Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-21
.CRURCHA[N N&SS|ON
Seven Hundred Commissioners
to the Presbyterian General
Assembly Meet
FIRST SESSION HELD TO-DAY
Convention Will Be Important Because
of Proposed Action on Greed Revision
-ln Opening Sermon Moderator Van
Dyke Takes Advanced Ground in Fa-
vor Of Modernizins the Church.

i
eral assembly of the Presbyterian
ichurch convened this morning with but
few CT the seven hundred accredited
commissioners absent. Rev. DR.. Henry
Van Dyke, retiring moderator, delivered
the annual sermon.
The subject of the sermon by the
Moderator the Rev. Henry Van Dyke.
was Knowing and Doing: Joy and
Power" The text was from st. John,
the thirteenth chapter and the seven
teenth verse. If ye know these things,
happy are ye il We do them"
Mr.. Van Dyke said in part:
II want to speak to you today about
happiness.
I'm the wish for happiness, all men
are strangely alike. In their views Of
1T, and in their ways of seeking it,
they are singularly different. If we
acknowledge Christ as our Master and
Lord there are two questions that we
must ask OF Him. First, is it right
to wish to be happy? Second, what are
chief conditions on which the fulfill
1nent of that wish depends?
THE first thing that commended the
church of Jesus to the weary and dis
heartened world in the early years Of
her triumph, was her power to make
her children happy. AT midnight in the
prison. Paul and Silas sang praises.
and the other prisoners heard them.
The lateral force of joy, that was the
power of the church.
Much has the church lost Of that
pristine and powerful joy. The furnace
of the world has withered and hardened
her. Richer she is than ever before and
probably better organized. and per-
haps more intelligent, more learned, but
is most often missing in Christian life.
in Christian service. is the note OF
spontaneous Joy. sses VI. i sE3ss w = d
Christians are not as much calmer.
steadier, and more cheerful than other
people as they ought to be. Some
Christians are among the most depress-
ing and worryful people in the world,
the most difficult to live with. And
some, indeed, have adopted theory Of
spiritual ethics which puts a special
vaaue upon happiness. The dark NOR
bid spirit which mistrusts every joyful
feeling, and happy life as il there must
be something wrong with 1t. is de-
partule from the beauty of Christ's
teaching to follow the dark Drowned
philosophy of the orient.
What the world wants and waits for
today is a strong. true, .ital preaching
of doctrine. The church must realize
anew the precious value OF the truths
which Christ has given her. She must
not conceal them or cast them away.
she must bring them out into the light,
and press them home Upon the minds
and hearts of men. She must simplify
her statement of them, SO that men can
unders tand what they mean. She must
not be content with repeating them in
the language of past centuries. She
must translate them into the language (
1f today. First century texts will never
wear out, because they are inspired.
Put seventeenth century sermons have
worn cut, because they are not inspired.
Texts from the Word of God. preaching &
in the words of living men,-that 10
what we need.
4. Let not the cnurCn l0lter ana Olu5n
ror her doctrines. Let her not turn
md go down the hill OF knowledge to
defend her position in the valley Of ig-
Let her go up the hill. well
coming, every wider outlook. rejoicing
II every new discovery, gathering from
evidences of the truths which man must
believe. concerning God and new mos
ives to the duties which God requires
If man.
MY brethren, we must work and pray
or true revival of Christian doctrine
II our age. We must deepen our own
lold upon the truths which Christ has
aught us. But most Of all we must
,eep them in close and living touch
With the problems of daily duty and exc
erience.. For no doctrine, however
Ugh, however true can make men hap
" until 1t is translated into life.
THE church that the twentieth cen.
ury will hear most gladly and honor
eost sincerely will have two marks. It
viii be. the church that breaches the
entral truths of Christianity most
learly, strongly and jcyfully. It viii
e the church that finds and show1
1ost happiness in living the simple life
nd doing good in the world. May that
hurch be ours"
i.
nNlcNNEn Nv Aan "