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  1927 LECTURES
  by Abilene1926
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Lectures from the 1927 Abilene Christian College annual lectureship series,
presenting addresses on Scripture, doctrine, and the Christian life from
ministers and educators in the Churches of Christ fellowship.

  Chapters: 24

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS
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    1. Preface
    2. Publisher's Announcement
    3. The Indwelling Christ
    4. A Much Neglected Command
    5. The Five Great Duties of the Christian Life
    6. Progress In Religion
    7. What Jesus May Be To The Human Soul
    8. The Soverignty of Christ
    9. The Three Witnesses
   10. Theory Vs. Practice
   11. The Church
   12. Plea and Principles of Disciples
   13. Standing By The Cross
   14. The Pulpit of Power is the Pulpit of the Gospel
   15. Home Missionary Work
   16. Music In The Church
   17. The Divine Nature
   18. Puting God First
   19. We Are Here, Why?
   20. The Bible and Science
   21. The Prayer of Jabez
   22. What Do We More Than Others?
   23. From Creeds To Christ
   24. Christ Our Unique Sacrifice

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  CHAPTER 1: PREFACE
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Preface

PREFACE This volume contains the greater number of the lec­tures delivered in
the auditorium of Abilene Christian College during the annual Lectureship held
the last week in February for the years 1926 and 1927. It is regretted that not
all of the manuscripts were handed in, and therefore cannot be published. This
volume is sent forth with the hope that the great addresses de­livered and here
reproduced may be a source of inspira­tion and encouragement to those who read
them.

BATSELL BAXTER. President Abilene Christian College.


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  CHAPTER 2: PUBLISHER'S ANNOUNCEMENT
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Publisher's Announcement PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENT The Abilene Christian College
Bible Lectures have become an interesting and popular feature in the spe­cial
work of this great educational institution. The last week of February of each
year is now looked forward to with a keen interest not only on the part of the
stu­dents and patrons of the school, but by thousands of rep­resentative men and
women in the great brotherhood of the churches of Christ in Texas and in other
states. The publication of these lectures in book form has been met with a
satisfaction and appreciation that justifies this more permanent form and method
of preservation, The lectures for 1919 were published in one volume, 1920­1921
were combined in one volume, as were also the lectures for 1922-1923 and
1924-1925. The present vol­ume comprises most of the lectures delivered for the
years 1926-1927. The complete set of the Abilene Christian College Lec­tures now
consists of five volumes, all of which are at present available. That the
complete set makes a most valuable addition to any Christian’s library, would
hardly be questioned. The variety of subjects and the various speakers give
variety in point of view and in approach to the themes considered that makes
them unique in the literature of the brotherhood of the churches of Christ.

It is confidently hoped that the great themes so well considered by the popular
speakers who are represented in this volume will find a way into the hearts as
well as the homes of thousands, and that they may contrib­ute no small influence
for the expansion of the kingdom of our Redeemer and for the development of the
better elements in Christian character.

H. P. SHOW ALTER Austin, Texas, August 1, 1927.


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  CHAPTER 3: THE INDWELLING CHRIST
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The Indwelling Christ THE INDWELLING CHRIST By H. L. CALHOUN

I believe the Bible to be miraculously inspired; that it is infallibly true in
its statements of facts; all au-thoritative in its commands and absolutely
trustworthy as to the fulfillment of its promises. I believe that all scripture
is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine. I believe that
holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. I believe what Paul
said “which things we speak not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Spirit teacheth.” I believe what Paul further said “If any man
thinketh himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him take knowledge that the
things which I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord Jesus.’’

I believe that God has in the world three great divine institutions: the home,
the state and the church. I believe the home is for the reproduction and rearing
of human beings; that the state is to protect the life, liberty and happiness of
its citizens; that the church Is that institution through which human souls are
to be saved and fitted for the life that lies beyond death. I believe that the
pillar and support of the truth is the church and not some humanly organized
missionary society. I believe that the manifold wisdom of God is to be made
known through the church,

I believe that the law of pardon for an alien sinner is that he must believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ with all his heart; that he must truly repent of all past
sins; that he must confess with his mouth his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ;
that by the authority of Jesus Christ he must be baptized into the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; that when he has done these
things, then, and not before, he has the promise that his sins are pardoned or
that he is saved. I believe that such a person, as a Christian, must add to his
faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge tem-perance, and to
temperance patience, to patience godli-ness, to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness love, and that should he do so, there will be
ministered unto him an abundant entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. I believe that such a Christian receives the gift of
the Holy Spirit, and that if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none
of His, and that possessing that spirit, he should bear its fruit, which is
love, joy, peace, long- suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and
temperance, and that against one whose life is filled with these things God’s
law has no accusation to bring. I believe that such a person should reflect in
his daily life and character the teachings of Christ as made known to us in the
beatitudes. I believe that all true science and sound philosophy and Christian
faith are in perfect harmony, each one perfectly proper in its own sphere,
neither trespassing upon either one of the others and in no single point
conflicting. The subject of the lecture I am to deliver at this time is “The
Indwelling of Christ?” The text upon which it is based may be found in Ephesians
3:17. It reads thus: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.”

We are taught in Genesis that in the beginning God created man in his own image.
We are taught in the first chapter of John, that in the beginning was the word
and the word was with God and the word was God, and that all things were made by
Him, and that without, Him was not anything made that was made. And Paul teaches
us that God created all tilings by Jesus Christ.

These scriptures being true, man was not only created in the image of God, but
in the likeness of Christ, for the word of God says that Christ was the
brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express image of His person, and so
much alike were God and Christ that Jesus himself said “He that hath s|en Me
hath seen the Father.” Then, man was made in the image of God and in the
likeness of Jesus Christ, and the devil’s work in this world is to destroy from
the-soul of man this image of God and likeness of Christ in which man was
created.

It is like this. A number of workmen were busy tearing down a structure and one
of them happened to strike his elbow against the smooth surface of a plastered
wall and brushed away the dirt and dust which had accumulated there and saw in
this place coloring matter as if there were a picture underneath. He took his
hand and rubbed off a larger space. Seeing there was a picture there, he took
his old handkerchief and rubbed off a great big place and found there was a most
beautiful picture underneath, too pretty, he thought, to be destroyed. Knowing
where an artist lived, he wept after this man and brought him, and the artist
carefully cleaned away all the.dirt and dust and grime and found a masterpiece,
and down^at the lower right hand corner were the initials of one of the world’s
great painters, and yet all this beautiful picture had been entirely covered up,
blotted out by the dirt and dust that had accumulated through the ages. Thus it
is that Satan coming into a human life with the trail of his shame and the soil
of sin, seeks to blot out from the life of man that image of God and of Christ
in which he was created.

Man is a three-fold being. He has a body, a mind and a heart. It is a splendid
thing to have a good strong, healthy body. It is a sad misfortune to have a
weak, crippled body. I went into a community once to assist in a meeting. The
very first day someone said, Brother Calhoun, have you seen uncle, naming a
certain man*? Why, I said, I never heard of him. Well, he said, you must be sure
to go to see him. So the next afternoon we went. In a plain, simple room, on a
plain, simple bed, lay a man past middle life, with his limbs all twisted out of
shape by disease. He had not taken a step for more than twenty years. He could
not even feed him-self. Almost as helpless as a baby. That was a sad cripple.
Lying there on a table beside the bed was an old leatherback Bible, thumb worn
and dirty from use. And the old man liked to have you turn and read about that
earthly house of our tabernacle being dissolved, and then we would have a house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. He liked to have you read of that
body that Paul says we will have after the resurrec-tion, fashioned like unto
the glorious body of Christ, bearing the image of the heavenly Father, raised in
power, incorruptible, which John says can never feel pain, sickness, nor death,
and tears of joy ran down the old man’s cheeks as we read that new body which he
some day hoped to have as his. But I have seen sadder cripples than that. I went
into another community once to assist in a meeting. I went home for the noon day
meal with a brother and his wife. As we were leaving the table the good woman,
old enough for my mother, said, Brother Calhoun, would you like to see my baby?
I had seen no child. I had heard none mentioned and did not know there was any,
but I said to her, “Yes, sister, I would like to see your baby, if you would
like to have me do so.” And she said, “Come with us,” and hand in hand she and
her husband walked to a door on the other side of the room and opening into
another room as large as the one in which we were sitting, and there in a chair
beside the fireplace sat a man as large as I am, and perhaps as old as I then
was, a poor drivelling idiot that never had spoken a sensible word in his life
and never would. And what that poor mother’s heart wanted to know was, whether
the preacher thought that when death claimed her darling, her only baby, would
the clouds that came in across his mind pass away, and would he shine out and be
like others in the sweet by and by. It comforted her soul when the preacher told
her that he believed that all of earth’s imperfections would be left behind when
we enter that home of the soul that Jesus had gone to prepare. Now, this was a
sadder cripple than the man with the crippled body, for a crippled mind is worse
than a crippled body.

I have seen worse cases, sadder cripples, than either of these. The causes that
make my heart ache, that wring it with bitter sorrow, are those in which Satan
has done his work, and it is the heart cripples, where the hearts are all
ruined, twisted and filthy with sin and the train of Satan’s shame. I have two
boys, both of them taller than the father, with minds reasonably bright and
bodies strong, and I had rather have both those boys helpless cripples until
they could nevetf walk a step; I would rather have them both drivelling idiots
until they eould never speak a sensible word, than to have them with bodies as
strong as Samson’s, and minds as bright as ever Plato or Aristotle had, and
simply stop with that. To have their hearts all marred and blurred and ruined by
sin is worse than to have a crippled body and a crippled mind.

' Now, the work of Christ is to destroy the works of the devil. He said, “I am
come to destroy the works of the devil.” Perhaps some of you have seen Leonardo
Devinci’s great picture “The Last Supper,” representing Jesus and the twelve in
that upper room that night before his crucifixion, when he instituted the Lord’s
Supper. Do you know it is true history? It takes years to paint a great picture.
They cannot be produced in an hour, ot a week, or a month, or a year even.
Devinci worked upon this picture more than twelve years, and when he first
began, naturally Jesus’ figure and face was the central one. All the others were
grouped about that. When he came to paint the face of Jesus he was unwilling to
trust, great as was his genius, his natural powers to produce a face strong
enough and splendid enough to represent the face of Jesus, the world’s Savior,
and he said, ‘‘I am going out into this great city and find a young man, about
30 years of age, with a pure enough and noble enough face to represent the face
of Jesus. I am going to arrange with him to let me copy his face upon this
canvas.” After a long search, one day he found him, a singer in one of the great
churches of the city. As soon as he saw his face he said, “That is the face I
want.” After the service he arranged with die young man to come to his studio
and let him copy his face on the canvas to represent the face of Jesus. Would
not you think that an honor, to have a face pure enough and noble enough to
represent the face of Jesus Christ! Years passed, ten years and more, and now
the great picture is finished, all but one face, and that’s the face of Judas,
the traitor, and again the artist felt unwilling to trust to his native powers
to produce a face dark enough and sin cursed to represent the face of Judas, who
sold his Master for a few pieces of silver, and again Devinci said “I am going
out into this city and hunt for a face where sin has done its work; where the
devil has blotted out the image of God, and I am going to copy that face on this
canvas to represent the face of. Judas.” One day in one of the lowest dives in
the city he found a man and the minute he saw him he said “That is the face I
want.” He approached the fellow and said, “I want to hire you.” The man
answered, “What will you give?” Never asked what he wanted him to do. He would
do anything for money. Devinci named a small sum and the man said, “Lead on, I
will follow.” Out from that low, filthy dive they came, into a more decent
street, and by and. by they walked into the studio where the great picture had
stood more than a dozen years on the easel, in the same room, and when the man,
following Devinci, walked into the room he looked around with a startled glare
at the picture, and said, “Oh, my God, I can’t do that. I can’t do that.”
Devinci said, “Can’t what?” “Oh,” he said, “I know what you want. You want to
paint my face on that picture to represent the face of Judas. My God* man, I
can’t do that.” Devinci stepped to the door, closed it, locked it, took the key
out and put it in his pocket and said to the trembling wretch, “You can, you
shall, you must.” The man pointed with trembling hands and said, “There’s my
face painted as the face of Jesus.” He said, “Twelve years ago I sat here in
this very room. You copied my • face on that canvas to represent the face of
Jesus, and now you want it to represent the face of Judas. ’ And Devinci copied
that face. That is why that picture is today considered one of the world’s
masterpieces. It shows what sin can do. That is not a made up story. That is
true as the word of God. Sin can take a face pure enough and noble enough to
represent the face of Jesus and so blot out from it the image of God sis to make
it fit to represent Judas the traitor.

. Now, since Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, he wants to come into
our hearts “that Christ may dwell in your heart by faith.” Why? He wants to
restore to the soul of man that lost image of God, in which man was created. He
wants to wash away with his own precious blood the stain of sin, the soil of
shame, and restore to the human heart and life that image of God in which man
was made. Is it true, as our text says, that Christ dwells in the heart of a
Christian, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts?” The word “dwell” means “to
live, to make his abode, to stay permanently, not just to visit.” Do the
Scriptures teach that Jesus dwells in a Christian’s heart? Liston, Revelation
3:20, Jesus speaking, “I stand at the door and knock. If any man will hear my
voice and open the door I will come in,” John 14:23; “If any man serve me, him
will my Father honor and both my Father and I will come unto him.” In John
17:23, Jesus said, speaking of his followers, “I in thee and thou in me.”
Galatians 2:20, Paul says, ‘‘Christ liveth in me,” and Christ is no more
expected to live in Paul than he is to live in every Christian.

2 Corinthians 13:5, speaking to all Christians, “Examine yourselves, whether you
be in the faith, prove your own selves. Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you,
except you be reprobates,” Reprobates simply means sinners, outcasts, those not
Christians. This verse says Jesus Christ is in every Christian. Romans 8:10 :
“If Christ be in you.”

Galatians 4:19, Paul says, “My little children of whom I travel in birth again
until Christ be formed in you.” And these are not the half of the Scriptures
which teach that Christ dwells in a Christian, So, if I am a child of God, if
you are one, Christ is dwelling, living in us. But someone says, “How can this
be? How can Christ live in a Christian? How can he live in me?” Our'text Says
“that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith,” and God’s word teaches that
this faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).

So, this Christ who dwells in us by faith is one con-cerning whom we learn from
God’s word and is indwelling in no mysterious, uncertain way. It is the Christ
formed in our souls by faith as we learn of Him through the teachings of God’s
holy word, made known through his Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Come learn of me.”
Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” He says
further, “w6 all with open face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,
are changed into the same image,” and this Christ who dwells in us is not a cold
intellectual conception simply, not the mere belief of a fact or facts
concerning Him, that He once lived and walked about the Sea of Galilee and over
the hills of Judea, but the Christ that dwells in our hearts by faith. This
faith must be made perfect by efforts, for by works is faith made perfect, and
it is a living Christ in harmony with Paul’s teachings (Romans 16:26), when he
teaches that this gospel of Christ is made known for the obedience of faith. So,
it is a Christ dwelling in us, embodied in a life of obedience, filled with such
deeds of love and kindness and courtesy as Christ himself performed.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said that when two boys, James and John, meet on the
street there are six persons present. How could this be? Well, there is first,
John as John sees himself. That is John’s John, Then there is John as James sees
him. Sometimes James’ John is a very different John from John’s John, and then
there is the John that God sees, and that is the real John, often quite
different from either of the other two, and, of course there are as many James’
present as there are Johns’ So, the Christ that dwells in us must not be simply
my Ciirist, nor your Christ, but God’s Christ, a Christ formed in us, a Christ
as God sees Him, God’s Christ dwelling in us. But someone says, ‘‘Can’t you make
it plainer than that ? ” I will try. Php_2:5 : “ Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus.” With the mind we think and feel and purpose, and if
Christ’s mind is to be in us, then we must think and feel and purpose like
Christ. Romans 8:9 : ‘‘If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of
His.” My spirit must be just like the spirit of Christ, so much so that I can
say the spirit of Christ is in me.

Some years ago a missionary from China sat at my breakfast table and told my
children this story. He said one morning he and his wife were sitting at their
breakfast table and they heard a little baby crying. Sounded like it was just
out the window on the street, and the wife ran to the window, and sure enough,
there lay a little girl baby out in the street, thrown away by its heathen
mother, because little girl babies are not valuable in China where Jesus is not
known. The mis-sionary’s wife ran out and picked the little one up. It did not
seem to be hurt. She brought it in and cared for it. She had a little baby of
her own, almost the same age. She divided the food that God gave for her own
baby with the little heathen baby. Other mothers of the community were
interested and helped and the little baby lived and grew, and may we trace now
and see how Christ came to dwell in this little heathen baby’s heart? It was not
long until it was a great big, healthy, growing baby girl, and the missionary
and his wife taught it, as they did their own little baby, the story of the babe
of Bethlehem,, and how the angels were sent that night when He was born, and how
the wise men, guided by the star, came bringing their gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh, and how they worshipped Him, and little by little as the
child grew, it became familiar with the story of Jesus. It was learning and
Christ was being formed in its mind until it could see Jesus, who Jesus was and
just how Jesus thought and just how Jesus felt and just how Jesus purposed, and
just how Jesus acted. Years passed by and the image of Christ in the soul of the
child grew stronger, and it saw more clearly, and by and by it was sent to
America and put in a girl’s school where Christ was loved and honored, and it
learned more and more of him. Finally a preacher came to hold a meeting in the
town and the girls from the school attended the meeting. More and more .the
little, girl had learned, but now she is a great big-girl. More and more she had
learned of Jesus until one night at the close of the sermon, when the invitation
was extended, that girl walked.down to confess her faith .in .Christ and crown
him king in her heart and her life. Jesus, had .come into her heart, by faith,
and had taken control, and so it is that Jesus must come into your heart
atRl.life, and mine. We learn about him. We see the patience and sweetness of
his character and make that our own.

We are told in 2 Peter 1:4 : “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature.’’
Par lakers of the divine nature means sharers in that divine nature and the
divine nature is the Christ nature. So, we must have Christ’s mind in us,
Christ’s spirit in us, Christ's nature in us, not theoretically simply. 1 Peter
2:21, Christ left us an example that we should follow in his steps. 1 John 2:24
: “He that suyeth I know Him ought also to walk even as he walked.” So, the
Christ that dwells in you and in me. must be the living Christ, until our
thoughts and feelings and purposes and words and deeds, our nature, our very
life is a reproduction of His, and that is in harmony with modern teaching on
the subject of Christianity.

