Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-07-23
TRAINING OF A WORKER
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon BY Rev.
Dr.. O. r. Barth0lOw.
Shows the Evil Results That Follow the Afro
ply Which Has Settled Over the Splr'
ltual Thinklng Of Oar Time.

Poosvi W 'uiSs - ~"~
Sunday morning on Gods Training OF a
Worker" His text was taken from Exc
dus, w.: !, ., 3 and 4: And Moses an.
swered and said But, behold, they would
not believe me: nor hearken unto my
voice; for they will say, The Lord hath
not appeared unto thee. And tue Lord
said unto him, What is that in thine hand
And he said, A rod And the Lord said
Cast it Oh the ground. And he cast II
on the ground and it became serpent; and
Moses fled from before it, And the Lord said
unto Moses, Put forth thine hand and take
it by the tail. And he put forth his hand
and caught it and it became q rod in his
hand" DR.. Bartho.ow said:
Our text presents Moses in what many
have considered an uniavorable light.
Standing in the presence of the great God,
the recipient of Il glorious revelation ard Il
divine command with promise, he appears
hesitatiug uncertain and weak, A study
of the occasion and ground of Moses re-
luctancc dssipates the unfavorab.e light
and presents to us Il study in human life
under divine direction altogether true and
common. The call of God to Moses was
certain, clear and well attested. 1t came
to man refined aud schooed by abundant
experiences. to one who was more than
familiar with human nature in its relation
to spiritual truth.
The shepherd OF indian knew how dull
apathctic and incredu Gus toward Jehovah
and His truth the children OF israel had
become in their base servitude to the
Egyptian Pharaoh. Foreseelng the cruel
! skepticism and the all but universal lcth-
| arsy of his people. Moses was for the mo.
ment blind to Gods knowledge and power.
Under the spell OF fear he uttered the
words, But, behold they will not believe
me. nor heal ken unto my voice; for they
will say, the Lord hath not appeared unto
thee
TO Christian faith this may appear weak,
but i. certainly is not unnatural. History
aiir.ds Us abundant illustrations of re-
formers heroes and preachers hestatins
and trembling. not because they doubted
God. but because they feared the reception
Gods trath would receive at the hands OF
His reputcd friends. Jerome, Huss, lMtl'
or, Wesley, Sayonaroia. etc, had but little
to fear from the world but mite h to fear
from the church and at times they trem-
bed and were hesitant at the commands
Of God. CT takes grace TO be wounded in
the house OF your friends.
Gods respousc to this tendency or mn
Pulse OF Moses nature is full of interest
aud suggestion, II is divine encourage
ment to Christian daring and zeal And
the Lord said unto him. What is that in
thine hand! And he said, A rod, And lie
said Gait it on the ground. And he cast
it On the ground, and it became a serpent,
and Moses fled from before it, And the
Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine
hand and take it ty the tail. And he put
forth his band and caught it and 1t be.
came rod in his hand Now, it is Of no
coacern to us how this miracle was
wrought, OF whether mag,ciaNs cond sim
u!atr il or not. What we do desire To
know j.. W hat answer OF revelation TO the
great hesitancy oi Moses did Jehovah
give in this peculiar work Of power:
To om mind three truths constitute that
answcr-ths iir.t = which is this: All the
helps, gllt> &Hd attainmenls of the soul.
djsrc nrlcd and neglected. tend TO become
perienccd ma1, The shepherds staff SYM
Eo,i1cd him perfectly. As it was an instrn'
mcnt OF defense and rescue so might
Moses. by what he had done and what he
could 10. be an instrument IN the hand OF
God to defend and rescue his people. God
elected him to a mighty and glorious scrv-
, ice. He gave him a complete and adequate
preparation. a clear mind, an indomitahlc
WI. a spiritual and lofty nature.
Would Moses accept the election? The
significance OF q possible refusal was seen
in the meaning miracle. The discarded
stan became a serpent. 1t is the common
teaching OF the day that powers and gifts
unused become atrophied. that men may
die to smrtual things through simple neg.
lcct. IhlS Is correct teaching so tar as 1t
goes, hus it does not compass the Whole OF
the matter. Spiritual calls. gifts and pow.
erS cannot wholly die. They may be dis
Lmt ,ba, ,a,,,,, MIX inho,,ent lilo IN st;rr
aud L;tc A., nm ',an,ric ,ho direct;oH
w." WY 'ot,I. ~ nsa;o,,' ,,,,,. Lo 1o.t
"nI 'o,,''';nua W. 'o, f f,,.h a,.
ns''', VIC W IVY "'u nv
at' ~, ,u, ~ ga nt Ma sn'l i ha,n
ue u'',,s '1vn ",N ,.
nv; oo',S,'o"S lU,'L.yI VIZ" '"''' 'i'''''"''
e"tt'es 'i'"' '''' ooi"''
John Newton tue hymn WRITER te"' ~
tiiat there Was Time IN ms NE Whea u!
dellnerateiE in1uited ana drove from h'I
mind every hoy thug OF Wnith he mad
knowledge, yet at times the moral Judg,,
mcnt and the hearts love for eternal
thlngs. would 30 torment INN that NE W4F
inll OF MISERY. those Clements IN ms ne
designed for peace aud JOY h'>mc the
sources OF unrest ana unhapplneSS Ike
spiritual powers crying night and day, II
silence and in great commotioas, "A.as
alas It might have been.
The doctrine OF annihlation and atroHhl
has so settled over the spiritual thlnkne
OF our time hat the consequence OF DISC
bcd,ence 20 the equipments and purposes
of lie and 10 the voice Of God are in Ger
tain quarters reduced to mere nothings. Ii
is high time that the truth illustrated tt
Moses become our truth, that We realize
that there is no such thing As spiritual an
initiation, even to the gifts and powers Oh
God, but tina there Ia tran:fcreucc, trans
formation going lin \ spiritual sense
from Mount Ger'z'on tbessIng) to Mount
Ehai '%ur:lnG''
pSopeo'cn'e to "3od AND ms lazy Is MOI
mere N"Sati"h ana inc withdrawal OF Ger
tam CUTS 6uI 1t Is IN certain ana aW,o
sense an affirmation ana poSseSSlon--tht
OF lite. GODS ram upon the thirsty cart
Is IN It5ef so2d --'nAi 1t be ;" Tor man dc
pend' altogether hoy and tor what rGr
poses he u:e' 1t. lie may use 1t 'or the
groN'2I OF !Gp! prHinct9 or lor the prodnr
ton Vi Me,I'. lh1t the ram vas made