Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-05-03

in our day" says +. w. Robertson "a
marvellous idolatry of talent; it is a Y
strange and grievous thing to see men s
bow down before genius and sueces : 4 tt
When once the idOlatry of talent enters 8
the church, then farewell to spiritual .
/ ity; when men ask their teachers not il
for that which will make them more il
humble and GOdlike, but for the excite 7
ment of an intellectual banquet, then :
: farewell to christian progress" Z
The proud Greek still sits in our con- 1
gregations, demanding of the modern
Paul the finest display of the product
of the schools. Why not? Does he /
demand aught but his own? And /
when Paul bows his consecrated head
to receive the proffered laurel, hear a
great shout go up from the Greeks
"That's my preacher! am of Paul ~
splendid exhibition of classic ora
tory" The next congregation that
gathers in that house listens to the an
cient Paul, and as he closes there is
5 hush among the Greeks, with now and
then whispered word, "fOOlishness y
7 while from other hearts come the CRATE
full recognition: This is Gods man
Y "NOw we see Jesus, for the preacher
t stands behind the cross.
j. We are living in the midst OF period Ofin-
e tellectuaI transition. No longer to the classes
: only but to the masses as we'll, is delivered
the key to the conservatory of learning. The
young pros pective Paul, who fails in Tarsus
e to appreciate the demands Of the signs Of the
o times,for learning in the pulpit will hardly
"a find reliefin Jerusalem, and will coon find the
footmen Of his early ministry wearisome
Ie to him that he will despair a later race with
the horsemen. But the danger lies not so
=, much in any threatened lack OF intellect in
the ministry as in the lack Of discernment of
OF the humble use OF cOnsecrated learning. Is
IS our coming ministry preparing to induce the
ce selfcruci xion Of the rising intellectual pride
=. OF the masses? The question, how to reach
, the masses is no more pertinent to our day
"a than the equally grave question of how to
to preach to the masses; and the former is
,s- likely to be answered as soon as the latter,
Has the preacher a determined purpose to
u sacrifice all display OF intellectual pride in
lc- his person and workP II nOt,there will be nc
to cross, no Christ in his preaching. The top o
cd Calvary is the highest point Of spiritual ex
eellence on earth, and we must all reach It al
~ Christ reached through self-sacrihcinl
IN, love- As LOngfellow says:
an 1T is the heart and not the brain
That to the highest doth attain
led And he who falleth loves behest
-, Far excelleth all the rest"
ANi In view of the determination OF Paul as re
n.y. garded in the text,and the reasons thus give
nd for It's application to our times it ought t
be evident TO the preacher that while b
ACA oil ntp11pptmQ1
re- ouirements to the humble service Ofhis Lor'
ure vet the Master will forgive him II he does nj
,ck succeed in making himself the centre Of a
admiring class of young bOtanists or astroi
omers or biologists in his church.
'uc- But we must notice that PauPs resolutio
pre- was made in the face OF third demand. tt
The everywhere present Jew was at COrinth al
~ Paul knew that his demand would be intr
u0 ded with a vengeance The Jew required
tive sign. But back OF this hypocritical reque
his was the demand for conformity to the MOsa
,hiI. order. and the traditional htergy gather
- around It without such conformity, Pa
might have restored eyesight and raise t
aul dead like his Master, yet would he have
this ceived like reprOaches 1--WE know that g
on spake unto Moses, as for this fellow we kn'
90. not from whence he is. He casteth out dev
through Beelzebub the chief of DEVILS" Z
Ould come an Interpreter of the law OF Moses a
who a champion of the traditions Of the fathe
but the Je" VIII Denu al ils
lew why not make the religion of Christ q natu
ltel branch OF the great vine of Jehovah's pla
ghts ing and care9 Or can Paul forget that
10 its was Hebrew OF tne hebrews oi ene ivo W,
-ue isees7 Must he disOwn his parentage, and
N OF pudiate the wisdom OF Gamaliel? Suchfr
| did the Jewish standpoint seemed to be the pl
, uo teal issue Of his determination mot to kI
. ANYTHING among them save Jesus Christ
'0'SH Him crucihed."
ophy And why such a determination? Beca
lders Paul saw that the religion Of the law was
rtal,a adequate to the task of comprehending
forwarding the spiritual truths and Iii
ou VI christianity. He saw the Jew vainly stri'
the to extract from the shriveled shell Of fOrl
cd of Ism even a single drop of the water Of sp
n NOT ual life. The Mosaic religion was reli
- of special injunctions. 1t was exacting
'Iual' to the commodities Of every day life.
Rreek, man could engage in the most trivial th
{ Cal. of secular life without being reminded
,dnoo he was the victim of a code Of exacting r
And in his religious life he was even
I'M conscious OF painful requirements. This
route tine service rarely ever appealed to his
And science and heart,and made ne prOvlsio
va the his spiritual nature.
Why maj sp pa ohossd nn5er tn. conserva
D miss of this traditional routine. The religi
rs an love was too expansive for the Institute
moth the religion OF legalls me new %ine
sin Of pe pS ~ - o,osttc 1nateria than the
10 God W - -, 80 .... =