Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-09-21

in. Those are the men who give forlorn
statistics about church decadence Frogs
never croak in running water; always in
stagnant. But | say to ali Christian
workers. to all Sunday school teachers,
to all evangeliSts, to all ministers of the
gospel, if we want our Sunday schools
and our prayer meetings and our
churches to gather the people we must
freshen up. The simple fact is, the peo-
pie are tired of the humdrum of re-
hgionists. Religious humdrum is the
worst of all humdrum. You say over
and over again, Come to Jesus" until
the phrase means absolutely nothing
Why do you not tell Them a story which
will make them come to Jesus in i've
minutes?
You say that all Sunday school teach
ers and all evangelists and all ministers
must bring their Illustrations from the
Bible. Christ did not when he preached
The most of the Bible was written before
Christs time, but where did he get his
illustrations? He drew them from the
lilies. from the ravens, from salt, from a
candle, from bushel, from long faced
hyHocriteS, from gnats, from moths, from
large gates and small gates. from a
camel, from the needles eye, from yeast
in the dough of bread from n mustard
seed, from Il fishing net, from debtors and
creditors. That is the reason multitudes
followed Christ. His illustrations We're
so easy and SO understandable. There
fore, my brother Christian worker, If you
and find two Illustrations for q religious
subject and the one is Bible illustration
and the other is outside the Bible | will
take the latter, because | want to be like
the Master. Looking across to a hill
Christ saw the city of Jerusalem. Talk
ing to the people about the conspieuity of
Christian example he said: The world is
looking at you. BE careful. A city that
is set on a Hill cannot be hid" While he
was speaking of the divine care of Gods
children 4 bird flew past. He said, "Be
hold the ravens" Then looking down
into the valley, all covered at that sea-
son with flowers, he said, Consider the
lilies" oh. my brother Christian work
crs, what is the use of going away off in
some obscure part OF history or on the
other side Of the earth TO set an illustra
ton when the earth and the heavens are
full of illustrations?
Vicarious Suffering.
illustration of the yicarious suffering of
Jesus Christ when at Bloomfield, \. j.,
two little children We're walking on the
rail track and train was coming: but
they were on bridge OF trestlework,
and the little girl took her brother ana
let him down through the trestlework as
gently as she could toward the water,
very carefully and lovingly and cautious
ly, 50 that he might not be hurt in the
fall and might be picked up by those
who were standing near by while doing
that the train struck her, and hardly
enough of her body was left to gather
into a funeral casket? What was that
Nicarious suffering. Like Christ. Paug
for others Woe for others. Suffering
for others. Death for others. What is
the use Of our going away off to find an
illustration in past ages when in Mchi-
gan mail carrier on horseback, riding
| on, pursued by those flames which had
swept over n hundred miles, saw an old
man by the roadside, dismounted, helped
| the old man on the horse, saying, Now
| whip up and get awayY The old man
| got away, but the mail carrier persisted
Just like Christ dsmounting from
the glories of heaven TO put us on the
way of deliverance, then falling back
into the flames of sacrifice for others.
. Christian workers, we have got to
freshen up. What is the use of our GO
ing back in the Christian classics to find
an illustration OF the victorious Chris
tian deathhCd when my personal friend.
Alfred Goodman a few years ago went
away in as imperial grandeur as did
Il ri / l.,
traton to me and to you because | met
him a few weeks before in front of Trim
ity Church, Broadway, and | said, Cook
man, you look as if you were working
too hardY Where in all the classics is
there such story as that Of Goodman
when, in his last moment, he cried, u
am sweeping through the gates washed
in the blood OF the LambP'
Oh. fellow Christian workers. what is
the use Of our being stale and obsolete
and ancient when all around us are those
evidences Of Gods grace. Gods deliver
ance, Gods mercy and Gods wisdom
We have got 10 freshen up In our ser
mons, freshcn up in our songs, frcshpn
up in our zeal frcshcn up in our con
secration. and If we do It. my brethren
and sisters, We viii 10 more have ia
coax people to come to church than if
YOU throw corn on the ground you have
TO coax pigeons to come aud cat it, no
more than you would have to coax
tired horse to eat oats you throw in hix
maugcr Yes, we must frcshcn mp in our
Sunday schools and in our prayer meet
ings and in our puipits.
No Need for Apologies.
II Is high time that the church of God
stopped writing apologies for the church.
Let the men who are on the outside who
deapise religion write the apologies IL
any people DO not want the church, they
need not have it. II is a free country. If
any man does not want the gospel, he
need not have it. 1t is free country.
But you 80 out, o people Of God, ana
give the gospel to the millions Of America
who do want it, 1t is high time to stop
diminishing and bring on q general en-
gagemcnt. | want 10 live to see the Ar
magedd0n, all the armies of heaven ami
he'll in battle array, for | know our con
uEcror on the white horse will gain the