The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-06

efforts and was Cmlnently appropriate
to tho occasion. He took for his text
Acts i.S-"But yc shall receive power
after that tho Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and We shall be witnesses unto
me- both in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and in Samaria, and unto tho uttermost4
part of the earth" Or. Moore said
In substance:
AS no landscape feature can be proper
~ Judged and appreciated without tax
ing into consideration its surroundings
so no text or Scripture can be properly
interpreted and understood without TAX
ing into due consideration the context
and the peculiar circumstances under
which the words We're uttered. IA word
fitly spoken is like apples of gold in
pictures Of silver" and 1t was charac-
teristic of the sayings Of our Lord
that they were always eminently op-s
perfume. With this preliminary fact in
mind. a peculiar meaning Is Impaired to
the words Of our text
Christ had completed his earthly ca
reer. He had been crucified. had arisen
from the grave. and after His season
of intercourse with His disciples, was
uron the noint of denarting Into the
heavens Then 1t was that He gave TO
His followers that great authoritative
commission by which they were to ac-
cor,plssh the work whereunto they had
been called.
Three Great Truths.
The text sets forth three fundamental
truths:
i. "The power Of the church, Music In
connection with worship in Gods sanctu-
airy is beautiful and appropriate; the
preac ching of the word is indispensa bic,
but the power of the church does not
lie in these things, but back of all such
Ia "a -rra NIpSS-
ing Of The Spirit Of God-"Not by might,
nor by power. but by my Spirit, saith the
Lord of Hosts The power Is not III
the minister who proclaims the Gospel
nor even in the word itself, but in that
Spirit who uses the minister as Ills
mouthpiece and the word as mighty
sword. The power of the church Is not
in simple prayer unaccompanied by ell
fort: neither is it In EFFORT without the
invocation Of the blessing of God.
"Prnyep without effort is hypocrisy:
EFFORT without prayer is presumption"
The true power lies in the use by the
Spirit OF God Of effort consecrated In
prayer.
.. ..The work OF the church" While
Christ Himself was upon earth He
preached the kingdom OF God--this the
characteristic of His message through
out the Gospels. But the burden OF the
and Him cruclfied." And, indeed, there
was no inconsistency in this. for 1t was
In Christ that the kingdom was restored.
They we're to preach Him because He Is
the embodiment of every blessing prom
ised in the Gospel, and in preaching Him
they would preach the whole body Of
ruth. Abstract truth Is ever empty and
Intellectual but the truth as 1t was IN
car.nated in the Son Of God is the power
4, -tv,srE fnt n
the earth before It. The history Of the
Church of Christ bears witness to the
fact that the blessing Of God has been
UPON those who have preached the truth
as IL has been incarnatcd in Jesus or
Nazareth. The work Of tho church.
therefore, is to preach Christ.
q Tho field OF the church, This
consideration Is especially appropriate
and important upon this occasion OF the
ordination Of one OF the choice young
men Of the church as all evangelist In
the foreign field 1t was in Christ thai
the awaddling clothes Of Jewish narrow
ness and scclusion were burst and the
religion Of the one God was proclaimed
to every nation on the earth that all
may walk In the light of His Gospel.
But this proclamation through Christ Is
no evidence of n change In Gods eternal
purpose. though 1t was so understood by
many of the disciples, for we know that
ages before the promise was of God
that the GOSPEL should be ali universal
C;ospel--"1n hcc shall NIL the nations OF
the earth be blessed was spoken to
Abraham: and again comes tho nrophesy
| OF old that tho Messiah should be given
| "the heather for Hts inheritance and
| the uttcrmost parts Of the earth for
| His possessIon," And thus this idea OF
| one religion for the whole world IS
| lttp 1nf1t
| Then, at the very foundation OF the
| church, on tho Day Of Pcntacost. the de-
| scent of the Shirt upon the disciples IN
| Tho form of cloven tongues hetokenfd
the fact that this Gospcl was TO be
4. preached in all the languages of the
/ earth. In tho work of Phll!p the evan
eelist. Of Peter tho nnostle, and OF
Z paul the great APOSTLE of the Gcntles
i the same idea of universal Gospet Is
4 set forth. But what Is the Significance
| of that wonderful, revival OF the mis-.
sionary spirit during the past century
What the Significance Of The fact tina
there Is no land to which the Gosne
has not been taken. and OF tho fact tina
thousands of the Young men OF tn
ii church are conservative themselves I
this cause? Those things are but IN
fulfllment OF Chr'st's great comman
; before His ascension. that the dorpe
should be preached IN "the uttermos
! part of the earth" 81
At the close Of Dr. Moore's sermon
the formal ordination exercises wer
! conducted by tho commission appoin,,e
for The purpose, DR., Cecil pronounce
the constitutional auestionst which wei
satisfactorily answered by the candiaat
Then the impressive ceremony OF q
LAYING on OF hands WAS conducted, "
: nrayer of ordination be,ne offered by u
!, pastor OF the Second Ch''rrh'
$ Charge to Minister,
:, The charge TO the neWiS ordh.hs
= minister Was then delivered by Or. I'm