The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1894-12-05

grind up iceberg against iceberg, and
to flow away. The first resolution
passed by the convention was: Re
solved. that we abolish the sun"
But the sun would not be abolished.
greater. until after awhile the very
king of the icebergs began to perspire
under the glow, and the smaller ice
bergs fell over, and the cry was: TOO
much excitement! Orderl Order"
Then the whole body, the whole field
of ice, began to flow out and a thou
sand voices began to ask: "Where
are we going to now? Where
are we floating to? We will all
break to pieces. BY this time the ice
bergs had reached the Gulf Stream;
and they We're melted into the bosom
of the Atlantic ocean. The warm sun
is the eternal spirit. The icebergs are
frigid Christians. The warm gulf
stream is great revival The ocean
into which everything melted is the
great. wide heart of the pardoning
and sympathizing God.
But l think, after all, the greatest
obstacle in revivals throughout Chris
tendon to-day is an unconverteG min
istry. We must believe that the vast
majority of those who ofticiate at sac
red affairs arc regenerated; but l sup
pose there may float into the ministry
of all the denominations of Christians
men whose hearts have never been
changed by the grace of God. Of
course, they are all antagonistic 20 re-
vivalS.
How did they get into the ministry?
Perhaps some of them chose it as q re-
spectacle profession. Perhaps some
chose il rs a means Of livelihood. Per
haps some of them were sincere, but
were mistaken. As Thomas Chalmers
said he had been many years preaching
the Gospel before his heart had been
changed, and rs many ministers of
the Gospel declare they were preach
ing and had been ordained to sacred
orders years and years before
their hearts were regenerated. Ora
cious God. what a solemn thought
for those Of US who minister at the
altar. With the present ministry in
the present temperature of piety the
world viii never be enveloped with re-
vivals. While the pews on one side
the altar cry for mercy the pulpits on
the other side the altar must cry for
mercy. Ministers quarreling. Minis
tiers trying to pull each other down.
Ministers struggling for ecclesiastical
place. Ministers lethargic, with whole
congregations dying on their hands
What a spectacle,
Aroused pulpits viii make aroused
pews. Pulpits ahame will make pews
afame. Everybody believes in re-
vival in trade, everybody likes a re-
vival in literature, everybody likes a
revival in art; vet great multitude
can not understand revival in matters
of religion. Depend upon it, where
you find a man antagonistic to revivals,
whether he be in the pulpit or pew, he
needs to be regenerated by the grace
of God.
I could prove to demonstration that
without revivals this world viii never
| be converted, and that in hundred OF
| two hundred years, without revivals,
! Christianity wfil-becoEse practically ex-
/ tinct. 1t is a matter of astounding
| arithmetic. In each of our modern
generations there are at least 81, 900, OOC
| children. Now. add $1,000. 600 to the
worlds population. and then have only
/ 100. 900 or 200, 600 converted each year
and how long before the world will be
saved? Never-absolutely never!
During our war the president of the
/ United States made proclamation for
5000 troops. Some Of you remember
/ the big stir. But the King of the Uni
verse to-day asks for 500, 900, 900 more
troops than are enlisted. and we want
1t done softly, imperceiptibly, gently
no excitement, one by one.
You are a dry goods merchant on a
! large scale. and I am merchant on a
small scale, and l come to you and
want to buy 1000 yards of cloth. Do
/ You say, Thank you, I'll sell you
/ 900 yards of cloth, but I'll sell you
| twenty yards to-day and twenty to-
morrow, and twenty the next day; and
| if il takes me six months I'll sell you
the whole 1000 yards; you'll want as
long as that to examine the goods and
! want as long as that to examine the
! CIeQLLs anu ucSlucS IAdl- l.OUJ ldTOS cl
/ cloth is too much to sell at once?@ No
you do not say that. You take me into
the counting room, and in ten minutes
the whole transaction is consummated
The fact is, we can not afford to be
fools in anything but religion.
That very merchant who on Satur
day afternoon sold me 1000 yards OF
cloth at one stroke, the next Sabbath
in church will stroke his beard and
wonder whether it would not be better
for 1000 souls to come Struggling along
for ten years, instead of boiling in al
one service.
We talk good deal about the good
times that are coming, and about the
worlds redemption. How long before
they viii come?
There is a man who says 500 years
Here is a man who says 200 years. Here
is some one more confident who says
in so years What, 30 years? Do you
propose to let two generations pass off
the stage before the world is convert
ed?