The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-12-17
THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Row, DR.. Talmago Describes the
Sermon OF the Future.
The hpspei Is To bs Kagnant over All
bsarts, Al Circles, Az Gotf comments
and All Lands Gods Ini-
Ver-ai Kingdom,

! "a
more than passing interest to Christian
:, WORKERS. II IS based ON the text:
~ 30 tbou, and preach the kingdom VI Cod
= LuAe lo. 81
The Gospel is TO be rcgnant over all
hearts, all circles all governments,
and all lands, ! he Kingdom Df God
spoken Of IN the text Is to he ,iniver-
"ljl DC the REALM srrmouic "GO
thou and preach the Kingdom Of God -
We hear n great deal in these days
about the coming man. and the coming
woman, and the coming time. Some
one ought to tel! rs ot the coming Ser
mon, II IN "A simple fact that every
body knows that most of the sermons
OF to-day do not reneh the world. The
vast majority of the people OF our
great cities never enter church.
lhe sermon Of to-day carries along
with II tine deadwoDd Of all ages. Hun
drcds OF years ago it was decided what
u sermon ought to be- and it IS the at
tempt Of many theological scminaries
mud doctors IF divinity to hew the
modern pulpit uttcrupce9 into the same
Old style proportions. Book sellers will
tell you they dispose of hundred his.
tories, q hundred novels, a hundred
poems, To Que book of sermons What
N the natter some say the age is the
worst Of all ages. 1t is better. Some
say religion is wearing ont, when it is
| wearing in SOME say there are SO
many deSpise the Christian religion.
answer, there never was an age when
there were 80 many Christians, or SO
many friends Of Christianity as this |
age IIas--our age; rs 10 others hun |
| ircd Ia one, What Is the matter, them |
| 1t is simply because our sermon of TO- !
| day Is not suited 10 the nge IL is the
| canal boat ia an age of locomotive and |
electric telegraph. The sermon will !
| have to be shaken out of the old
grooves or il will not be heard and it
will not be read
Before the world il converted, the
sermon will have to be converted.
You might rs we'll go into modern
Sedan or Gettysburg with bows and
arrows instead Of rifles and bomb.
shells and parks of artillery as TO ex-
pect To conquer the world for God by
the old styles of sermonotogy. iona
thnn Edwards preached the sermons
best adapted to the age in which he
lived, but if those sermons were
preached now they would divide an
audience into two ciassesa those sound
asleep and those wanting to go home
hut there Is n coming sermon~-wha ,
will preach it have no idea; IN what
what part Of the earth 1t will be born
have no idea, IN which denomination
of Christians ii will be delivered, can
not guess. That coming sermon may ,
be born IN the country meeting house
on the banks Of the St Lawrence, or
the Oregon, or the Ohio. or the Tom. d,
bigbee, or the Alabama. The person
who shall deliver ii may this moment =,
lie IN II cradle under the shadow of the -
Sierra Nevadas or in u New England j..
farm house, or amid the rice fields of :,
southern savannas Or this moment II
there may be some young man ,
III some Of our theological :,
seminaries, in the junior, on middle or .
senior class shaping that weapon of /,
power Or there may be coming some ri
new baptism of the Holy Ghost on the u
,, 'I'Vs' ~ '""' @''ne vi US VINO no" IL
'''''' :" ''e "a.e" towers OF Mon, 81
w., >'nh 80 s''e ''"''A"''o" VI our pres h
AVA MN, ~, ~ 10y ps"N" ~ our h
De ~ years off, Aud let us pray God -
,,,,,,,,,,',. wa 10y w ""S'one"' WINE II
. a.. N' '''"h "i'i OF
,,,, ,.,I,,. '''''" VI ','a' scr Ia,
=, ,,,,I.,, ,t,a w "''' : want N
,,,s'"tt. W. 40 appropriate an" III
T''Ns VI N'' 's''ah b
~ "''' $500
'"H' VI a''' ! remark that that com m
ny sermon W.T. oe fnIl OF living Ii,
't'St III cohIaalSuhctlon to dldactic al
sermon may be full tn
= '"t'st '"onSh hardly mentioning uu
~ name ana sermon may be empty tr
! .hrist Whlie every sentence is repa-
't,"u' ot ms t'lch' Inc world wants tr
nV'hE 'hr'st' heta Christ standing at fla
,,,, h,,t ,'i '"' ''"' 'Ss'''i' VI '"eo'' Its
KY on1 ,hr'st W no means pardon
II" sympathy and condolences aud tn
f''hefnood and Heaven. A poor TIL
IAN" CHRIST an overworked mans w,
hf's'' An inVallds Christ. A farm in
'hr'sh A merchants Christ, An M,
rt'sah christ ancvery mans Christ. all
symmetrical aud tinely-worded W,
istem OF theology is well enough for Sa
geological classes, but it has no more IN,
usiness IN pulpit than have the sal
phrases of an anutomist. or ity
hysiciHn, in the sick room OF patient /
ne "or'u wants hetp, Immediate and sci
and 1t will come ul,
trough sermon in which Christ shsu tin
alb right down into the immortal ms
,ut aud take everlasting nosSsss;o, 80 49,.