The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-20

Sawed to Serve' the Topic Chosen by
This Evangelist.


gelist of the Synod of illinois, who is at
the head of the evangelistic work of the
convention, made the closing address of the
afternoon. His subject was, Saved to
Serve" In part he said:
The motto of the Earl of Ross was: Our
only safety is in the service of God
Browning says: Whoever fears God fears
to sit at ease
THE sauthor of the first gospel leads US
10 the crude feed-trough, where. with the
shepherds and the magi, we see the miracu-
lous Child, who quickly passes from infancy
INTO exile, and from young manhood into
the rank of official capacity, to become the
universal Man, the Person pre-eminent, the
focus of the worlds best thought, the dy
mamie center of the worlds real progress,
the sovereign of the worlds Kingdoms the
ideal of painter, poet, musician, orator,
sculptor and statesman, the light of the
world, the one to whom best philosophy
and science do cheerful homage, the
Fathers only Son. the sinners only sub
trusted Savor-LOrd of hloOd-bought mil
lions. Besides this distinguished One stand
at the sea of Galilee and hear His kingdom
call, addressed alike to the original few. TO
every follower since. to you and to me.
Thus addressed, with Milton, we may ac-
claim:
Straight mine eye hath caught new pleas
ures,
Whilst the landscape round 1t measures.
Christ would have us to be followers and
fishers; to be worshippers and workers; to
Him. Nothing less does. Herein is my
Father glOrifed. that we bear much fruit
Than sOul-Winning there is no greater lux
ury. One says: Christ demands personal
coronation at our hands, If so, He also de-
mands personal cooperation at our hands.
His dual demand is reasonable. How may
we cooperate with Him? BY giving Him
full sway in our hearts and lives. To con-
quer the world is His dearest desire To
accomplish this He condescends to save US
and to make us co-operators with Himself.
To die His prerogatve TO serve is
our privilege. Here is mystery matched
only by its majesty Here is privilege
denied to angels, but granted to mortals.
SALVATION, THEN SERVICE.
'grhe order of Importance is. salvation
first; service second. Next to the question,
What must 1 do to be saved?' comes the
personal, pertinent question, Lord what
wilt Thou have me to do? Next to the
question, What will you do with Jesus|
comes the practical question, What are you
doing for Jesus" Next to the command,
Follow Me- comes His kingly demand,
Fish with Me- The order, Go, work to-
day in my vineyard is meant for you and
me. The Germans used to have a rule of
asking every candidate for church mem
bership, What are you going to do for
Christi To be doing nothing for Him
meant church discipline. Such a rule now
applied would mean little vacation to some
church officials Too many Christians fail
to realize what their salvation means; fail
to realize that it is divine in both character
and purpose. Like Pygmalion statue, they
are lifeleSs. Like the freely, they shine
only while on the wing. To-day the church
has no greater peril than the utter aim
lessness of so many members! Nor is the
cause far to seek. 1t lies in the widespread
msconception of what it is to be saved.
Till heart and head bow together before
Christ in disable surrender there IS no salVa-
tiCn. Until there is sincere, entire, eternal
casting down of all hopes, all ambitions, all
possibilities at the feet of Christ there is no
salvation. God saves us for His glory, not
for our selfishness; for His service, not for
us some one saying, Il am so situated
as not to be near any lost ones. How shalI
[ practice what you preach? Where can
find objects worthy my efforts and love and
life? Oh, friends, 1 wish you could see
what I see. What 1 see almost beggars de-
scription.
VISIONS OF THE WRITER.
There at the engines throttle. at the
pilots Wheel at the oft-beaten anvil, at
the blazing furnace, at the switchmans
lonely post at the oil-smeared derrick at
the dusty coal chute; there standing at the
teller's desk or with weary feet and throb-
bling head behind the clerks busy counter;
there al the telegraph or telephone or using
up young life speeding away with the wire
message; there plying the editors facile
pen or setting the dingy type or running
the accountants lengthy column there in
the wet and cold, treading the thronged
street with the penny paper or Juggling the
bootblack's outfit; there leaning over your
wash tub or scrubbing your fagstones or
late at night sweeping your streets; there
leading the hremanS monotOnouS life or
walking the policemans lonely beat; yon-
der following the pillow or swinging fork or
ak or spade or pick; yonder showing saw or
lathe or shuttle; yonder eking out a living
by use of the needle; yOnder filling the cam
vas with his paints chipping the marble
with his chisel; yonder at the bar or on
hn ht11.Y1 inc q la o.
porters table; yOnder hid away in the dark
mine or herding on plain or in valley or
sailing the choppy. seas; .yonder In Jail or
penitentiary or policeman's station; yonder
with bloated face, with ruined intellect,
with wasted body and lost soul surround
ing the gaming table or staggering against
the saloon bar or peeping from the brothel
window or with heated head and hellish
heart hurting away manhood and woman
ing the dismal wharf or in the foul alley
hunting sleeping place in box or barrel or
under the friendly curb; yonder in wealths
wicked row where satan has his sea; yon-
der wasting away in frail mothers weary
arms or lying on straw and rags without a
mothers kiss or care, receiveing a fathers
curseS-a fiend'S blows, awaiting the end;
yonder in distant dark, crowded heathen-
dom. daily dying by the hundreds without
so much as knowing of salvation. There in
your neighborhood, in your circle of friends,
in your kitchen, in your very home. among
your kin or driving, your fancy turnout
there, there are the lost and dying. O hear
them cry for help! See them, see them,
moving as one great funeral procession
down to death and to doom! No breeze
comes 10 us from north or south or east or
west, from continent or island, from land
or sea that is not freighted with the need
cry of these perishing ones. Shall we hear
that cry and not agOniZe to help answer it?
viii any of us say. For me there are no
lost ones to help save" Shall we know of
the need and not try to meet it? Calvary
forbid! Loyalty to Christ and souls for
A METHOD OF RESCUE.
"Do others sincerely ask. How should
we approach these lost ones so as to win
them? The question is proper and worthy
of careful answer. 1 answer, go to them
being what you profess to be; go to them
with faith in God faith in man. faith in
the Bible as the very word of Cod faith
in the power of the blood TO save, faith in
the power of the Holy Spirit to help you
and to regenerate them; go remembering
that God compels no one into regeneration
nor when regenerated into cooperation
with himself-both are voluntary acts; go
spirit-hlled willing to be used as God shall
direct; go praying for "a growing realiza ton
of the awful peril Of a lost soul; go with
deep sorrow for sin that you may teach
the much-needed Recommendation for sin !;
go believing that ii never Is safe for one to
die in his sins, believing that repentance
and forgiveness are absolutely necessary in
order TO salvation; believing that neither
ethics nor education nor anything else can
take the place of a VicariOus substitute for
the sinner go with q burning love for souls
which shall fire your zeal into fame far be-
yond that of merchant or trader who spans
continents and compasseS seas for COM
merce or gain go to them with a swiftness
in keeping with the push of the day; 20 in
prayer and expectancy; go with tact, with
patience. with spirit-dlctated plan and bust