Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-08-15

Church, the Methodist Epis-
copal Church South and the Methodist
Protestant Church. Three where there
should be but one. Now, combina-
tion would make one healthy church
which would accomplish more good
than the three Many place can sup
port one minister fairly well, that can
but imperfectly support three.
Can the Methodist church as whole |
stand this? Is the territory of the |
world so well covered that she can stand |
it, and not suffer?
IL is the sheerest nonsense TO a
thoughtful man to see how the Method
ist church is waking. l know the
arguments are many against consolida-
ton. They tell us the lion and the
lamb can only be made to lie down
together with the lamb inside the lion.
In other words the strongest denomi-
nation must swallow up the lesser ones
or maintain its independence. This
is just the point. When we get enough
of the spirit of our living Christ, we
will come together and show the world
how our aim and object is one, that OF
doing all in our power to save men, soul
and body, through the help OF living
L
nor belittle any church or any demon
nation. God forbid, They each and
all do good work and God owns their
every effort to save men and bring them
to Himself ! am only speaking of the
greater good and greater work consoli
dation would bring.
Imagine consolidation of all Meth
odist denominations into one, SO that
1, l. "a
Church in all the world What power
it would he to confront the hosts of
the enemy, and usher in the kingdom
our God and His Christ!
Shall we not hope and pray for this
| blessed contamination before the death
of the nineteenth century? ] believe
there are wonderful and surprising
things in store for the Church of God
on the earth before the twentieth cen
fury shall dawn. Do we not see har-
bingers in the signs of the times? In
the $50, 000,O Christian Ehdeayorer
members, the Epworth League and
the unrest in the young of our churches
to come together as one body of Chris
tian soldiers2 Our education, environ
ment and surroundings have made each
one OF us Just what we are in the
/
and right that we should love our own
church. but / want TO say that the
word which Paul exhorted Timothy Ia
preach is great leavener, and the
nearer that word brings us to Christ,
the nearer it brings us to each other.
IL one is true Christian he loves
every other true Christian, and has a
yearning desire TO see all men come to a
knowledge Of the truth. He also, ne
cessarily loves every Christian church
that honors Christ, and is trying 10
establish His kingdom in the earth. In
other words the Christ spirit is the
same, whether in the heart of a Meth
odist, Presbyterian, Baptist, an
Episcopalian, a Lutheran, Friend, OF
any other denomination. II is not 50
much a question as to what branch OF
the church as Have you found
| Christ. " Does He save? Does He
keep you and abide with you contin.
'ually, a constant guest?
| take it that while this text refers
primarily to Timothy, it means every
disciple however humble shall preach
the word. Preach it in the daily
walk and intercourse with the world.
| The ways in which we may preach the
word are too numerous to mention.
IL we ask God, He will show us how
and though it be preached in weak,
ness, lie will clothe it with power, and
use it to the salvation Of some precious
souls, which shall meet us and greet
us in the City of Gold, beyond the
smiling and the weeping in our
Fathers house. May God bless each
and every creature who lives and
breathes, every man, every woman,
every child. And may we so work in
His vineyard, so toll for our God that
we may, when we come to die he able
to say with Paul: 81 am now ready tc
be offered. The time of my departure
is at hand, have fought a good fight,
| have finished my course. have
kept the faith. Henceforth there Il
laid up for me a crown of righteous
ness ! Or with the sainted Goldman,
exelaim, I'm sweeping through the
gates washed in the blood Of the
Lamb. p"