What do the best modern writers tell us Christianity is? The reproduction of the
life of Christ in the human life. That is what it means to be a Christian,
Someone says, “How can this be?” An old colored man was sitting in his cabin one
day reading the Bible, as he sat by the fire. white man came along by the cabin
door and said, “What are you doing, uncle?” He said, “I am reading the Bible.”
The white man said, “I don’t read the Bible. I-don’t believe the Bible is true.
It has contradictions in it.” He said, “You read your Bible, can you explain
this to me?” He thought he would trouble the old colored man. “Doesn’t that
Bible tell you that Christ dwells in you. Doesn’t your Bible say you are in
Christ, ‘if any man be in Christ he is a new character?’ ” He said, “Yes, it
do.” He said again, “Can you explain to me how you can be in Christ and Christ
in you at the same time? Isn’t that a con-tradiction?” The old colored man says,
“Boss, don’t know if I can explain it so you can see it or not, but I’ll try.”
He took up the long poker some four feet long, made of iron, from the corner of
the fireplace. He put one end in the fire where the logs were burning, and sat
still until the end of the poker that was in the fire became red hot, and then
taking hold of the other end of the poker, he lifted it up and says, “Boss, you
see that, now, the fire’s in the poker and the poker’s in the fire, ’ ’ and it
was. Just so it must be with the nature and mind and spirit of Christ. All
through you and me, in our hearts and in our lives must be such feelings, such
purposes, such words and such deeds as Jesus had, and it is in this way, not in
some mysterious incomprehensible manner, but in this way that Christ is to dwell
in our hearts by faith. And then the question: Why does Christ want to dwell in
our hearts? Following our text is this language: “That Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith, that you may be able to know what is the breadth and length and
depth and height of the love of Christ.” Oh, how narrow and short and shallow
and low are the ideas that some have of what it means to be a Christian. It goes
but little farther with some than to say perhaps twenty- five years ago I was
baptized, no change in the life. Standing that person up by the side of a man
outside of the church, you would not be able to detect enough difference to tell
which was the Christian and which not. Is that all it means to be a Christian,
simply that somebody baptized you years ago? Or, is your life Christ like, so
that people who see you can see Christ in you and would recognize you and me as
they did Jesus’ disciples of old, that they had been with Jesus. But that is not
all. Not only that we may know what is the breadth and length and height and
depth of the love of Christ, but the next verse says “that we may be filled with
all the fullness of God. ’ ’ How empty the lives of some people are. You could
dig down into the hearts of some men and you wouldn’t find anything there but a
little office, a little worldly business engrossing all their powers and
thoughts. Business and affairs that will pass away in a few years and be as if
they never had been, and yet a human soul with infinite powers and eternal
existence will satisfy itself upon these empty things. Dig down into the hearts
of some women and you will find nothing there but the latest style of dress and
hat, or the latest forms of polite society, how to have an enter-tainment
up-to-date. “That Christ may dwell' in your hearts that you may be filled with
all the fullness of God.” A young man was studying to be an artist, a painter.
He studied for years under an old teacher, and then set up a studio of his own.
He had dreamed dreams, as all artists do, that some day he would paint a
masterpiece, and after working several years in his own studio he said, ‘The
time has come when I must paint my pic-ture.” And so, when canvas had been
stretched, palette and paint ready, he began the outlines of what he hoped would
be a masterpiece. One day he was out of the studio, leaving brush and paint and
picture just begun. While he was gone the old teacher who had known his heart
and mind and aspirations all through the years, came in, studied that outline
for a little while, and then dipping the brush into the fresh paint, in big
rough letters, entirely across the face of the picture he wrote a-in-p-l-i-u-s,
amplius, the Latin word that means “wider ” Laying down his brush he went his
way. Soon the young artist came in and at once saw the picture with the rough
letters across its face, and said, “Who dared spoil my picture like that,” and
then he looked carefully and said, “Oh, the master has been here, the teacher,
it must have been he,” and then he spelled out those letters a-m-p-l-i-u-s,
wider. What did he mean? Can he mean that my picture is too narrow and too
cramped in this perspective, that I need a wider view? He must have meant that,
and so the young artist painted over that outline as artists know how to do, and
began his picture anew, with a wider view, and he did paint one of the world’s
masterpieces.

We are all painters, painting nOpt on canvas that will some day crumble back to
dust like that artist was painting on, but painting on the enduring canvas of
the human soul, our own soul’s picture of Jesus Christ, the most beautiful
picture of which the human soul can conceive, and I wonder if our teacher, who
is Jesus himself, as he looks upon our work, would not, in many instances,. say
“Amplius,” wider. Our conceptions of Jesus and what it means to be a Christian
are so narrow, so short, so low, so shallow, so cramped, not filled with all the
fullness and blessings of God. That is why Jesus wants to come into and dwell in
every Christian’s heart.


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  CHAPTER 4: A MUCH NEGLECTED COMMAND
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A Much Neglected Command A MUCH NEGLECTED COMMAND By H. L. CALHOUN The subject,
which I am to discuss this evening is, “A Much Neglected Command.” I think I may
say without fear of contradiction, that no one ever heard a member of the church
of Christ say that any command which God ever gave is non-essential. We do not
believe that God wasted his time in giving non-essential commands. We believe
that every command coming from him is essential, and that knowingly and
willingly to neglect any one, when it can be reasonably performed, is to sin
against God and our own souls. You often hear our preachers quote such
scriptures as these: “Blessed are they that do his commandments.” “This is the
love of God that we keep his commandments.” “He that hath my commandments and
keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.” and, “If a man love me he will keep my
words.” “Fear God and keep his ommandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
“Why call ye me Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say?” “Ye are my
friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.” “Whosoever heareth these sayings of
mine and doeth them is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock.” “Not
everyone that sayeth unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,
but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven” and “Whosoever shall
break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, the same shall be
called the least in the kingdom of heaven.”

Now, some of God’s commands pertaiu to external forms and rites and ceremonies,
and we can see people when they obey them. Speaking of the Lord’s Sapper, Jesus
said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” You can see one when he eats the bread, or
when he drinks the fruit of the vine. Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations, baptizing them.” You can see one when he is baptized, but not all
of God’s commands are like this. Some pertain to internal states and condi-tions
of the heart. God can see when such commands are obeyed, but no other human
being than the person doing the command can know when he is fulfilling them. For
example, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” “Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself.” “Thou shalt not covet.” These commands have to do with
states and conditions of the heart and are not expressed in formal rites and
ceremonies. Some people have been ready to charge us with paying more attention
to those commands that have to do with out-ward forms and ceremonies than we do
tq those which relate to the internal states and conditions of the heart. In
other words, they charge us with formalism, saying that we are like those people
of whom Jesus spoke when he said to them, “You make clean the outside of the cup
and the platter, but within they are full of uncleanness.” They say we are like
those people whom Paul mentioned who had a form of godliness, without the power.
I am. not inclined to admit that my brethren are any more guilty along this line
than other religious people. I believe that with one voice we would all say that
soundness in the faith requires just as strict obedience to the commands that
have to do with the internal states and conditions of the heart as to those
which pertain to the outward forms and ceremonies. “For if any man have not the
spirit of Christ he is none of His.” And certainly the spirit of Christ would
not lead any man to neglect any of God’s commands. But while this is true, I
believe there is one command which is very much neglected by many good people,
even among our own brethren. Hence, I have chosen to speak on the subject stated
above—“A Much Neglected Command.” And the text*upon which this lecture is based
may be found in Php_4:6, and in the King James’ version, it reads, “Be careful
for nothing, but m everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known unto God.” The American revised version reads it as
follows: “In nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Put in the plain
simple language of everyday life as men would speak it on the street, it says,
“Worry about nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made unto God.” Do you know any people who
worry? who J;ret? who are anxious? who are care worn? who go about with nervous
tension, fearful of what may happen, almost expecting something terrible every
hour? No, don’t think of your wife, or your husband, or your neighbor. Begin
with yourself. How is it with you? Do you worry? Are you anxious? Are you
careful? No plainer command can be found upon the page of God’s word than that
which says, “Be careful for nothing, In nothing be anxious.” Watch the faces
that you meet on the street. See that wrinkled brow, that set mouth, that
determined expression in the eye, and you will need no further evidence that
there are people who neglect this plain command, and yet Php_4:6 is not the only
place where Christians are taught not to he anxious, not to be careful for
anything, not to worry. In 1 Peter 5:7, Peter says, “Casting all your care upon
Him.” This also, like Php_4:6, sweeps the field and leaves nothing about which
to be careful. David spoke thus: “Cast thy burden on the Lord,” which means what
Paul and Peter meant, and Jesus in Luke 12:22 says, “Be not anxious for your
life, what you shall eat and drink.” Do you know any people who worry over what
they are expecting to eht or drink, especially when they are looking for company
for dinner? Have you ever known even good Christian women to be so worried and
fretted and anxious over the food they were going to have when guests were to be
present that they could not enjoy the meal even when it came. Yet Jesus said,
“The life is more than the food,” and there are certainly much more important
things to consider than simply what we eat, for Jesus said, “Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” In
Matthew 6:25 Jesus said, “Be not anxious for your body, what you shall put on,
for the life is more than the raiment.” Did you ever know anyone to worry about
the kind of suit or dress, or hat that he or she was to wear? Did you ever know
anyone to be all upset and distressed because the tailor did not send the suit,
or the milliner did not send the hat at the exact time promised? Did you ever
know people to stay away even from the Lord’s table and the house of worship,
just because they did not have clothing exactly to suit iheir fastidious taste?
Jesus does not want his followers to be anxious, care-worn, distressed Remember
how be said to his disciples just before he left this world, "Let not your
hearts be troubled. Ye believe in Gfod, believe also in me.” Jesus does not want
his followers to go about with anxious hearts, with careworn brains, with
distressed minds. Remember that he said, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I
give unto you.” Do not make a mistake. This lecture is not against work, hut
worry. Work does not hurt people. It is worry that kills. Like many other
preachers I have preached numerous funerals. Sometimes I have heard it said on a
funeral occasion, "Poor man, poor woman, they worked themselves to death.” I do
not- believe it. I have thought sometimes that I would like to preach just one
funeral sermon where the person worked himself to death, but do not believe that
I have ever done so.

Work does not hurt. Cross bearing does not kill. It is the worry that brings so
many people up to death. Worry is like rust, both useless and harmful. Buy a
spade and undertake to wear it out by work and you will find that it lasts a
long time. The more you use it, the brighter it keeps, and the longer it lasts.
Let it lie around in the rain and get rusty and the rust will soon eat it up. So
it is with human beings. Work brightens, strengthens and makes more efficient.
Worry kills. When a boy on the old farm in Henry County, Tennessee, I learned a
lesson along this line from a team of horses, which my father owned. One was a
quiet bay that always kept her end of the double tree a little ahead, pulling
more than her share of the load. The other was a fiery black that was constantly
champing his bit, stamping up and down, springing forward and flying back,
fretting constantly. I have seen this black horse covered in foam from head to
foot, sweating all over, while the quiet bay by his side was not even wet under
the collar, and yet she was doing more work than the black horse by her side. It
is worry that kills, but not work.

There are people who perhaps could sympathize with the young husband who had
been married a little more than a year, who said, “When I first married I
thought my wife was so sweet that I felt like I could eat her up, but after I
had been married about a year, I wished to the Lord I had eaten her up, for she
fretted and worried and whined until neither she nor I nor anyone else about us
could be happy.” I believe it is as much a sin against God and one’s self to
worry and fret and be anxious as it is to steal or lie or take God’s name in
vain. Christian people should not be guilty of this sin. But I imagine someone
is ready to say, But how can you help it when so many things go wrong and it
seems sometimes as if everything is wrong. How can you help worrying? They say
it is easy enough for you to stand there and say, “Don’t worry, that it is a sin
to worry.” You can say that in your lecture very easily, but it is easier to say
it than it is to do it. How can you keep from worrying? That is a good question
and the very one that I want to answer next. Worry, like all other tilings, has
a cause, and the only way to prevent the effect is to remove the cause. I have
many good friends among doctors. I like to cultivate the friendship of doctors.
They are usually intelligent men. They make pleasant friends. They can talk to
you about many things which you will find helpful. I care not what school of
medicine a man may endorse, whether he be Allopath, Eclectic, Homeopath,
Osteopath or Chiropractor, they all practice upon the same principle. "Whatever
may be the disease, remove the cause, and nature, with perhaps a little
assistance from medicine or treatment, will soon cure the diseases This same
principle is true in regard to worry. To cure the disease we must remove the
cause. What is the cause of worry? May I answer that question quite plainly, and
then show by the word of God that the answer which I have given is correct? The
cause of worry is want of faith in God. No one who believes in God as he ought
can worry. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not upop thine own
understanding.” “We know that all things work together for good to those who
love God.” If you believe that all things are working for your good, you cannot
worry. Imagine a case. Go down the street and meet that man who has a bad case
of the blues, anxious, fretting, care-worn, stop him and ask the question, What
is it friend? Why are you so blue, so anxious, so worried? Would he answer, “All
things are working together for my good and I have the blues about it?” No, he
does not believe it. You cannot worry if you believe everything is working for
your good. Did Jesus mean it when he said, “Except you be converted and become
as little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven ? ’ ’ Did he mean
that unless we became trustful and care-free like little children, that we could
not enjoy a place in that kingdom oi: peace which he came to establish? Go into
the poorest home that you can find in this state, a little one-room cabin,
almost destitute of furniture, none of the comforts and luxuries of life there,
see that little child playing about the floor, watch its smiling face, care-free
brow. Why? Maybe father and mother do not know where the next day’s food will
come from, but the little child’s trust does not fail. Trusting its father and
mother, it plays happily and sweetly all the day through, knowing that kind
fatherly care and love will provide for its every need. I sometimes think that
perhaps the saddest sight our loving heavenly Father has to look down on is some
ofi his children with anxious hearts, care-worn brows, full of distress, simply
because they do not trust him as be asks. Will not our heavenly Father provide
for his children ? Did he not say, *' Seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness and all these things shall he added unto you?” ‘‘All things work
together for good to those who love me.” But someone says, ‘‘How can God make
all things work together for good to all his children everywhere?” Look at the
millions in our own country, the millions in South America, the hundreds of
millions in the continents across the sea, and how can God make all things work
together for good to all these people everywhere? Friend, you will never get the
peace, nor the rest that the loving heavenly Father gives his children when they
trust him,-so long as you doubt God’s ability to keep his promise. Did you ever
try to sleep on a bed when you expected it to break down with you every minute?
I, never did but one night, and I do not care to repeat the experience. A young
man friend and myself were on our way to New Orleans. We reached a railway
crossing one night about 10:00 o ’clock where we had to change trains. Our train
was late and we found that the train which we had expected to take had already
gone and there was no other train going our way till 10:00 o’clock the next day.
We inquired for a place where we could spend the night. The agent pointed to a
little hotel across the track and said we could get a room there. We told the
proprietor that he need not build a fire, we were going to bed at once, and we
had a race to see which one would blow out the lamp. We were both young, active
and each weighed about 180 pounds. We struck the bed at the same minute. It
would not stand the strain. It went down with a crash, all except one old slat
that was screwed on. We could not sleep in a bed with one slat up and all the
others down, so we got up and carefully as we could with the chairs in the room
and a box or two that we found in the wardrobe we propped it up and then got in
just as easy as we could, and I lay there all night expecting that bed to drop
any minute. I got up so tired that I could hardly walk, and yet there are people
claiming to be Christians who sometimes talk about resting in the everlasting
arms that would not be surprised if the Father would let them drop any minute,
The fact is, they are expecting something awful to happen all the time. And then
they wonder why they are not happy.

How different was the attitude toward life of that grand old hero Paul, who
said, “I know whom I have believed, and I am 'persuaded that he will keep that
which I have committed unto him.’’’ But someone says, *‘I know God could take
care of us, but in this old world every fellow has to paddle his own canoe.
Every one must hoe his own row, and if things do not go right, it is our fault,
and we simply have to grin and bear it, "nd you cannot expect God to make
everything go your way. If you want a thing done you have to do it your-self,
for God is not willing to do everything for you. You have to learn to look out
for number one.” Friend, you will never get any rest as long as you doubt God’s
willingness to take care of you—as long as you disbelieve what Jesus said,
“'Without me you can do noth-ing.” “Come to me and I will give you rest.” No,
you cannot hoe your own row.- You cannot paddle your own canoe. You cannot look
out for number one. You cannot grin and bear it very long without the help of
Jesus. We should not doubt his willingness when he says, “Come to me all ye that
labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

There are many foreigners in this country and the poor fellows, when they first
reach America, sometimes have a hard row to hoe, sometimes find it difficult to
get a start. Many of them learn to speak our language, to count our money, and
transact, business in our ways, beginning as pack peddlers. One day in Ohio a
young farmer with a splendid team and a new wagon was returning home after
having delivered a load of wheat at the elevator in the town. It was harvest
time. He drove into the end of a long lane, hot and dusty. Looking on ahead he
saw a pack peddler making for the country, his body bowed beneath his heavy
load, trudging slowly along. The young farmer was kind hearted, and as he saw
that man, he said, “Poor fellow, he has a heavy load. I believe I will give him
a lift.” As he drove alongside he stopped his team and said, “Would you not like
to have a ride, my friend?” The peddler said, “Yes sir, if you please,” and the
farmer said, “Climb in,” and the peddler climbed over the hind gate and sat down
on the wagon bed floor, and the farmer drove on for about a hundred yards and
looked back and saw that the peddler still had his pack on his back. Thinking
perhaps that he had not had time to unstrap it and lay it down, he drove on for
another hundred yards. Looking back he saw the pack still on the ped-dler’s
back, and then with a smile, he said, “Why do you not lay that pack down and
take a rest?” The poor fellow, looking up, said, “Please sir, I did not know
whether you were willing to haul me and my pack both or not.” You smile at this
poor fellow’s ignorance because he did not know that it would make the load no
heavier for him to lay his pack down and take a rest, and yet some of you will,
perhaps, go out of this house, and act in a manner just as silly. You think you
have to bear your own burden; you have to paddle your own canoe; you have to hoe
your own row, and when Jesus invites you t olaw down your burdens, to cast all
your care on him, you do not know whether he is willing to carry both you and
your burdens. Poor soul, do you not know that if you are God’s child, he already
has you and all of your burdens in his arms, and it would not make his load any
heavier for you to lay that burden down and take the rest that he is so willing
to give. I verily believe that there are many good people today who need more
than they need anything else, just to cast their care on Jesus and take a good
old-fashioned rest. The everlasting arms of God are around about his children,
and it does not increase his burdens any for us to cast all our cares on him.
But someone says, “That is'easy enough for you to stand up there and say, urge
people not to worry, but suppose somebody has been slandering you, saying
tilings about you which are not true, blackening your character, and taking from
you your good name, do you not remember what Shakespeare said—'He whLet us hear
what Jesus says. I have no rule of my own to give. I would simply call your
attention to a case exactly like the one you have described, asking you to
listen to what Jesus says do. Matthew 5:11-12 : Blessed are ye when men shall
revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely.”
Revile is to talk ugly about you. Persecute is to act unkindly toward. To
saj^all manner of evil against one falsely is to slander in the vilest way. What
does Jesus say do? Pay him back in his own coin? Shoot him on sight? Give him
as_good as he sent? That sounds like Texas or Tennessee, but does not sound like
Jesus, for he says, “Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in
heaven.” And Jesus practiced what he preached. Do you remember how, when he had
been condemned to be crucified, they stripped him of his own simple garments and
dressed him in the mock robes of a king; that they plaited a crown of thorns and
pressed it on his brow; that they placed a stick in his hand as a mock sceptre;
that they seated him on a rude stone as a throne and then mocked him. They spat
in his face; they slapped him with the palms of their hands; they buffetted him,
which means they struck him in the face with their fists. They took the rude
sceptre out of his hand and beat him over the head with it, and then mockingly
bowed the knee before him and said, Hail, King of the Jews, and when they had
vented their spite they clad him in his own simple garments, laid on him the
cross bethn and made him bear it out toward the place of crucifixion till he
fell beneath its weight, and Simon of Gyrene had to help him carry it on, and
when they had nailed him to the cross and lifted his body up between the heavens
and the earth they laughed at him and jeered him, even in his dying hour, and
Jesus did not rail at them, or pronounce a curse upon them, but looking down
upon them and then up into the loving face of the heavenly Father, he prayed,
“Father, forgive, them, for they know not what they do.” And yet you and I
sometimes say that we cannot bear the taunts and jeers and slander of human
tongues, when Jesus said, “It is enough for the servant to be as his master, and
the disciple as his teacher, or Lord.” And you think that you ought to be
treated better than Jesus, and that when men speak evil of you and revile you,
that you should pay them back in their own coin, and that you could not stand to
have your name traduced and your heart bruised in a manner similar to that which
he endured ! But, you say, well, I might stand for people to talk about me and
say Ugly things about me, but take a ease like this. You have had business
dealings with a man and he has acted dishonestly, and virtually robbed me of all
that I had and he and his are living in ease and luxury oif of that which justly
belongs to me and mine, and you say, Just go on, do not worry about it, do not
be anxious, just keep sweet. What would you do in a case like that?

