The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-10-05
ACTIVITY OF PAUL.
DR.. Talmage Draws a Lesson from
Work of the Disciple.
Points out Places of Usefulness Not
Yet Fully Occupicd-Need of
More workers - Church
ms IA LifebOat.


need of more activity. The text is
Romans 1920: Lest l should build
upon another mans foundation"
In laying out the plan of his mission
airy tour Paul sought out towns and
cities which had not yet been preached
to. He goes to Corinth, a city famous
for splendor and vice, and Jerusalem,
where the priesthood and the sanhe-
drim were ready to leap with both
feet upon the Christian religion. He
feels he has especial work to do, and
he means to do it. What was the re-
suit? The grandest life of usefulness
that a man ever lived. We modern
Christian workers are not apt to imi-
tate Paul. We build on other peoples
foundations. If we erect a church, we
prefer to have it filed with families all
of whom have been pious. Do we gath
err Sabbath school class. we want good
boys and girls. hair combed, faces
washed. manners attractive. So
church in this day is apt to be built
out of other churches. Some ministers
spend all their time in fishing in other
peoples ponds, and they throw the line
into that church pond. and they jerk
out a Methodist, and throw the line
into another church pond and bring
out a Pres byterian. or there is reli-
gious row in some neighboring church,
and a whole school of fish swim off
from that pond. and we take them all
in with one sweep of the net. What
is gained? Absolutely nothing for the
cause of Christ. What strengthens an
ig a.
TO those coming from other flocks, we
should build our churches not out of
other churches. but out Of the world,
lest we build on another mans foun-
dation.
The fact is this is big world
When in our schuoiboy days we learned
the diameter and circumference Of this
planet we did not learn half. 1t is the
latitude and longitude and diameter
and circumference of want and woe
and sin that no figures can calculate.
This one spiritual continent of wretch
edness reaches across all zones. and if
i were called TO give its geographical
boundary l would say it was bounded
on the north and south and east and
west by the great heart OF Gods SYM
pathy and love. Oh, il is a great world
Since six o'clock this morning $500
persons have been born, and all these
multiplied populations are to be
reached by the Gospel. In England or
in our eastern American cities we are
being much crowded, and an acre of
ground is of great value, but in western
America 500 acres is a small farm, and
10000 acres is no unusual possession.
There is vast field here and every
where unoccupied, plenty of room
more, not building on another mans
foundation.
. y ,Xe need as churches to stop BON.
harding the old ironclad sinners that
have been proof against 80 years Of
Christian assault, Alas for that church
which lacks the spirit OF evangelism,
spending on one chandelier enough to
light 500 souls to glory, and in one
carved pillar enough to have made a
thousand men pillars in the house OF
our God forever" and doing less good
than many a log cabin meeting house
with tallow candles stuck in wooden
sockets and minister who has never
seen a college and does not know the
difference between Greek and Chloe.
taw. We need as churches to get into
sympathy with the great outside world
and let them know that none are 50
broken-hearted or hardly bestead that
they will not be welcomed. mol" saws
some fastidious Christian, 81 don't like
to be crowded in church. Don't put
anyone in my pew"
My brother. what will you do in
Heaven? When a great multitude that
no man can number assemblies. They
will put so in your pew. What are the
select few to-day assembled in tn,
Christian churches compared with tn,
mightier millions outside of them
Many of the churches are like hospi
tai that should advertise that its pa
tients must have nothing worse thar
toothache or "runrounds," but NJ
broken heads, no crushed ankles, NJ
fractured thighs. Give us for treat
ment moderate sinners. velvet-coatet
sinners and sinners with a gloss on
1t is as though a man had farm o
5000 acres and put all his work on on
acre. He may raise never so larg
ears of corn, never so big heads o
wheat, he would remain poor. Tn
church of God has bestowed its chic
care on one acre and has raised splen
did men and women in that small in
closure, but the field is the world Tha
means North and South America, Eu
rope, Asia and Africa and all the is
lands of the sea. 1t is as though afte
great battle there were left 5000
wounded and dying on the field an
three SURGEONS CgVp all their time 4
three patients under their charge. Tn
major general comes in and says to tn
doctors; Come out here and look a
the nearly 10000 dying for lack of SUI
gical attendance" NO" say the tire
doctors, standing there flaming thei
patients; "we have three importan
cases here and we are attending t
them, and when we are not positvel