The times., 1898-10-10
THE VISION OF JEREMIAH.
The Less~~ - tbc CandIestick and
the Seven Lamps.


ut Is se4Ious thing TO stand up and
Wilmer, of Alabama, yesterday morning
in beginning his sermon to the congrega-
ton in Trinity Church, at Third and C
Streets northwest. but do you know
that it is just as serious thing to listen
to the preaching of the Word of God?
You are apt to look to the preacher TO
do all the work and build the church.
you should feel. But honest preaching
and honest hearing is what the Lord
wants.
Bishop Wilmer chose as the subject of
his remarks the vision OF jeremiah in ref
erence TO the golden candlestick and the
seven lamps as exemphrying the might
and power of the spirit of the Lord
''Solomons temple had just been de-
stroyed and an effort was being made
to build 1t again." he said. 1.-THE people
in their sore extremity had become faint
hearted. and the vision was sent to Jere-
miah to reassure them of the promise of
the spirit to encourage them. Mans ex-
tremity was Gods opportunity
I'VE are III the same place today. We
are building the living temple. What
means the vision TO us, then? 1t is that
a power Is pledged To everyone who
works for God-the power of the Holy
Spirit The golden candlestick is the
church of God. The seven lamps men,
toned in the vision are the channels
through which the light is diffused to the
world around.
The bishop then referred to the New
TaS ler,f nd hat
full of promises of the Holy Spirit to all
those who complied with the require
ments. When the Lord took leave of
i His disciples He said He would leave the
Spirit with them, and during that last
wonderful discourse with them He re-
vealed to them heavenly things. but 1t
was not until He had disappeared from
their sight that they began TO realize His
divinity. From that time forth 1t was
the Spirit and the Spirit only which was
the help of the Christian
He urged further that there were
churches who were still seeking after the
feshly manifestations of Christ, SEEM
ingly oblivious to the quIckening of the
Spirit. Life is from above he said not
from evolution and transmission In the
flesh. The divine element in man is pure
ly the gife of God-it is the only ele-
ment which God uses in his dealings with
| his CnliuTeil.
I'VE do not ponder on these things
enough. We do not look for His promise
when He said. If Il depart from you |
will send the Holy Comforter TO you.
Beloved. there is nothing so sublime as
! the fulfilling of this promise
Bishop Wilmer declared that the king
dom of God and the sway of the church
on earth was gaining power time went
! on, and that power was the demonstra-
| tlon of the Holy Spirit. You may have
church of gold, he declared but II
| there is no power of tho Spirit. you have
no church. The means of grace is not
| grace. This means, of life Is not life
BY the Holy Spirit the church of God
| is not only sanctified but glorified.
There is one sweet thought dear
! brethren-the Lord is more willing tc
! give His Holy Spirit than parents are tC
| give good gifts 10 their children. Did
you ever think of that? There is only
| one thing which our Heavenly Father
| forgets, and that is our sins 4 will re-
| member them no more against you, is
| His promise. He loves to breathe His
| divine Spirit on His children, and We
should realize, dear brethren. that this
| is the most precious divine gift of Heav-
| en-"