Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-25
DR.. w. M. LEFTWICH
On the Great Teacher of The
Twentieth Century.
At Epworth Church Sunday AIornlng-A
Powerful Discourse From tho Toxt =
"when He, tho Spirit of Truth, is Come,
He Will Guide You Into All Truth,


Rev. DR.. Leftwich's text at Epworth
church Sunday morning, and his sub
ject was the great teacher OF the TWEEN
tieth century. 1t was a powerful ser
mon. The Doctor said. in part:
The educator of the twentieth CEN
fury is the Holy Ghost; and He will
guide the Church into all truth. He
has guided the Church into some truth,
into much truth. but not into all truth.
Why not into all truth? Because the
Church has never accepted the full
meaning and ministry of the Holy
Spirit; never submitted to His author
ity and has never been willing to be
led into all truth.
Nineteen centuries of Holy Ghost
teaching counts for much, but it does
not count for all. The Church Travelled
a long distance from Sanai to Calvary
and 1t measured for us the difference
between the Kingdom of God, under
under Jesus. From Calvary to Pente-
cost was only fifty days, but in that
short time the Kingdom of God
changed front and adopted a new
evangelism in the history of men-the
evangelism of the Holy Ghost From
Pehtecost to the end of the age the
Great Teacher of the Truth is the Holy
each age has been given a supply OF
truth according to It's illumination we
can we'll believe that the incoming CEN
tury will bring an illumination that
will enable the Holy Ghost to fulfill the
uttermost of His commission and guide
the Church into all truth. The restless
spirit of inquiry with which the old
century closes and the new century
opens may foretoken the oncoming of
an illumination. that will bring
mightier Pentecost than the world has
ever known.
GUS progress of the nineteenth CEN
fury, with its wonderful intellectual
quickening. should close on a restless
spirit in the churches, the spirit of in
dependent inquiry after truth which
puts an Interrogation point to the cut
and dry theology provided for the
Church centuries ago.
What If the longing for God-for the
living God-which the souls of men
have long felt under the mighty quick
ening of the Holy Ghost. should sig
Nifty the breaking away from the old
forms and old creeds! The Bible is the
infallible fountain OF truth-deep, wide,
infinite and inexhaustible. What If the
Church has outgrown her creeds?
hope you will not take fright at the
suggestion!
If the Church has not outgrown her
creeds, we certainly have found more
natural and humane method of inter
preting them. The Gospel of today Is
not so much matter of dogmatism
and metaphysics, as OF adaptation to
human needs. 1t may be that THE
Spirit of Truth" is leading US
away from apologetics and dog
mates and nearer to the per-
acter of men. We are certainly
finding the best systematic theology in
the truths that save men and the best
evidence of Christianity in the Chris
tian himself. 1t is not hard to believe
that the Great Teacher is even now
preparing the Church for new evan
gelism. The thoughtful preacher stands
today In the presence of the facts as
they are and not as he would have
them. He laments the decline of spir-
itual life and sees the young people
drifting away from the church, or held
to 1t by artificial means, and knows
that there are thousands of churches in
which the Gospel is not reaching men.
Many read the Scriptures now who
do not see a revelation of spiritual
truth at ALL Just as many saw Christ
in the flesh and did not see in Him a
revelation of God. Spiritual truth must
be spiritually discerned. The natural
man. with natural vision, however
keenly developed, cannot discern spir-
itual things.
Christ tire highest stttfforftyfor-=
truth. We cannot separate the truth
from it's source in Christ, 1.-The Truth"
Nor can the Spirit of Truth" guide us
into truth apart from the Christ of the
Gospels. In teaching the truth the Holy
Ghost is limited to His commission.
He shall teach you all things. and
bring all things to your remembrance
whatsoever have said unto you
Men do not love the truth because
tine truth condemns In our selfish
Drine roStct nj IN
sisting the truth we resist the Spirit
of Truth"
The doctor said we must be willing to
surrender our orthodoxy our beliefs.
our methods. our forms, our spectacu-
lar programs and ourselves to the di-
vine sovereignty of the Holy Ghost in
the Church, and then and not until
then can He make the Gospel the pow
er OF God unto salvation. and not only
lead us into all TRUTH but set that
truth on fire III us. and through IL
bring the mightiest Pentecost OF the
worlds history.
Mighty changes are taking place in
every quarter of the globe-changes
that at other times would startle the
world-but now are SO common that
we read of them in the papers before
breakfast, and they are crowded out
by mightier changes the next day.
The spirit of revolution is abroad
among the nations. Only a short time
ago the guns of our navy Numbered
along The coast of Cuba, sending
navies to the bottom OF the sea and
armies from the ancient forts into the
mountains. breaking off tie CALLING
yoke of oppression under which the
people had bowed and groaned for CEN
turtles. and the Gem OF the Antilles
rose into new life, and her statesmen
are even now in counsel making laws
for a free government Dewey. with
his great battleships, noatel into Man
lila bay. sent another navy to the bot
tom of the sea- and demanded the sur
rendnl. of I,auite q nd Maniln nd Ia