The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1895-09-20

cause we are In Christ and the Gospel,
the power of God, has gotten hold of US.
there is hope for US to achieve anything.
There is no level of holiness we may not
reach, no steep of achievement i've may
not climb, no pinnacle of glory too high
for us to attain through Christ.
Christ came to give us life, to make out |
of our weakness power. out of our upright |
eousness as filthy rags pure and spotless
robes; and He will do it, IL we will only |
let Him. Farmer, did you notice that
rosy-cheeked apple on the bough? Did
you think that it was a beautiful symbol
Of victory? The force of gravitation had
been pulling the sap down into the earth
but another force set itself at work and
pulled the sap up through trunk, up
through bough and branch, out through
twig and leaf, till it gave the tree its
fruit. Gods sunlight and air had tri-
umphed over the force of gravitation, and
the trophies of victory were found in the
golden fruit. So there are forces about
your life ever pulling and dragging you
down; but, if Christ'ss life is in you, the
victory of grace is sure.
The aim, then, Of my preaching has
been and will ever be to hold before you
the ideal, the
IDEAL THAT YOU MAY REACH.
Year by year we preach and show to you
the matchless life of Christ and bid you
rivet your eyes On that, and we say to
yoa to reach that life is your privilege
and hope. Did you ever play at photog-
raphy? Did you ever take the plate into
the darkeped room and battle it in the So
luton? At first it was as blank as when
you put it in the camera; but you bathed
it again, and look there! yes! the edge
of the piazza; and see! there are some
more lines coming out-yesi that's Fido
the dog and that why, that's father il
his old straw hat. So, at first, there may
be no trace of Christ's life upon your life
but let the influences of grace keep fall
ing upon you-the church, the Bible, the
prayer meeting, association with Chris
tian friends-and see! there is patience
developed. and there is faith, and there
is love-at last, "the measure of thu
stature of the fulness of Christi
| Now all this implies mighty faith il
God. The task seems hopeless as WI
look at it, that we, who are so often dis
gusted with ourselves, who make gool
resolutions only to break them, who joil
in hearty service for our Master only t,
let our energies soon flag, are ever t.
come to perfect Christ-likeness. But Coz
has that end before Him. His word
pledged, and His promise is sure. Thi
also implies faith in man; and, since
am preaching personal sermon, 1 vii
say for me to preach as do implies fait
in you. l believe in this people to whor
, minister, L believe in their hig
ideals as to Christian life and service
and, if in the past two years L have 6
, times said some things harsh and severe
these things have been errors of the hea
t and not of the heart, and they have com
, from my manner Of extemporaneou
preaching, and not from mature refie'
q ton. All this as well implies faith
myself. Who am 1 that [ should res
. any confidence upon what I can do?
i am but worm of the dust, helpless an
, weak; and how much sometimes 1 tren
BILE and feel my weakness when L stan
: before you L dare not say. But L kno
r that the Gospel which
!, EARNESTLY STRIVE TO PREACH
is the power of God, and L know that
let God play upon the chords of my b.
ing as musician plays upon the string
. of his Tyre and Gods Holy Spirit breath
through me as a musician breathe
through his flute. [ can accomplish a
most anything. 81 can do all things
Paul, you are wrong, and [ am wrong
f repeating your words-''through Chrii
n which strengthened me"-Paul, you al
right, and /, as humble follower {
r Christ, am right in adhering to that gres
, truth.
VI The Gospel is the power of God unit
r salvation to every one that pelievetl
That is the only requirement-faitf
r That is enough for the start; the re:
j will follow. Faith will produce works
q a life of faith means a life of servie,
"To every one that believeth" believet
r not in your way, nor in my way; let I
e not be so narrow as to try enjoin tina
j. That is the Gospel 1 preach; Gospel s
: universal and wide in its scope that
, takes in the Jew and the GENTLE, til
8 white man, the red man and the blac
: man, the Latin, the Malay, the Hottentt
q and the Pole; Gospel so elastic that
, shapes and bends itself to any form {
t worship, to any method of preaching,
/. any creed that has for its start the goo
e news of pardon from sin that has bee
found and for its end full salvatio
E through the power of God; a Gospel S
e deathless and so grand that it takes
3 any race, any epoch, any temporary.coi
b dition, whose TANKS touch Quakerism O
g the one side and Roman Catholicism o
3 the other. May God who has put me il
D to the ministry count me faithful
8 preach this Gospel while l stay with yo
{ and down to the last sermon that is u
b tered by my lips.
t Live Farm Topics.