Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-06-09
MAN behind THE
Gospel MESSAGE
Rev. George A. Cooke Points
Out Difference in Some
Preachers
SAYS MEN OF POWER
USE THE SAME BIBLE

The Rev. George \. Cooke, pastor of
Wesley NJ. 4. Church, m sermon ON
Sunday night. told his people what must
be done to save the churches. Mr.. Cooke
took for his text Romans 10, IA; How
shall they hear without a preacher
He said that it is the Divine plan as
laid down in the SCRIPTURES that the
church shall be built up and the world
shall be saved through preaching. The
trouble with our time is that every
other agency Is being used and depend
ed upon except the Divine plan of
preaching the old-time gospel The
speaker continues
81 went over TO the Chautauqua
grounds yesterday afternoon to hear
the lecture of William T.. Ellis ON the
subject: What Must the Church Do to
BE Saved?' Mr. Ellis is a very learned
man who has travelled widely over the
world and has observed the religious
problem with great care. He knows
what he is talking about. He began by
saying that the drift among the people
is away from the church in modern
times lie said the majority OF
churches are in a struggle for eNis-
tence.
"fle also said the time has gone by
when the preacher is the important man
in the community. Time was when the
! preacher was consulted on all public
/ questions and his word was authority
among the people. That has all been
! changed. His solution of the problem
/ is that there should be fewer churches
The churches should combine and form
larger units which will give larger con
gregations and pay larger salaries to
the pastors.
upon me the impression was very
/ depressing. and could see no solution
of the problem in that direction. There
are not too many churches. That is
not the difficulty. There is too littl,
spiritual life, too little Righteousness IN
the churches we have There is to,
much worldliness and pleasure loving
and dishonesty among church members
There is needed a revival of pure an,
holy living a genuine revival of relig
ion that would put the passion for soul
upon the people already in our churche
would iill every church and be OF un
told blessing to the community.
Our preachers must have an impor
tant part in the regeneration of th
churches. The Bible is the same tina
it has been since the days Of the apos
ties. Gods plan of salvation is tn
same as il has been all through the ages
If there is any difference it is in tn
men who are behind the message. Ii
war, by land or by sea, there must b
the guns, but the man behind the gu
is of more consequence. So in the wa
on sin, it is the man behind the mas
sage that makes the difference. Mar
tin Luther, John Calvin. John Knol
George Fox, John Wesley. Charles c
Finney. ID. L. Moody and Billy Sunda
and other men of marked usefulnes
and power have used the same Bib
that all other preachers use. Wherei
is the difference II is in the man b,
hind the message.
"A preacher should be man q
prayer, a man of faith. man of in
telligence, a man of holiness. a man q
ccaseless energy. He should know tn
age in which he lives and know how Z
apply the truth of God to the needs O
men. The preacher is the man upo
whom God depends to lead the peopl
out of bondage into the Promise
Land