Christian herald., December 22, 1882, Page 2, Image 2

CHRISTIAN’
HKRALD
---- ...----- —-----
like bravery. The apostle removes that the meeting is for all the speak where the Bible speaks, and
the idea from physical bravery, brethren and sisters.; all are in- repiain silent where, the Bible is
Some Things Which We Lack. when he connects it with faith, and forested in this work, because all silent. The Bible says : “ Forsake
[A Sermon preached at Portland, Nov. 19, 1882, makes it convey the idea of moral want to be saved, but moral not the assembly of the saints,”
by Henry Shadle.;
-------- - heroism.
Thepreacher who fails7 rowanIteE" whispers1Yon cannot but WO Cail W away with im­
“One thing thou laekest.” Mark 10: 21.
“ Aid to your faith virtue; and to virtue to make a personal and individual speak to edifying, you cannot offer punity, or go somewhere else to
knowledge ; * * * * and to temperance application of practical duties and an acceptable prayer; you cannot church, with the evident satisfac­
patience." 2 Peter 1 : 5.
obligations, but spreads out his re­ read the Scriptures like Mr. A. or tion that our whole duty has been
The rich young ruler who came
in great haste to Jesus to learn marks in glittering generalities, Miss B., yoq .positively cannot take performed. We are fearful to
hunting the most meaningless part in prayer-meeting !” And thus abide by a principle lest it offend.
what lie must do to inherit eternal
terms lest some one should feel that that meeting ends with that person This usually comes from a|i undue ----
life, went away sorrowing, because
he found that his standard of he means theinTsimply lacks moral as cold as an iceberg, and no amount desire to be counted as progressive
We must understand of fervid expressions from the as other people ; it makes no differ­
righteousness was rejected by the courage.
Great Teacher, not on account of that it is myself who is being leader, or calls from the pastor can ence, right or wrong, we must do
any failure in external relations, taught, and in ordef that a sermon warm such an one up to any correct as the other churches do ! This is
but for the reason that true lienevo- be practical it must become to us sense of Christian duty, simply be­ moral cowardice, "only this and
personal. Then, let it be under­ cause they fail for want of courage nothing more!” It is the over­
lence and piety had been overlooked
ii\the exactness of his adherence to stood that whatever lacks we may to appreciate the true worship in weaning desire to be thoroughly
the forms, rather than the spirit of find among us, they are individual the beauty of holiness. We lack orthodox, when the orthos, or right
lacks; that as the church is made the moral courage to dare to preach is only the dox, or opinion of men.
the law.
The Pharisee was punctilious in up of churches, and churches are an every day Gospel. We all de­ It is perfectly proper to preach our
keeping the law of Moses even to composed of individuals, any failure sire. to lie saved; not a church practices ;• we may tell the people
the tenth of the garden herbs, yet of the church to perform the duties member living that intends to be that we’ believe in immersion; that
unless our “ righteousness shall ex­ ordained by its Head, must be ac lost. A negleeted duty to-day, is we do not sprinkle babies ; that we
ceed the righteousness of the Scribes counted personal failures to per­ going to be taken up to-morrow. break the loaf every Sunday. We-
and Pharisees,” we can in no wise form the duties and obligations im- We may loose a thread in the lab-, may tell all about our customs,
enter into the k inydom of heaven.- .posed Upon us__ Ln. the general ao lie of lifo, but we will rmt-miss one xinly we must pr^’tit tfirse’ as dur
Christ’s law demands an exact ad­ ceptance of the term we may lack thread—we may drop a stitch in peculiarities. But to say that we
herence to every prescribed form of faith—faithless we certainly lack— the make up of our existences, but do these things because commanded
his worship, and we must obey that but in the faith we are assuredly we can pick it up at some future to do them, and that we do not
form of doctrine delivered unto us, right. With God’s book open be­ time. I have never talked with a many things because there is no­
but I think sometimes, while we fore us, we may say without egot­ member of the church who did not divine warrant fbr so doing, would
are very careful to observe the ism that we are right. We have really desire that the church should l>e a grievous offence. Something
* form of doctrine," we sadly lack thrown away all creeds and con­ grow, that the membership should is wrong here, and we may, with
in our conceptions of what the fessions of faith made by men, that be increased and that the cause propriety, introduce our
1*
the
Bible
may
become
to
us
our
should
prosper.
