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

wing all finer motive to spiritual
thirst. The natural man, whose
heart is ennity to God, cannot be
.rIly and spiritually conquered by
presenting to him glittering ar
ray of the material Conquests OF
christian civilization.
If we would effectually bring
souls to God, the excellency of the
power must manifestly be of God |
and not as US. The lightning of
the Holy Spirit must do its mighty
work upon the heart of the sinner
e'er the thunder of an imposing
has warned him to safe
retreat from the threatened shock.
1t was not the glittering battle ar
ray, nor the numbers of IsraePs
host that struck terror to the Cen
tile army. It was not Jacobs dis
play of his power and riches sent
Oh before him in studied order, but
his spiritual endowment as prince
who had prevailed with God, that
subdued the angry heart of his
brother Esau. Not by your might
nor by your power, but by my
Spirit saith the Lord. !"
This preaching of the cross by
Paul, presented a perfect contrast
to the love of display Characters
tic of the natural man. The more
he was troubled on every side, the
more he was perplexed and perse'
cuted, and cast down; the more he
bore about in his body the dying
of the Lord Jesus; so much the
more was the life of Jesus made
manifest by him.
Brethren, the Methodist EpiscOpa
Church, the church of our birth and O
our choice, has grown great and impOf
ing in it's material array. Its infuenc
upon the temporal interests of sOciet
is cOrrespOndingly great. For this res
son alone, men are easily persuaded
seek our communion. Our perfect syi
: tenn of graded advancements aud hon
/ Ors awaiting the phenOminally SUI
, cessful pastor, makes the temptation
! fill our churches with the uncOnverte
{ as strong as the ease with which tim
i be done. Against this temptation
stronger and more subtle to-day ths
: ever, we must oppose this determine
] self-denying spirit which enabled Pa
q to say: at determined not to know an
,. thing among you save Jesus Christ al
q Him crucitied." And on the 9th
/ hand, this same Spirit is needed to
l Iieve us from the slavish fear of failu
u to tine cause of God from seeming la,
: of numbers or material resources.
!! But another road to phenomenal 81
Is cess for Himself and His cause was p
le sented to the aspiring eyes Of Paul. I
&c Greeks demanded wisdom This
ID mand seemed to embrace speculat
III philosophy and elOquence. With
g adequate knowledge of the Greek pl
al osophers and poets, and his cOnsu
T. mate skill in casuistTy, could not p
0n have made compromise with t
% craving after an intellectual religiO
ds Could he not have elOquently elabC
On ted the teachings and life of Christ i
.; a new system Of philosophy that wO
NJ have gained the applause of those v
81 "spent their time in nothing else
Al either to tell or to hear some 1
d thing?" With that wonderful in
en- lect which has burdened the thOua
Oe of christendOm with obligations t.
ou greatness, st. Paul could have mac
~ heavier draft upon the admiration
Do the wisdom seeking Greeks, than
81 Socrates and his two famous Lupils
NJ -; might have been the first of the 81
VIZ Wise Men of Greece, and his philOso
w. the greatest of the seven great won
~ of the world. And why not under
'~'9 the task Was not the religiO
Christ elastic enough to stand
~ stretching of this plausible metho
~ discipling the Greek And would
~ this indirect method be most effec
-. If in his desired leadership of the O.
IL 81, Paups objective point was Mount
80, vary, how could he more easily in
80 the Corinthian thrOng to follow
~ - than by way of the tempting
- which leads over Mount Pierus?
A. why not make the altar of Minerv
threshold to the temple of Christ ?
tI,9 not? All, brethren we too often
pro- Vne uee lP s Lne'9 - -, l,now
: Ilis ing" Intellectual pride was the
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