The times., 1899-11-20
POWER OF THE GOSPEL.
Discourse Of Bishop Warren at Ham
line VI. u. Church.

The pulpit of the Hamlne Methodist
Episcopal Church was occupied yesterday
morning by Bishop II. W. Warren His
text was portion of Pauls Epistle to the
Romans, i:16: THE gospel is the power of
God"
Bishop Warren spoke of the life of Christ
and the difficulty of defining it. Definition,
he said. must be clear. concise. and under
standable by those to whom it is addressed.
The larger and more comprehensive a thing
is the more difficult it is of definition.
So with the life of Christ, which touches
men at all points of human life and thought.
To a dying world sick and weary and
with their period of life reduced 10 a few
scores Of years Christ said: 4 am come
that ye may have life, and have it more
abuHGantly." To world given over to ly-
ing he seys: Il am come to bear witness
to the truth" To the world obstinate and
selfwiled, denying the word of God. he
says: For this end was l born into the
world, not that mine own will be done, but
the viii of him who sent me-"
But life, said the speaker. can be illus
trated as John illustrated it, in the grains
and seeds which produce the waving fields
and in the leayen which the woman hid
in three measures of meal where its in
trinsic power spread and leavened the whole
mass. Then comes Paul" said Bishop
Warren, and, grasping the essence of the
illustrations, shows that the gospel is the
power of God All the power that we
know of comes from God. He spoke the sun
into being. He upholds worlds by the
might of his power. and swings them in
space as easily as we blow bubbles. But
he says the gospel is the power. the es-
Il
definition of the gospel-it is a power
Bishop Warren said the gospel is meant
to be a power in mental and spiritual
realms. just as the properties of gravitation.
cohesion, affinity, etc, are powers in the
physical world. Without these properties
Of matter the world would be existent,
and SO. without the power of the gospel, cur
MINDS and souls would become feeble and
weak and die.
so, | say" continued tte preacher, that.
having the power Of the gospel we come TO
/ our designed position in the universe
kings, pTincssses, holding empireship ana
WELDING dominion In the world, because
that is the design Of our being. Now, if
that definition of the gospel be a true one
We are very happy, extremely so. because
1t is made in terms that we understand
and that We shall more and more under
stand as the ages go on.
The definition of evolution given by its
great exponent is perfectly nou-un6er-
standable by everybody. but about one in
each million of the worlds people. 1t is
no definition to the ordinary man. But the
terms of the definition Of the gospel are
understandable by every body because we
are acquainted with power in all the forces
of nature. Power is the principal charac-
teristc of this world.
Every power on earth is for the use Of
man. Every energy wants 10 serve him.
Steam electricity, the forces of the rushing
torrent, all say: Here l am; use me. II
so that the gospel be a power, it must be
that it is here. too, 10 serve man. 1t is
also limitless and always ready 10 be ap-
Piled"
Bishop Warren spoke Of the transfera-
bility of power. how the forces of Niagara
are utilized in Albany over 800 miles away
and how the electrical disturbances on the
sun cause similar disturbances on earth
So in the mental phenomena. The powers
of reason. thought. feeling, are transferable
Christ said TO his disciples ''Ye shall re-
Ceiye power" The PentacostaI outpouring
came. and those who were formerly afraid
10 witness for the truth before even a girl
EOw charged the rulers. Jews. Pharisees
and Sadducees that they had killed the
Prince Of Life. They had received the
power OF the gospel
In conclusion Bishop Warren spoke of the
prosecutions that Christianity suffered at
ten distinct periods, and showed how the
power of the gospel lived on and pre-
served the faith through its prosecutions
and showed itself stronger than the human
power of hate. Illustrations were taken
from life TO show The power of the gospel
on beds of afiiction, overcoming strong
habits of evil, and in saving mankind
from the death Of sin to the glory of life
eterEal