The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-12

creatures. Let us reflect on these words
from this point of view. Let us look to HIM
as He reigus and looks down on His people
tonight. How is this attracting power OF
the Messiah mentioned i'll the text ihanlT
festeds The attracting power of the meuia-
tor is manifested through the ministry OF Ine
world. Every minister has had the divine
call before he gets the external call or
ordination. Unless by Jesus Christ he is not
a minister. whatever he may beheVe;
Wherever he goes he must bear the gospel OF
Jesus Christ with him. He breaches the same
thing all the time. Jesus Christ sanctlnea.
Jesus Christ glorified. The great WORK OF
the minister wherever he goes, whatever ne
does is to hold UP Jesus on aahat
The church has the sacraments, wnat
are they but mirrors of Jesus Christ. Every
Christian edifice ought in all its parts to re-
mind people of Jesus Christ. They are pullt
with their lofty spires pointing 70 the heavens
and their domes to remind us OF the heavens.
Many of them are filed with beauthui PAM,
inps to remind us of Christ. All are designed
to remind worshipers of Jesus Christ anu
Him crucifed and glorified. Wherever the
church NAV go, whatever the church may
do it should set forth Christ.
CHURCH MACHINERY.
ssSome people say that the church has TOO
much machinery. Doubtless some churcnes
nave. J06Y OlUtil udN0t Wv
Such dead wood should be cut off. IL 1t does
not carry the influence of the divine
Christ to men the quicker it Is destroyed
the better. The church has too little ma
chinery The trouble is, the church Is not
willing to adopt modern methods. Whap-
ever agency that can be used TO draw peoPie
70 church should be used. 1t would enrlcn
the church and the attracting power OF Jesus
Christ would go forth through men. Wnat-
ever agency is used to carry grace to men,
that is the proper instrumentallty Tor the
church to adopt. Every Christian IS called
to be Christlike and Godlike, and to renect
some of His traits in his life and CONVERSE
tion, and this is the. influence whereby every
member of a church becomes OF the
church an attracting part. am afraid
we are not attracting men to Cnflsb
as we ought to. There is much complaint
against Christian men that they warn men
to keep away from the church by SAYING
they know better men out OF the cnurch tnah
in it. There are grounds for these com
plants against Christian men. They warn
men to keep away from the church. thus,
in a measure, the church is keeping men
away from Christ instead of drawing them
to Him. We should throw down these bar
riers and should go forth as minister1ng men
and women, and by our characters lead men
to Christ. Above all these human agencies
to lead men to Christ there Is one lar more
powerful-the Holy Spirit.
CHRIsT'S GAO
s.Wben Jesus Christ went to His father, lie
left a legacy-the Holy Spirit. He told his
Apostles to watch for His coming. He came,
aud He has never left us since. We know
that the Holy Spirit is in the world; we can
RELY rpon that absolutely. Let us open onr
ewes to see Him: let as stretch forth our
heart strings to be i'll touch with Him.
There is a lack of faith today in Gods Holy
Spirit. This attraction for Jesus Christ Is
not on attraction put forth to draw a mar
away from the world into the church. 1T IS
a constant and abiding power. Not attrace.
ing once but always. The attracting power
of Jesus Christ viii be felt especially In the
hours of prayer, in the hours OF
RELIGIONS meditation n in hours
of conservation. l am glad that We nave
more than one religious movement winch
has revived the power of religious consecra-
tion. The spirit of conservation is more
powerful in the Salvation Army than in
any religious body existing today. 1t is one
of the greatest agencies in the success OF that
institution. 1t comes to the mind, 1T warns
fine affections. it kindles the zeal. Many a
man has been influenced by the sacred light
and fire to stand alone for Christ against
the world. All spiritual life emanates from
Him. the fountain of life. Jesus Christ
represents Himself to us as love. 1t is be-
cause of the love which enters our hearts
that our love to Him is gone and love to
orr feIlow-nan enters Inc goes forth from
our natures.
siSome men think the world is growing worse
and that the church is going to ruin. They
think that the Church of Jesus Christ is go
ing to become of no more use III the world.
They are mistaken. All through the nine
tenth century the attracting power of
Jesus Christ has been felt, and has drawn
men to him. History shows that notwlth-
standing defects and failures in the church,
it is growing more Christ-like. On the
whole, looking the world over, no one can
deny, if he looks with an impartial mind,
the fact that the church is ever
advancing, and rising higher and
higher, and that the Christian individual
is rising higher and will continue to do SO
for wears to come. We have before us,
brothers, not only the promises of the past,
but the anticipation Of the future. We
know the time is not far distant when the
words of the prophet win be fulfilled and
all will have been attracted to Him. God
hasten that time"
There will be special services at the church
Ill 41o fraal-