The morning times., 1896-02-24

large.
lie spoke as follows:
Text: / Timothy i:11. According 10
the glorious gospel OF the blessed God,
| which was committed 10 my trust"
THE greatest novelty of our tine is the
| gospel. 1t is so old that it is new, AS
potters and artists are now attempting to
fashion pitchers and cups and curious ware
like those of nineteen hundred years ago,
recently brought up from buried Pompei,
and such cups and pitchers and curious
ware are universally admired. so any one
who can unShovel the real gospel from the
mountains of stuff under which IL has been
buried, will he able 10 present something
that viii attract the gaze and admiration
and adoption of all the people.
lit is amazing what substitutes have
been presented for what my text calls
The Glorious Gospel
The old gospel in some places is fifty
feet under, and the work has been done
by the sbovclS Of those who have been
trying TO contrive the philosophy of re
ligion.
There is not philosophy about it.
1t is a plain matter OF Bible statement
and of childhke faith.
Some evening there sits the dear old
theologian with his table piled up with
all the great hooks on inspiration. and
exegesis and apologetics for the Almighty,
and writing out his own elaborate work
on the philosophy of religion, and his lit
tie grandchild coming up 10 him for a
goodnight kiss, he accidently knocks off
the biggest book from the table and il
falls on the head OF the child, of whom
| Christ Himself said:
NEEDS No APOLOGY.
"Out OF the mouths OF babes and suck
lings thou hast perfected praise" All! my
friends. the Bible wants no apologetics.
The Throne OF the Last Judgment wants no
| apologetics. Eternity wants no apollo
getics. Scientists may tell Us that natural
light is the propagation of fluctuations
in an elastic medium and thus set in
vibratory motion by the action of luminous
bodies but no one knows what Gospel
light is until his own blind eyes by the
touch OF the Divine Spirit have opened
10 see the MONDAY OF pardon and peace.
Scientists may tell us that natural
sound is the effect Of an impression made
on the organs of hearing by an impulse
OF the air, caused by a collision OF bodies,
or by other MEANS; but those only know
what the gospel sound is who have heard
the voice of Christ directly, SAYING Thy
sins are forgiven thee; go in peace
The theological dude unrolls upon the
plush of the exquisitely carved pulpit
a learned discourse sho wing that the
Garden OF Eden was an allegory, and
SolOmon's song a rather indelicate love
ditty. and the Book OF Job a drama In
which Satan was the star actor, and
that Renan was three quarters right about
the miracles OF Jesus, and that the Bible
was gradually eYoluted. and the best
thought of the different ages. Moses.
and David, and Paul doing the best they
could under the circumstances. and there
fore TO be encouraged. Lord OF heaven
and earth get us out Of tue London fog
OF higher criticism!
Here also come. covering up the old
Gospel some who think they can, by Ia W
and exposure of crime. save the world
and from Portland, Ne, across to San
Francisco. and back again TO New Orleans
and Savannah, many OF the ministers have
gone into the detective business. Worldly
reform. by all means; but unless 1T be also
Gospel reform. it will be dead failure
Politics will save the cities the same day
the satan evangelizes peFdition.
COVER UP THE GOSPEL.
Here comes another class OF people
who in pulpit and outside of it cover W
the Gospel with the theory that it makes no
final difference what you believe, or how
| you act-you are bound for heaven, anyhow
There they sit. side by side, inheaven-Wash-
ington, and Thomas Paine, who slandered
him: Mana Sahib, and Inconsistencies whom
] ha In. IN, ut
and the children whom he massacred;
Paul, and Nero who beheaded him. AS a
result of the PRONUNCIATION of such mongrel
and conglomerate heaven, there are millions
of people in Christendom who expect to GO
straight to heave nfrom their seraglios, and
their inebriations, and their suicides.
/ correct what is said when declared the
Gospel was buried fifty feet deep; it is
buried a Thousand feet deep! Had the
glorious Gospel been given full opportunity
i think before this the world would hayehad
no need of pulpit, or sermon, or prayer
or church, but thanksgiving and hosannas
would haveresoundedi in the temple tG which
the mountains would have been pillars
and the blue skies the dome, and the rivers
theb ptstery, and all nations the worshipers
in the auditorium of the outspread world
1 BuI sO ldI lTthJ lildl. dS i III tIit
opening sentence of this sermon, the greatest
novelty of our time is the gospel. And lei
me say to the hundreds and thousands
of educated and splendid young men about
toenter the eGospelmmistry from mthetheologi
cal seminaries OF all denominations, on this
and the other side of the seas, that there is
no drawing power like the glorious Gospel
Him hath God lifted up to draw all mer
rJs.~
surcharged with this Gospel, and you will
have large audiences, and VIII not have Il
announce, in or der to assemble such
audiences, Sunday night sacred concert
with brief address by the pastor; or the
presence OF Black PATHS or Creole min
strels, or some new exposure OF Tammany
or a sermon accompanied by magic
lantern OF stereOpticon views.
GOSPELS DRAWING POWER.
"The glorious Gospel of the blessed Goo
as spoken OF in my text will have more
drawing power, and when that Gospe
gets full swing it will have a momen tun
and power nlightier than that of the At
lantic Ocean when under The Force of the
September equinox il strikes the Highlands
OF the Navesink.
"Oh, my text is right when II speaks
of the glorious Gospel. Ii is an invita-
tion from the most radiant b eing that ever
trod the earth or ascended the heaven.
to you and 10 me to come and be made
: happy. and then take after that a roya
? castle for everlasting residence, the angel
of God our cup-bearers.
The price paid for all OF this on th'
cliff of limestone about twice as higf
hfc oh mir, 1fslcs roll
, from the wall OF Jerusalem, where, with al