There
are
some
Secondly.
We
lack
knowledge.
Savior really intended by his law
only rule of faith and practice. Our who desire that our preacher shall Not particularly a knowledge of
to the human race.
I have been thinking about our public customs comfort with our be the most eloquent, our prayers the plan of salvation, but a knowl­
lacks ; not what some poor brother teaching; we are known now and the most elegant, our singing the edge of how we ought to behave
lacks, who has scarcely enough of respected, as believers in Jesus most artistic, our church the grand- ourselves in the house of God.
this world’s goods to keep the wolf Christ and Him by whom lie was est, and our people the most elite, Some one is to blame for our lack
from the door, or of some poor sent, but we lack many things, and from a purely selfish motive, but of^k now ledge, and 1 am inclined to
sister who lives two miles from not because first in importance, but these are exceptions; most of us believe it is the elders. The modern
church and has not enough, at as item first in the lesson, we lack are desirous that the church shall mistake is, to make the preacher
grow, but alas I we seldom know responsible for all the teaching, or
times to buy a street car ticket, moral courage.
Take first the positive duties of what part we act in making the rather for all the ignorance in the
but I speak of what we lack in
order to a more perfect “ growth in a Christian life. They are no success or failure of the work. church, when very many preachers
Many want the work to go on are young in the ministry, and need
grace and the knowledge of the longer controlled by the personal
I
do
not
refer
particularly
|
operation
of
God
’
s
spirit,
in
signs
but by their absence Lord’s day themselves the advice and counsel
truth.” j
sirrATi«
and
Jurovu ‘»»Uvnnl/wi
and
wonders,
and
divers
miracles,
after
Lord’s day, say more plainly of their elders. I do not wish to
to the churches in Oregon, nor on
this coast, but everywhere we are but are regulated in these three— than words: “ The church may l>e understood by this term, that I
lacking, and should God come down faith, hope and love, the greatest of grow indeed, ought to be doing mean only those who have been
to-day, and write upon the walls of which is love ’ “ Let a man ex­ well, but it must not depend upon placed in the official relation of
the
congregation.
our churches, he would only need amine himself, and so let him eat,” me •” Because ? Ah, yes, because elders, to
write a part of the sentence that, obtain# in every department of you have not the moral courage to Pri marily the elders included those
Daniel translated to fill us with church duty, as well as the Lord s stand by your convictions of right. who had age and experience, and
deepest consternation—“ Thou art Supper. But in all these self ex­ “ But I cannot see the absolute need these were mainly constituted the
weighed in the balances—and found aminations we lack moral courage. of attending every Sunday •” No. teachers in the church. There are
Let a visitor come next Thursday But the preacher can see jtmr very many things in which the
wanting
The very first lack is found with evening, into our prayer-meeting; vacant place; the leader in singing preacher is constituted pastor, to be
the preachers, ami as it comes a man of the world, a man en­ fnisses your voice, and both being young or old, but to expect of him
naturally under the division of my gaged in business, and who has the human, feel very much like staying that private instruction, that fire­
subject I will notice: First. We operations of his firm constantly on away the next time. This moral side teaching which is -an absolute
z
lack virtue; This word, as found his mind. K(? notices particularly, cowardice is infidelity, pure infi- necessity in every healthy chirrcln.,
■that the leader calls attention1 to’ 'dm^Ta caiise”we pfofess to love. is sheer nonsense I Elders, deacons
' courage. Among the Greeks, in the fact that this is, in a certain Better to have never been bom and deaconesses, have their respec­
I
the days of Horner, it was con­ sense, a business meeting, where we into his kingdom than to ¡»rove a tive places to fill and those places
traitor to his cause ! We are be­ are not filled, when the elder has
sidered a virtue—aretes—to be transact work for the eternal ages.
o
possessed of manly courage,. war-
hears him tel) the attendants ginning to lack moral courage to waited upon the Lord’s table, the
The Pulpit,
«
*
l‘
-
1
o
.J"’"''
■»
•
za
I