St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-07-08

would bring him new chance.
Now, Fellow Christians, it is this note
OF confidence, this note Of assurance and
high gertrude that the church all too
often lacks. She seems to shrink from
adventure; and half to dread to see the
future come. 1t will not do. In missing
her adventure and her note of reasonable
certitude she is missing her chance to
show men the way of salvation. Men
know that real faith begets sure and
calm confidence. They want this for
themselves and some of them feel the
want. But they will not look to people
who themselves fear circumstance and
dread the message of tomorrow for the
wants supply. If the church is ever to
meet the worlds need she must believe
with deeper faith in her Lords mission
as great adventure. 1t is for this rea-
son. among many others, that | believe
in missions at home and abroad. The
world that has not heard OF Christ needs
the preaching OF the Gospel; but scarcely
less does the church need the gong forth
upon mission in the name of Christ.
The Gospel is for export as well as for
home consumption. Men know it. Let
them sneer as they will about missions.
The fact remains that they recognize in
earnest, patient, self-sacri6cing endeavor
to take to others what has proved its
saving power upon US, the note and sign
OF that which may save them. And 1t
must all be done bravely and cheerluly
with quick and glad readiness to
adopt new methods to meet the demands
of new age; to translate the everlast-
ing truth into the language of new
time; and positively to welcome-not
merely to bear or put up with-every
new revelation of truth.
So again, by her belief in her Lords
mission as great saving adventure in
the prosecution of which she must
bear her part, will the church be saved
and become minister OF salvation.
Ill. One thing more and am done. But
l bespeak your special attention to it.
because it seems to me to be a vastly I'M
portant and yet very little considered
thing. l have raised the question as to
our real belief in the person of Jesus
Christ as a translation into human
terms of the justice and the love of
God. l have raised the question as
to our belief in the mission of Jesus Christ
as valiant and confident outreaching
after the loyalty of the whole world
it's people, and its myriad diverse
activities and interests. I ask now
| how much we believe in the most
significant word which our Lord
spoke about the future of His mission.
1t was needful that His bodily presence
| should pass. That was assumed, as it
were, only for chapter and phase of His
mission. But He was not therefore to
desert His flock. There were thousand
things to be said.that they could not yet
bear; a thousand problems to be faced
| that were yet hid in the future; great ex-
periences ofjoy and Christening for which
the time was not ripe. For guidance,
for revelation, for companionship, the
Spirit was to be given. Yes, the Spirit
was given, but He was only received in
pitiiully narrow measure. We think we
| feel His breath when deeper earnestness
shows itself in our congregations or our
| Sunday schools, when perhaps in set
| phrase some anxious lips frame the
| gaoler's old question. We are right.
Such things are done in obedience to the
Spirits bidding. But how often have we
failed to hear or heed Him when He has
opened some great storehouse of truth
the relations of which to the spiritual lie
we could not at first grasp. He shall
lead you into all the truth" That is the
promise. How slow we have been to
truth might enbarrass our preconceived
notions! How wishful that it might
wait awhile! How jealous of reinterpre-
tation OF fundamental truths in the light
of new knowledge.
Brethren, the province Of the Spirit is
to lead and guide and instruct and com.
fort in the way of salvation. The phrase
is significant. The way Of salvation is
not goal at which saved men are to sit
down with folded hands. 1t is high
road of blessing along which men who
believe are to progress. If we really be-
lieve in the mission of the Spirit we must
welcome every honest attempt to make
new discoveries and new applications OF
truth. They may compel recasting oil
theories, and remodelling of organiza-
ton. But it is for these that the Spirit
was given in the interests Of life. He
came to sow the seeds of divine dis
content among men-to convict OF sin,
to set forth righteousness, to pronounce
judgment. Religion is never to become a
stereotyped thing so long as the Spirit is
present in it. The biblical research of
today is not the biblical research of a
century ago. The theological definitions
of today are not those OF century ago.
The stress of our interest falls upon some
new feature in our ecclesiastical organi-
cation, in our Interpretation of creeds, in
our ethics, in our politics, in our theory
and practice of social relations with every
decade or two. Once and again we have
seen men trying in vain to stem this tide
of change. If they succeed today 1t is
only that they may be swept away by
the collected food tomorrow. One of the
most trenchant things in a trenchant
speech which l heard the other day in the
House of Commons was this statement,
"There is no such thing as finality known
to the British constitution-and that is
one secret of it's strength" 1t was a
brave, true, cheering word. 1t will ap.
ply to the Christian church just so long
as the church believes in and possesses
the Spirit. 1t must apply to the Chris
tan church if the church is to do her saw
ing work. For salvation as | have
shown, consists in adequacy to circum
stance--ability to master, use, and live
BY, the thing that comes along. whether
that thing be promise or threat, an
inspiration or temptation, life or death.
This is a very vital matter for us,
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