Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-04-23
Ca(r,1aSe
Sc 4 mon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, =. D.

New York, April 19-ln this sermon,
approximate to spring, the preacher
speaks encouragement to those who are
now dropping into the soil the seed
that will yet bear fruit in good deeds,
gospel teaching and noble sacrifice for
others. The text is John ", 50: "Say
not We there are yet four months and
then cometh harvest? Behold. | say
unto you. lift up your eyes and look
upon the fields, for they are white al
ready to harvest"
IF these words were true when Jesus
uttered them to his disciples nearly
1000 years ago, how much more true
are they when spoken to the men and
women of the present generation.
These nineteen centuries Of gospel
preaching ana gospel sacrifices have
not gone for naught. The preaching
Ind the life labors of the twelve apos-
ties, followed by those of polycarp
and Athanasius and Augustine and
Luther and Calvin and Wyclih'e and
Wesley and Whiteheld and Savonarola
md John Knox ana David Livingstone
were not all useless. Have no harvests
come from the myrlads of gospel SOW
ers who have been scattering their
seeds everywhere in every generations
Have we no harvests from the self
sacrifice Of our modern missionaries as
well as from the patient labors Of the
hundreds and thousands OF Christian
ministers scattered all over the whole
world? What would we think of Il
man who having endless life ana IN
limited wealth. devoted years Of labor
and millions of dollars to work that
after 2,C00 years showed no signs of
completion? We should say that man
was in fools business Well, my
brother, do you suppose God Is en-
gagged In any such business as that?
Do you suppose all these labors for
nineteen centuries have gone for
naucht? Nay. nay! In every genera
ton the toilcrs have been cheered and
encouraged by seeing the results OF
their labors The word has never re
turned void. Wherever and whenever
1t has been sown men have listened
md have turned from the husks of the
world 10 seek eternal life. Sowing and
yGlnlUE nave gone OD SIMULTANEOUSLY
The work IS still ready for the worker,
and we in our day have the additional
stimulus of seeing what our predeccS-
sors have accomplished by the very
means we have at command. Let Us
consider this morning what those
means are that have been effective IL
the past and will prove effective in the
future.
The Meaning Of the Sacrifice.
First there are the facts of the Cos
pei Christ himself wds born in Il man
ger He suffered and died and rose
again and assembled from Mount Olivet
for our atonement. our redemption and
our coronation. BY his shed blood he
has paid all the price for our emanci-
patton from sin. By his shed blood he
has made it possible for us to be pure
as he is pure, perfect rs he Is perfect
md to sit upon throne ut the right
hand of God. His redeemed saints are
at this hour singing his praises in
never ending hosannas amid the eter-
nal joys of heavenly reunion, where
there IS no sickness, no pain, no part
ings. no sin no death. Though we
knOUlN nave lup SILVER tDllSNt VI tllt
most eloquent preacher that ever lived
md all the mental grasp of Paul
himself. yet today we would give the
chief praise for this glorious eXpecta-
zion to the atoniug sacrifice OF Jesus
Christ. 1t is the bloOd-the divine
blood-of our Saviour Shed for the re
mission of sins that has made all this
harvest Of the gospel fields possible.
And this truth is the more emphatic
because it is just here Mt the atOninc
gross that the orthodox gospel minister
md all other teachers separate, The
crucial question IS not, as some sup
pose as to the garden of Eden or the
book Of Job or the experience of Jonah
Tho one great issue which every Chris
tian has to decide is not whether Moses
wrote the pentatcuch. 1t is not who
was the author of the Psalms or of the
book of Ecccsiastes. 1t IS not whether
the Bible itself is verbally inspired. Il
IL not as TO the meaning Of the Mes
sianic prophecies. 1t IS not whether
God created the world in six days OF
IN G,0O0 years. The great question n
issue IS still that which was put TO thC
apostles, What think ye of Christi
DO you believe that he died to save
men from their sins: DO you believe
thar he is able to give eternal life t
those who put their trust in him? ARE
you willing to make him the guide o
your life, your king who shal! contro
your thoughts and actions? That i
the main point nj issue aud that alone
for If you can believe ana DO belieyl
that and put your trust in him yol
have the essentials of Christian faith
ard the other questions are of mino
importance.
The Essentials Of Faith.
Do you believe that Jesus was i
very truth the only begottcn Son 0
God and that be came into this Worl
10 save US ny his life and shameful
death from our sins? This Is the vita
place where all true Christians an
false believers separate, ! am not tc
DAY asking you one of the interestin
but uncssentia questions | might ash
am trying to find out where you ar
an the great foundation truths. TIL
center right, the circumference of you
spiritual faith. will be right, What
Al. - L..