Milford chronicle., 1908-04-24
Calnaqe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. D. D.

appropriate TO spring the preach,
speaks encouragement to those who Al
now dropping into the soil the see
that will yet bear fruit in good deed
gospel teaching aud noble sacrifice Il
others. The text is John iv, So: "Sa
not We there are yet four months an,
then cOmeth harvest? Behold. / sa,
unto you, lift up your eyes and lool
upon the fields, for they are white al
ready TO harvest"
II these words were true when Jesui
uttered them to his disciples nearly
1000 years ago, how much more true
are they when spoken 10 the men and
women Of the present generation!
These nineteen centuries Of gospel
preaching and gospel sacrifices have
not gone for naught The preaching
and the life labors Of the twelve apos
ties, followed by those Of Polycarp
and Athanasius and Augustine and
Luther and Calvin and Wycliffe and
Wesley and Whitefeld and Savonarola
and John Knox and David Livingstone.
were not all useless. Have no harvestR
come from the myriads Of gospel SOW
ers who have been scattering their
seeds everywhere in every generation
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 |
wOrldl What would we think Of a
man who, having endless life and IN.
limited wealth. devoted years Of labor
and millions Of dollars to a work that
after 1000 years showed no signs Of
completion? We should say that man
was IN a fools business. Well. nv
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
haught? Nay, nay! In every genera.
tiOn the toilers have been cheered and
encouraged by seeing the results Of
their labors. The word has never re-
turned void. Wherever and whenever
It has been sOwn men have listened
and have turned from the husks Of the Z
world to seek eternal life. Sowing and I
Feaping have gone on simultaneously. l
The work is still ready for the worker, 1
and we in our day have the additional c
stimulus Of seeing what our predeces. 9
eOrs have accomplished by the very =
means we have at command. Let us I
consider this morning what those
means are that have been effective In 81
the past and will prove effective in the p
future. Il
The Meaning Of the Sacrifice. =
First there are the facts OF the Cos 9,
pei Christ himself was born in man a.
ger. He suffered and died and rose e.
gain and assembled from Mount Olivet he
or our atOnement, our redemption and 20
'ur coronation. By his shed blood he ~
las paid all the price for our emanci- fu
latiOn from sin. By his shed blood he 70
las made II possible for US to be pure 40
g he is pure, perfect as he is perfect, =.
nd to sit upon a throne at the right .,
and Of God. His redeemed saints are -,
I this hour singing his praises in ~,
ever ending hOsannas amid the eter-
al joys OF heavenly reunion. where ~,
here is no sickness, no pain. no part e..
lgs, no sin. no death. Though we -
1ould have the silver tongue of the a.
lost eloquent preacher that ever lived 49,
nd all the mental grasp OF a Paul ~
imself, yet today we would give the -
lief praise for this glorious expecta- ~.
on to the atOning sacrifice Of Jesus =,
hrist. 1t is the bloOd-the divine
Ood-of our Saviour shed for the re. gu
ission Of sins that has made all this , ,,'s
lrvest Of the gospel fields possible. 10
And this truth is the more emphatic 80
'cause it is just here at the atoning ~"
oss that the orthodox gospel minister ~ y,
I'd all other teachers separate The
ucial question is not. as some sup. OT -
Dse, as 10 the garden Of Eden or the
ok Of Job or the experience Of Jonah. SUI
ne one great issue which every Chris. 'lu'
IN has TO decide is not whether Moses eN''
rote the Pentateuch. It is not who ioal
Is the author OF the Psalms or of the pre-
ok Of Ecclesiastes. 1t is not whether "lii'
Bible itself is verbally inspired II couI
not as to the meaning of the Mes 70
mic prophecies. 1t is not whether uers
ID created the world in six days or Deli
5000 years. The great question at est
ue is still. that which was put TO the DID
ostles, What think We Of ChristY' lner
you believe that he died to save ton
n from their sins? Do you believe sepl
It he is able to give eternal life to ana
use who put their trust in him? Are sciel
D willing to make him the guide of God
lr life, your king who shall control
II thoughts and actions? That is l
main point at issue and that alone mon
II you can believe and do believe grea
t and put your trust in him Won som,
re the essentials Of Christian faith dent
the other questions az Of minor conf
,ortance. discr
The Essentials Of Faith. limit
o you believe that Jesus was in DID
? truth the only begotten Son of cism
and that be came into this world cover
save US by his life and shameful align
tn from our sins? This is the vital atten
e where all true Cbrist,sns "a 90, passi
q ha1fauaaas TO n1