The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-08

eA0 SHouuu III oIutT to CafTy uou1o tho
truth. II you get into certain atmos-
phere where the spirit isn't working, you
will not~have liberty.
II q minister hasn't got liberty, 1t isn't
always his fault. want to emphasize
that. The fault may be down there in the
audience. venture to say that an arch
angel couldn't have had liberty under
such circumstances. Why? Because OF
the fault finding, exhibiting and criti-
cism. ,Supposing Andrew and Philip had
a row and were not on speaking terms, do
you think there would have been any
liberty? There Is not the right atmos-
phere, and I do not care who you put in
the pulpit, there will not be liberty. You
want some new church members down
there. You get them straight, and the
ministers will be all right. Supposing
James had turned to John and said,
"John, / really don't think Peter Is
preaching as well today as usual" and
John had replied, "Why, he has the most
influential congregation ever saw. The
greatest msn OF the city are here"
i will venture to say that you
have had ten thousand better sermons
preached in Providence than Peter ever
preached. Supposing those people had
gone on picking Peter to pieces. Do you
think there would have been any power?
But the one hundred and twenty held
Peter right up to God, and, IL you vii. al
low me to use the expression, he swung
loose that day. 1t takes neither brains
nor heart to find fault. Anybody can do
that. IL you doubt what / say just go
into a crowd and hear stranger talk.
You will hear it said, "Well, what do you
think of him?" 81 must confess that was
greatly disappointed. He isn't as good
as our own minister" Another comes
along and says, SHE wasn't logical. 1
have logical turn OF mind, and when i
go to church / want to hear logic"
Another says, "He wasn't philosophical"
Don't know what it means, but philo-
sophy is what he wants." Another says
'It was all brain. Now, am using my
brain all day long, and when j go to church
want someone to appeal to my heart"
i wish we could get this accursed spirit
of criticism out of the church, and then
there would be something done. But
perhaps the fault is not with the man in
the pulpit. When you go home and look
at the looking glass, perhaps you will see
the guilty person. What we want Is to
get out OF the business OF fault-fnding.
1t is poor business, my friend, Just get
to praying. You need the spirit of God
Just as much as the minister. You busi-
ness men need it; the Sunday school teach
ers need it; there are men and women who
confess God who need il. You will have
liberty to walk and talk with and work
for Christ IL you have His spirit.
His work is also to testify of Christ.
What we want today in Providence is love
of Christ. That's all. Let these minis
ters go into the pulpits and lift up Christ
and let speculation go. The world can
get on without speculation and theories,
but this old world cannot get on without
Jesus Christ. Therefore we want TO
preach Him and hold Him up. There is
no class of men that Jesus Christ won't
draw IL He is lifted up.
Then, another thing the spirit OF God
does is TO teach you. He shall teach
you all things" He is wonderful
teacher. There is not a thing that i want
to know about the future life that God
cannot teach me. Any spirit that does
not want that Book you may know is a
lying spirit. " He shall teach you all
things" Now, IL we have got teacher
sent down here from Heaven to teach us
all things, are we not dishonoring Hin
IL we run after other teachers
People often come to me and ask me to go
to other teachers, call up some departed
spirits and have the chairs and tables
turning round. tell them "no." When
the Lord converted me He took me out of
darkness. In secret my Master taught
nothing. 1 don't want anything Of these
teachers that are. going to teach us in the
dark. don't know what they are. They
may come from hell.
And then He shall guide you into all
tr 18th. Wonderful guide, isn't he? That
is what He is down here for, to guide us
thro Ugh the wilderness. He is here to
look after us.
Now want to call your attention to
fabt. You never in your life saw a man
full of God who wasn't full OF scripture.
you see a MINISTER in the pulpit
that Is filled with the Spirit of
God and he will talk scripture right along.
Mary was filed with the Holy Ghost, and
that magnificat flowed from her lips.
And anv man full of the Holy Ghost will
talk SC lure.
believe Christ never spoke Of his death
but what he said "On the third day / will
rise again" And yet, when the time came
his disciples had forgotten oil about those
words. 1t has always been mystery to
me where the family of Bethany was.
You would have thought they would have
remembered and been at his grave. His
enemies had better memories than his
own disciples. They were at the door of
the sepulchur; but they never did better
thing for Christianity than to roll that
stone up against the door.
But when the Holy Ghost came then
we are told that they remembered the
words of the Lord Jesus. Their memory
was long enough then. j tell you, when
you are filed with the spirit OF God scrip
ture will come rushing into your mind.
One text upon another comes rushing into
your mind, saying, "Use me, use me-"
And then, "He shall comfort YOU"
There is not a broken heart here today
that He cannot make whole. There is not
a sorry one here that Ne will not COM
fort. "If / go not away the Comforter
will not come.v