Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-10-03


noon.
Rev. DIR. E. E. Gillespie, pastor of
the First Presbyterian church, presid-
ed at the preliminary exercises We'd
nesday night, and in few introduc-
tory remarks paid fine tribute to the
jealous leadership Of the women In
missionary work, and explained the
nature and purpose Of the organiza-
tion. He declared that there were no
more faithful workers for the upbuild-
ing of the kingdom Of Jesus Christ
than the women of the churches. and
none surpassed them in the promotion
Of Christian activity. He then extend
ed cordial welcome to the delegates
and the large congregation, including
representative church goers Of the
community, and introduced as the
principal speaker of the evening, Rev.
DR.. w. ]. Martin, president Of Davidson
college, who in remarkably vigorous
and clear cut address, discussed the
subject Of Home Missions":
DR.. Martin took his text, Luke xiv.
46 and 47-"And said unto them,
Thus 1t is written, and thus it be-
hooved Christ to suffer, and to rise
from the dead the third day; and
that repentance and remission Of sins
should be preached in His name
among all nations. beginning at Jeru-
salem."
Z I feel that I am able to take a
special interest in the subject Of
"home missions" this evening. because
of the fact that I myself have for the
past few days been very busy in try
Ing to get something like three hun
dred boys Strengthened out for their
work In college. And I also feel in
his country, and the King of the bet
ter country, must have much at heart
all those plans and hopes which have
as their aim the winning of the world
wide kingdom for Jesus Christ.
The passage which have taken as
the basis of my remarks applies
equally well to home and foreign mis-
sions. And that Is well, for all mis-
sions are essentially one. Those who
labor in the home land and those who
labor In the foreign fields are all Ia
boring hand In hand for the estab-
lishment Of the kingdom and for the
winning Of this victory. The honors
and glories and needs which belong
to one, belong to both.
It is true that sometimes men look
upon foreign missions with q more
favorable eye, but the Word OF God
makes no such distinctions. All are
"sent" by the Lord, and sent to those
who are in need. Paul was himself
the greatest apostle to the Gentiles.
He spent the years OF his wonderful
activity in carrying the message to his
heather people, but he knew the
glamor and appeals to heroism which
the foreign field would hold for man
kind and therefore, in his epistle to
the Romans, he says, Brethren, my
hearts desire and prayer to God for
Israel, is, that they might be saved"
And although Christ said that they
should come from the east and from
the west, from the north and from the
south and sit down In this kingdom,
He forever saved the day for the
home work also when, in giving His
last command to His disciples, He
Therefore, whether at home or
abroad, God sets before Himself and
man the mighty task Of winning the
world for Jesus Christ.
In this passage before us this even
ing we have first Of all, Christ's part
in winning the kingdom. "And thus
1t Is written, and thus 1t behooved
Christ to suffer-" The sufferings Of
Jesus Christ are emphasized In the
Bible as q very necessary part In the
salvation Of man. Through priestly
act and prophets words, He Is point
ed forward to as the suffering Savior.
Every lamb that was slain and every
sacrifice that was offered pointed un-
to His humiliation, suffer-
ing and death.
It might be truthfully said that God
had tried every means in order to
save mankind and had failed. Cody
men of old had been called on to live
lives that would be as examples to
the rest Of mankind, but these ex-
amples had not been followed. He
had given them leaders like Moses,
but they would not follow the lead
ers. Prophet and priest and men
mighty in knowledge and deed had
taught, plead and in the name Of God
had threatened, but to no avail. God
Himself had thundered at them from
the dark cloud over Sinai, and had
smiled at them from the bow over
Ararat, but neither frowns nor smiles
were successful in bringing man back
to God or in clothing them with
righteousness. And 1t was only by the
call of God, Whom shall send" and
the answer Of Christ, "Lo, I come.
1t was only by the great gift which
God made to the world Of His Son
that the kingdom could sweep over
mems hearts. .,e...- !.
One might remark here also that
Christ's part In the work was an en-
tirely voluntary part. He gave Him
self a ransom for many. The SOL
diers did not arrest Him, neither did
they nail Him to the cross without
His consent. He said that he could
pray to the Father and presently
twelve legions would be given Him.
No; there were no exterior FORCES
driving Him against His will to the
cross. Through the years Of His life
His face was set as flint toward
Golgotha, and He went there because
He was willing to go there In order
that man might be saved, and a king
dom be set up in this world that
would reach from the rivers even un-
to the ends of the earth.
In the second place, we have. set
before us the Fathers part In WIN
ming the kingdom, land to rise from
the dead the third day." Almighty
God, the Father, had an interest In
mans salvation. He likewise loved
man even though man was estranged
from Him. He desired that some way
might be devised and some plan work
ed out to free man rrom the power
of sin. He gave His Son to the hu-
initiation and to the death. But that
was not all. When the tragedy OF
Calvary was over, the Son closed his
suffering, with the cry, 1T is finisn-
ed" And then they take his sacred
and blood-covered body, and place II
in the grave. Will that body lie there!
Will It 60 back to earth and dust and
ashes as the bodies Of mere men have
gone? No; for "Thou wilt not suner
Thy holy one to see corruption" And
so when He had lain three days In the
grave, the voice Of the Father comes
ringing down from His throne above,
and the grave Is not able to hold
the Son and He arises and breaks the
bands Of death. He Is not a dead
Lord, but a living one, forevermore.
He ascended to heaven and takes HIS
seat at the right hand Of God, there
to Judge the quick and the dead.
In the third place, we have set be-
fore us mans part in winning the