The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1908-03-06
A SOUL WINNING MINISTRY
IN FOUR PARTS.
By Rev. Israel Putnam.
Part Third.

In these years there has been at
work a subtitle influence of evil by
which the power of prayer has been
sadly discounted. This talk about the
reflex influence of prayer. coupled with
the influence of materialism aud utili-
tariansim, has made many ministers
pigmies in the realm of prayer. True,
prayer has its beneficial reflex in
fluence, but living too much in the
past tends to disqualify for the present.
He who lives near to his Lord has
proven again and again that God hears
and answers prayer, as in the follow
ing cases viz. Catherine of Sienna,
George Mueller Hudson Taylor and
Charles q. Fiuny and others.
The first night following the con-
version of Father Cbiniquy be spent
in prayer The next day he preached
and a thousand souls were won. A
Baptist minister, during pastor ate Of
IA years. received some into the church
every communion service, through the
prayers of suffering saint. Mr.. Spur
geou said 81 have no confidence in the
polished literary effort to bring about
a revival, but have all confidence in
the old saint who could weep her eyes
out because men are lost.
prayer is appointed to convey the
blessings God designs to give" With
joyful communion it opens the moTns
first hour and with trustful Iepose
closes the last at night with the same
blessful communion. Prayer climbs
the ladder Jacob saw. 1t touches the
ear and heart CT the Omnipotent and
brings the needed equipment for SER
vice. AS minister prays in faith and
understanding aud importantly so he
prevails in power to win souls.
If more time was given to prayer
and less to dollars, especially in the
doubtful methods often used to obtain
them. there would be more of dollars
and souls to encourage men and please
God.
Ten hours is usually given to temp
oral things while cne is spent with
purpose to win souls. Is this Gods
way? Or did Jesus say. "Seek fist
the Kingdom of God and these things
shall be added?" See Matt. 6, 1884.
Our Presiding Elders formerly were
almost all flaming Evangelists, kind
ling the fire of revival where ever they
went but this is so far changed that a
soul-winner among them is almost un-
known and often they cannot stay even
to preach once, but can only look after
financial matters. And the same is
also true with the Bishops, as whole,
and with such human leadership what
wonder If the body partake of the same
spirit as the head. God grant that all
may partake more fully of and pattern
more fully after, the Great Head of
the church.
| care not how distant, or humble
the field, or difficult the problem, or
severe the conflicts. the man who has
Gods commission to preach the Ever
lasting Gospel is the Kings messenger
with the Kings message. Aud greater
than earthly Kings, or mighty war
riors, or discoverers of new worlds is
the man used of God to win never dy-
ing souls to Jesus Christ: And one
reason why so many ministers fail of
reaching men is because they fail to
understand the magnitude of their
commission. "They that are wise
shall shine as the brightness of the
armament; and they that turn many
to righteousness as the stars forever |
and ever" Dan. IL. 8.
In an important sense true mini
ster of Christ is disooverer of i'm
mortal souls, one of which is of more
value than ten thousand worlds. Wes-
ley and Wellington were cousins, but |
vastly different. The latter fought |
battles, bathed the earth in the blood |
If his fellow men. caused children and
widows to weep in bitterness of sorrow
over their absent dead, and wrapped |
homes and cities in flames. The for
mer, who during his lifetime was de-
,pised by the rich and great in earthly
5hings, and was turned out of the
churches, won seventy thousand souls
10 Christ, and exerts, today, greater
influence in the world than any other
religious leader of modern times. Mil