The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-05
Members of the Church Have An
Autumn Rally.
DISCOURSE BY REV. BAGBY
REUNION OF FORCES FOR TIE
YEARS WORK.
Results Wrought By Concentration
of. Effort-Consecratio Necessary
The Voyage of the Oregon and
Its Lesson-"Fear Not, Little
Flock.''

The members. of the Central Christian
church had an autumn rally yesterday,
the occasion being made a reunion of
forces for the years work.
FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK"
Rev. Bagby TOOK for his text Luke XII:
80: Fear not, little flock, for it is your
Fathers good pleasure 10 give you the
kingdom, and spoke in part as follows:
In numbers, in wealth. ii influence, now
little, indeed. was th;s iieck composed
as il was OF u handful of unleIteEen nSn-
ermen III view. OF the stupendous task
that lay out before them, how intniteS-
finally small they werei but he VINO
gave this promise to MS little band Of
Disciples knew that it is not by power.
nor by might. nor by numbers. nor pS
wealth, nor by influence. bur by the
Spirit of God. that the Kingdom of
heaven is to come. No promise Is too
great for any movement mat God is in.
In spite of the SmallnesS OF your numbers
and your utter lack of wealth and ln-
1iuence: in spite of. the obstacle imposed
by Jewish prejudice, Roman power,
Grecian pride and general ignorance ana
wickedness, 1t is your FatheTs good
pleasure to give you the kingdom"
We are not to- understand that TINS
promise is. unconditional The history of
the brilliant achievements of these men
in a few brief years, teaches US that the
implied conditions upon which the prom
were the suhllmest courage, the fullest
conservation, the most perfect concentra-
ton and the most answering consistency.
But for these the gospel would not nave
been preached in Jerusalem. in Judea, in
Samaria, in Antioch, in Athens, in Cor
NTH ana in Rome.
In the beginning, while yet dependent
upon human strength, they gave an eX-
hlbition of human cowardice in desert
ing and denying their Master, that would
have justified the human judgment that
would have pronounced them unequal to
the task assigned them, not knowing the
power of the spirit-flled life. This dark
page serves as background against which
their Christian courage, displayed in the
defense of him whom they had denied
and the bod defiance of the Jewish au-
thorities. stands out in holder relief.
To courage they had to add consecra-
ton. To go into all the world and preach
the gospel to the whole creation, as they
had TO do to receive the kingdom. they
had to lay their all upon the altar-their
time, their talents, their possessions,
their lives. They presented their bodies
health, strength. vitality. They never
could have accomplished the work they
did If they had not given themselves at
their very best, TO the service of God.
extensive with the kingdom of our con-
quest. OF that which can be won by US,
we shall have only what we win. To this
God will add what he alone can give.
CONCENTRATION OF EFFORT.
Jesus prayed. That they all may be
one; that the world may believe" The
mighty achievement wrought by the
apostles. was due to the fact that, speak
ing the same thing, they concentrated
their efforts upon the one task of carry
ing out the great commission to disciple
the nations. Every heart was interested
in the same task and every hand was
put to its accomplishment. Division
would have meant defeat They spoke
n md no ynr.l6 ri for Nva
God speaking through them; they
wrought as one, and God wrought with
them. Under the blows of the hands that
had Gods, hand back of them, the no
man power crumbled to earth to. rise no
more.
Inc promise 10. L am with you al
ways implies the persistent constancy
Of the disciples After that first moment
airy lapse from fidelity they ever more re-
NAMED faithful If ever in thought or
action they swerved from the line of
mighty pressure of adverse winds and
they sometimes. did, the needle
Of fidelity and loyalty ever pointed TO
the Star of Bethlehem, and at the end
Of the voyage every one dropped anchor
IN the port of destination-the home har-
Dor of heaven. How much. their con-
stancy meant for the kingdom of God!
How much It meant for them What if
Peter and James and John had returned
to their nets and remained with them.
What if Paul had been disobedient to
the heavenly vision. What if, when
sharp contentious sprang up between
them, Paul and Peter and BarnabaS had
dropped the work committed TO their
hands! 1t is simply appalling to con-
-emDlate the fearful consequences to
hem and to the cause they represented (
Of the possible unfaithfulness of even
1ne OF the men chosen to bear his name
20 lost world-if TO save his life one of /
them had denied his master.
TO us here in this emerald city of the
plains, he says: Fear not, lit
lie flock. for it is your Fathers. good
pleasure TO give you the kingdom" but
we may not hope for it except upon the
conditions that have been enumerated.
We must have Christian courage enough ]
o stand by the work through evil as
we'll as through good report, and to sur |
mount all Obstacles no matter how nu- /
nerouS nor how how great they may be. +
Though we be few and feeble and though (
he work be great, trusting in the Lord /
IesuS Christ for strength, we should con-
identity expect our labors to be crowned |
With complete success.
CONSIDERATION NECESSARY.
As conservation was a condition of sue
,esS to the apostles, SO il is to us. We
must lay upon the altar of this work.
'ur time, our talents, our powers and +
,ur purses. He that saves his life from
his sacrifice shall lose it. Jesus reached /
lis own glory and the salvation of the I
world by way of the cross. We can get
'uC OF this work only what we put into
I. If We put our lives into it, we will .
ret life out of it. If we put nothing into
+ it it is certain we viii get nothing out
Concentration of effort is as important /
low as it was in the day of the apostles.
70 succeed here we must speak the same
hing and put our hands to the same
asks. Every hand must help every other
land to carry on the one work in the
ne name that is above every name [
Little is accomplished by those who
york by spurts. To make this work go
We must stand by it faithfully to the
nd. Each day makes its own demands
hat must be met upon that day. Christ
oei not promise TO be with any while
fl duty. Only by him who stands faith
ully at the post of duty does he prom
Sc to stand with sustaining grace and
words of approval. He is with those who
re with him..
LIKE THE oREGON'S VOYAGE.
There are special reasons why we
hould stand faithfully by this work here
4 Salt Lake City. Napoleon under the
hadow of the pyramids. said to his
rnly; Forty centuries are looking down
pom you. So / say to you, my breth-
en-. that the eyes of a great brother
God are upon US More important than O.
hat. the eye of the infinite Father is
'orld were following that magnificent
attleship. the Oregon, as she made that
plendid VOYAGE from San Francisco to
he scene of war 1900 miles away. A
iAid VI pfict anu piSdSuFe ran through
he whole world as she rounded to at it's
I'd. with every part in perfect trim and
very man at his post. This church is
n voyage. May the good God prosper
er and bring her TO safe moorings in
he haven of eternal peace; and at the
nd. may every man be found standing
t his post of duty. stronger and better i
0r the trials and triumDhs of the trip
men.
-<<D-
GONE INTO CAMP.