The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-05
THE. HEART
POWER OF
THE GOSPEL.
q Thoughtful Discourse Yesterday
Morning by Rev. s. T.
Westhafer at
THE FOURTH STREET CHURCH.
Tho Various Elements of the Power
of the Gospel Elaborated
by the Minister.

Yesterday morning. ut the Fourth
street N. E. church. the pastor, Rev. S..
r. Westhafer, preached i powerful dis
course on 1.-THE Heart Power Of the
Gospel" taking as his text these words
from Rom. 1:16: For am not ashamed
Of the Gospel Of Christ, for it is the
power Of God unto salvation to every
one that believcth. To the jew first.
and also in the Greek" Said the minis
ter: +H
st. Jaul has cndeared himself to the
Christian world by his uncompromising
loyalty to the spirit OF the gospel Of
( Christ. Many holy men Of his time
were equally true to their convictions,
b equally courageous and suffered n mar
tyrdom equally painful: but there Is in
the conversion, the call. the ministry OF
Saul Of Tarsus, a strain OF religious ex-
periences which give him n command
{ Ing place In the affections Of Christian
people.
Many things entered into his life to
make this SO. While engaged In soli-
tary preparation for his work. probably
down in Arabia, he discovered a physi-
cal defect In himself, whether It was an
impediment In his speech. weak eyes, u
bilious temperament, or epileptic fits
no one knows. but according to the ira
dillon OF the Jewish nation 1t rendered
him unfit to minister to the people in
spiritual things. Wherever he went his
bodily ailment would be held up before
him to discredit his call to the apostolic
office. to disprove his sincerity. and to
prevent him from preaching.
His Message Was Christ.
Then his message was person who
had been accused and convicted of
crime. and punished by crucifiction as
malefactor. His message was the
crucified Christ. Furthermorc, the ma
lions to whom he preached were con-
quering nations. The Greeks had
brought the Jews into subsection, and
ruled them first with 4 rod OF iron. and
then with philosophy. The Greeks de-
spised Paul's Christ because he had no
art. no philosophy. no beauty. Then
the Romans overcame the Jews and
ruled them without mercy. The nations
to whom Paul was to carry the gospel
were proud. naughty. powerful and
were least OF all nations likely to give
him a hearing. You can here get an
idea Of the stuff the apostle was made
Of When you stop and think Of him
with defect branded upon his body. the
stigma Of the cross stamped upon his
heart, the open hostility of conqucring
nations before him. on his lonely jour-.
ney through Asia Minor standing before
hooking philosophers, facing angry
mobs. pleading his cause alone before
powerful magistrates. our admiration
and love for St. Paul grows upon u.s.
Think OF his power to control himself in
the presence OF an openly hostile world
He never lost his self poise. He never
lost his courage. He never lost his con-
summate skill In handling an audience.
In the Greclan metropolis he was con-
fronted by the novelty loving Athen-
ians. To them he spoke OF the "un-
known God" and made them his ready
listeners. At Corinth he was met by the
wise Corinthians: to them he preached
the wisdom Of God and captlvated
Them. At Rome he faced the power
loving Romans. To them he said II am
ready to preach the Gospel to you that
are Romans also. For I am not
ashamed OF the Gospel OF Christ, for 1t
Is the power OF God unto salvation. to
every. one that belIeveth." ana won n
hearing.
Now the Christian religion as 1t has
come down to US is body OF facts call
ed the gospel record. After the bewil-
derment OF the cruciflxion had passed
and the Resurrection had become an
article Of faith. Christ commanded the
apostles to go preach and disciple all
nations They went, and preached as
they went. They remembered the life
OF Jesus. the miracles he did. the para
bles he put forth, the teachings he ut
cred. The gospel they preached was an
oral gospel. They refused to commi, to
writing. Later when Christianity be.
gan to pass into history, Matthew
Mark. Luke and John reduced the oral
teachings of the apostles to body OF
facts In writing. known to US as the
four gospels.
The Christian religion Is also d power
which has come down to us In accord
with this body OF facts. VIXEN Peter
preached at Jerusalem on the day o,
Pentecost. power according to promise
came down from hcaven and entered
Into Christianity. The skcpt!c may
doubt the fact: That has to do with the
intellect. but he must reckon with tho
power. That deals with conscience, 1,
is God.
Not Philosophy.
In the very nature Of the case, tn,
Christian religion Is not and cannot be
philosophy You cannot weigh
thoughts In pair Of scales as a
Sroceryman weighs sugar. You canno,
measure power as the merchant does
calico. with yard stick. You canno,
break the gospel facts Into pieces as q
EeoloGist does a rock. You cannot dl.
vide power Into parts rs n chemist doc,
water and anG!ysc It. The Chriatlan re.
ligion 10 Gods appeal to man to believe
on his Son. The Christian religion /.
the life OF God In mans soui. It Is both