The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-07-30
PREsBYrERrAN cHuRcH,

lIntrouuctlon 70 morning sermon.)
Daniel We ster In beginning his men,
orable reply TO Hayne on the fioor Of the
United States senate on the 18th day OF
January, 1890, used this striking figure:
!. hen the mariner has been tossed
many days in thick weather and on an
nnknown sea he naturally avails himself
.of the first pause In the storm, the
earliest gIaEce of the sun, 10 take his
latitude aud ascertain how far the ele.
mehts have driven him from his true
course. Let us initiate this prudence
and before we tioat farther or the waves
of thus debate refer TO the point from
which we departed that We may at least
be aole To conjecture where We now are.
! ask for the reading of the resolution
before the senate"
In tins pointed and telling manner did
the greatest Of American orators bring
his audience back TO the real business
before them, the discussion of plain
resolution. Likewise it is wholesome
for the church OF Christ TO come back
70 consideration OF first principles.
The bible contains many subjects for
study. The activities OF the church
have been expended in many different
directions and recently our attention has
been gwen, and very proitably we be-
ieva, TO such recreation as Chautauqua
affords. 1t has seemed to me fitting,
therefore, that in resuming our regular
services and gathering up our energies
for another campaign OF church work we
should ask ourselves what we are here
tor, what the church OF God is, of what
class Of people should it CONSIST, what
kind Of character are they expected to
bear and what they should live TOR and
work for in the world. AS South Caro-.
lina's brilliant statesman had referred in
his speech Ito which Webster replied)
to every mentionable subject, but the
one specified in the resolution before the
senate, so the christian is apt to have
the currents Of his energy poured into a
multitude of channels and thus dlssi-
pated and lost altogether. We need to
understand ourselves and have clear
conception of our mission. We should
concentrate our aim upon 1.-The one
thing" and direct all our God given pow
ers to the accomplishment of our own
peculiar work AS a church of Christ. Let
us go buck to first principles and 10 the
wor is of Isaiah, Sill, "Look at the Rock
whence we ere hewn and to the hole of
of the pit whence we are digged."
When we wish to see and taste of the
water Of stream OF running water in its
native purity and freshness we do not
dip Ito it at any point in it's course we
may happen to approach. We would be
likely to find it more or less corrupted by
the addition OF tributary streams or by
the entrance into it OF drift and refuse.
But we would 60 rather to its source and
see it as it bubbles from its birth place
in the mountains or issues from beneath
a vast bed Of ice and snow. There we
get the water In ito virgin purity and
drink with pleasure refreshing draught
gaze delighted into its crystalline depths.
Likewise let us ascend to the head
waters OF the River of Salvation. Let
us study the church vi God in its. heaven
born purity. Let US turn back the
pages of history to that place and time
when the church of God was launched
separate and visible organization into
the world. Then the speaker began an
exposition of the second chapter Of
Acts. ....