The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-05-24

with that same crowd only a lit
tie later and they are leaving the
company of the unbelieving and
taking their stand alongside of
the believing, by the thous-
ands. An aggressive soul, stir
ring result attends the ministry of
men when the Spirit comes, because
in him the church has a Helper equal
to the task. What he does, reaches
out from the cross and the mission
of Christ and the world is invaded,
and the work ceases to be Defensive,
it becomes progressive, aggressive,
evangelistic. Under him, the church
with all its various agencies appoint
ed of old, becomes an angel of mercy
and saving power to the lost and per
fishing. When he comes, the church
will not be content to save the chill.
dren of believing parents merely. 1t
will not be content to come and go
unmoved and unconcerned for the
mpenitnet and unsaved at our doors.
1t will press the truth upon the I'M
saved with an open Bible in their
hands, unread and only kept as in
ornament on the table; 1t will be-
come burdened for sinners being lost
who attend Church and Sabbath
School and across the gulf between
the church and the world in Christian
lands and become aggressive and eff.
ficient too in winning souls to Christ
right here where they know the gos
pei and yet believe it not. Suggest
i've indeed are the words of Christ to
his disciples along with what he said
to them about the coming Comforter.
He did not say go and work among
these unconvinced multitudes. No,
wait for the Comforter. Alone you
will be helpless. But when he comes
you will have a helper under whoss
influence you may go even to these
same unbelievers and they will como
and join your company. Apart from
this the Spirit the church better keep
near to the saved merely. Baptized
by the Spirit it may go even to the
chief of sinners.
In closing it may be in place to ask
| whether this assembly is opening it's
session to look back upon a year of
great activity and efficiency under
| the Spirits operations or not. And
| whether it will be permitted to an
| ticipate the year to come as year
| in which many who are unbelievers
at the beginning, shall be found
among the unbelieving at the end?
Were we to stop right here and
call for testimony from North, South
East and West, from fields across the
seas, and fields between these shores
| o, wonder what it would be? Doubt
less there would be something to
make us all glad. The situation may
be said possibly to have it's dark side
and it's bright. May | voice, not
yours, but my own convictions as tc
the dark side? 1t is this: We are
preachers and elders and workmen
for Christ and his cause in day OF
decided opposition to the fundamental
truth of the Gospel. Salvation
by blood is secuted. the divinity OF
Christ is ridiculed, the Bible is be
ng torn into shreds. it's hold on the
world through it's inspiration is wan
ing, a light sense of sin is about uni
versal the drift is Woodward, not
churchward or Christward, compare
lively few are asking what to do tc
be saved, the air is laden with the
idea that there is nothing much tc
besaved from or to. What there is
to be done for future life can be
done without help from above or be
meath. That's the dark side and it's
dark enough without adding more.
Here is the bright side: The yeal
has witnessed here and there, some
decided manifestations of the Spirits
presence and power; these drops be
token coming shower, yea, the
promised showers. There has beer
much written and said about revivals
and every word written and spoken
attracts the attention and meets will
a responsive interest; there has beer
united, persevering, importunat,
prayer; the result of agreeing toget tn
er to pray for the outpouring of the
Spirit and of organized effort in the
use of means to that end: there ha:
been and now exists deep sense o
the need of an awaking God sent. ant
not man, wrought; there is, and it,
growing too, conviction that bet
ter day for the church is dawning
yea, near at hand: there is much t,
excite hope, sustain faith, inspire Il
more earnest. fervent, perseyerins
prayer; there is an exalting and mag
nifying of the Spirits work and
felt sense of the need of his enlight
ening, quickening. saving power. o,