Milford chronicle., 1907-03-01
Paul Not the Only One.

GNUlGo anu bCOIGS OL ELlAAEAL AuIlE-
tians have had it. Luther had it, and
Wesley had it, and Finney had it, and
Thomas Chalmers had it. and John
Bunyan had it, and John Newton had
| it. They have had it the same as
many of us have had it. The greatest
trouble with many of us in Christian
work is that we are not Obedient to
the heavenly vision. We do not say
with Paul, God forbid that l should
glory, save in the cross of Jesus
Christ" We are trying to teach men
lessons for this life, but we do not
emphasize and keep re-emphasizing the
essential doctrine that through the
blood of Jesus and in no other way
can we be truly cleansed OF our sins.
We have had this revelation come to
us, but we have been pushing it more
and more into the background Of our
lives.
A young minister once said to Mr.
Moody: What makes the difference
between your success and mine? Ell
ther you are right and am wrong, or
I am right and you are wrong"
"Well," said Mr.. Moody. Il do not
know what is the difference unless
you tell me, for l have never heard
you preach" The minister replied:
You make a great deal out of the death
of Christ, and do not make anything
out of it. do not think it has anything
to do with the gospel. l preach about
the life and not about the death Of
Jesus" "Well," said Mr.. Moody,
what do you do with this: He hath
borne our sins upon the tree? What
do you do with this: He was wounded
for our transgressions. he was bruised
for our iniQuities. and with his stripes
were we healed? What do you do
with this: Without shedding of blood
there is no remission|" " oh" an
swered the minister, Il do not preach
on those passagesr' what do you
preachT" 'Well,' he answered, my
sermons are moral essays" Then Mr..
Moody replied, My friend, if you take
the blood out of the Bible it is all a
myth to me-" But" answered the
man, 81 think that the doctrine is un-
true" Then" said Mr.. Moody, Il adj |
wise you to get out of the ministry |
very quick. l would not preach a
sham. If the Bible is untrue, let us
stop preaching and come out at once |
and attack it. But if these things are |
true. and Jesus left heaven and came |
into the world to save sinners, then let
us lay hold Of it and preach it in sea-
son and out of season." So say all !
true ministers of Jesus Christ.
Fitness In All Things.
But there was another fact besides
that revelation on the Damascus road
which was driving Paul forward as
minister of Jesus Christ. All men who
are converted to Jesus Christ are not
expected to enter theological semina-
ries. There is a fitness in all things.
Many a good cobbler has been spoiled
to make a very poor preacher. Many
men who wear the black clOtn of the
clergy would make a far better sue
cess in building a brick wall than they
10 in eXpounding the word of God from
q pulpit. | have a great deal of sym
Dathy with that shrewd father who,
when his son came to him and said:
Father I had a divine revelation last
night. God wants me to be a minister
If Jesus Christ, for everywhere about
me 1 kept seeing the two letters blaz-
ng Mt me-'P. c., p. c., 2. C.'-'Preach
Christi" "Oh. no." said the father.
Those two letters. p. c. which you
saw do not mean Preach Christ They
meant for YOU 'PlOw corn God meant
rou to be a farmer. He never cut you
)ut to be minister"
There is no profession, as I well
Know. about which so many mistakes
ire made as about the ministry. Young
nen. full OF zeal, full Of the desire to
ave souls, full of ambition TO serve
Iod. all of which aspirations are laud-
.ble rush into the ministry without
considering whether they have the tai
uts needed for success in that sphere.
Ianv a man who would have made an
EXCELLENT lawyer or physician or stock
roker becomes an inefficient minister
nd. as a humorous professor once said, !
rushes against the pulpit and stuns 5
imself for life" But there never could Y
ave been any doubt of Pauls voca- {
ion. He had all the gifts and qualities
hat are needed to make a man sue
essful in winning souls. !
Paul was more than silver tongued.
What he said was just as marvellous [
$ the way he said it. Jean Baptiste
Iassillon was the greatest preacher n
rance ever produced. The proud King p
ouis XIV. paid him the greatest COM q
liment that can be given to any mes q
enger Of Jesus Christ He said, Il s.
ave heard many talented preachers in y
" chapel before and was much pleas s.
| with them, but every time l hear Il
ou feel much displeased with my q
IT." Great was the pulpit eloquence Il
a Massillon. But greater, far great q
:. was the logical power of the gospel L
essaee he brought to the French II
,urt. After his sermons had been pub p'
shed Voltaire, the great skeptic, used
always keep one Of the volumes up a
, his study desk, declaring that they =
ere the words of "the preacher who