Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-07-04
Waning Inspiration.

know what it is to lose an inspiration
to live unto Him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own
blood. The devout Bishop James
even to the last hour used to say with
an emphasis peculiarly his own, and
with a countenance all sglow with
ethereal flame: 81 would rather toll
and rejoice for the honor of my Mas
ter, than to occupy an earthly throne"
As we recall his words, We know that
this inspiration was always mounting
higher; his convictions sinking deep
or; his loyalty to the Savior becoming
more and more intense and practical
with each passing hour. Why should
it not be thus with us all, even when
the frail tenement occupied by the
soul trembles under the weight OF
wears, or when disease forewarns of a
certain departure from.earth! There
is, indeed, every reason why increas-
ing courage should be the universal
experience Of the sons and daughters
of the Lord Almighty until we are
welcomed home.
Think Of what this life is; Of what
possibilities it is made capable; OF
what fruitage shall come In the here
after from right sowing here. See
how weary hearts daily are in wait
ing to hear from our lips the words of
hope. Behold the innumerable ''cloud
of witness" looking down upon us,
and when successful In saving souls,
EnOw 'joy shall be in heaven over one
sinner that repenteth."
Why is this spirit sometimes seem
to die out Of the soul? The reasons
are many; too numerous even to
enumerate. Chief among these, per-
haps. ia an undue estimation of things
material, aud an accompanying de-
terioration of faith as to things eter-
mai. Our loss is lrrepRrsble when it
comes from such a cause. The holy
inspiration may be recovered NJ after
years, but the evil influence upor
others caused by our depression has
already done it's work. We have not
accomplished all we might; the visl-
BILE, haYlng ecllpsed the spiritual, has
left us with relaxed, weakened spirit.
ual instincts when something grand
was to be performed. There is no
way to resist such declension 80 we'll
as to seek first the kingdom of God"
and to do this when all earthly cur
rents are flowing in the opposite d.
rection.
Does the Christian minister show
signs OF diminished inspiration in
his work? There is no way of re-
turning to his former zeal and sue
cessful service but by making the
cross OF Christ first IN all he does.
The Rev. DR.. Joseph Parker had this
in mind when he said:
IF in evangelical preaching we are
wrong, by all means let us know it,
II any man has larger wisdom or
truer method of meeting the necessi-
ties of the age, I for one am quite
prepared to extinguish my little lamp
and let in his fuller sunshine. All
we should aim at is to be right and to
be doing the largest amount of good.
This Is the spirit in which 1 wish to
work. During my intermission of
pastoral labor l have had occasion to
hear ministers of various churches,
and my testimony is that when I
enter a church where they do not
pray, but simply aspire; where they
have no doctrine, but only theory;
where they displace historical Chris
tianity by the unconditional infinite
and by some reference to the 'clrcu-
mambient invisible and where all
the words are polysyllables, l find
sad lack of active charity as embodied
IN Sunday-sChools, Dorcas societies,
sick-visiting societies, and earnest,
philsnthropic work among the poor
and outcast. But where l find that
the cross of Christ is first, midst, and
last, l find the people stirred with a
holy ambition to make the world bet
ter than they found it. Any religion
that will do that is the religion BY
which l am prepared to live and In
the hope Of which l would dare to
die"
Subsoiling in Osborne County.
Trrioation cubeo;l;no 49, "a