The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-02-25
Digit
~D0Lc By r. z. DAWSON
(0INy Rutland, VI
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THE VALUE Of LAY PREACHING
Feb. 2s. 'O9-(Acts s:14-25),
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seemed to be accepted that IL any
man felt called upon to preach the
gospel he had right to do 1t. Hence
Il came about that such men as
Stephen the deacon. and Philip the
evangelist, men who had never been
called to the apostolic college. and
set apart by the laying on of hanis
for this special work. assumed the
right, inherent in every man to tell
the story, and they did 1t nightly.
In this lesson we see Philip, one Of
the deacons of the Jerusalem church,
going up into Samaria, and starting
a revival that swept everything be-
fore Il. like a prairie fire. His work
was Just as efficient and Just as ac-
ceptable as that which was done by
the regularly ordained ministry.
Devinc Credentials.
In these days, we are apt to look
with suspicion upon the ministra-
fions OF any man who does not hold
she credentials OF ecclesiastical or
ders. A man may be dry as dust.
but II he has been through college
and theological seminary and had
the hands OF the presbytery put upon
his head, we feel bound to listen to
him, while the man who is his men
tal, physical, and spiritual superior
IS shut out Of our pulpits because,
forsooth. he does not carry in his
pocket n diploma from Yale or ordi-
nation papers from the presbytery.
Forgetful of the fact that II the
Lord does not send men into the
ministry, no canon of the church
can shoot them into It, but If He
has put His hand on mans head.
he is ordained. though his sacerdo-
tal robe is leather apron, and his
pulpit an anvil.
Not Troops Enough.
We have made the mistake Of sup
posing that this world can be con-
verted by few ministers. The trou-
BILE is not that the Sword of the
Spirit is dull The difficulty is not
that the great guns are of too
short range to throw the bombshells
into the enemy's camp. The trouble
Is, we have not troops enough to
WELD the sword of the Spirit, and
TO man the guns. Victory is prom
ised to the church in the great bat
lie of the ages, but not by distribut-
ing titles to the commanding officers.
and expecting a few major-generals
10 go out and capture the foe. One
man may chase thousand, and two
put ten thousand to flight but what
IS needed Is men enough to round up
those stampeding forces and bring
chem into camp. The church is in
TOO many instances carrying on
Peninsula campaign, marching ION
10 Richmond" and then marching
back, its movements characterized by
mastery retreats"
Not enough men for the battle.
Ii is a great farce this work of try
ing to save the world by a few
elergymen. Peter the apostle, needs
a striker in the person of Philip the
evangelist. Jerusalem must have the
gospel, but Samaria must not be neg
lected. A great central fire must be
kindled in the capital city, but the
eonhagration will be more extensive
II contributory flames are kindled in
The surrounding country. And any
body that can strike a match can
start a fire. There is such a thing
as being too profound, and too heavy
sor the work of evangelism. The
United States army has some high
officers who are handicapped because
they are too heavy TO ride horse. So
there are men in the ministry more
concerned about their grammar
than the souls of their congregation,
more interested in getting the right
Kind of sermon paper than in get
ting men right with God Their
sentences are Miltonic. they make
their hearers stare but never repent.
They read essays on the art OF
swimming to drowning men, they
talk learnedly of fire escapes to those
who are far out Of reach of the lad
ders.
Pulpit Dreadnoughts.
You would not think of send
ing the Dreadnought up mountain
stream. These men are pulpit
Dreadnoughts; they draw too much
water" to get into some of the
canoe and come back having whip
ped the stream clean. We do not
need fewer great guns. but great
host of sharpshooters. Not less
parchments from the seminaries, but
more leaves OF healing among the
nations. Not fewer church pulpits,
but more street corner affairs. Not
reduction Of Major-Generals but a
vast increase of privates. Not re-
trenchment In great battleships but
an amplification Of torpedo boats.
Not subsidence of continental
operations but an expansion Of town,
county and state movements. Phil
Sheridans raid in the Shenandoah is
lust as important as Sherman's
march TO the sea. Let not magnf-
cent cathedral look down on the
back alley mission. Religion will