The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-10
OUR GREATEST NEED.
REY. DIR. BROUGHTON's ELOQUENT
SERMON sUyDII MORNING.
,,,cbmond,s Create Need, lie Says, IL Not
More Money Nor Clean Govern
ment. but tho Holy spirit.

A. crove-Avenue Baptist church sun
day morning a large audience sree'eo
Rev. DR.. Broughton, who occupied the
n,,Ioi, The sermon was closely listened
- and was strong and able discourse
Following is a synopsis Of the sermon-
the text was taken from Acts xiN.' l.
am announced this morning to SPEAK
n Won on "Richmonds Greatest Need
Perhaps you have wondered what "ouiu
cav constituted your greatest need. WINE
this has been going on l have oeen 'oOA-
inc around 10 see what you think your
,oods are. Some Of you evidently tnihh
- ,,~.ateet need IS money Inc mao
,,sh nj thermometers for gam - '"
clenf uroof OF this assertion. NJ e,ta
sa,.i,,. .eou.eze a dollar until the easi7
ha1,oas" is NOT true OF Richmond money
,oaI,ors for ii so you would near suciI q
soualline OF birds as you nav 80
heard. they would shake ehe sei' -,
thank God for some ot your npS' -,
Of means. they have done hoO r., ,,,oe,,
lie will give US more oi ehei"'
Is not your greatest heeu' 100. ,,,tl;c
some OF you say you need more pun.
en3rit. mats true. i have been ABOUT
Richmond a good deal for stranger anu
/ must confess il would not hurt To us
MAY a little more public spirit ~-"ns
some lines. Still. j think you haFe ~
many respects the srandest Ola cry ~
the South. But public spirit IS ho' your
grea. It need.
CLEAN GOVERNMENT.
hear some say. I'VE need clean
,,,',.orrta.nt" This doubtless Is true
Ptchmoud has not been noted OF la''
,.ears for her specially clean government.
/ rejoice with you. however no itDe
1,o,ir improvements IN TINS lmpoi iaH' &c
spect Of late l have kept zap WIN 49,
EFFORTS 10 enforce your SUNDAY laws 49,
thus bring about iit oosei vance ol 'i'o
Lords day. ] take more interest III 80
,,orhsns because Roanoke, the Magic
CIV from which / hail, took the lea"
along This line. 1t was for long TINE
said that Roanoke was the most goddess
CITY in the state. But thank COD II y
not so to-day Not that others nave gut
ten worse. but We have grown pelier'
No man believes in moral reform more
than I do. When / was al Nenable-Siiee''
this city. holding "a meeting ] sald De-
lieved IL was the duty of every chflsuah
TO uphold the hands Of Mr. Howard IN MS
efforts 10 put down Sabbath Dissertation
and close up these whisky owes aho
gambling dens. had a house packed
with men and called on all who felt that
way TO stand, and every man STOOD out
two. and they were seventh-day advent
lists. Present-day civilization should can
for a purified citizenship. any man ought
10 be upheld who tries 90 bring II about.
But. brethren, this Is not your greatest
need. No; no.
Again. some Of You think that your
greatest need IS churches | don't believe
that. You have a great number now
more. ] am afraid, than you are ming.
Richmond IS a city noted for her fine ana
elegant houses OF worship. / glory In IT,.
She needs them.
But. brethren. excuse me. your greatest
need to-day, I'm my humble judgment, is
the Holy Spirit to quicken and WHY
what churches and what members you
have. 1t is this. then, that l propose 10
discuss this morning.
THE ENDOWMENT OF THE SPIRIT.
But what do l mean? Why just What
the Apostle Paul asked in the text when
he said. "Have We received the Holy Spitl,
since we believedE' l mean what 'hiiS'
told His disciples 10 wait for in Jerusa-
lem when he said, "Tarry in Jerusalem
until We are endowed with power
DON'T get COMPOUNDED. There is a dh-
ference i'm regeneration and the endow-
ment of the Spirit for service. Ihe dls-
cinies were converted before this COM
mand TO wait for the Holy Spirit. Power
was a subsequent gift. Those men found
Inv pau were believers" lie didn't ask
about their acceptance OF Christ lie
asked distinctly II they had received the
Holy Spirit since they believed. 1t seem
ed 10 be his test for church membership.
Perhaps it ought TO be to-day
A PRESENT PENTECOsT.
put the solomons and critics tell us that
this was for special service-fente
Who knows any more about IL thah Jesus
himelf? Christ was talking 10 MS ms
ciples for all ages; Paul taught IL altei
Pentccost Let's take their worn.
r-,.,,ron cod is not changed. All pow
.r is GIVEN unto us IL wen only believe
,rbe needle i'm a compass points wrong
when the compass Is out OF hN-ihe mas
not don,t change. So with God, Pentecost
v,ill come when the heart points right
What then, IS the special endowment
for service so much needed by the
cburch2 ! answer IT Is the Holy Spirit
witch is the product OF faith supse-
ouent TO and separate and distinct from
regeneration; that IS 90 say, as we look
70 Christ for forgiveness or SIN we LOOK
TO the Holy Spirit for leadership ana
What would this do for the church?
/ answer
II would give il the boldness TO stand
ami against sin in high and low places
peter was timid az the trial OF his Lord
lint hold on Pentecost lie had the Holy
Ghost there Fill the church with the
HOLY Spirit and she will be bold to thun-
der against wrong Then she would ara"
the line against worldhness and trickery.
Fiji the church with the Holy Spirit ana
the whisky traffic Will 80, for men VIII
vote as they pray Fin the church with
the Holy Spirit and such thins as
whisky selling church member WIN be
thing of The past in old Richmond
ZEAL FOR SOULS.
. II would give the church zeal for
souls. she would be an evangelical power
This Is our greatest need soui-winning.
The church that does not win SOUS Is not
the church of Christ Westminster
church. baltimore. buries her dead III me
yard. tho most OF US beiS mem -. ne
new Fill the church with the Holy spirit
and her dead will be raised mp and she
v,i1 win souls. 1t don't take learning TO
Min so,,ls one Of the most ignorant
nreacbers in North Carolina is one OF the
greatest soul-winners. 1t takes holy
Ghost power.
g II would change our methods HUI
mainly would be regarded as brother
hood. There Is too much selfshness even
I'm church life. Like a snail. we live In
our shell. Every man is concerned about
his set. The Masters plan is to launch
ont in the deep: the way TO catch big
nsh is TO use a close net. The church
that's above catching small fish is not
worth naming.