home, giving
brig 10 the home and warming
each .ber of the household, while
all without is cold and stormy and dark.
$50 am with you every day until the
completion OF the age" This conception
Of Christ as living ever-present helper
and Savior is necessary to full salvation.
What can Christ do for us? Has He
already done for us all We need2 Has
He done for ue all He can do? Is
Christ merely q historic parsonage, like
Moses and David and Paul? Like other
great benefactors did He cease His work
for His friends and followers when He
passed out of this world? Was Christ
merely natural parsonage or was He
supernatural Is His influence limited
to His work which He wrought out
while He was on earth, and to His
teaching and example or is He actually
present now today and every day with
His deciples working in them and with
them and applying His words and en-
forcing His example by His living and
recognized presence? Our text answers
these questions. He himself says, "To
Z am with you every day till the COM
pletion of the age"
The various thoughts leading from the
text were taken up and discussed in de-
tail with characteristic clearness and the
sermon was closed as follows: Our long.
ing hearts and the coming Christ are
adopted to each other and long for each
other and the new divine life within is
thrilled with the hope OF his speedy
coming. And some day our loving Lord
will suddenly become visible to our
watching eyes, and when we see Him as
He is we shall be changed in moment.
in the twinkling of an eye, and this
mortal shall put on Immortality and
this corruption shall put on interruption
and we shall become like Him and shall
be caught up to meet the Lord in the
air and go we shall ever be with the
Lord. This glorious event will be the
completing of the present age. Up to
that moment Christ will be with us and
from that day onward we shalt be with
Him, forever with him. Amen, SO let il
be Life from the dead is that
word, Immortality And now, dear
brethren, since our divine Lord
is with us every day, how pure
our hearts should be. Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God.
What strict guard should be kept over
our Inns. our hands our feet. our hod.