The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-12-31
New Century Will be Noted For
its Great Spiritual
Advancement.
DISCOURSE BY5REY. SCaWARM.
At the First English Evangelical
Lutheran Church Last
Evening. (.

|
timely discourse. taking for his theme
1.-THE Christians Duty on the Thresh.
hold OF a New Year and Century" Mr..
Schwarm said In part:
THE night Is far spent, the day Is at
hand; let us therefore cast or the works
OF darkness, and let US put on the
armour OF light. Let us walk honestly
as In the day: not In rloting and drunk
enness, not In chambering and wanton-
ness, not In strife and envylng. But put
ON the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not
provision for the flesh. to fulfill the
lusts thereof. Romans 13:12-1.
The Christians Duty.
1.-THE Christian should take note Of
the demands of the times in which he
lives. He should try and understand
his age, and know what Is appropriate
and what is not appropriate under ex-
listing conditions. The Apostle Paul WINS
gospel preacher. He was bearer of
the light of the gospel Of the Lord Je-
sus Christ to n heather world, a world
sunk In gross moral and spiritual dark
ness. a world cropping about after God
II happily they might find him. This
was true of the cultured Athenians and
also Of the world conquering Romans.
They were morally and spiritually en-
quilted in gross ignorance and super
stition. Revellng and drunkenness,
chambering and wantonness were prev
alent even in their religious life.
Paul gives picture of that heathen
world in the first chapter OF his letter
to the church at Rome. He says.
When they knew God, they glorined
him not as God, They changed the
glory of the incorrupt!ble God into an
image made like to corruptlble man,
and to birds and four footed beasts,
and creeping things. Wherefore God
gave them up to uncleanness through
the lusts of their own hearts, to dis
honor their own between themselves,
ETC., etc.
TT was into this gross darkness OF
heather idolatry and sensuallty TINT
Paul carried the light Of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. He said to those who
heard and believed, The night is far
spent, the day Is at hand; let us there
fore cast off the works Of Darkness
etc. The right of that heather dark
ness was far. spent. The day soon
burst upon those heather nations and
idolatry and sensuality were largely
banished and Christ Jesus was put on
and became King.
Christian Confidence.
This should give us Christians con-
fldence. We should believe and re-
joice In the fact that the night is far
spent. that the day Of gospel light Is at
hand. that the forces Of evil will not al
ways have the ascendency. That the
trend of the human race Is upward.
That the human race Is growing better
and robler. There is still much dark
ness, after nineteen, centuries OF Chris
tan teaching in some places even in
Christian lands, and there are still
many heather lands, but the day Is
breaking everywhere. There is no just
reason for gloom and dependency as to
the triumph OF the Gospel OF Jesus
Christ. Many bewail the prosecutions
OF Christians in Armenia and China,
but those very prosecutions have shown
that the light has shonc into those
most beRighted heather lands and
made many ready to die rather than
give. up the light. II will prove there
as in the past history Of the gospel cv-
erywhere. that The blood of the mar
tyrs Is the seed OF the church. and that
instead OF suppresslng the gospel, 1t
will be the means of making hundreds
and thousands OF Christians for every
one whose blood WAS shed. And then
God will use the zeal and enthusiasm OF
those modern martyrs to stir up the
church in the Christian lands. The
blood OF these martyrs cries to us, that
NOW 1t is high time to awake
Tho Day is at Hand.
"These things show US that the day
is ut hand even for tie most benIghted
lands. This should encourage Chris.
tians In Christian lands. They shou!S
throw aside their lethargy, rub their
eyes. and behold the sun of righteous
ness shining In the far east. This Is no
time for Christians to sleep. The day IS
here: they should arise and take the
world for Christ, The gospel OF Jesus
Christ has been steadily marching on.
There have been times when the light
has burned obscurely. but It hns ever
been trimmed and burned more brightly
than before. 1t was so in the refOrmn-
ton. ini the REVEALS under Spencer In
Germany, the Wesleys in England, and
Edwards. Finney, etc, In America.
There are singers OF another trimming
now, The night OF sins power is pass
Ing. II is far spent. God viii not al-
ways tolerate the works OF the devil.
He Is calling TO his people to put of the
works OF darkness, rGvclings and
drunkenness, ETC., and to live in the
light, The many attempts to purify
our cities of these GROSS evils show that
His people are responding. They will
yet succeed.
THE century drawing to n close has
been n wonderful one because of the
scientific and material advancement
The GOSPEL OF Christ has advanced too,
but not so conspicuously MS the mater
lHl. But the century coming VIII be
noted for It's great spiritual advance