The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-01

chapter of Mark. was used as a basis for his
address. The sermon was one of IL series
on the Gospel of Mark. He said in part:
This missionary campaign was pros
ecuted among the villages and couh1ry dis
%tricts; our Lord seemed not to fear being
buried in Obscure country places as We
sometimes hear ministers speak. 1t was a
good time. too. to give the twelve an oppor-
tlirity to try their power OF vansel:zati9n
Not that this was ths highest motive for
sending them out. The chief reason was
Jesus desire to save the people, me MAJ,
vests were picntcOus but the laborers were
few and he would make use OF tii.. twelve
in gathering some sheaves. But how would
the twelve succeed, WAS the uncertain ques-
ton.
This is the first time that Jesus com
mitted his power to other hands. me
,Eslve are as yet iin rSnv are 80 10 ' tais With
them no unnecessary baggage. "A simple
staff they can carry. But with no money
Of weather. With the simple sandals IN,
stead of shoes on their feet they were 10
go forth. Again they, we're TO srsno IN
time in hunting for the greatest comiott
where they were entertained. When theF
entered a home In any village they We're 10
abide there until they departed from t.al
yiltag. no matter how meager and poor the
Recommendations. Jesus knew that there
is no more inefficient minister then he VINO
is incumberel with too much of this worries
goods and who is always seeking q SOL.
bed and easy circumstances. He would nave
them intent on their mission.
Again one is struck with the meaSerness
of the message given the twelve TO preach
and the greatness nf the service they are
commanded to render. II was AS II Jesus
knew that il was not 4 safe thing TO com
mission the twelve to do very much preach,
ing as yet. Mark says that they preached
that men should repent. They mad ielrneu
that message from both Jesus and John;
Matthew says that our Lord commanded
them. AS ye go preach. saying. the king
dom Of Heaven is at hand Possibly they
We're so instructed TO prevent them from
preaching that earthly Kingdom which they
expected and which Jesus did not come TO
set w. So they We're told to announce some
vague Kingdom of Heaven.
Again. they were not permitted TO go
outside their native Galtlee- Matthew re.
ports JesuS's Instructions to them: Go not
into any way of the iientiles and enter nov
into any city Of the Sarnar.tans.' And TINS
for the very evident reason that they had
no gospel message as yet for these outside
peoples. They had not yet any place IN
their symIathics and their theology for
Gods love extended TO them. Had. they
gone down to a Samaritan village and been
refused admission TO it they would have
called for fire from heaven TO burn it up.
as James and John did later. Or they
would have been draw n into a controversy
with some cantankerous hfarer about
proper place for worship.
But While the twelve were circumscribed
mission for doing good. They were to heal
the sick. raise the dead. cleanse the lepers.
east cut devils. freely ye received, freely
give. There would come no wrong impress
sioaS from good deeds. They were to per-
form the most ~stupendous miracles in the
name and power of Jesus. While their
tongues We're confined to a small message
their hands were filed with an abundance
Of service. And while We have 4 much
larger message than had the twelve at this
time. We would do well to lay greater en-
phasis upon the doing than upon the say
ing.
doctor c. f jefferson of the Broadway
Tabernacle. New York; is reported to have
said not long ago tina; New York had shown
itself indifferent to al! the ~eloqusnce and
the learning OF her ministry. That the
only door of OPP o-tunity standing wide open
to him was found in going about doing
good. 1t would he we'll for Christ's minis
tiers. both learned and unlearred. to learn
that lesson. On the one hand. the danger
to-day is that the very wise and very criti-
cal shall learn a good many things which
are not so. and proceed In their haste to
preach them. And then. on the other band.
the unschooled evangelist presumes to know
how many and Just what souls are lost and
tells men SO. He is very sure of just what
form Of baptism or ceremony or creed will
save a man. and IS ready to contend against
all corners for the faith that is in him. Pos
siblv both should contract their messages
a little and increase their ministry Of SER
vice to men. For our age is insisting on
genutneness In its religion"