I have no rule of my own. I can find you upon the page of God’s word a worse
case than that and show you what God says do. There was a man, the richest in
all the country where he lived. He had 7,000 sheep. 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of
oxen, 500 she asses, a great household, of servants and seven sons and three
daughters, and once the sons of God came together to worship and satan came
along. He always does. And God called satan’s attention to this rich man and
said, You see how he serves me; he fears God and shuns evil, a perfect man and
an upright; and satan has no confidence in anyone. He believes that every man
has his price: that all obedience is bought and, so, he said to God, Look how
you have blessed that man. You have poured your wealth and riches all round
about him. Just take away his property, his riches and he will curse you to your
face. God knew this was not true and he wanted you and me to know it, so he said
to satan, “There he is, do what you please with his property, but do not touch
him.” Satan went out and got busy. It was not long until a great prairie fire
swept over his pasture and burned up all of his skeep and the servants who cared
for them, only one escaped and he went to tell his master, and while he was
talking another servant came running in and said, ‘Robbers have driven off the
camels and killed the servants who were with them and I only am left to tell the
story.” And while he was speaking another came in and said, ‘‘The oxen were
plowing and the asses were feeding beside them and robbers came and drove them
all away and killed the servants, and I only am escaped to tell this.” And while
he was speaking another came and said, “A great wind came out of the wilderness
and smote the house where your children were all dining with their oldest
brother today, and the house was wrecked and all ten of your children were
killed, and the servants, and I only am escaped to tell this.

Now, what did this man do? His property was all taken away, most of it by
robbers, and his children all died, ten of them, not after long, protracted
sickness, 'within which time he might have prepared himself for the blows which
he saw must soon be struck, but suddenly, all at once, like a clap of thunder
from a clear sky, they were all taken away. Property gone, children gone. What
did this man do? Listen: ‘‘The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be
the name of the Lord.” In all this “he sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”

Again the sons of God came up before the Lord and Satan came among them, and God
said, “Do you see my servant, that he still retains his integrity?” and Satan
said, “Yes, but you have not touched him in his own person yet. You just make
him suffer and he will curse you to your face, and God knew this was not true,
and he wanted you and me to know it. So, he said, “There he is, just do not kill
him. Do anything you please to him, just so you spare his life,” and again Satan
went out and got busy and he made this man to break out in boils from the crown
of his head to the sole of his feet, and with property gone, children gone,
health gone, even his wife came and said, “Curse God and die.” Your case was
never so desperate as .his, and do you know what. Job said in answer to his
wife’s advice. Re-member, Job was just a man, made out of flesh and blood like
you and me, but he said, “You talk as a foolish woman. Though He slay me, yet
will I trust Him.” There are not demons enough in hell with Satan to help them
to separate a soul full of trust from its God. And we will never get the rest
and the peace that God wants His children to have until “all on the altar of
trust we lay.” Aind as long as you doubt God’s willing-ness and God’s ability to
take care of you and to make all things work together for your good, you will
neveT have the soul rest to which you are entitled and which God and Christ want
you to enjoy.

You ask, what if I should take him at his word and in nothing be anxious, be
careful for nothing, worry about nothing, what would be the result? I have no
answer of my own to give, but the next verse to the one contained in my text,
answers the question you have asked. May we read the text again and then the
verse which follows: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by# prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and
the peace of God that passes all understanding will keep your minds and hearts
through Christ Jesus the Lord.” Isaiah knew by the Spirit the same great truth,
for he says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on thee,
because he trusteth in thee.” It was just what Jesus taught, “Come unto me all
ye that labor and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me,
and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ’ ’ All the fruits of the Spirit, grow
in this atmosphere of trust, ■ love, joy and peace, that peace of God that
passes all understanding, the peace which Jesus said he came to give unto his
disciples, the peace that the world cannot • give, nor can it take away, the
peace of God that passes all understanding.

Oh, how much many people today need this experience of peace! You who claim to
be loyal Christians, sound in the faith, calling none of God’s commands
nonessential, priding yourselves in being able to give chapter and verse for all
that we teach, do you know what this peace of God that passes all understanding
means? Are you anxious, care-worn, heart-sick and distressed because you will
not come to that Great Physician who is able to cure all the wounds inflicted by
sin, to pour in the wine and oil of his love and give that soul rest that all
must have if they are to rejoice in the Lord always, as God’s book teaches that
Christians should?

If we practiced and enjoyed this peace of God, would not our religious doctrine
he much more highly commended to those round about us? Is not this soul peace
that which the many burdened hearts round about us are seeking and longing for?
Seeing us enjoying it, would it not be much easier to persuade them to walk in
that way which leads to eternal peace. Everything .must be taken to God and left
there. Casting all your care upon Him, for he cares for you.

There was once a good woman who thought that she had experienced the greatest
sorrow that could come to anyone. She had lost a loving, pure, faithful husband.
He had left her with a little haby girl just a few weeks old, and that was about
all that he had left her, but the memory of his love. She dressed in black, went
about with a sad heart, and a sad face. She sang day after day, “Go bury thy
sorrow, go hide it with care, go tell it to Jesus, go breathe it in prayer.” She
sang that yesterday. She is singing it today. She sang it through the weary
months and years as they came. Still she dressed in black; still her face and
heart were sad, but babies grow. Several years passed and the little babe is old
enough now to play with her dolly and one day this mother, sad of face and
heart, received a rather disturbing lesson. She was singing, “Go Bury Thy
Sorrow,” as she sewed, and she heard baby sitting in the corner talking to her
dolly, saying, “Mother’s dug it up again, Mother’s dug it up again.” And then
that mother thought, My baby heard me sing yesterday, “Go Bury Thy Sorrow.” She
hears me sing it today: “Go Bury Thy Sorrow,” and she knows that I couldn’t bury
it again today, unless I had dug it up, and the haby was right. It is all right
to sing, “Go bury thy sorrow; Go hide it with care; Go tell it to Jesus; Go
breathe it in prayer,” but don’t dig it up again. Casting all your care upon
him, be careful for nothing, for Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 5: THE FIVE GREAT DUTIES OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
========================================================================

The Five Great Duties of the Christian Life THE FIVE GREAT DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN
LIFE By H. L. CALHOUN

I am to speak at this time on the subject, “The Five Great Duties of a Christian
Life." The text is located in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. It reads: “Watch ye, stand
fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong, let all that you do be done in
love.” The writer of this language was the apostle Paul, but not Paul alone, for
he says “which things we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth,
but which the Holy Spirit teacheth.” So, we have here a text given by the Holy
Spirit, through the apostle Paul. Those addressed, we are told, are the members
of the church of Christ in the city of Corinth, but not they only, for the
writer adds “to all who in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our
Lord, both theirs and ours.” So, this language is just as much for the
Christians in this place as it was for the Christians in the city of Corinth,
and if you will read the Epistle through you will find it filled with just such
teachings as Christians everywhere need. In the first chapter we find this: “I
beseech you, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the
same things and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly
joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Jesus taught this
same thing when he prayed that all who believed on him might be one, even as he
and the Father are one. Oh, how much need there is in some places today for this
teaching. There are communities in which the professed followers of Jesus Christ
are so divided amd the religious tension is so tight that it seems those on both
sides spend more time and energy in fighting each other than they do in fighting
sin and Satan. There are homes divided on the subject of re-ligion where the
feeling is so strong that for the sake of peace both sides have agreed not even
to mention religion. How Satan must rejoice when he gets a home in such a state
that the members of it dare not even talk religion. Not very long ago I stood on
a prominent street corner in a good town and listened to a regular family fuss
between father and mother as to where their little daughter should attend Sunday
School. How much better if God’s people would be united as Jesus prayed they
should, as the Holy Spirit teaches they ought to be. Perhaps the greatest
stumbling block in the way of unbelievers today is the miserable division
existing among the followers of Christ. The reason which Jesus gave for praying
that all who believe on him might be one was that the world might believe on
him.

Read on in the Epistle and very soon you come to another subject upon which
there is much need of teaching. The writer rebukes those who are puffed up in
their own minds, who think they are better than others, and most fittingly says,
“Let no man think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” In harmony
with that other verse which says, “He that exalteth himself shall be abased, but
he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” In harmony with the further teaching
“let each esteem others better than himself,” Perhaps there are no Christians
here who are puffed up in their minds, but back where I live there possibly are
some of this kind. Did you ever hear this statement! I have. If I could buy that
man for what he is really worth and then sell him- for what he thinks he is
worth. I could make a fortune at one trade.

Read on and you find very soon where Christians are rebuked for going to law one
with another. The Holy Spirit says, “Why not rather suffer wrong, why not rather
be defrauded of your goods than for brother to go to law with brother and that
before the unbelievers.” He adds “Is it possible that there are no wise men
among you who might settle these disputes that arise between brethren.” Can
there not be found no men of sufficient sense and principle among Christians to
decide disputes that arise among themselves. Must they rush off to the law
courts and fight each other with such bitterness as to make even outsiders sneer
and say “Watch those Christians fight each other.” That’s brotherly love, is it
not? Better practice what they preach before they ask others to join them. And
so if you read on through the entire Epistle you find it filled with just such
teachings as Christians everywhere need. And in the last chapter and almost the
very last words of that chapter the Holy Spirit sums up for us the Christian
life under five great duties. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like
men, be strong, let all that you do be done in love.” Are you willing to study
with me for a time these great duties one by one? Each is as full of thought and
meaning as an egg is full of meat. The first one “watch ye,” what does that
mean? It means keep your eyes open.

See tilings. It means what Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 : “Let us not sleep
as do others, but let us watch and be sober.” Christians are supposed to be wide
awake. Sin-ners are represented as being asleep, having their eyes shut. Peter
taught just like Paul. “Be sober, be vigilant and vigilant means “watchful,” and
Peter tells why “because your adversary, the devil, goes about as a roaring lion
seeking whom he may devour.” Do you understand what this language means? It does
not say that Satan goes about roaring and breathing out fire and smoke like that
old picture of him, which some of us saw in the old family Bible, but it does
mean that he goes about seeking to get the advantage of Christians, as eager to
get them in his power, as a hungry lion roaring for his prey.

Some years ago my little boy and myself came into Cinoinatti early one morning.
Our train for home had gone when we reached the station and there was no other
until late that afternoon. I had visited the zoologi-cal gardens several time,
but my son had not. Cincinatti has one of the finest zoological gardens in the
world. You can see there more animals for twenty-five cents than you would see
in a dozen shows. I decided to take .the boy out there for the day. Of course,
we went to sep the monkeys, fed them on peanuts and laughed at their tricks, saw
the sea lion, the elephant and the giraffes. Yes, we visited the great building
where the lions and tigers were kept in the great iron cages. As vve walked in
those great animals were piled about sleeping quietly like great cats and dogs,
not fierce looking at all. We noticed a sign in the building which said the
animals will be fed at two o’clock. We went on our way, visiting many different
parts of the grounds and seeing interesting things, and after a while we heard a
great noise over in the direction of the building where the lions and tigers
were kept. Looking at the watch We saw it was only ten minutes till the time for
the animals to be fed. We hurried to the building and as we walked in this time
were those animals lying asleep? Far from it. They were pacing restlessly back
and forth in their cages, lashing their sides with their tails, and every little
while a lion would almost shake the earth by his awful roar They were hungry,
eager for something to eat. Soon a man came in with a big basket of beef, cut up
into pieces as big as a man’s head. Did he set the basket down near the cage and
with his bare hands push piece after piece through the iron grating? Not much.
Setting the basket down some ten feet from , the cage he took a pitch fork and
hurled a piece uf meat way up there at the side of the cage and that hungry lion
sprang from the back of the cage and met it as it touched the grating, jerked it
through and had it almost devoured by the time it reached the floor. This is the
picture that Peter had in mind when he warns Christians to be watchful, because
their adver-sary, the devil, goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may
devour. And yet, how quietly some people seem to take the worning. They do not
seem to feel uneasy at all. What if I should say to you this evening, “Be
careful when you leave this building, there is a roaring lion out there in the
street, seeking whom he may devour. Db not let him catch you.” Do you think I
should need to repeat the warning to make yQU .careful? Some of you would not
leave the building until you thought that beast was either killed or eauglit,
and yet there is someone seeking you far more dangerous than any brute like
that. Jesus says, “Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation.” And again
he says, “What I say unto you I say unto all, watch.” So this great duty of
watchfulness is enjoined upon all Christians everywhere by Jesus, the Holy
Spirit and the apostles.

What shall we watch? 'Watch against, the temptations of the wicked one, to see
that he does not lead you into the practice of sin, for the wages of sin is
death, and “the soul that sinneth it shall die.” But I wonder if that is all it
means to be a servant of God, just to keep out of mischief, just to’ keep Satan
from leading us into wrong doing. How much would one of you men give # me to go
home with you and be your servant and just keep out of mischief? I stay with you
a month. At the end of that time I come up and say, “I want my pay. I have not
burned your home. I have not damaged any of your furniture. I have not hurt any
of the family. I have not injured any of your stock. I want my pay.” You say a
servant who did nothing but keep out of mischief would be worth the salt he ate,
and you are right, whether he be a servant of men or a servant of God. Some
professed Christians, if you ask them concerning their lives, will say, .“I do
not lie, I do not steal, I do not get drunk,” as if the whole of a Christian’s
duty consisted simply in keeping out of mischief. Of course, a good servant will
do his master no harm, but the question is, What good does he do? And a servant
of God must not only keep out of mischief, watching against the . temptations of
the wicked one, but he must watch also for the opportunities that come to him to
do all the good he can to all the people he can at all the times- he can, in all
the ways he can and just as long as he can. In this same Epistle we have this
language: “Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord.” The Holy Spirit again says, “We are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them.” And the Holy Spirit says, “As we have there-fore, opportunity, let us do
good unto those who belong to our church.” I see some of you smile, and shake
your heads, as if you thought it didn’t read like that, but do you not know some
people who act as if it read so? Oh, they do not-belong to our church, and
therefore we have nthing to do with them. If you never do any good except to
those who think just like you do in religion, or who belong to your church, you
may be a very good sectarian, but you are a mighty poor Christian.

Let’s try that verse again. “As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good
unto—those who do good unto us.” Again I see some heads shaking and yet, does
not that express the way some professed Christians live, doing good simply to
those who do good to them, Jesus says, “EveD sinners do good to those who do
good to them. ’ ’ And if you never do good to any except those who do good to
you, you are no better than sinners. “But,” some professed Christians say, “you
invite me to your home, I will invite you to mine. You compliment me, I will
compliment you. You send me a present, I will send you one. Or you tickle me and
I will tickle you.” Is that what this verse teaches? Is that what our duty
means, simply to do good to those who do good to us? I can quote that old verse
just as it reads, and this time I will do so. Listen: “As we have, therefore,
opportunity, let us do good unto all men.’’ There is nothing little nor
sectarian about that, just as full and free as God’s sunshine or sweet, pure
air.

Jesus said, “Bless those that curse you, do good to those that hate you, pray
for those who despitefully use you apd persecute you, that you may be the
children of your father who is in heaven,” And yet, there are people all the
time whining about not having opportunity to display their wonderful talents.
They say, “Oh, if I just had his opportunity, or her chance, I would do
something great.” Do you remember that Jesus said, “He that is faithful in a
very little will be faithful in much, and he that is unjust in a very little
will he unjust also in much. If you do not improve the little opportunities that
come your way, you would not improve the great ones, should they come. This duty
says “watch ye,” watch for the opportunities that come your way and they will
come thick and fast along the pathway of life, giving you a chance to do good
unto all men. The old Greeks had peculiar ways, though striking, of representing
many things. They pictured opportunity as a woman, they represented her as
having the bottom of her feet covered with wool. What did they mean by this?
Opportunity does not come blustering, making a great noise with her footsteps,
as we men and boys do with our heavy shoes. Her tread is noiseless. You have to
watch carefully or she will get by without your seeing her. They represented
that she had hanging down in front of her fact a long lock of hair, while the
back of her head had not a hair on it. What did they mean by this? 'You must
catch opportunity as she comes, for when she gets by there is nothing to catch
to. Oh, how true is this representation. Of all sad words of toDgue or pen the
saddest are these, “It might have been.” Some of the keenest regrets that will
come to lost souls will be the remembrance of neglected oppor-tunities of what
they might have been. God grant that the ghosts of neglected opportunities may
not haunt any of us who are here. You say that you have never had an
opportunity. Perhaps you do not follow the teaching given here “watch ye,” keep
your eyes open.

.Did you ever hear the story of the two old farmers who met at the village
postoffice and got to discussing which one had the most rats at his house? Each
one maintained stoutly that he had /lore rats on his farm than anyone else in
all the community. Finally one of them said, “If you will go home with me I can
show you that I have more rats than you have.” The other answered, “I will go
home with you, if after that you will go home with me, for I can show you that I
have more rats than you have.” They went to the first farmhouse, and the old man
took his friend out to the crib where the corn was stored, placed him on one
side and said, “Now you stay here and watch, while I go round to the other side
and rattle this pole under there and run them out.” He did so, and came back and
said, as the rats ran out all round about, “Now what do you say?” And the other
said, “Well you do have a good many, but I have more than you; now, you come and
go home with me.” He did so, and his friend placed him on one side of the crib
and said, “Watch while I go round to the other side and rattle this pole under
the crib and make them run out.” He did so, and the rats ran out thick all
around the crib, and he called out to his neighbor, “See any rats?” The other
answered back, “Do not see a rat.” The old man thought this was strange, but
again he rattled the pole under the crib and they ran out thicker than ever.
Again, he called, “See any rats?” And the answer came back, “I Do not see a
rat.” The other decided to investigate. He slipped to the comer of the crib,
peeping around where the other was stationed to watch, and he saw the old man
stacting there with both eyes shut. He did not see any rats because he did not
want to see any. So it is, with some loud talkers today who are all the time
whining and complaining about having no opportunities to do things for God and
for humanity. They see no opportunities because they have their eyes shut. They
are afraid they will see them. The second great duty: “Sand fast in the faith. ”
What does this mean? It means, when once you have taken your stand under the
banner of Jesus Christ, stand there, do not be first in and then out, first hot
and then cold, but let people know where to find you. Seven days in the week,
twenty-four hours out of the day, and as long as life shall last.

What would you think of a horse if you placed him in a pasture where he was
literally up to his knees in clover, and instead of staying in the pasture, he
spent his time jumping the fence out into the road and back into the pasture?
How long would it take him to get fat? You say, he never would get fat. He would
soon lose all the fat he had and get so poor that he could not even jump the
fence.

You may take the finest young fruit tree that can be bought in any nursery ; you
may find an ideal spot in which to set it; you may take every pains to see that
it is set just as it ought to be, and if you move it, every week into another
spot just as good, How long will it take it to bear fruit? You say, It never
would bear any fruit. It would not even grow. It would die. You must give it
time to take roo downward and to grow upward You must let it stand fast in one
place, if it is ever to bear any fruit. So it is with Christians; They must
learn how to stand fast in the faith, if they are to bear the fruit of the
spirit. Steadfastness is necessary to success in any line of life. The old
saying, “a rolling stone gathers no moss,” is true, both in religion and in
business.

