Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-22
ABOUT PREACHERS
When the First Complete Sermon
Was Preached.
Al" Interesting and Instructive Discourse
Delivered sunday by Rev. ben G. Herr,
Pastor of the Frccnason street Church
nj Christ.


Roy. Ben c. Herr the scholarly and
talented young pastor OF Freemason
street Church OF Christ CDiciples)
preached Sunday night on The First
Gospel sermons" Ills subject being Il
most interesting one IL synopsis is
given below for the benefit of readers
OF the Nirginian- Pilot
BY the first Gospel sermons is meant
The first sermons preached in the
Christian dispcnsation. These are OF
immense Importance and should be
familiar 10 every lover of his Bible
ana the Church.
Although Noah is styled "a prcach
oil Righteousness. and Nathan, Elijah.
Isaiah and Jeremiah preached the God
| III Whom we believe. yet they died be-
lofc the appearance of Christ. Nor was
John the Baptist a Christian preacher.
ne was the forc-runner of Christ and
preached a preparatory message.
! Christ, the twelve" and the seventy
preached 10 the Jews. Christ said OF
himself. Il am not sent but unto tho
lost sheep of the house OF Israel" TO
the twelve fic said, go not into the
way OF the Gcntilcs, and into any city
- .'>ihtsiiit tlltG w MOI
Christian preachers in the full sense
OF the expression were not an impossi-
niiitN before the death. burial rcsur-
rcction and coronation of Christ Pre-
vious To the A,oncmeut the Gospel was
incomplete existing only in promise
ana preparation. The first complete
Gospels sermons then, were preached
shortly after the coronation of Christ;
on the day OF Pentecost.
The trimming Of these first Gospel
preachers was remarkable. 1t consist
ed chiefly in three things: instruction
from christ III person. personal con
tact with his example ana character
and supernatural equipment with in
Siiratlon and power to work miracles
The sermon on the mount was pri-
MARTY I" the twelve He spoke TO
them in private. what | tell YOU i'm
The parallels which confoun,lcd the
nutitudes he explained fully 10 the
disciples privately. why Spcakcst
thou unto them in parallels? lie an
swered. Because il is given unto YOU to
know the mysteries of the Kingdom Of
given" Though much OF Christs'
teaching WAS for all. yet his primary
work was for the training of the first
Gosrcl preachers.
They learned The Christian temper
from contact with Christ When thev
! over the death of Lazarus and suffer
/ in the Garden they We're receiving in
! part their training.
Part of their preparation was mira
culous. Take no thought what or
how YOU shall speak. for il is not You
that speak but the spirit of your Ia
| Their that speaketh in you Again
81 he Holy Spirit shall teach You all
things and bring all things to your
remembrance whatsoever / have spo-
ken unto YOU"
How careful their training: how
thoughtful their equipment. Let us look
with expectancy To their first sermons.
for they ought To be the models for all
subsequent preaching.
The supreme purpose of these first
Christian sermons was To have men
believe hat the Jesus. whom they had
else could we expect from these
prcacher in view of their training and
! Their love for Jesus. The argument of
the first sermon ends thus: therefore
lei all the house of Israel know as
suredly that God hath made this same
Jesus whom We have crucidcd both
Lord and Christ The second and
third end i'll about the same way ."And
daily i'll the temple ana in every house
they ceased not to teach and to preach
Jesus The Confession which Peter
IND f7Tfrnerly made and on which
Thou art the Christ the Son OF the
living God. now became The creed OF
the new born Church.
But in these sermons we sec also
the promise that the Spirit should
bring all things to their rcmcm-
brancc," was verified. The last com
mand of Christ To these preachers was
this: Go We therefore and teach all
nations and bapiize them unto the
name Of the Father and the Son and
| the Holy Spirit" This command they
did not forget. For when the first
sermon prickcd their hearers, hearts
| they said What shall we do?" The
answer WAS Repent and be baptized
every one of you into the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins
and you shall receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit In the frasmentary re-
cords OF the sermons that follow in the
book OF Acts. sometimes belief on
| Christ is commanded and again only
baptism. owing To the necessities Of
the case. For example. Saul was nci-
thcr told to believe nor repent for il
was evident that he had done both.
1t remained merely To tell him "Artsc
and be baptized and wash away thv
sins calling on the name Of the ord I"
Jesus and his commandments dominat-
Ell these sermons then. They should
do so to-day.