Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-04-26
WISDOM OF WINNING SOULS.



life!snd he that winneth souls is wise"
Proverbs IL 80.
| am confident that the gospel is the
power of God unto salvation AS ii ever
has been. and if fewer souls are being
saved than in former days it must be in
lack of or an unwise application. The
souls need is Just as great Gods love
and mercy are just as boundless. We
admit a difficulty, q dearth, spiritual de-
serts, 8 deadly chill, paralysis, coma, an
aesthesla. At the same time there are
inexpressible yearnings in the hearts OF
Gods ministry for spiritual awaken
ing. What is the difficulty and what the
remedy?
May it not be possible that the pastors
themselves have been diverted from their
most important work? Have we not like
wise been N disturbed state OF mind
unfavorable to large results in soul win
ming The last quarter Of a century has
been enc in which the battle OF theolog-
zeal polemies has ragged fercely. No
thoughtful pastor has been an idle spec
tator. Some, fancying they saw grave
defects in the old views. and receiving
visions Of larger truth, have challenged
the traditions of the elders, spnrned the
faith of the fathers and denied the au-
thorlty of the scriptures. Others have
felt called upon to defend the ancient
faith, TO bulwark the Bible. and with
troubled faces and throbbing hearts have
entered the pulpit TO contend for the
faith rather than to dispense the gospel
Neither the bold challenger OF Gods
Word 70 1O,nhfv- t.
ready for evangelistie work. Ii needs
quiet assurance, a faith which is neither
disturbed nor assailed, single and sin
guiar purpose, a profound peace to 10
well the work of an evangelist.
During the march of creation thou
sands Of beautiful crystals have been
formed, though no crystal was formed
while the great molten sea was surying
beneath the mighty forces of nature. but
when the liquid mass ceased to throb and
universal calm spread over the chaotic
word, then by the laws OF affinity and
deposition the emerald, the ruby, the sap
phire, the topaz We're formed in their
ma rlces, where they have sleIE for ages
brilliant records OF earths hrst peace
Iful morning, eternal poems Of the voice
l
tention are not productive at the fairesi
gems OF Christianity If. however. the
storm which has ragged abSut our Bilsle
has cleared the atmosphere, If we have
clearer Visions of God ard the Christ,
II we have more correct views of the
nor,, the essence Of the Holy Scriptures.
| If we have more accurately conceived the
relations between God and man, per-
haps we many be at the gray dawa Of Il
peaceful day when all that is best in
Christianity shall take beautifal form
and we shall whl many priceless souls to
our Lord
1t may be that we have become TOO
| deeply merged in the svorld. | should be
slow to saggest that Gods ministers were
not consecrated TO his work. Each heart
knows its OWE conservation or Back of it.
We should not be .conformed TO the
world, but I can see where there is great
danger of such conformity. When the
pastor is, in fact, II not in name. the
comptroller of the treasury. mhen lie is
the head OF she executive committee. the
building committee, the pew committee
and dozen others; when he has to give
lift to every enterprise of q temporal
and seIni-w0rldly nature il H. no wonder
that the tenderness and sweetness Of his
life Is somewhat 6bscurcd. Add TO this
the fact that the leading members into
whose presence and homes he most nat
urally comes. are interested in all sorts 81
things save the prayer meeting and per
sist in talking business social or political
matters rsther than religious it is ne
wonder that the pastor yields somewba,
10 the pressure and becomes bit world
IL. lie is a rare man to withstpod an
this.
He loses power, not because he is COW
arily and dare Let speak the truth. not
because he is worldly and wants to fleece
the sheep instead of feeding them. bun
because he has snconsciously absorbed
the elements about him. ana his delicate
spiritual fiber has been henumbed by the
atmosphere he has bns.athed. 1t Is n case
Of Ike people like priest. and the priest
has gradually fallen into the very condi-
tion which we so deeply depIore. The
winner Of souls Bust be in the world.
but not OF IL Exhale forever the fra
GRANGE Of heaven. but not inhale the poi
sen OF earth-alwsys healing wounded
hearts yet himself nevcr wounded for
erer carrying mems burdens and permit
ting weak mortals 10 lean on him vet
himself leaning on none but 1.-THE ever
lasting arms" ever probing the secret |
chambers Of hearts. throwing in the light |
which shall chase doubt away, get never /
admitting doubt to his own soul; ming |
ling with the sinful and depraved yet |
himself free from its c0nta gion and as |
pure a. the Alpine SHOWS Who is suffi- |
Gent for these things? How shall NOR
tai man breathe, handle. minister to that |
which is poisonous and not be- contami- /
mated? Only by the power Of him who |
keeps the tiny drop OF liquid enclosed in
a crystal and yet in nowise part OF it.
He will keep us in the world breathing |
blessings upon It, yet not a part Of its
stain and death.
NOT FOR CLUB USE.
~ Rev lyman Abbott, %. %.
An ignorant faith is better than q re-