Another old saying, “Three moves are as bad as a fire.” This also is true. You
cannot succeed in any line of life unless you stand fast by your work. There
lived on a farm adjoining my father’s a man about whom the first thing I ever
heard was that he would not work at the same thing two hours in succession. When
that man’s father died, he left him a good farm, well stocked and in good
condition. After the man became its owner, if he started to work in his corn, in
a little while he would stop and go to see about his potatoes. After a little
time he would quit that and go to fix the fence- All the time changing from
pillar to post. I lived there long enough to see that farm go to rack and that
man come to poverty. You can’t succeed in anything, even farming, unless you
stand fast by your work. I was in that community three summers ago, where do you
suppose this man was living? He was an inmate of the county pooriouse. Stand
fast in the faith if you ever hope to accomplish anything as a Christian. Some
children had a Sunday School picnic. When they had eaten their dinners under the
cool, shady trees, and quenched their thirst with the sparkling waters of the
spring they climbed over a fence into a great pasture where they were supposed
to pick blackberries to take home with them. Each had his basket or bucket. The
berries were plentiful and they began eagerly picking the fruit. But you know
how children are. Someone looked over yonder and cried out, “Oh, just look what
big ones over yonder,” and they rushed over there, and someone looked on ahead,
and said, ‘ ‘ Oh, look what fine ones over yonder,’ and they went rushing over
there, and the big berries were always just ahead. All acted thus but one little
boy, who Aad the biggest bucket of all. He climbed the fence and found a brier
that had some ripe berries on it. He never.stopped until he got every ripe berry
on the bush, and then he looked around for the nearest bush that had other ripe
berries on it, and so he continued his work. He knew how to stick to his bush. I
do not need to tell you that he had his bucket piled up full before the others
hardly had the bottom covered. You cannot succeed picking berries, unless you
stick to your bush.

Some of you have read of Stone wall Jackson. Some think he was the greatest of
Southern Generals, and that God in his providence had to take him away that he
might save the Union. You young people know that his name was not “Stonewall,”
his name was “Thomas Jeiferson Jackson.” How did he obtain the name “Stonewall?”
It was at the great battle of Manasses. The boys in gray had turhed their backs
and were actually running off the field of battle. General Bee was trying to
rally his fleeing troops. Looking to one side he saw Jackson standing there
alone, with his face toward the foe, ready if need be to fight the whole army of
blue coats singlehanded and alone. Pointing toward Jackson, he called to his
men, “Boys, look yonder at Jackson standing like a stone wall.” Those fleeing
gray coats, seeing that one man stand there so brave and bold, got ashamed to
run, they turned around, re-formed those broken lines, raised that terrible
rebel yell, came back in the face of the foe and the greatest victory of the war
up to that time was won, because one man knew how to stand fast in the face of
the foe. In how many places do we find the soldiers of the cross giving back
before the oncoming hosts of sin? How we need soldiers of the cross with courage
like that of Jackson, to stand fast in the. face of the foet and change seeming
defeat into victory, for “if God be for us, who can be against us?”

But, maybe some of you here are Northern people, and you do not think as much of
Stonewall Jackson as we Southern people do. Well, what do you think of IT. S.
Grant? You say, now, there is a General worth talking about. We Southern people
think so too. We could not help it. He made us. D'o you remember when they gave
General Grant that splendid army, perfectly equipped and he Started to Richmond
and met that little band of ragged, half starved gray coats, who tore his
splendid army into fragments until you could hardly find a piece? Did Grant
quit? No! He said, “I’m going to Richmond.” They gave him another army bigger
and better than the first. Again they met that little band of half starved
ragged gray coats, who tore his second army into fragments as they had the
first. Did he quit ? Grant .said, “I’m going to Richmond.” They gave him a third
.army bigger and better than either of the others, and •he said, “We will fight
it out on this line, if it takes all summer. I’m going to Richmond,” and he went
to Richmond, and that is what stopped the rebellion, and saved the Union, and we
Southern people are just as glad of it as any of you Northern folks can he. In
business, in battle, in religion, there is no success except to those who stand
fast. The third great Christian duty, “quit you like men.” What does this mean?
Quit means not “stop that,” as some of you children may think, because when you
were doing something you ought not, mother said, “Quit.” Look in the dictionary
and see. Quit means “behave .yourself.” And quit you like men, means behave
yourselves like men. Do not act like babies. There is a big difference between
the way a man, a real man, and a baby 'behaves. I have had some experience with
babies. We have had five of our own. Babies have to be petted. Babies like to
have their own way, and if they do not, you often hear from them, but I would
rather care for a half dozen little fellows 18 inches or two feet long than to
undertake to care for just one great big six foot church baby, who wants to be
petted, who wants to have bis way, and you hear from him if he does not get it.
Unfortunately we cannot treat him like we can the little fellows, but I have
thought sometimes it would be splendid if we could. God’s word says to a
Christian, "Behave yourself like a man. ’ ’ Do not go about playing ' the baby
act, whining and fretting because you cannot have your way about everything.
There are some other people in the world besides you, and they have' just about
as much right to their preference and wishes as you have to yours, and it takes
someone with a baby mind and a spoiled disposition to be all the time wanting
his way and his preferences, when other people have as much right to their
preferences as he has to his. Did you ever see the little boy, mother’s darling,
who has always been petted and spoiled by mother, who has had his way about
everything, when he starts to school? Out there with that band of little fellows
who have learned to play the man as they play with each other, and watch
mothers’ spoiled darling when something goes differently from what he wishes as
he tunes up, turns away and says, “I will not play unless you play my way.”
Sometimes he weighs two hundred pounds, and is playing what we call the game of
religion. Shame on such a travesty of a Christian. There is a big difference
between the way a man and a boy behaves. A boy wais out at the wood pile one day
cutting wood.. He cut off a big stick that had a knot in it. He knew the stick
was too large to go into the stove, that it must be split, but he thought it
would be too hard to split through the knot, and so he tried to split around it.
You know what that means, if you know anything about splitting wood. He would
have to chop all the way round, and while he was standing there wearing himself
out, trying to find -an easy way to split around the knot, his father came and
he said, “What are you doing, son?” The boy said, “I am trying to split this
stick of wood.” His father said, “You will never split it like that. Strike at
the knot, right through the middle of it.” The boy raised up his axe and came
down with two or three heavy blows right in the middle of the knot and open it
came. I think I know a good many people even in the church, among them some
preachers, who are trying to split around the knot, who do not seem to have the
courage to face difficulties and hard problems like men, but try to play the
baby act, when God says, “Quit you like men.” It is the brave heart that always
wins. The old saying is true: “Faint heart never won fair lady.” I spent three
years in New England, one year at Yale and two at Harvard. I visited Plymouth,
the place where the Pilgrims landed. I stood on Plymouth Rock, on which the
Pilgrims stepped when they got off the boat on to the bleak New England shore. I
saw many interesting relics that have come down from those pioneer days. They
are kept safely in the museum built there for the purpose I saw the first cradle
ever made in America, in which a white child was rocked, but I believe that most
of all I enjoyed looking across the arm of the bay into the little village of
Dueksbury and seeing the monument that has been built there in honor of Miles
Standish, the Puritan captain.

Some of you young people know the history of Captain Standish. It was his part,
with a few soldiers, to fight the Indians and keep them off while the other
settlers cleared the ground, planted the crops and made a living for the others.
Miles was not afraid of any band of Indians that ever walked, but there was one
thing of which he was afraid. There was a sweet faced, fair haired, blue eyed
girl that lived in the village, and Miles loved her, but he was afraid to tell
her so, and I suspect that Miles is not the only man that ever feared under such
circumstances. Now, Miles was a plain, blunt spoken man who could not use
flowery language, and the poor fellow had not learned that the girl does not
care whether the old story is told in flowery language or plain, just so the man
has the courage to look her in the eye and tell her plainly just what he thinks
of her. Miles thought that the story, should he told in flowery language, and he
knew that he could never do this. He could never say it either with flowers or
in flowers, hut Miles had a friend, John Alden, who was not afraid of the girls,
and who could say anything, or nothing, in beautiful language, and Miles went to
John and asked him if he would not go to see the girl for him, and John said
Yes, he would go, he would be glad to go, and he did, and you know the result.
John Alden married the girl and poor old Miles was left, and he said, “One thing
I have learned: if you want a thing well done, do it yourself.” The man who will
try to get his grandmother or some friend to do his courting for him will fail
every time, for any sensible girl despises the man that has not the courage to
speak for himself. The same is true in religion, in business, or in love. If you
would make a success, behave yourself like a man. The fourth duty, “Be strong.”
God wants strong Christians, because he has heavy burdens which require broad
shoulders. He has dangerous missions which require brave hearts, and so he says,
“Be strong.” But someone says, “Can I just be strong, do I not have to be born
that way, specially gifted with strength?” No. Strength is largely a matter of
our own making. You can be just about as strong physically or spiritually as you
are willing to pay the price of being. The strongest man I ever saw physically
would not weigh as much as I do by fifty pounds And yet he could handle me and
you and two more like us, and I doubt if any of you could handle me. I am afraid
to tell you what I saw that- man do. I do not want you to lose confidence in my
veracity as I tell you the unreasonable feats which I saw him perform. I asked
him to tell me the secret of his strength. He said, “It is very simple. When I
was a boy, I was about like other boys.” Great muscles stood, out on his limbs
and arms, showing the wonderful. strength that he had attained, and he said,
“You see these muscles, you could not buy them with all the mopey that John D.
Rockefeller and Henry Ford together possess, and nobody can give them to you.
You must build them up yourself. Three things are essential: proper food, proper
exercise, and freedom from disease. I was careful what I ate, simple food, in
moderate quantities, at regular times. Vigorous exercise, regularly taken. Mere
eating will not make a muscle grow. It may furnish the material, but it takes
exercise to grow the muscle. Another essential to physical strength is freedom
from disease. If I should contract typhoid fever, pneumonia, tuberculosis, or
some other like disease, I. would soon lose my appetite for food,, my desire for
exercise, and whatever strength I might possess.” This man did not know it, but
in giving the secret of physical strength, he also stated truly the secret of
spiritual strength.

Proper spiritual food, proper spiritual exercise and freedom from spiritual
disease, which is sin, are absolutely necessary. No other food will develop
spiritual strength, except to feed the soul regularly, either upon the sincere
milk of the -word, or the strong meat which belongs to those of full age. No
amount of modern fiction, or current history, or magazine articles, can be
substituted for this God appointed food Spiritual exercise, the doing of the
things that God enjoins, is as necessary to spiritual strength as physical
exercise is necessary to physical strength. You will never be strong in prayer
unless you practice yourself in praying. You will never be strong in teaching
the Bible unless you exercise yourself in teaching. "Some years ago when Colonel
Francis W Parker announced the pedagogical principle that the way to learn to do
anything, was to do that thing, his statement was hailed as a great modern
discovery, and yet the principle involved is as old as the human race. We can
never be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might unless we keep
ourselves free from sin. That old besetting sin which so many people keep
carefully covered up and hidden from every eye but that of God is enough to
prevent one from ever becoming spiritually strong. We never can know the
delights of spiritual strength until all on the altar we lay. And the last of
these great duties is perhaps the best of all, "Let all that you do be done in
love.” There is no room in a Christian’s heart for hatred of any human being.
Love is the very spirit of Christianity. Jesus taught "thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thine heart. ” " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." He
declared these to be the greatest commandments in the law, and he said, "A new
commandment I give unto you, that you, my followers, love one another as I have
loved you.” He said, "Love your enemies, bless those that curse you and do good
to those that hate you.” What a world this would be if all Christians so
lived—every thought must be a love thought, every feeling a love feeling, every
purpose a Jove purpose, every word a love word, every deed a love'deed, for all
the law is fulfilled in the one word “love.”


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  CHAPTER 6: PROGRESS IN RELIGION
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Progress In Religion PROGRESS IN RELIGION By H. L. CALHOUN The subject of this
lecture is “Progress in Religion,’’ based upon Hebrews 6:1-3 : “Therefore,
leaving the princi-pals of the doctrine of Christ let us go on to perfection,
not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith
toward God, and of the doctrine of baptisms, and of the laying on of hands, and
of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment’’; and this will we do,
if God perirut.

What does the writer of Hebrews mean when he says: “leaving the principles of
the doctrine of Christ”? Does he mean forsaking those principles, so as no
longer to introduce them or have any use for them, as we might say that a man
left his family when he forsakes them? No, he cannot mean that, but he means
what we would mean if we said to a child in school, “Leave your ABC’s and go on
to the higher lessons,” or what we should say to a boy studying arithmetic,
“Leave addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, the four great
principles upon which the entire science of mathematics is based, do not stay,
always on these, but go on to the higher application of those principles.” Now,
every great institution, art, science, or organization, is based upon certain
great foundation principles, and the Christian religion is no exception. It,
too, has its foundation elements, or principles, and- our text says, “Having
learned these principles, having put them into practice, let us leave this
foundation and go on unto perfection, as we would say to a man building a house,
“Having laid the foundation strong and well, do not tear it up and lay it over
again, not laying against the foundation, but let us go on unto perfection.”

What are the foundation elements upon which a Chris- tion character is builded?
Not what do I say, nor what do you say they are, but what does God say they are?
Remember that those who wrote this Bible were holy men of God, who spake as the
Holy Spirit gave them utterance. As Paul said, “If any man thinketh himself to
be a prophet or spiritual, let him take knowl-edge that the things which I write
unto you are the commandments of the Lord Jesus.” So, in our text we have the
elements, the foundation of a Christian character stated for us, not simply in
the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teaches.

What are these foundation principles? Our text says, '‘not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works.” The only thing of which one is called
upon to repent s sin, and the wages of sin is death, and sin when it is finished
bringeth forth death. The expression, “repentance from dead works,” simply
means, repentance from sins, the works which bring death, and no Christian
character can be built by one who is not willing by genuine true repentance to
turn away from all known sin. But what else? “Not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” No Christian character can
be built without faith toward God, for without faith it is impossible to be well
pleasing unto God, and he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. And Jesus said, “He that
believeth not shall be damned. And Paul says, “We, Christians, walk by faith.”
Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith
toward God and of the doctrine of baptisms. 'Without stopping to inquire what
connection baptism has with a Christian character, or whether it is essential to
salvation or not, is it not clear that it is shown here as one of the foundation
principles of a Christian character. If you were building a house, the plans for
which had been drawn by a wise and skilful architect, would you deliberately
leave out a part of the foundation as he himself had planned it ? Would it not
be a reflection upon your faith in God, as a skilful and wise architect, should
you do so? Is it not even a greater reflection upon your faith in God, to leave
out a part of the foundation of a Christian character as his infinite wisdom and
goodness have planned it?

What else? “Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and
of faith toward God, and of the doctrine of baptisms and of the laying on of
hands.” What has the doctrine of the laying of hands to do with the foundation
of a Christian character? I am not here to deliver a lecture on the subject of
the laying on of hands, but you can see that this doctrine is named in the word
of God as a part of that foundation upon which a Christian character must be
built, and even a very casual glance at the religious world today will show that
there is great need that the doctrine of the laying on of hands, as taught in
the Bible, should be learned, for the practice which some people have of laying
hands on sick people today, thinking that such people may in this way he
miraculously healed, shows the gross ignorance that such people have of the
teach-ing of God s word on this subject. For one who knows the Scriptures
understands that not since the death of the last person upon whom the hands of
the apostles had been laid, has such a thing as miraculous healing by the laying
on hands, occurred.

What else? “Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and
of faith toward God, and of the doctrine of baptisms, and of the laying on of
hands, and of the resurrection of the dead.” What does the doctrine of the
resurrection of the dead have to do with the foundation of a Christian
character? I am not here on this occasion to deliver a lecture on the subject of
the resurrection of the dead, hut Paul evi dentiy thought, and remember he was
guided by the Holy Spirit, that the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead had
much to do with the foundation of a Christian character, for he says, “If the
dead rise not, then Christ is not risen, and if Christ be not risen, your faith
is vain, and your hope is vain, and you are in your sins. ’ ’ Clearly then we
should not omit this element from the foundation of a Christian character. But
what else? “Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and
of faith toward God, and of the doctrine of baptisms and of the laying on of
hands and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” What has
the doctrine of an eternal judgment to do with the foundation of a Christian
character? Perhaps, if we remember that many Bible scholars believe that more
people begin the Christian life because they are afraid to stand before the
eternal judgment bar pf God unprepared by obedience to the gospel, than for any
other reason, we can see its- im-portance. These, then, when taken together as
God himself gives them, constitute the foundation of a Christian character. With
this foundation well and strongly laid, every elemen t in place, jtist as God
gives it, our text says, “Let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the
foundation.” What would you think of a man building a house who should lay the
foundation well and strong, and then tear it up and lay it over again, or stop
with nothing but the foundation. You say, “Such a building would not be fit to
call a house, with nothing but the foundation,” and yet, such a house would be
just as good" a house as a Christian character is a good Christian character
with nothing but the foundation laid. The only proper course when once you have
laid this foundation, is to heed the admonition given in our text, “Let us go on
unto perfection.” It is this part of my text which justifies the subject of this
lecture, “Progress in Religion,” for it is in this going on unto perfection that
the progress is found. Are you willing to study with me for a time each word of
this text! “Let us go on unto perfection.” The very first word “let” begins an
exhortation, showing that we must take an interest in others as well as in self.
In this same Epistle, 3rd chapter and 13th verse( we have this command: “Exhort
one another daily.” The Christian religion is social, not selfish. One-cannot be
a Christian who looks out simply for number one. God’s word says, “Let no man
seek his own good simply, but each one also his neighbor’s welfare.” Perhaps all
of us have laughed since we were children at the story of that old man who
prayed at prayer meeting, “Lord bless me and my wife and my son John and his
wife, us four and no more.: ’ And yet, judging by the way some people act, their
spirit is almost as selfish as was his. How hard it is today to get some people
interested in the welfare of anyone except members of their own family. And yet,
if one never loves or helps any except those who are blood kin to him, he should
not mistake this love of family for that love of God and our fellowmen which is
shed abroad in the hearts of Christians by the Holy Spirit.

