The St. Louis Republic., 1900-12-31
6mlD- -OF-THE- CENTURY SERMONS IN ST. LOUIS

or service that has given good impulse TO
tn" centuries which have foIl"wcd.
fI"Sr.SS Is lik" "A chain: the links are
Intimately related and dependent on. upon
Another. The centuries have been cuttinp;
their way through varied forest of Oh
StdcicS, ilk' one exploring - new country.
ana II We ar" near the summit. where. the
"dilnnk Is less ohsCur.d. we Will look back
not 10 throw any rrpr"ach upon the pest.
nut 1" learn greater wisdom from the linn
lIdi'uu Of our faith rs. Whatever il of good
report as w. look back. and there is much
10 uS SAY with itrNCnt gratitude and sunny
mop: 'ihis also comcth forth from the
inrd 81 Hosts. which is Wonderful in com
81 aui excellent IN working
"tiow marked has ie-n the progIrss in
hui.nidH kno wioGre. In may last | a,o.i
Mithln ~" r"oii"sS walls 81 th'. littl, stone
s''""'H"u~". Mh"r" I learned mv first les
som, NOR" than MI" years ac"-iI impressive
Illustration of The. H;st;;r',. ia tn. progr,,ss
ct human kuowI"dSc between then and
h"". That l!ti!" stun" sch""innus,. ana the
@ii. hdi"iy equipped university and w"Iaau's
t'ii'i;'. furnish some measure 81 th,. all
.li'" m human hnpwi'fG" during the cen
Jury. lhv a'lvnnC. l. us marked. not only
IN IN" discovery Of kuowicJg". bur IN tnc
t""i" "H'CnNc us' "f it. Every sphere and
calling ~ li!r has been tnu.h..! ami set
forward tv II. kuuNl.dGc has revolution
iH'I the world during thu. century Th.r,
Is more general intriiig"Hs- in many Il sin
~" ~:..'" now than there MS in tn, whole
iii\y "i States hfty wears ago.
nave never known tiIn. when the
'""n' "i an ih'in"S and III" Suur"" rf all
wisdom Jrsu:; hr.~t. the son of the Iivin.
'""i NiS studied III his relation To al
uwl"tSc. Is he is To-day. Th, ..ain has
hot u'"n rapid. but il has been constant
iiincir,i Dykes sad last month IN r.dii-
nG'EE When We glance at the change
Sin'" ~" Nineteenth Century OPENED il Is
HnroS.inie, | think. to suppress the con-
kirtion that hardly any of it, predecessors
has witnessed wider or more fruitful
'hanEcS.' II mas not teen without risk and
- M luSS. There - no danger in research
when properly conducted hut th,r, Is when
f.a 4 =. Ill
t"'c'd from the drvout spirit and th. be
l"tiHS If" "f the humcSt man taught of
'"i, ~" harm ~ great biblical criticism
ana Interpretation ar" not proper subjects
Tor Hnu>eiE"nt and an unspiTijiiaI mind.
f'h'y'T such WORK IS und' rtabcn ny auy
man who il IU>iIiii.n 2um the faith he at
leIupis TO Investigate. and who pIrsrIcs his
researches in the same temper as he would
purSu" science or philosophy. damage is
sure 1" result to souls. Ni;nal 10 must lie
s5id thar this ongoinr progress the ever
abiding Spirit of God has guarded the Ark
and the gain has been great.
. With the progress of truth, the church
has made II gratifyin" advance. At the he
ginning of the century the religious condi-
ton was so deplorahlc that the few wit
neSScs of the King were filied with alarm.
tngiish society was dominated by such IN
tldeIS as Hume. Gihhon and Boiling broke.
y "taiie Rousseau and Nine. de rompa-
dour In France were favorites at the royal
court and honored by the people In Ger
many Frederick the Great Haunted his skcp-
tici,m IN the face of mis- adverSariss and
paid tribute t6 Nol:airc. Isaac TAYLOR de-
riared England to be in condition Of vir-
tuai heatheuiSm.' while Samuel Blair AZ
frmed that In America. religion lay a-dy-
ing The Gospel had fallen out of preach
lng and the church was without testimony
ana power. Since then. what hath Cod
wrought? The great historic denominations
were the only ones that had any permanent
existence in this country at the beginning
of the century. How small they were! How
tremendous were their disadvantages, How
great was their poverty, The first I.ut her
ans who came to this country preceded the
century. and. singular enough they came
from Holland and not from Germany. Then
followed the Swedes. settling in Philadcl-
phia. Then the Germans. under the lea Ter
snip of tine patriarch Muhlcnberg.
THE General Synod was organized in 1870
1T was a grain of mustard seed Since then
we have grown to lie one OF the larger
Outnumberinr all others In
the world, ard with a membership in this
ter. Others have had like growth. Since
then our country has occupied the area be-
tween the seas. The Colonies have become
u Republic. the first empire of It's kind
a progress in the kingdom of
Christ, unparalleled I'm the worlds history.
Think of the accumulation OF Christian
forces i'm the possession of the church to-
day. 1t seems that the list must he COM
pletn. can hardly think there will be any
addition. seriously added Importance and
responsibility fas come to preaching and
church membership and our multifOrm or
With all these forces. what is
the need? Certainly miEhtier faith in God:
more prayer. holy living and wisdom Ia take
Up and use these forces for the salvation of
society. Let us to-day open our hearts 10
receive what God SO TraciOlisly offers. and
say with loving gratitude. This. also. COM
eth forth from the Lord of Hosts. which Is
wonderful in counsel and excellent in work
Ing -