St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-23
POWER TO REDEEM
IL Discussed by Elder Phelps at
WacOuta Chapel.

The subject of the address at the
Wacouta street chapel last night was
What is the Gospel? It's Extent and
Duration"
1t was the old, old subject, in a new
setting. Rom. j., 16. II am not ashamed
OF the, gospel of Jesus Christ, for it
is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth," was the
text.
This" said the speaker Elder n. F.
Phelps, lis an expression of one of the
thoughts of God. And of the thoughts
of God, it is said they are as far above
our thoughts as the heavens are above
the earth. The gospel of Jesus Christ
is the power of God There is simply
an infinite immensely in these words.
And we read of Jesus Christ that He is
the power of God AS Christ is the
power OF God, He is the gospel-the
manifestation of the gospel which is
the power of God. Inasmuch as the
gospel of Christ is the power OF God,
1T follows that in the manifestation
Of that power through Jesus Christ
was, and is, and ever will be the gos-
pei. And so it is called the everlasting
gospel This Is so because He is ever
lasting, the king of eternity; and that
power is everlasting.
AS all things were created by Jesus
Christ, it follows that all the work of
creation is but revelation of that
power of God which is pledged to the
salvation of those who believe. The
ground upon which we tread, and all
the heavenly bodies, proclaim the gos-
pei of Jesus Christ, the power of God.
AS saith the scriptures: They have not
all obeyed the gospel. But have they
not all heard? Yes. The heavens de-
clare the glory of God, and the firma-
ment showeth His handiwork. Though
there is no language, nor speech, with
out these their voice is heard A goS-
pei sermon may be read in the very
flowers, or the babbling brook at our
feet. We read it in the sunshine, the
clouds, the mists, the rain; for these
come by His power, for When He ut
tereth His voice, there is a multitude
of waters in the heavens and He cauS-
eth the vaporS to ascend from the ends
of the earth; He maketh lightningS
with the rain, and bringeth forth the
wind out of His treasures All these
things tell us that there is power in
God to save.
9N"Not only can man thus read the
gospel the power of God, but all the in
telligencies of all the worlds can, and
do behold the mighty power of God, as
He wrought, through Christ, in crea-
TONS work. And these believe in that
power, and therefore are saved by that
power; and this because they do be-
lieve. These are saved by faith, just
as we may be saved by faith. With
out faith it is impossible to please God.
'"These do please God, and are not
fallen, as we are, therefore they are
saved-kept-by faith, as they trust in
the mighty power of their Creator. If
this were not so, then are there other
fallen worlds. But this is not so, for
Christ died in this world, to save this
world. This is the one lost sheep of
the parable; the one world that wan
dered from the fold.
''It takes creative power to redeem.
Create in me a new heart O God, was
the penitential cry of lost soul, and
If any man be in Christ he is new
creature Theologians have vainly
reasoned that redemption was greater
than creation. There is no difference,
for 1t requires creative power to do
either, and redemption is recreation.
'It was the divine Creator, whose
almighty, everlasting power is dis
played upon every hand throughout
the vast realm Of nature, in the
heavens above and In the earth be-
redemption, which is a manifestation
of creative power. And this creative
power, the mighty power of God, is the
gospel of Jesus Christ, which is to be
proclaimed in all the world for a wit
ness unto all nations.
But that gospel is not in any sense
whatever a gospel of force. The
mighty God in whom that power
dwells; the Lord Jesus Christ to whom
that power was committed in creations
work, and to redeem a lost, ruined
world will not force their presence
upon any. They will not suffer that
power TO be used by any to compel in
matters of religion. That power Of
God, though infinite in itself, can only
work upon the willing SOUL 1t is this
'Whosoever will, let him come. The
power of the gospel, which is the power
of God, is the power of Christian lib
erty, but not of organized despotism.
And the power Of God, in the Holy
Spirit. through the people of God in
Christian liberty, freedom in all ques-
tions of religion; not force, not compul-
sion by the sword of Caesar-civiI law
nor despotism under whatever guise.
that can, or ever will lead a soul to
submit to the power of the gospel.
Christianity means freedom through
the spirit and power of God; and hay
ing this soul freedom, men are more
desirous of imparting the same bless
ing to others than of laying violent
hands upon any by the aid of Caesar"
The Gordon Hat isn't really a great
deal better than other HatS-it,c iust n