Let us not he like oysters, which open their mouths simply to feed themselves.
When a boy, I used to see a picture on the walls of many homes and the picture
taught a lesson, true. In that picture was seen a storm tossed sea, in which
stood a great old rock, firm as the rock of ages, standing on this rock was an
old rugged cross, with its arms outstretched and clinging around this cross was
a figure which had just escaped death in the waters. Underneath was the name,
“Simply to thy cross I cling.” This picture is good, but in recent years is a
better one expressing more truly the spirit of a Christian. In this second
picture there is th*e same storm-tossed sea. The same great old rock. The same
rugged cross. The same figure clinging with one arm to the cross, while the
other arm is stretched out to a poor struggling soul in the waters below,
helping it up to a place of safety. This is more nearly in accord with the
teachings of God’s word as to the spirit of a Christian, which says, “Christ
laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for others.” The
next word, “us.” I like that word. I like a religion that has in it “us” and
“our,” that does not dwell on "me” and "mine” and "you” and "yours.” I remember
that when Jesus taught us to pray that beautiful prayer, he had us begin, "Our
Father who art in heaven,” And that when Paul speaks of Jesus he calls him "our”
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The spirit of the Christian religion is consonant
with nothing less than the universal brotherhood of man and the universal
fatherhood of God. I like that old hymn which says, "When each can feel his
brother’s sigh and with him bear a part, when sorrow flows from eye to eye and
joy from heart to heart.” I remember that Jesus said, “Rejoice with those who do
rejoice and weep with those who weep.” Certainly we cannot make progress when we
live unless we have in our hearts this spirit of brotherhood that will not allow
us to he content until, as Jesus taught, every creature in all the world has
heard the gospel. Remember that Jesus pronounced a heavy load upon those who
lade or load men with burdens grievous to be borne, while they will not
themselves touch those burdens with one of their Angers. The next word, "go.”
Let us “go” on unto perfection. "Go” shows action, not restriction, nor retreat,
and the Christian is full of this teaching, for there is much "go” and "do” in
the Bible. It is said of Jesus: "He went about always doing good. To be like Him
we also must go about always doing good. Remember, he says, "I am the way,
follow me.” In that prayer which Jesus taught his followers he taught us to say
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” And the angels in heaven do
God’s will perfectly, for they are all ministering spirits sent forth to
minister to those who shall be the heirs of salvation. On that ladder which
Jacob saw as be slept with his head upon a stone, the ladder that reaches fi m
earth to heaven, there were angels ascending and descending, but not one
standing or sitting still. Hence, the lessdn, as angels are always busy, so must
we be. When Paul would picture the Christian life he represents it as a “race,”
himself a runner, and he says, “forgetting the things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto the things which are before, let us go on to perfection. Let
us press toward the mark for the prize. When Jesus pictured the church he
represented it as a “vineyard belonging to a father who said to his son—the son
representing every Christian, ‘Go work in my vineyard today.’ ” Jesus also said,
“Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them is like the wise man who
built his house updn the rock.” I like a man with “go” in him, I like a horse
with “go” in him. I do not like to ride behind a horse when you have to beat him
almost to death to get him along the road. I like to ride behind one that you
have to hold the ribbons tight as he makes his footsteps right. I like a machine
with “go” in it. Preacher as I am, I like to ride with a driver who steps on the
gas. I like a boy with “go” in him. I much prefer the little fidgety boy that
cannot sit still, to the little sleepy head whom you have to pinch to see if he
is awake. Do you know what is the matter with that fidgety boy, the reason he
cannot sit still? He has a man in him and he' can hardly hold him. Give him a
chance, an outlet for energy, and be will go on, and so I like a Christian with
“go” in him, that would say, according to the current phrase, and mean every
word of it, “Let’s go.” The next word, “on.” I could take every bit of the
progress out of my text if you would let me change that, one little word of two
letters into the word “back.” “On” shows progress, not retrogression. 'God’s
exhortation is "Let us go on." He, never sounds a retreat. It is always onward
and upward, higher and .still‘higher, If you have done well today* .you should
do better -tomorrow. .If you are hot a better Christian this year than, you
were, last, there is something, wrong with your religion The preacher must go
on, ot he is a failure. You are listening well, to this lecture. What .if you
should come back tonight and the speaker should deliver the same lecture, some
of you would say, “I wonder why he did not go on and give us something fresh. We
have heard that lecture once.” Suppose I should contiuue delivering the same
lecture night after night for. a week, how many of you would be here the last,
night to hear it? Most of you would say, “If he cannot go on and give us
something fresh, I will wait till he can, or go to hear someone else.” But do
you know that preachers get just as tired seeing members of their congregations
sit there and do the same old things over and over and over again, as you would
get hearing him preach the same old sermon over and over? .The language of my
text is not addressed to preachers, but to all Christians, and it is no more the
duty of a preacher to go on than it is the duty of every other Christian, and
let us be sure that we go on, that we do not advance backwards. May I tell you a
story illustrating what I mean, and this is a true story, too, not one made up
for the occa-sion, as so many people think preachers make them. up. Once there
was a preacher telling a story in his home and the preacher’s little boy was
listening. When his father had completed the story, the little boy innocently
asked, “Daddy is that so, or are you just preaching.’’ This story is true. I
know it because my uncle was a truthful man, and he told me this story. It
happened soon after what we still call the Civil War, back in the days when you
could buy, in almost any village, some-thing to drink stronger than good
buttermilk. Thank God you cannot do that now. The people of our beloved state cf
Tennessee have gotten beyond that. You know that intoxicants have different
effects upon different people. They make some men think that they are the
strongest men on earth. They make others think they could whip anything in
sight, even a stack of wild cats. They make others love everybody. Such men want
to come up and put their arms around your shoulders and blow their vile breath
in your face. It was awful in those days. Tuere was an old man who lived near my
village who was not very brave even when sober, and when well filled up on
whiskey he would not fight anything. He loved everybody. ' The old man came to
the village one day and got outside of about all the whiskey he could carry
home. He started home about sundown. It took all the road for him, as he wound
from side to side. The boys in the village knew he was cowardly and decided to
have some fun. One of them took a white sheet under his arm, ran down through
the cornfields, out through the thick woods that came up on both sides of the
road about a half mile from the village. By the time the old man reached these
woods it was almost dark, and the boy came out in the road wrapped up in the
white sheet, with his arms extended, waving back and forth like wings. The old
man steadied himself as best he could and saw the object moving toward him, less
than a hundred yards away. He decided that he did not care to be any nearer to
it and began to walk backwards. In his condition he could not look over his
shoulder, and so he walked backwards for about a quarter of a mile till he came
to my uncle’s front gate. He hollowed, “Hello.” The boy who had been follow-ing
just closely enough to keep him moving when he heard him holler, “Hello,” jumped
over a fence into a corn field and when uncle came out, there was no one there
but the old man, who had been so badly scared that he was about sober. None of
us men like to admit that we are afraid of anything, so the old man told uncle
about seeing the “booger” as he called it and how it came nearer to him and he
did not like to say that he ran from it, so, he said, “I saw it and it kept
coming toward me and I did not know what it might be, so I—I—advanced
backwards.” You smile at the old man’s expression. Let us see, friend, perhaps
you are advancing backward, even in a worse way than he was. Do you read your
Bible as regularly now as when you first came into the church? Do you pray as
earnestly and as regularly as when you first became a Christian? If not, you are
advancing backward. Do you attend the Lord’s table as regularly as you did when
you first came into the church? If not, you, too, are advancing backward and in
a worse way than he was. But God’s word says, “Let us go on” it never sounds the
note of retreat. “Let us go on unto perfection.” That word “unto” in its proper
setting has a wonderful lesson for us. “IJnto” means perseverance. It means keep
on going. I am going on now toward the door, but should I go on unto the door,
I'would have to keep on going until I reached it, and so it is here, “Let us go
on unto perfection.” It means, keep on going toward perfection, until you either
reach it or the limit of your own life. Did you ever hear the story of Robert
Bruce and the spider, or Robert Bruee and the ant? I shall tell it, as Robert
Bruce and the atit. Robert Bruce was King of Scotland and a good king he was,
but his enemies got their armies together and fought against Bruce, seeking to
take away his kingdom and his crown. Seven great battles were fought, and in the
seventh Bruce was defeated and his army scattered from him, and he had to fly
for his life, in the darkness of the night, and take refuge in an old barn where
he lay hiding and resting. A ray of sunlight coming through a crack in the barn
fell in his face and woke him the next morning, and he lay there thinking,
“Shall I give it up, shall I quit? Shall I surrender my crown and my kingdom?”
And while he was thinking such thoughts as these his eye fell on a little ant,
carrying a grain of wheat, the grain of wheat larger than the ant. The little
creature wanted to carry this grain of wheat over a big log. It started up and
fell back. At once it got up and started up again and fell back, and then
leaning over in his eagerness of attention, he said, “Oh, I wonder if it will
try again? I wonder if a little ant has more perseverance than I have? Seven
times I have tried and failed. I Wonder if it will try again?” It never stopped,
getting up immediately, it started up, up, up and this time over it went and on
its way. Bruce sprang to his feet like the brave man"he was, and said, “A little
ant shan’t have more perseverance than I have, I will go out, gather my
scattered soldiers, raise again the battle flag and the battle cry. I will
succeed,” and he did, and the crown sat securely on his brow. It is the courage,
a perseverance like this that every Christian needs, saying, ‘‘I will succeed by
the help and blessing of God. I will go on unto perfection.” The word
"perfection” is the best word in my text. When God would tell a man how to live,
he gave him a perfect law. Ged!s word says, "The law of the Lord is perfect.”
And James says, "Whosoever looketh into the perfect law of liberty.” God says,
"Live as I have told you in my perfect law.” When God gave man an example, a
pattern to follow, it was a perfect one, for Jesus said, "I am the way, follow
me. And Jesus was perfect. He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,
and God says to every Christian, "Live like I tell you, in my perfect law. Live
like I have shown you in the perfect example whom I have gicen,” and this is
what is meant when our text says, "Let us go on unto perfection. " But someone
is ready to ask, "Am I exjjectcd to. be as good as Jesus, to live a life as
perfect as his?” God would not give,an imperfect law, or an imperfect pattern to
his children and then tell us to follow it. The ideal which he sets before us is
one of perfection, both in his law and in his pattern, and as a man’s reach
should always be greater than his grasp, as his ideal should be higher than his
attainment, so God has given an ideal toward which every Christian may grow
throughout his entire life.

It is like this: When I was a boy living on the old farm, my father used to make
almost everything that we needed on the farm, plow handles, hoe handles, axe
handles, for we could not buy such things ready made as cheap as you can now.
One day he was making axe handles in the little shop which we had. He had a
perfect pattern of an axe handle, and he could make a splendid axe handle. Boys
often want to do what they see their fathers doing, I wanted to make an axe
handle. He let me have a piece of timber like he had and let me use the tools
which he used, and let me mark out by his perfect pattern, the axe handle which
I tried to make. I did the best I could, but I was just a boy. I tried to make
my axe handle just like the pattern, but when it was finished and I held up the
finished work, it did not look just like the pattern. But my father did not say,
“You little simpleton, did you not know better than to try to make an axe
handle.” That is not the way my father talked to his boys. He said, “First rate,
son. That is pretty good. You just keep on and you will make a fine axe handle
some day,” and that is the way my father talked to his boys, and so it is with
our Father in heaven. When you and I mark out our lives by the perfect law and
the perfect pattern which God has given, and do our best to make our lives like
his, when the work is finished and we hold our lives up beside the life of Him
who was the brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of his
person, well, our lives will not look exactly like his, but if we have been
faithful and done the best we could, we need not fear but what the loving voice
of the Father will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” For life itself
is but an infinite progress toward an infinite perfection. The grandest church
building on earth is St, Peter’s church in the city of Rome. It covers acres of
ground, and they have been working on it for years and years, but still it is
not complete. A gentleman walking through this great church building, looking at
its beauties and splendors saw a number of workmen busy in building, and he said
to the guide, “When will you finish St. Peter’s”? The guide with a smile said,
“Finish St. Peter’s? We never expect to finish it. We are going on always,
building it up greater and more beautiful, more splendid, we never expect to
finish it.” I said, the greatest church building on earth was St. Peter’s, but
the greatest on earth and the most beautiful, is a Christian character. Though
we may build and grow onward and upward, increasing its beauty and its splendor
as we go on toward perfection, we never shall finish it. If one should grow with
ten thousand times ten thousand times the speed of lightning through ten
thousand years toward the limitless perfections of God, he would be no nearer to
the limits of perfection than when he first began, for there are no limits to
the in-finite perfections of God, and this is the ideal that God sets before
every Christian. Onward and upward, always and ever, growing more and more into
the likeness and image of God, and as long as God shall last, we will grow
forever, going on toward perfection. Even when we pass out of this earth life
into the purer, more wholesome atmosphere of heaven, we shall but have increased
opportunity and ability to grow more rapidly without ever reaching the limitless
perfections of God. And that is what life is, the Christian life, an infinite
progress toward an infinite perfection. When I was a little boy I used to stand
on the front portico of the old farmhouse and look out across the lane and the
meadow of the brook;, to the trees on the hill beyond. I use to see the clouds
hang low, apparently coming down into the Very tree tops, and, as a child, I
used to wish that I could go over there, climb up into those trees, and reach up
and feel of those clouds, to see how they felt. I lived to be a man, to climb
that hilltop, when the clouds hung low, and when I reached the hilltop I found
those clouds were as high above as they had seemed to be when at the farmhouse
down in the valley. Since I have- been a Christian I have looked on up toward
the hills of God and thought sometimes, Oh, if I could ever preach like that, if
I could ever pray like that one, I would be satisfied. I do not claim to have
climbed very high, and yet by the grace of God, I have made some progress and I
find as I climb up the hills of God, that when I reach any height, I see that
the ideal that God has set before me is apparently just as far beyond as ever,
and it is only the invitation of a loving Father to his son to go on and grow on
forever toward the limitless perfections of God, for life itself is but an
infinite progress toward the infinite perfections of God.


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  CHAPTER 7: WHAT JESUS MAY BE TO THE HUMAN SOUL
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What Jesus May Be To The Human Soul WHAT JESUS CHRIST MAY BE TO A HUMAN SOUL By
H. L. CALHOUN The subject of my fifth and final lecture in this course is, “What
Jesus Christ May Be to a Human Soul,” based 'upon a text found in Matthew 1:21,
which reads thus: “Thou shalt call his name Jesus for it is He that shall save
his people from their sins."

I shall begin this lecture by asking a question, a very personal question, which
I hope each one of you will answer, not out loud, but answer in your own heart,
remembering that God and yourself both know whether ' or not your answer is
true. Some of you will be glad to answer the question, will think it a privilege
to do so. Others I fear will not like to tell even their own souls the exact
truth about themselves. Please do not be too generous with the question. Do not
pass it over your shoulder to the one behind you. If you do, he may'pass it over
his to the one behind him, and soon it will be out of doors. An old colored
preacher told his audience that many of them were going to be lost because they
were too generous, they gave away too much. They thought this was strangfe talk
to come from a preacher, telling people they were too generous. They asked him
for an explanation, and he said, “You are too generous with the sermon. You are
perfectly willing to give it all away to someone else and keep none for
yourselves.” In this respect I fear the old man was correct. Please do not be
too generous with this lecture, with this question, and here it is; "What is
Jesus Christ to your soul just.

What now? Not, what might he be? Not, what is he willing to be? Not, what would
I like to have him be, but What is he as the case now stands? Some of you will
answer gladly, “Jesus is everything to me. He is all the world to me. He is my
Savior from the death which is the wages of sin,’’ but some of you cannot say
that. Some of you, if you tell your own hearts the truth, will have to say,
“Jesus is nothing to me. As the case stands just now, I have no part, nor lot
with him. I have no interest in him. He is nothing to me.” For, the first thing
that Jesus has to be to any human soul, is that which my text suggests: “A
Savior of that soul from sin and death.” “Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for it
is he that shall save his people from their sins.” This is not said of any other
person in all history. It was never said of any patriarch, prophet or apostle.
It was never said of Moses, Elijah, nor Paul. Of Jesus only is it said, “He
shall save His people from their sins.” And Jesus is not your Savior just
because he is willing to save you. I know that it is written “this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and
to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” And I know it is written again, “the
Lord is not willing that any should perish.” And again, “Faithful is the saying,
and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners.” And I know that Jesus himself said, “I came to seek and to save that
which is lost.” “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will
give you rest.” Neither is Jesus your Savior just because he is able to save
you. I know that it is written, “He is able to save unto the uttermost, all who
come unto God by him.” But these two facts put together, that Jesus is both
willing and able to save your soul, does not make him your Savior. He says, “I
stand at the door and knock. If anyone will hear my voice and open the door, I
will come in.” He will knock at the door of every human heart, yours and mine,
but it is our place to open the door and let him in, for he never comes where he
is not wanted. He never breaks down the door and forces himself upon a heart
that does not want him.

Jesus is not your Savior from the death that is the wages of sin, however
willing and able he may be, unless you have opened the door of your heart and
let him come in, unless you have accepted him as your own personal Savior,
unless you have crowned him as king of your heart and life. For there is none
other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, but the name
of Jesus, and he says, “No man cometh unto the Father but by me, and Without me
you can do nothing.” It has been my privilege to visit Niagara Falls several
times. On one of my visits the guide pointed out to me the spot, and told me the
story, of how the young man was saved there so wondrously from drowning. I have
stood by the falls and listened to the thunderous roar of that mighty river as
it plunges over that awful precipice. I have thought that the sound was like
unto him whose voice is as the sound of many waters. I have watched the play of
the colors of the rainbow formed in the mist, rising from the waters below; but
some people think that the rapids and the great whirlpool down below the falls
are a greater sight than the falls themselves. The young man had seen the falls
and then he went down below to see the rapids. He came down the long flight of
steps from the bank above to the inner bank and sat .down with his feet hanging
over the rolling, boiling waters, as i£ey were getting ready for that frightful
plunge down through the rapids. No one knows how it happened, not even the young
man himself, but somehow as he sat there watching those whirling, eddying
waters, his head began go swim and all at once he plunged headlong into the
mighty current that swept him down toward the rapids and certain death. Someone
saw him when he fell. He was an expert swimmer, and, with strong, manly strokes,
he struck out boldly, fighting for his life, but in spite of all he could do, he
Was swept by the mighty current, underneath the shelving bank and caught to the
jutting fragment of a rock and held on for dear life. Someone saw him when he
caught and said, What can we do to save him? Why not get in a boat and go down
and get him? No boat could live in water like that. Why not let a rope down and
let him take hold of that? But the rope would not reach ..him, he was back under
the bank. There was just one way o save him. Someone must go down a rope ladder,
swing out to where he was and reach out the saving hand. Ah, but who would do
it? A crowd gathered on .the bank above, the rope ladder was madb and let down
to the water’s edge, and a volunteer was called for and an old sailor, who
happened to be home on furlough, volunteered and said that he would go down, and
the crowd almost held their breath, as down that dizzy height, more than a
hundred feet, he swung, came down .to the water, swung out to where the young
man was, almost exhausted, and ready to fall into the current which meant
certain death, and the sailor said, “Take hold, I have; come to save you,” What
would you.have thought if that young man in measured, courteous tones, had
answered, “I am very much obliged to you for the interest you have manifested in
me. I really appreciate it, and I will think the matter over, and some day
perhaps I will accept your help, but I am not ready now.” You say nobody but a
fool would have made an answer like that. How eagerly he laid lold of the only
hand that ever would be stretched out to him to save him! Long years ago the
angels of God looked over the battlements of heaven, saw man as he fell into
that awful current of sin, sweeping down to eternal death. They saw him as he
caught, for a time, on the .jutting fragment of life and they said, What can we
do to save him? There was just one way. Somebody who loved him well enough would
have to come down and reach out the saving hand. A volunteer was called for and
amid all the serried hosts of snow white angels that sur-rounded the throne of
God, not one was found.

' Then Jesus, God’s only son, stepped out and said, “I will go,” and out to this
old world he came and he is here now, sinner friend, reaching out the only hand
that ever will be stretched out to you with power to save, for there is none
other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Will you not
accept him, here and now, as the Savior of your soul from that death which is
the wages of sin. But Jesus may be more to a human soul than the Savior of that
soul from- the death which is the wages of sin. He may be also the deliverer of
that soul from the power of sin and temptation, enabling one to fight
successfully the battle of life and to come off more than concpierer.

