Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-05-17
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
TALMACE breaches ON THE
REAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
Behold Thou Art Fair, My Love-
Sets Forth the Feeling of jesus Christ
Toward HIS Church-Must Always BE
Ahead OF the Times.


took for the subject of his forenoon
sermon a passage of scripture which
has been made the subject of much
discussion and various Interpretation
by modern theologians. His theme
was, "A Cheerful Church." and the
text was selected from Solomon's
song 4 /: Behold Thou Art Far,
My Love"
Higher criticism" says that this
book of Solomon's Song is love scene,
a forlorn maiden signing for her beau.
If so, it is an unclean and debauched
utterance inserted in the pure word
of God and is not fit for common read
ing. My opinion is that it is an inspired
ode setting forth the feeling of Christ
toward the church and of the
church toward Christ Christ is the
bridegroom, and the church is the
bride. The same words we can utter
to-day truthfully whether in regard
to the church of God in general or this
church in particular: behold, thou
art fair, my love" The past week has
been one of prolonged congratulation
for that we have for twenty-five
years been permitted to associate
with each other in the relation
of pastor and people. When /
came to Brooklyn l found small
band of Christian disciples who from
various causes had become less and
less, until they stood upon the very
verge of extinction as church; and
the question was being agitated from
time to time whether it would be pos
sible to maintain a church life longer.
Indeed, had not those men and women
been consecrated and earnest, they
would have surrendered to the
adverse circumstances. They mar
shalled q congregational meeting, and,
gathering up all the forces posi-
BILE, they cast nineteen votes for a
pastor all of which / am happy to
have received.
1t was not through any spirit of per-
sonal courage or reckless adventure
that led me, from one of the warmest
and most congenial pastorates in Phil
adelphia that a man ever enjoyed, to
this then most uninviting field; but it
was the feeling that God had called
would see me through.
/ have thought that it might be
profitable to us to state briefly what
kind of church we have been trying
to esta blish.
In the first place, l remark that we
have hann fruinT fn hIlil1 harn a
Christian ch-distinctively such;
in other words, church where we
should preach the Lord Jesus Christ
and him crucified. My theology is all
gone into five letters-Jesus Je-
sus, the pardon of all offenses. Jesus,
the foundation for all structures. Je-
sus, the balm for all wounds. Jesus,
the eye-salve for all blindness. Jesus,
the guide through all perplexities
Jesus, the hope for all discourage
ments. Jesus, the reform for all
wrongs l have faith to believe that
there is more power in one
drop of the blood of Jesus Christ
in an ocean full of human quackery
Jesus is the grandest note in any min
strelsy. He is the brightest gem in
any crown. Height overstepplng all
height The center of every circum-
ference. The circumference to every
center. The pacifer of all turbu-
lence. The umpire of all disputes
Jesus Jesus. At his table all nations
are to sit. Around his throne all
worlds are to revolve. He is to be the
irradiation of the universe. Jesus.
Jesus. 1t is that truth that we have
tried to preach in this tabernacle.
Do you ask more infinitely what we
believe? l can tell you We have no
dry, withered, juiceless theology. We
believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, the de-
liverer of the distressed, the home for
the homeless, the friend for the friend
less. We believe in Jesus Christ, able
to save to the uttermost, pardoning
the guilty, imputing his righteousness
to the believer We believe in the
Holy Ghost, the comforter, the Sancti-
fer, cheering up the heart in life's
ills, and kindling bright lights
in every dark landing place. We be-
lieve that the whole race is so sunken
in sin that nothing but the omnipotent
arm of God can ever lift it out We
believe in grace-free grace. sovereign
grace, triumphant grace, eternal grace.
We believe in Bible-authentic in it's
statements, immaculate in its teachings,
glorious in it's promises. We believe
in heaven, the abode of the righteous;
and in hell, the residence of those
who are soul suicides-of their own
free choice refusing the divine mercy.
We believe in the salvation of all men
who accept Christ by faith, be they
sprinkled or immersed, worship they
in cathedral or in log cabin, believe
they in Presbyterianism or Episco-
pacy, dwell they under Italian skies
or in Siberian snow storms, be they
Ethiopian or American. All one
in Christ One Lord, one faith, one
baptism, on the way to one heaven. We
built this ia bernacle for the purpose
of setting forth these great theories of
the Gospel of the Son of God. Would
that we had been more faithful in the
pulpit! Would that we had been more
faithful in the pew!
remark further, that we have tried
here to build church distinctively
unconventional. Instead of asking,