The herald., 1896-12-07
SELECTIONS OF sermons
Delivered in the City
Pulpits Yesterday
SALVATION IN PLACE OF sensation
Is the Key.Note at Most of the
Churches
THE ROCK OF ST. PETER
The Subject Of a Thoughtful Discourse
by DR.. Thomson
Rev. j. A. B. Wilson Does Not Allude to the
Parkhurst Society
The Subject Of q Thoughtful Discourse
by DR.. Thomson
Rev. j. A. B. Wilson Does Not AlIude to the
Parkhurst Society
Synopsis of Addresses Delivered at the
Universalist, English LutherN
an and Other Churches.

The pastor, j. S. Thomson, preached a
sermon upon St Peters Rock and the
Gates of He'll, taking the text, Thou
art Peter, and upon this rock will build
my church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it," Matthew. 1918.
BY reading and studying the following
passages of the gospels, we shall under
stand what Christ meant by the rock
on which his church is built: Thou
art the Messiah" "Thou hast
the words of eternal life," and
"Whosoever heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them, will liken him to
a wise man that built his house upon the
rock. Jesus was the Messiah; and, as
such, he came to our world to execute
a mission. His mission had purpose,
plan, conditions, and revelations. The
Sermon on the mount contains all these,
and it is, therefore, the gospel, the
words of eternal life. This gospel is the
rock on which Christ's church Is built.
A character, or a church, built on the
sermon on the mount is eternally safe;
for the gates of hell cannot prevail
against 1t. This rock has not been NOV
ed. The gates of hell signify the coun-
ellis, designs. prosecutions, misrepresen-
tations, creeds, superstitions, traditions,
unbeliefs, theologies, and deceptions of
nineteen centuries.
Heaven and earth may pass away;
but my words shall not pass away" said
Christ. The church of Christ is built up
on Christ's gospel and life. Peter was
not it's foundation. A church built upon
the decisions of councils, upon creeds,
upon dogmas, upon traditions, upon the
ologies, upon superstitions, upon ven-
cradle dignitieS, upon articles and con-
fessions of faith, is false church: but
the church which is built upon the ser
mon on the mount. containing his words
of eternal life, is founded upon the rock
of eternal truth. We have Christ's word
for it that the house built upon his say
ings Is secure. Peter assumed no Off
cial airs. He did not pretend to be an
infallible head of Christ's church. He
lived in no palace in Rome or in Lon
don. He never undertook to dictate to
governments, nor to distribute nations
among his favorites. He was not
man of cunning diplomacy. Peter was
grand spiritual character. He had
a deep, spiritual nature. With all his
faults and inconsistencies, he was
rock-man. and a heroic follower of his
divine master in all humility. He was
bold. loyal loving, true, noble. He was
the first Of the disciples to discover that
Jesus was the Messiah. He was the
chief of the inner circle in Christs
school He was the foremost preacher
of the gospel before the conversion of
Paul. He was the leader of the disciples
after Christ's ascension. He is worthy
to be a patron of large denomination.
Paul, however, declared that no man,
neither Cephas Apollos. nor Paul, should
have sectarian followers, because Christ
was not to be divided, and he was to be
the only leader in his own church. Christ
was to be all in all. The denominations
of today represent great deal of pagan
adulteration Of the gospel; and that is
the reason that we have not as yet
Christion civilization. The fact is no
denomination trusts Christ's gospel
fully