Remember that Jesus said, “Without me you can do nothing”; that God’s word says,
“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation”; and that Paul
declared, “Christ gave himself for us that he might deliver us out of this
present evil world”; and the Holy Spirit says, ‘ ‘ God is faithful who will not
suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will with the
temptation also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear, it.” And
you and I need Christ as the deliverer of our souls, just as much as we need him
as the Savior of our souls, for there is no one among us who tries to live the
Christian life but finds his own experience like that of Paul, who cried out,
“When I would do good, evil is present with me, and the good that I would, I do
not, and the evil that I would not that I do, for I see another law in my
members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the
law of sin which is in my members. Oh, wretched man that I am, whe shall deliver
me?” Do you remember his answer? Have you not felt as he did that when you would
do good evil was present with you; that the good you wanted to do, somehow you
did not do? Have you not cried out, “Oh, wretched me that I am, who shall
deliver me”? Do you remember Paul’s answer, “I thank God through Jesus Christ my
Lord, thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.” If you go out to fight the battle of life trusting simply in your own
prowess, trusting in your own strong arms, relying upon eslf, you will fail, for
Jesus says, “Without me you can do nothing. No man cometh unto the Father but by
me.” And you and I must learn to say, as Paul said, “Strengthened with might by
his spirit in the inner man, I can do all things through Christ who
strengtheneth me.” Do you remem-ber the time when Saul and his army encamped on
one mountain while the Philistine army encamped on another with a narrow valley
between? Do you remember how the old giant Goliath, more than nine feet tall,
with a spear staff big as a weaver’s beam, clad in coat of mail from head to
foot, came out into the valley between the two armies, each day for forty days
and challenged the army of Israel to send out a man to meet him in single
combat, saying to the army of Israel, ‘‘If your champion conquers me, we
Philistines will be your servants, but if I conquer him, then your Israelites
shall be our servants, and there was not found in all the army of Saul any man
who would go out to meet him. At the end of forty days David, the shepherd boy,
came from his Bethlehem home, only a few miles away, to bring his brothers who
were in Saul’s army, food, and to inquire as to their welfare. David reached the
camp just as the haughty old giant came out with his boastful challenge and
David said, ‘‘Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the
armies of the living God? I will go out to meet him.” David’s brothers thought
that David was entirely too pert, entirely too forward, too important in his own
sight, and they said to him, “You had better go back and take care of those few
sheep that you left at home.” But David said he would go and fight Goliath and
Saul heard of his willingness to go, and sent for him, and when he found that
David was not trusting in his own strength, or relying upon the might of his own
arm for victory, but trusting in the God of Israel, and when David had told him
that when a lion came out to steal away a lamb, and when a bear came out to kill
i sheep, that God had enabled him to kill both the lion and the bear, and that
through God’s help, he could overcome this boastful Philistine, Saul said, “Go,
my son, and may the God of Israel be with you.” And you remember how David, the
shepherd boy, armed with nothing but the stick with which he drove the sheep,
and the sling and the five smooth stones which he picked up as he crossed the
brook, and dropped into the shepherd’s bag which hung at his side, went out to
meet the great old giant. Goliath saw him coming, saw the stick in his hand, saw
him pick up the five smooth stones and he mocked David, saying, “Am I a dog,
that you come out against me with sticks and stones,” and then he boasted,
saying, “Come to me and I will give your flesh to the fowls of heaven and to the
birds of the air.” David answered, “You come to me with a sword and a spear and
a shield, but I come unto thee in the name of the God of Israel, whose army thou
hast defied and he will deliver thee into my hands.” And you know how the stone
sped from the sling, smote the giant in his forehead and he fell dead at David’s
feet. .

Just a picture of the great battle of life that each Christian soul must fight
againgt the giants of tempta-tion that so thickly beset life’s pathway, and woe
be to the Christian soul that goes out to fight against these temptations,
trusting simply in himself. In order to win the victory we must go out as David
did, trusting in Israel’s God, and saying, “He will deliver these giants of sin
and temptation into our hands and bring us off more than conquerors ” So Jesus
must be not only the Savior of the soul from the death that is the wages of sin,
but the deliverer of that soul from the'powei' of sin,' enabling Us to fight
successfully the gre&t battle of'dife and to say with Paul, “Thanks be unto God
who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." And you remember that
When the death angel was to pass through the land of Egypt one night, God saved
his people, Israel, from death by the blood of the Pass-over lamb, and also he
delivered them from the bondage and bitterness of servitude, under Pharaoh, the
cruel king. So, God saves the sinners from that death, which is the wages of sin
by the blood of the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world, even
Christ, who is our Passover, and he also delivers this one from the bondage and
wretchedness of sin, by his Son, for Christ gave himself for us that he might
deliver us out of this present evil world, but if Christ is your Savior from the
death that is the wages of sin, and your deliverer from the bondage and power of
sin, enabling you to fight successfully the battle of life, he may be much more
than that to your soul. For he, himself, says, “I am the way, the truth and the
life. No man eometh unto the Father )ut by me.”

What does Jesus mean when he says, “I am the way”? He means that if you and I
wish to know the way to be a Christian, look at him. We must learn to take life
as he takes it, to think tli oughts like his, to cherish feelings like his, to
harbor purposes like his, to talk and act even as he did, for I am not a
Christian, neither are you any further than we are making our lives like the
life of Christ. “If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his,”
and Christ left us an example that we should follow his steps Some people say,
“One preacher tells me one thing and another preacher tells me something
different, and still another something dif-ferent from'each of the others. All
seem to be equally honest, and equally intelligent, and if those preachers
cannot agree among themselves about what the right way is, when they have
nothing to do but study the Bible all the time, how can they expect one situated
as I am, to know which way is right ? I would like to be a Christian. I have
great/respect for Jesus and the Bible, but I simply cannot.know which way is
right.

Listen, friend, the Bible nowhere says, “the preacher is the way, follow him.”
Do not^follow this preacher, nor any other preacher* for all preachers make
mistakes, but Jesus said, “I am the way, follow me.” And Jesus made no mistakes,
and if you and I will follow him, we shall make none.

Once I was riding horseback along a road and I came to a big staked and ride red
fence which had been built directly across the road, completely stopping the
only way which I knew, and the road turned out into the woods. I knew enough of
that part of the country to know that it was some five or six miles through that
river bottom, with its heavy timber, before I could reach a clearing or a house.
I did not know the way through, and if I had been like some people who do not
want to start into a thing, even Christianity, until they can see their way
through, I would have been sitting there yet, if I had not been dead, because I
could not see all the way through that thick woods. And I did not need to do so.
I looked out just a little way and saw a tree with a big blaze on it, and I knew
that meant “Come this way.” I rode on toward it and before reaching it, I saw on
beyond another tree with a fiaze'and before I reached that I saw another, and I
rode on through the entire distance without ever having to stop even once, and
came out all right on the other side. Someone had gone on ahead and blazed out
the way, and all I had to do was to follow the road marked out for me. So Jesus
has passed through this old world and has blazed out the way that leads home to
heaven, for each one who will follow him. Perhaps all of you know what it means
to march Indian file. You know that the old Indian chieftain went ahead of his
warriors and the warriors followed, each one behind the other, and fifty or a
hundred men could march through the snow and when you looked back, it looked
like the track of one man, for each warrior had put his foot down in the
footprint of his chieftain, Now, Jesus is called the captain, the chieftain of
our salvation, and the part of every Christian soldier is to follow the
footprints of Jesus. The old song runs thus, “Are you walking in his footsteps,
as he bids you daily do? Do you follow after Jesus as the Bible tells you to?”
This is what it means when Jesus says, “I am the way.” Not ^hat you and I go
back to Palestine, look around the Sea of Galilee, seeking to find his footsteps
in the sand and put our feet in them, but as we go through life we take it as he
took it, we think, feel, purpose, talk and act as Jesus did. This is what he
meant when he said, “ I am the way, follow me.” When I was a boy in school we
used to play a game called, “Follow the leader.” Some strong, active, splendid
runner was chosen as the leader, and the game was to follow him wherever he
might go. No matter where he led, how wide the ditch he jumped, how steep the
bank he climbed, whatever he did, each one must follow him. So, the Christian
life is but the game or ‘'Follow the leader," and that leader is Jesus, and I am
not a Christian, neither are you any further than we are following Jesus in
every act of our lives. A little boy came to his father one day and said,
“Daddy, how many legs would a dog have if you should call his tail a leg?" The
father said, “Why, son, I suppose if you called his tail a leg, he would have
five." The little boy answered, “Why, daddy, do you not know any better than
that! He would not have but four." And the little boy was right. You might call
a dog’s tail a leg all day, but that would not make it one, and so it is with
us. Calling one a Christian does not make him one. It is all right to call him a
Christian, if he is one, but merely to call him one does not make him one. No
one is a Christian any further than he is reproducing in himself the life of
Jesus Christ. Indeed, the modern definition of Christianity is true, and is
expressed thus, “Christianity, the life of Jesus Christ, reproduced in a human
life, so that our thoughts, feelings, purposes, words and deeds are like his."
Whenever I have a thought, a feeling, or purpose, or speak a word or do an act,
that Jesus would not do, if he were in my place, I am just that far off the way
of being a Christian.

Mr. Sheldon was right in that little book which he wrote, “In His Steps," or
“What Would Jesus Do?” when he said, ‘ ‘ The simple rule of life for a Christian
before he does anything is to ask, What would Jesus do, and then do to the very
best of lys ability just what Jesus would do, thus walking in his steps.” But
that is not all. Jesus is not simply the Savior of the soul from the death which
is the wages of sin, and the deliverer of that soul from the power of sin and
temptation, and the way of life, showing you and me just how to walk, even as he
walked, but he says, “I am the light of the world, and he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” So, Jesus must be
to your soul, not only Savior, deliverer and way, but also the light of that
way, making life’s pathway bright for every step which you take. A road, a way,
may be dark, and it is not pleasant to travel along a dark road, especially if
you have never been that way before, when you do not know but what the next step
might land you in a ditch. I am glad the Christian does not have to walk in the
darkness, for Jesus said, “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, hut
shall have the light of life.” I believe in a religion that makes life’s pathway
bright about us. I read in the Bible that the pathway of the just is as the
shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” And the beloved
John says, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

I do not believe in a religion of darkness and gloom. I believe that God made
more sunshine than he did clouds; that he loves a smile just as well as he does
a frown, and I believe that God’s word says “Rejoice in the Lord always,” and
that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.” I believe in a religion that
makes life’s pathway bright, but I imagine someone is ready to say, “Oh, Brother
Calhoun, you do not know what I have to bear, or you wuld not say that. You talk
about life’s pathway always being bright, and about rejoicing always, you do not
know the load I have to carry, or you would not say that.” No, dear heart, I do
not know the load you have to bear, for no human heart can know what another
human heart feels, and I have not said that there is no burden to bear. I know
well that God’s book says, ‘‘Every man shall bear his own burdens.” I have not
said there was no cross to carry, for I know well that Jesus said, “Whosoever
doth not take his cross daily cannot be my disciple.” But I am here to say that
if you follow Jesus, he says, “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life.” This can but mean that you may learn to bear
your burdens, to carry your cross, even with a smile, and to look up through
your tears and kiss the hand that smites and say, “We know that all things work
together for good to those who love God.” When I was a little boy I used to walk
along sometimes and notice that I was stepping in my shadow. Every time my foot
came down it landed in the shadow. I used to try to step over the shadow, to
reach beyond it. I could not do so. I used to run and jump and see if I could
not get away from the shadow. I would land in the shadow every time. After a
while I noticed that when I was walking in my shadow it was when I had my back
to the sun, and if I would face about and walk toward the sun, the shadow would
lie behind me. No matter how slowly I might go, they would never catch up, even
if I went at a snail’s pace, every step was in the light of the sun.

Since I have been a Christian sometimes I have walked in the shadows. Every time
my foot came down it landed in the shadow, hut after a while I noticed that
when, as a Christian, I was walking in the shadow, it was when I had my hack
turned to him who is called the Son of Righteousness, and that if I would turn
my face toward Jesus the shadow would lie behind me and if I would follow Jesus
faithfully, it was like he said, "He that followeth me shall not walk in
darkness.”

One day an old man came into a young people’s prayer meeting where the young
folks were talking about their religious experiences. Many of them did not seem
to he very happy. For many, life seemed rather gloomy. The old man set in the
hack of the room and listened till he could stand it no linger, then stepping to
the front, lie said, "My dear young friends, let me talk a little. I do not like
these gloomy experiences. You do not seem to be having the joy, the light and
sweetness that a Christian ought to have,” and he said, "I am just hack from the
mountains out yonder in the west, that God piled up; those great old rockics
like a stairway to the skies. They pointed out to me the tallest mountain of
all, and said I should see the sun rise from its summit. One night I climbed up
to the little half-way house, the little hotel built way up there on the
mountainside, rested for a while, and then in company with a guide, started on
to the summit to see the sun rise. We had not been gone very long when a thick
cloud gathered round about us, the lightning flashed, the thunder roared, the
rain fell in torrents, and the darkness, thick as midnight, gathered round us,
and I said to the guide, ‘We had just as well go back, we cannot see the sun
rise on a morning like this,’ hut with a strong, cheery voice that guide
answered, ‘Just follow me, we will come out all-right yet.’ On through the
darkness and the storm we climbed, higher and still higher, till after a while
we got above the clouds, and we came out where nothing intervened between us and
the overarching olue of heaven, from which the stars were looking down like
angel eyes, keeping watch over the sleeping world. We climbed on to the summit
and standing there we watched the glorious old sun as he came tiding over the
eastern hilltops in his chariot of gold, flooding the world with light and
beauty. We had gotten above the clouds. Down yonder in the valley was the same
old storm cloud, with its lightning flash and thunder roar and raindrops still
falling, but we had gotten above the clouds. And so, as we climb up toward the
everlasting hills of God, if clouds of sorrow gather round about us, and the
raindrops of tears fall thick and fast in life’s pathway, just listen to the
voice of youp guide, Jesus, as he says, ‘lift that followeth me shall not walk
in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ ” And the old man’s advice was
gi.ud. If clouds of sorrow and darkness gather about us, let us climb a little
closer toward God and heaven, and the higher up toward God we climb, the fewer
will be the clouds that intervene between us and the loving face of him who is
called the Son of Righteousness, with healing in his beams.

So, Jesus must he the Savior of the soul from the death which is the wages of
sin, the deliverer of the soul from the power of sin, the way of life for the
human soul, and the light of thai way, making life’s pathway -grow brighter and
brighter, even to the perfect day, till we reach that land where there is no
need of the sun by day, nor the moon by night, for the Lord God gives them light
and we shall dwell forever in the sunlight of his unending love.

What may Jesus Christ be to a human soul? The* half has not yet been told, as to
what Jesus may be to a human soul, nor have I time to tell even the half of what
Jesus Christ may be. I wish I had time to speak of him as the truth. You
remember he said, “I am the truth ” He taught the truth, even his enemies said,
“Never man spake like this man.” He lived the truth. Even the cold, critical
Pilate, after three examinations, had said, “I find in him no fault at all.” Is
it not splendid to know that in this world where there is so much of falsehood
and deceit, thetre is one who speaks the truth and lives the truth, and says,
“Come to me.”

I wish I had time to speak of Him as our great Prophet. You know that Moses
said, “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from among your
brethren like unto me, and every soiil that will not hear that prophet shall be
destroyed from among the people.” And Jesus is that Prophet.

I wish I had time to speak of Him as our Great High Priest, who, with his own
precious blood, entered heaven itself, there obtained eternal redemption for our
sins. So much so that God says, “Their sins and their iniquities will I remember
against them no more forever.”- I wish I had time to speak of Him as the King of
Kings, the Lord of Glory, the one b of ore whom the angels who accompanied him
as he took his flight from this earth, and went to sit down at the right hand of
God till every foe should be brought in subjection to his sceptre of love, sang,
those angels, as they drew near to those gates of gold that swung wide on their
hinges of pearl, “Lift up your heads, 0, ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye
ever-lasting doors, and the King of Glory will come in,” while the angels around
the throne answered hack, “Who is this King of Glory?” And as he took his seat
upon that throne where he sits, ever making intercession for us, all the hosts
of heaven join in saying, “The Lord of Hosts, he is the King of Glory.”

I wish I had time to speak of Him as the Prince of Peace, the wonderful
Counsellor, the Mighty God. I wish 1 could speak of Him as the Lily of the
Valley. Do you know why that Old Testament writer, speaking of him, calls him
the Lily of the Valley, the fair :st among ten thousand, the one altogether
lovely. What more fitting symbol of that one whose life was whiter than the
whiteness of the lily, and the pure gold of whose love was purer than any gold
that earth ever saw I wish I had time to speak of Him as the Rose of Sharon. Do
you know why that Old Testament writer, looking down through 800 years said, “He
is the Rose of Sharon”? Did you ever hear the old saying, ‘There is never a rose
without a thorn”? It is a falsehood, On the lovely plain of Sharon, in the land
of Palestine there grows a rose, beautiful and shapely of petal, bright with the
colors of the rainbow, and sweet as heaven’s breath of perfume, your hand may
pluck, with perfect freedom, this rose of Sharon, for there is no thorn upon it,
and that is why Jesus, hundreds of years before He was born, was called the Rose
of Sharon. No hand was ever hurt, or ever will be, that lays hold upon the hand
of Jesus Christ.

I wish I had time to speak of Him as the Good Shep-herd. He says himself, “I am
the good shepherd and 1 know my sheep, and my sheep know me, I lay down my life
for the sheep.” It was David who wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not
want. He maketk me to lie down in green pastures, he leadetli me beside the
still waters.” I think in this land of ours we hardly know how to appreciate
this language. Yes, we have sheep. Usually they are put in a pasture with a
fence around it and left to look out for themselves. Not so in that land. Every
flock had its shepherd. The shepherd watched over his flock hy day and by night,
keeping away the robbers that came to steal, the wild beasts that came to kill
and to tear. He led his flock into pastures green and beside waters still, so
that they could say, “I shall not want. I will not fear.”

Switzerland is a land of sheep, where every flock has its shepherd. One day a
Swiss shepherd led his flock out into the little valley where they had fed many
a time before. The grass was short, cropped by the teeth of many animals, the
waters of the stream were muddy, stirred by the trample of many feet. Today the
shepherd left his flock and climbed up the mountain-side, watch-ing his sheep
all the time. He climbed up today higher than he had ever been before, watching
his sheep, for he loved them. Away up there on the mounstain-side he came out
into a beautiful little mountain valley, several acres in extent, where the rich
tender grass was growing uncropped by the teeth of animals, where the waters
that burst out from the heart of the mountan, from a silver spring, ran across
the meadow in clear sparkling pools and then dashed itself into spray and foam
on the rocks below. As the shepherd looked at this scene of beauty and
loveliness, he said, “Oh, what a splendid pasture for my sheep. I must get them
up here somehow. And he went down into the bosom of the flock and called them.
They knew his voice and .they followed, followed up the mountain as far as they
had ever been and a little further, but sheep are timid. They do not like to
travel over new roads, and so they stopped and would not follow any further.
Then the shepherd went down below and tried to drive them, but they would not go
with him, they ran round him, and he said, “What shall I do? I must get them
there somehow.” He went into the midst of the flock and there was an old mother
sheep there that had a little tender lamb just a few days old, and the shepherd
loved the little lamb, and he loved the mother sheep too. Tenderly as a mother
might take her babe to her bosom, he took that little lamb into his own loving
arms, pressed it against his heart and started climbing up the mountain. You
know what that mother sheep did. She kept right at his heels, and though the way
was rugged and steep, he climbed on and on until after a while he came out into
the little mountain valley and set the lamb down unharmed in the rich tender
grass, beside the cool sparkling waters, and when he turned round there was the
mother sheep, and there were all the other sheep, too. I have seen that many a
time.

One day our good shepherd Jesus left his little flock feeding on the short grass
and drinking the troubled waters of this old world, and he climbed up the
everlasting hills of God till he eame out into the sweet fields of Eden where
the flowers never fade, where the sparkling waters of the river of life, clear
as crystal, flow out from underneath the snow-white throne of God, where the
tree of life grows on either bank of the river, yielding its fruit every month,
and the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations, in that land of
the unsetting sun, and as he looked over this scene of beauty and loveli-ness,
he said, “Oh, what a splendid pasture for my sheep. I must get them up here
somehow,” and he comes down into the bosom of the flock and calls us and
sometimes we will not come, and then he seeks to drive us and we will not be
driven, and I have seen him come and take into his arms a precious little babe,
a darling little lamb, a sweet little flower, sent to brighten the hearts and
make glad the lives in some home, and I have seen the good shepherd as he bore
this lamb away into the sweet fields of Eden because he loved his sheep, and he
loved the little babe, and he knows that the ties of love broken here on earth
are welded to the throne of God up yonder, for he says, “Where thy treasure is
there will thy heart be also.” It was but the call of the good shepherd as he
sought to win our hearts from the things of this earth and bind them with cords
of love to the treasures laid up above. It is not every time a little babe.
Sometimes it'is a pure, loving wife. Sometimes a brave, noble husband, but
always in love and never in anger, does he take our loved ones away. It is the
call of the good shepherd to set your hearts on things above. Sometimes it is
dear old mother, whose hair is white with the snows of many winters, whose face
is wrinkled, and whose hands tremble, and yet, there never was a lover’s touch
quite so tender, or a lover's kiss quite so true as mother’s, and the world
never has seemed the same since the Good Shepherd came and took mother away, and
we sang, “Safe in the arms of Jesus, Safe on his gentle breast.” I doubt if
there is a family repre-sented here to which the Good Shepherd's call has not
come as he has taken away our treasures from earth, laid them up in that heaven
above which he as6s us to accept is the gift of his love.


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  CHAPTER 8: THE SOVERIGNTY OF CHRIST
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The Soverignty of Christ SOVEREIGNTY OF CHRIST By S. P. PITTMAN

“And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, say­ing, All authority hath been
given unto me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).

Great stress has been laid upon what we are pleased to term “the great
commission.” I think the epithet appropriate. It is our Magna Charta, granted by
our Great Teacher, as a constitutional guide. You have often heard this
commission quoted; you have heard sermon after sermon preached upon it; you
probably have listened to too many sermons emphasizing the first part, and too
few emphasizing the second part of the com­mission. It is not the nineteenth
verse with its command to go, to make disciples, and to baptize, to which I
di­rect your attention tonight; nor the twentieth verse, with its injunction to
teach the observance of all things, and with the promise of his continuous
companionship. I ask you to read carefully with me the preamble to this
con­stitution granted after his .passion and resurrection, and just prior to his
ascension. Without the truth contained in this preliminary statement, the
commission itself would have been a waste of words, and would never have been
recorded upon the pages of sacred history. With­out the preamble to impress the
apostles with the au­thoritativeness of his utterance, the words of Jesus might
have been forgotten almost as soon as the echo of his voice had died away among
the rocks and craigs of the mountains of Galdee.

Jesus had made an appointment with the twelve to meet him in Galilee. Before the
crucifixion He said, “But after I am raised, up, I will go before you into
Galilee” (Matthew 26:32). After His resurrection the angels said, “And go
quickly, and tell his disciples, He. is risen from the dead; and lo, He goeth
before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him” (Matthew 28:7). In a short time
Jesus himself said to these same women, “Fear not: go tell my brethren that they
depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me” (Matthew 28:7) Go tell my
brethren.” I am impressed with the wording" my brethren—not my subjects, my
subordinates, my servants; but my brethren, a term of equality, fraternity,
endearment. When our elder brother meets his younger brothers upon the Galilean
mountain to communicate with them concerning a divine commission, may We not
expect something extraordinary?

Permit me to digress just long enough to say that this same Jesus makes an
appointment to meet us upon the mountains of faith. Have we gone forth to meet
him there? Have we received there our commission to go out into the world of
sorrow with tidings of joy? into the world of darkness and bring the light into
the world of sin and proclaim salvation? The world needs this commission now.
The twelve needed the encouragement which this mes­sage brought to them. When,
during His ministry, He repeatedly said to them that the Son of man must go to
Jerusalem and be crucified, and the third day be raised up, these intimate
followers became dispirited, After his passion, they were completely bewildered.
They had been taken from the humble walks of life—from the fish-net and the
receipt of custom, and had been exalted to companionship with the Son of God.
Their associa­tion with the Prince of Life-had led them into holy ground. They
were privileged to sit at the feet of the Master and learn of him. They heard
many a discussion between him and the Jewish rabbis. They heard him put the
Pharisees, the Sudducees, and the Herodians to silence. They heard the great
invitation. They heard more than that. They heard that a kingdom was to be
established. It was the voice of John the Baptist that broke the silence of
centuries: “Repent ye: for' the King­dom of Heaven is at hand.’’ Even while his
voice was reverberating among the hills and forests of Judaea, Jesus caught up
the message and repeated: “Repent ye; for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
Then the twelve, through cities and villages proclaimed: “The Kingdom of Heaven
is at hand.” Then the seventy caught the inspiration and as they went' from
place to place, two by two, said: “The Kingdom of God is come night unto you.”
The disciples had been taught to pray: “Thy King­dom come. Thy will be done, as
in heaven, so on earth. ’ ’ But one day He said to them: “Fear not little flock
: for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the king­dom.” That was a
positive promise which they cher­ished. The Question of pre-eminence in the
kingdom had been raised by the twelve, and two of them had aspired to be prime
ministers after the inauguration. But before its establishment, they had seen
their promised kingdom apparently shattered, and their idol­ized prospective
king go down in apparent defeat. He had deliberately closed every human avenue
of success. He had spurned the offer of the prince of demons to become ruler
over all kingdoms of the world. He had refused the crown at the hands of the
people who were wild with enthusiasm after the miraculous feeding. He had
obstinately refused to align himself with either of the dominant factions of the
Jews. There was a chance for success by an alignment with the Herodiaus, a
com­promise party; but he had offended them and called them hypocrites. One more
chance remained. There was a disgruntled party, ever ready to rebel against
Roman authority. He could throw himself at the head of this ever-increasing mob
and, like Alexander and Caesar and Pompey, conquer for himself a kingdom. But he
had urged men to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. With these
avenues all closed, the voyage to the apostles seemed gloomy and futile. They
were almost ready to mutiny. But the Great Captain said, “Sail on! Sail on!”

History abounds in instances of victory coining in the guise of defeat. Go with
me back to the latter half of the twelfth century. Henry II. King of England and
Lord of Ireland, not content with ruling in the British Isles, had, by
inheritance, by contracting advantageous marriages, and by wars, added Western
France to his dominions. In the next reign John, whose profligacy caused his
name to be an execration, and whose prodi­gality gave him the nickname of
“Lackland,” and whose despotism called forth the Great Charter, lost almost all
of his continental possessions. This disaster, humilia­ting as it seems to be,
proved a blessing in disguise. England became more isolated, and extricated from
foreign influences, she was left to work out her own internal problems. Thus was
laid the basis of the never- dying, ever-expanding British Empire. To come
nearer home, I recall an incident of the war between the states. According to
the story, it was dur­ing the darkest period of American history—dreary days for
the North; dreary days for the South. A melan­choly gloom had settled over
Washington, The Penin­sular Campaign had proved a failure, and “Fighting Joe
Hooker” had been put in command. In May, the two armies met at Chancellorsville.
When the smoke of battle was lifted from the bloody battlefield, twelve thousand
(12,000) Confederates lay dead and wounded There was a greater casualty among
the Federals. The whole, city of Washington seemed deac that day. Men came and
read the bulletins, and shook their heads and went away. Seward and Halleck and
Stanton have just left the White House, and the Executive Mansion is as still as
death. It was now past 9 o'clock, and the meas­ured tread of the president's
feet was heard, as he paced up and down in the Cabinet room. 10 o’clock came,
and the ceaseless promenade was still going on. 12 o’clock came, and still he
was pacing to and fro. One o’clock came; 2 o’clock; 3 o’clock. The next morning
the sun rose bright—not a cloud in the sky. At 8 o’clock the president was
seated near the end of the Cabinet table, and close by lay a sheet of paper,
freshly written upon. It was the order under which General Meade was to take
General Hooker’s place and lead the army on to Gettysburg, then on to victory.
That gloomy night, while Lincoln was pacing the floor of the White House,
stalk­ing like some lonely sentinel soldier, the defeat of Chancellorsville was
changed, as if by magic, into the victory of Gettysburg. But why dwell upon
these illustrations drawn from secular history, when the most striking instance
is the one under consideration—the one taken from divine his­tory. To the
disciples, Calvary was a symbol of defeat. The death of their King meant the
abortion of the King­dom, the thwarting of His promises, and the crushing of
their hopes. On the third dajr all was changed. The apparent defeat of Calvary
was'only the prelude to the "victory of the Resurrection, the triumph of the
Ascen­sion, and the Exultation of Pentecost. With the resur­rection came a
revival of the apostles’ hopes. The claim of authority expressed in the preamble
to the Commission is a response to their inquiry: “Lord, dost Thou at this time
restore the kingdom to Israel?’’ All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven
and on earth;” From .the beginuing of His earthly career He had obviously
possessed some power. At the marriage feast He bad power to turn water into
wine. A little later, and the winds and the sea obey Him. The unclean spirits
yielded to His will. To the multitudes He spoke as one having authority. The
scribes and chief priests and elders rec­ognized His power when they asked: ‘‘By
what author- ritly dost-Thou these' things ? and who gave” Thee this
authority.”’ No, do we have the admission from His own mouth, “all authority.”
Let me repeat those words, “All Authority!’” That sounds like
Autocracy—absolutism. Since the great Political Revolution of Europe there has
-been a growing sentiment towards democracy, untLhan autocratic government is
now an exception 'and rests under the-ban of.the-civilizert world A, democratic
rule, with republican institutions may be an ideal form of hu­man government.
Not so with the divine government! Monarchy—absolute Monarchy is the divine
plan. Our King is an absolute Monarch. He does not propose to di­vide
sovereignty with the masses. He does not delegate a portion of His authority to
His subjects—not even to Ecclesiastics. “All authority in heaven and on earth.”
From henceforth all angels would, and all men should obey His mandates. And why
should not all authority be vested in Him? Once He shared with Ood, Omnipotence.
“All things were made through Him; and without Him was not any­thing made that
hath been made.” When Jehovah said: “Let us make man in our image,” He was
there. His dwelling place was the bosom of the Father. But there came a time
when He, though “existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an
equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself.” Will you permit
me to exhibit for a few moments a series of pictures found in the Bible?
Word-paintings, I mean, drawn by the hand of Inspiration. The first in the
series is the picture of the new-born King, the Babe of Bethle­hem. Surely He
had emptied Himself of power; yet in that tiny, frail body lay the
potentialities of a King. “And when He again bringeth in the first-born into the
-world He saith, and let all the angels of God worship Him.” And men from the
East “fell down and wor­shipped Him.” Thus Heaven and earth recognized the
prospective King.

The scene changes. The child has grown to manhood. He has become “a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” Under the bowers of dark Gethsemane, He
wrestles alone in prayer. But the deepest depths of hu­miliation have not yet
been reached—not until He stands before the Jewish mob arrayed in robes of
mockery, hold­ing in His hand a counterfeit sceptre, wearing upon His brow a
crown of thorns—not until they bowed before Him in derision and said: “Hail,
King of the Jews!”— not until these indignities, did He reach the lowest depths.
This is the picture of the humiliated King.

You know what the next picture will be. It is that of the Triumphant King. When
Jesus rode into Jerusa­lem upon the colt, the foal of an ass, this was not His
triumphal entry into power. Men would fain have crowned Him then. Men and women
and children were His escorts then. When God was ready to crown Him King of
kings and Lord of lords, He said: “Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates; and be ye
lifted up, ye everlast­ing doors; And the King of glory will come in.” I think a
convoy of angels must have accompanied Him to heav­en and participated in the
inaugural ceremonies. And when Jehovah said: “Sit Thou on My right hand, Till 1
make Thine enemies the foot-stool of Thy feet,” me- thinks the atigels falling
prostrate before the throne said: Amen! Amen! “Worthy is the Lamb that hath been
slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and
glory, and blessing,” Amen! Amen!


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  CHAPTER 9: THE THREE WITNESSES
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The Three Witnesses THE THREE WITNESSES” By W. D. C AMPBELL

Beloved, I shall quote these words of the inspired John, as introductory to an
address on “The Three "Witnesses”: “Who is he that overcomcth the world but he
that be- lieveth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and
blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, hut by water and blood; and it is
the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are
three that bear record in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and
these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth; the Spirit,
and the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one."

I have quoted from the first Epistle of John, fifth chapter, verses five to
eight inclusive. The seventh verse is not found in the Revised Version, nor in
the oldest versions. It is considered an interpolation, that is, it has been
added to the sacred Text, and yet it is in harmony with inspired teaching. The
apostle had just emphasized the subject of faith, faith in Christ; and as faith
has to do with testimony, and testimony with witnesses, the inspired John
naturally introduces the constantly testifying witnesses of Christ. Under the
law, two or three witnesses wdte required to constitute adequate testimony, and
thus we read, “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be
established.” The apostle further reasons, “If we receive the witness of men
(which we.do), the witness of God is greater” concerning his peerless son. The
Christian system is based upon one great fact, one superlative truth, so great
that it affects heaven and earth and regulates angels and men. This truth is the
centre of attraction in Christianity, and at the same time the only foundation
of hope to the ruined sons and daughters of men. This great truth comes to us in
the confession first made in its divine fullness by Simon Peter. When Jesus with
a sadness, which we can almost feel, as we read his words addressed to the
twelve at Capernaum : “Will ye also go away?” Jesus had spoken plainly the words
of truth, -and as a result, “Many of his disciples went back and walked no more
with him.” It follows that the Lord Jesus, during his earth life, had disciples
who were not true to him. We should not be surprised that professed disciples
now prove untrue to the teaching of the Christ of the New Testament. Jesus
turned to the chosen twrelve, with the question, “Will ye also go away”? Peter
answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Thus implying that Jesus was the only one
to whom he could go. If we leave Him, to whom shall we go? If we leave the
Church, which he has purchased with his own blood, where shall we go? The warm
hearted Peter said, “Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are
sure that thou art that Christ, tha Son of the living God.” This is the great
truth of Christianity. Everything in the Christian religion grows out of it. The
church of the New Testament was built upon this great proposition. The inspired
testimonies or narratives of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written to
convince mankind that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God; and the
only source of light and life to a benighted, and ruined world. It was according
to God’s purpose and plan, that his son should come, and tabernacle in a human
body, live among men, and in serving humanity prove his power to live human
nature up from its depths of wemkness, and wretchedness, and carry it
successfully through the severest conflicts of sin to a glorious victory. This
Jesus did. He was God manifest in human flesh. The very manifestation of God in
the flesh; bringing God down to the plans of human want, and woe, so that he
could say, “He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.” He was, arid is the Son
of God; as divine as the Father, but he was also the son of man, and as a man
his life was one grand series of proofs of God’s power to save. For he revealed
his father’s willingness to save, by his own unselfish life, which he gave as a
ransom for many. There can be no longer a doubt in the human mind, whether sin
can be conquered; whether there is a life beyond the grave, since Jesus has
demonstrated it by his life, his death, and his triumphant victory over death
and the grave. The facts are recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; which
should lead us into this sublime faith, a faith Which frees the human heart from
doubt, and fills it with the light of hope, and the love of God. I have- already
intimated unto you that all Christianity rests upon one great fact or
proposition concerning the aonship, and Lordship'of Jesus of Nazareth. This
proposition is' a historical onb, and rests updn testimony. Is Jesus, of
Nazareth the son of God, and the only savior of men; God be thanked for the
revelation, which he has given of lis peerless son, “The Prince of the kings of
the earth,” and the witnesses, which prove his divine claims. In keeping with
the importance of this proposition is the testimony upon which the truth
.witnessed. This testimony is given to us, by three grand witnesses. The Spirit,
the water and the blood, all concurring together to present to the eye of faith,
the Lord Jesus in all the excellency of his person, the dignity of his
character, and the purity of his life; his unselfish love; his death, burial,
resurrection, and ascension to the place of honor at the right hand of God in
heaven. I wish to present as briefly as possible, the testimony of these three
wit-nesses in the order in which we have them placed before us in the sacred
Text. “And there are three that bear witness in earth; the Spirit, and the
water, and the blood, and these three agree in one. That is, they bear testimony
to the same end or purpose in proving the di-vine Sonship of Jesus of Nazareth
as the Christ of God. Let us examine the testimony of the Holy Spirit, the first
witness: “And it is the Spirit that beareth witness- because the Spirit is
Truth." That is the Spirit of truth, because he is the author of the word of
truth, as truly as Jesus is the author of the blood of the New Covenant. The
Spirit bears witness, but how? A witness usually testifies in words. Jesus said
to his disciples, “When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from
the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedcth from the Father; he shall
testify of me.” In Acts 5:32, we have these words: “And we are his witnesses of
these things, and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom God hath given to them that
obey him.” These inspired state-ments make plain that the Holy Spirit is a
witness. We know that the business of a witness is to testify. Jesus said of the
Spirit: “He shall testify of me.” I have al-ready said that a witness usually
gives testimony in words. He speaks, so the Holy Spirit in bearing testimony to
the claims of Christ, speaks, glorifies Jehus as Lord and Christ. Listen to
these inspired words: “Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will
guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he
shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come. He shall
glorify me.” This in brief is the sublime mission of the Holy Spirit as a
witness to the Savior. That he testifies, and that he testifies by speaking. But
how does he speak? Not in vague, and mystical communications, not in the
mysterious teaching of internalism or the inner light theory. This is a question
of much importance “To the law, and to the testimony.” “What saith the
Scriptures?” Jesus made certain promises to his apostles. That when they would
be brought before governors and kings for his sake, they were to take no
thought, how, or what they should speak, for said Jesus, “It shall be given you
in that same hour, what ye shall speak; for it is not ye that speak, but the
Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Could words be plainer? The Spirit
bears witness by speaking, and he speaks through the apostles.

Thus the apostles were commanded to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until they
were endued with power from on high, the power of inspiration. They waited in
the capital city of the Jews until the day of Pentecost had fully come. And God
poured out his spirit upon them. They were baptized in the spirit; filled with
the spirit, and began to speak as the spirit gave them utterance. And thus the
first Pentecost after Jesus died, the spirit bore Witness through the apostles
with mighty power, that the despised and rejected Jesus was made Lord and
Christ. The Holy Spirit testified ,in words addressed to the understanding, for
the object of testimony is to pro-duce faith. Listen to these words of the Holy
Spirit, speaking through Peter: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of
Nazareth, a man approved of God among yon, by miracles and wonders and signs
which God did •by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. ,]Eim‘
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have
taken, and by wicked bands have crucified and slain. This Jesus hath God raised
up; whereof we are witnesses.’' Was ever testimony concerning Jesus of Nazareth
more direct, eon- ,cise, convincing, simple and yet sublime than this? Do you
wonder that Paul wrote, “The Spirit speaketh expressly?” In Nehemiah 9:30, we
read:- “Yet'many years didst thou forbear them, and testified against them by
the spirit in thy prophets.” Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the
Holy Spirit under the Old Testament, as well as the new. In this sense the
Spirit testifies, and is a witness for Christ on earth. This we can understand.
What he does more, we do not know, and we should not seek to become wise above
that which is written. The next witness is the water. John wrote: “This is he
that came by water, and blood, not by water only, but by water and blood.” The
water here refers primarily to the baptism of Jesus, at the beginning of his
personal ministry, when he was made manifest to Israel. That Jesus was
manifested in some way through his baptism is clearly set forth in these words
of John the Baptist: “And I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to
Israel, therefore am I come baptizing "With, or in water.” John knew not Jesus
as the Mes- siah. He knew him as his cousin, and as a pure, good' man. God
revealed to John that he should baptize the long looked for Messiah, and gave
him a sign. The sign was that the Spirit would descend and remain upon the
candidate. By this sign he would know the Messiah, and introduce him to the
waiting people. One day as John was baptizing the pentitent Jews, there was seen
coming down the hillside, a plain looking man, having the appearance of a Judean
peasant. He was none other than Jesus the Nazarene. He had come all the way from
Nazareth to obey his Father’s command, by submitting “unto John’s baptism.” The
fearless prophet of God, who could boldly stand before kings and priests, and
denounce them for their sins, bowed in1 deep humility in the presence of the
sinless, peerless man Christ Jesus. “1 have need to be baptized of thee, and
cometh thou to me,” said the harbinger. Our Lord answered, “Suffer it to be so
now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” As the baptist
raised Jesus up from the water of the Jordan, the skies were parted, a,nd the
spirit came descending like a dove and lighting upon Jesus. John the Baptist
said, “And I saw (the sign) and bear record that this is the Son of God.” ft was
while in the water of the Jordan, that Christ was manifested to Israel, and we
will see presently that the Holy Spirit makes baptism a monumental institution,
a silent but nevertheless, a divine witness testifying to the facts of the
gospel. But I wish to defer this thought until after I place before you the
testimony of the third witness, namely, the blood. The blood of the New
Testament is meant To what does the blood of Christ bear witness? To a most
important fact in the great remedial system, the death of Christ. If Jesus had
not died for our sins according to the Scriptures, we would still be under
condemnation, under the penally of a broken law, and exposed to death. If the
new covenant had not been sealed, and consecrated by his blood, the new and
living way to God would never have been opened up for sinful humanity. “He is
the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death for the redemption of
the transgressions, that were under the first testament, they which are called,
might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is,
there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.” “For without the
shedding of blood, there was no remission of sins under any covenant. And no
sacrifice short of that of the Son of God could take away sin. The sin offerings
under the law were only shadows pointing down to the one great sin offering; the
Lamb of God. Paul wrote, “But now once in the end of the world, hath he (that is
Christ) put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

How important then it is, that this fact, the Lord’s death, should be sustained
by testimony, supported by an unchanging witness, that publishes or testifies to
the world the death of Jesus “till he come.” This witness is the Lord’s Supper.
Of the fruit of the vine emblematical of his blood, Jesus said: “This is my
blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Paul said, “As oft as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the
Lord’s death till he come.” More than eighteen hundred years have passed away
since Jesus established this institution, yet it still speaks in the church of
God, and as a silent witness testifies to the facts of the gospel. Men and times
have changed; world empires and earth’s heroes have crumbled and gone to dust,
but this insti-tution remains unchanged. Jesus said, “Do this in memory of me,”
and it has stood through all'the years, “a monument more durable than brass.”
And its inseption still testifies in words addressed to the heart, rather than
the eye; “in memory of Jesus.” It is a sad fact, that this silent witness is not
permitted to testify in many so-called churches in our land upon the first day
of the week, and thus publish the death of Christ, and assure believers of his
coming again. Mr. Leslie in his little book entitled, “A Short Method With
Deists,” lays down certain marks, as to the truth of matter of fact in general,
that where these marks all meet; the matter of fact cannot be false. First: the
fact must be such thaf men’s outward senses can judge of. Second: the fact must
be performed publicly before witnesses. Third: certain monuments or actions must
be established in memory of the fact; and fourth; these monuments or actions
must be established, and commence at the time of the fact. By way of
illustration, let me apply this reasoning to the crossing of the Jordan. Joshua
said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves,. for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders
among you.” The Jordan flooded, looked like a raging sea before them. But the
order was given: March, the priests going ahead bearing the ark of Godr and the
people following. As the priests entered the water, suddenlj' the whole bed of
the rived was dried up; and they stood still in the river bed, while the peo-ple
passed over. Two stone memorials were erected, one in the river bed, and the
other at Gilgal. All ofnLeslie’s marks meet in the passage of the Jordan. Joshua
said, as he pointed to the monuments of twelve stones, “When your children shall
ask their fathers in time to come, wha’t meanoth these stones”? then shall ye
let your children know, saying, “Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.” The
passage of the river was something that the people's outward senses coulcr judge
of. It was performed in broad daylight in the presence of a great army. The
memorial stones were set up as a monument of the fact, and at the very time,
that they crossed the Jordan on dry land. Was the passage of the Jordan ever
called in question by the Jewish people? We have no record that they ever
doubted it. The beautiful Detroit river divides Michigan from Canada; Detroit
from Windsor. Could you get an intelligent man in Michigan or Canada to believe,
that a hundred years ago, the current of this noble river stopped flowing, and
that the river bed was dry, so that a large company of Detroit people crossed
over on dry land into Canada, and then the water flowed on as before? You know
you could not. If a man would make such a claim, the people at once would say,
“Where is the record of such an event?” History makes no mention of it; what
monuments point to such a crossing? And there is absolutely no testimony of
those that had witnessed it. Not so of the passage of the Jordan; the people
then believed, because they witnessed it, and Jewish history repeats it, and
succeeding generations never called it in question. It is a proof of the divine
authenticity of the Bible. So the Lord’s Supper is a proof of the death of the
Lord Jesus. Mr. Leslie’s four distinct marks meet in this monumental
institution, and as a silent witness'•testify to the facts of the gospel.
Although the death of Christ is of such transcendent importance, yet .if the
great scheme of human redemption had ended at the cross, the world had forever
remained unsaved. Upon what could we build our hope of eternal life, if our Lord
had remained in the prison house of the dead ? If he had not broken the power of
death, and arose on immortality’s side of the tomb? To this important fact,
namely, the resurrection of Jesus, the water bears testimony. It speaks in a
monumental and positive institution of the gospel, the ‘'one baptism.” That
Christian baptism in its action was intended to represent the burial and
resurrection of Christ there can be no reasonable doubt in the mind of a well
informed student of the sacred text. Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome these
words: ‘‘We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death; that like
as Christ was raised from the dead, through the glory of the Father, so we also
might walk in newness of life” (R. 'V.). Again in Colossians 2 tl2, we have this
language: ‘‘Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him
through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
'This monumental feature constitutes to my mind, a stronger argument in favor of
immersion as the only Scriptural baptism than even a true definition of bapto,
or baptidzo; and those good people who practice sprinkling or pouring for
baptism not only destroy its sublime significance, but also silence one of the
essential witnesses to the facts of the gospel. That a burial implies a death
must be clear to you.

Baptism is called a burial by' the Holy Spirit Then it follows that its subject
has died; died to sin' and the old life by faith; buried with Christ in the
watery grave, and raised together with him in the same institution to walk in a
new life. Thus between! the old life of the believing, obedient, penitent one,
and the new life, the Christian life, we have a death, burial, and resurrection.
Conybeare and How- son, learned Episcopalians, testify in these words in
commenting on Colossians 2:12 : “This passage cannot be understood unless it is
borne in mind that the primitive baptism was by immersion,”—and the good Wesley
said of Romans 6:4 : “The apostle alludes to the ancient manner of baptizing by
immersion.” In the light of this teaching, every time you witness the baptism of
a believing penitent, you are reminded of the death, burial and triumphant
resurrection of Jesus, and further assured, that although we we go down to death
and the grave, we shall rise again to a new and immortal life.

I have now placed before you the testimony of the three witnesses. John said,
“He that believeth on the Son hath the witness in himself,” that is in his
changed heart and life. That the believer loves Jesus supremely, and earnestly
desires to serve him, and please him; he knows in his own consciousness. He
would doubt his own existence as soon as doubt this purpose of soul. May I ask
you what is it in Jesus, that draws mankind to him with a love that increases as
the years go by? What is it, that makes men and women nulling to forsake all,
and follow him? Is it his wonderful teaching? “No man ever spake like this man.”
Is it the record of his miracle-working power? Is it even his perfect life?
There is power in his teaching; and beauty in his life ? But these would fail to
draw men, without his unselfish love. Yes, love is the secret of his drawing
power—we sing, “Love Lifted Me,” “The Love of Christ Constrains Us,” and “I, If
I Be Lifted Up From the Earth, Will Draw All Men Unto Me.” He came to reveal
God’s love for mankind. He loved you dear sinner friend; even to giving his life
for you. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.” Do you believe that Jesus lived and loved? That he loved
you? Then I ask you will you not love in return the man who died? Love begets
love. “If you love me,” said Jesus, “keep my commandments.” “He that hath my
commandments and keepet.h them, he it is that loveth me.” Your obedience is the
measure and proof of your love. “Jesus, Oh, how sweet the name; Jesus every day
the same; Jesus, let all saints proclaim; The worthy name of Jesus.” Will you
confess this name before men, and make Jesus the Lord of your heart? If you
will, the dear Savior will confess your name before his Father, and the angels.
No better Savior will ever be offered to you. He is God’s last and best gift to
a ruined world. Will you accept him and be saved through him? Come and sanctify
in your hearts Christ as Lord, by confessing his divine name.


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  CHAPTER 10: THEORY VS. PRACTICE
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Theory Vs. Practice THEORY vs. PRACTICE By CARL L. ETTER

Friends, fellow students, and faculty members, I am seriously impressed this
afternoon with the wonderful rapidity with which we are passing from time to
eternity.. To me it seems but yesterday1 when I stood in this place, and spoke
to an audience similar to this during the lecture week of 1923. It was on that
occasion that 1 first met Brother W, D. Campbell Who had come from Detroit,
Michigan, as the principal lecturer, and who is to appear on this present
program. Before leaving Detroit he had been instructed by the Detroit brethren
to find a young man whom they could use in some missionary work they Were
planning to do in a new suburb of that great city. Through his recommendation I
was called to Detroit in the fall of that year. While there a new congregation
Was established with which I labored for three years. The 'Work in Detroit was
most delightful and my leaving was* prompted only by a desire to he engaged, in
what appeals to me as being a far greater work, namely, taking the gospel to
regions beyond the seas. The Detroit brethren, having learned of our desire to
become missionaries to Japan, decided to sponsor our going and Mrs. Etter and I
were sent out last July as missionaries from the Hamilton Avenue (Old Plum
Street, Inc.) Church of Christ. We are spending this winter in the southland
visiting loved ones and renewing friendships of days gone by. In the meanwhile I
am preaching for the church in Cordell, Oklahoma, and teaching Bible in Oklahoma
Christian College.

I am sure I would be very ungrateful if I did not highly appreciate this
opportunity of appearing the second time on the lecture program of Ahilere
Christian College. Since arriving in Abilene I have been living again those four
splendid years I spent as a student in this institution. I am delighted-to
observe the progress which has been made, both in the school and the town. My
heart goes out to you in this great work, and I pray that the Father may crown
your efforts with even greater fruits during the coming years. There is
something about one's Alma Mater which creates a feeling that is better felt
than told. I have arranged a parody on the poem entitled, “The Home Town” which
expresses my feeling for this, my home college.

“It doesn’t matter much, be the buildings great or small, The home college, the
home college is the best college, after all. The colleges of the multitudes have
the sun and stars above, But they lack the friendly fact of the few you’ve
learned to love. And with all their pomp of riches and with all their teeming
throngs The heart of man is rooted in the home college where he belongs. There
are colleges good to visit, there are colleges fair to see, There are haunts of
charm and beauty where at times it’s good to be, But the humblest little college
sings a melody to some, And no matter where they wander it is calling them to
come; Though colleges rise to greatness and are gay with gaudy dress There is
something in the home college which no other colleges possess. The home college
holds a treasure which the distance cannot gain, It is there the hearts are
kindest, and the gentlest friends remain; It is there a mystic something seems
to permeate the air And to set the weary wanderer to wishing he was there; And
be it great or be it humble, it still holds mankind in thrall For the home
college, the home college, is the best college after all.

I shall now call your attention to a few observations on the theme announced for
this afternoon, namely, “Theory vs. Practice.” By theory, I mean those abstract
principles by which we as a body propose to operate in matters religious. By
practice I mean the application, use or employment of those principles. It is
not my purpose to emphasize either of these to the neglect of the other. This is
an age in which many religious dogmas are being called in question. Those things
which are fundamental in religion should be sought and defended with much
tenacity. Our practice will come to naught if it is not regulated by those
theoretical principles which are Scripturally sound. Thus, as we reflect upon
the practical side of our religion, let us not forget to place due emphasis on
theoretical soundness. In the tenth chapter of Luke’s gospel, beginning with the
twenty-fifth verse, the inspired writer says, “And behold a certain lawyer stood
up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal
life? And he said unto him, "What is written in the law, how readest thou? And
he answered saying, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all of thy mind; and thy
neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: This do,
and thou shalt live. But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And
who is my neighbor? Jesus made answer and said, A certain man was going from
Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and heat him,
and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance a certain priest was going
down that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And in like
manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the
other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and
when he saw him, he was moved with compassion, and came to him, and bound up his
wounds, pouring on them oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and
brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow he took out two
shillings, and gave them to the host, and said, Take care of him; and whatsoever
thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee. Which of these
three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers: And
he said, He that showed mercy on him. And Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou
likewise.” This is one of the most interesting and practical passages of
scripture in the entire Bible. In it is asked and answered the most important of
all ques-tions, viz: What shall a man do to inherit eternal life. The question
was asked under the Old Covenant and, therefore, could not be given in answer to
the same question under the New Covenant. However, it shows where Jesus placed
the emphasis. He did not come to set up a form of religion, but to emphasize a
practical, living faith. No one can doublMthe place which practical service held
in the life and teachings of the Master. Service was the key-note of his
ministry; it is the ring by which we recognize all of his teachings; and is
enjoined upon his followers as the only avenue to greatness in his kingdom.

Let us now direct our attention to some of the charac-teristics of the man who
asked Jesus the question con-cerning eternal life. Bear in mind that human
nature has not changed since the very morning of time; mankind has always had
the same weaknesses and strong points; the ways in which individuals of the past
have sunk into the pits of shame or climbed to the mountains of success, are the
avenues through which we are apt to fall or rise today. Thus, as this man
pleased God, we may be well pleasing; as he displeased God, we are liable to
receive the displeasure of our maker.

First, I note that he was well versed in the law, had become a student of God’s
holy word. Dr. Goodspeed, in his recent translation, calls him “A certain expert
in the law.” How commendable! Oh! that more might emulate him in this respect!
In the long ago David said, ‘‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel
of. the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of
the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doeth he
meditate day and night” (Psalms 1:1-2). Concerning this law, Moses admonished
the lehildren of Israel, “Teach them dili-gently unto thy children, thou shalt
talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way,
and when thou liest down, and when thy risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Paul says,
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16).
Again, he says, “Study to show thyself approved unto God” (2 Timothy 2:15). This
man of whom we are studying, had studied and the words of the law were dwelling
in him richly. Had he been as faithful in all points as he was in this one, he,
no doubt, would have received the highest encomium of the Master. But, alas! he,
like some today, had permitted his strength to become his weakness.

Thus, his second characteristic: having become accomplished in the law, he began
to feel his own importance. He reached the conclusion that “ego,” or self, was
the center of the universe. His egotism, led him to believe, that he was equal
to the task of trapping (The record says, tempting) the Master. When he said,
“Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” he evidently placed the
emphasis on the personal pronoun “I.” “Yes, Master, you can tell the common folk
what to do; but you are not talking with one who has studied for himself; you
ase in company with the ‘intelligence* ‘the tall timber,’ you should strive to
be accurate in your statements. Master, would you attempt to tell me what to
do?” His knowledge of the law had given Him'a bad- case of the “big heaid.” In
this respect he was not wholly unlike many others. Little men are easily
inflated by their own achievements. Egotism: it should have no place in the life
of a true servant of God. It was possibly the motive behind the deed that kept
Moses out of the Promised Land. By this act of punishment God has forever
stamped his disapproval on egotism in his servants. Jesus: what a contrast! Paul
says of him, “Have this mind in you which also was in Christ Jesus: who existing
in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the
likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross” (Php_2:5-8).
What an example for us young preachers! Think of Jesus, the only begotten son of
God, as he withstood the temptation of egotism: with his gentle voice he soothed
the angry tempest; with the same power he healed the sick, cleansed the lepers
and brought forth lifq out of death; yet he was humble through it all, even unto
death, yea, the death on the cross. Who among us need feel our importance? The
man who came to Jesus to tempt him made his first fatal mistake by placing the
wrong valuation on himself. His third characteristic, and second mistake, was
“theoretical soundness.” Oh, no, this was no sin within itself. But he had
neglected his practice in order to make certain his theory. When he raised $he
question concerning eternal life, Jesus took him at his own valuation and said,
“What is written in the law? how readest thou?” “We are living under the law,
and you are an expert in the law, why ask me? Read for yourself.” He was glad of
this opportunity to demonstrate his knowledge of the law and began to quote
freely t)ie theory as announced in the law: “And he answering said, Thou shall
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself,” a perfect
theory and thoroughly Scriptural. Even Jesus could see no fault in it. Such love
will lead us into active service to God and our fellow-man, causing us to
neglect no Christian duty. Yes, the man’s theory was all right. Then, what was
wrong? Jesus answered and said, “Thou hast answered right (You have given the
right theory); this do (Practice what you preach), and thou shalt live.” Jesus
commended his theory but condemned his practice. There is no doubt where Jesus
piaeed the emphasis. In the sermon on the mount he said, “Whosoever, therefore,
shall break (fail to practice) one of these least commandments and shall teach
men so (present the theory) shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but
whosoever shall do (practice) and teach (present theory), them shall be called
great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19). In this passage Jesus shows
the relative importance of theory and practice by placing practice first and
theory second.

Now, for a practical question: "Where are we placing the emphasis today? What
are’ our marks of loyalty? Do we seek to be judged by our theory or by our
practice? Aire we the “true” and “loyal” disciples of Christ because we are more
liberal with our means, or is it because we are giving a few pennies in the
correct way? Do we hold the title of “loyal brethren” because we are doing more
to care for the widows and orphans, or is it because we are caring for a few in
the Scriptural way? Are we the “true blues” because we are doing more to
evangelize the world, or is it because we have sent out a few missionaries in
the New Testament way? These are pertinent questions which deserve our serious
consideration, Certainly we ought to “speak where the Bible speaks and be silent
where the Bible is silent,” but we also ought to “practice where the Bible says
practice.” Soundness of theory will avail nothing if it is not accompanied by
soundness of practice. “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth (practieeth) the will of my Father
who is in heaven”' (Matthew 7:21). We should not be less Apostolic in our theory
but we should strive to be more Apostolic in our practice. Dur-ing the past one
hundred years we have been telling the world how the work of the Lord should be
done. Regarding giving, we have said it should be done upon the first day of the
week according as we have been prospered. In discussing missions we have said
missionary work should be carried on Dy the church and not through a missionary
board or society. In making these contentions we have been quite Apostolic and
have been able to furnish a “thus saith the Lord” for our contention. .We ought
not to be less urgent on these principles; they ate as true* today as they have
ever been. Then let us not give up these fundamental principles, but let‘us’add
to them a greater amount of actual practice. Be it said, to our shame, that
while we have been telling the vorld how to do missionary work, we have actually
done very little of it. Statistics of the various denominations indicate that
they are doing more than we, who’ strive to speak where the Bible speaks, and be
silent where the Bible is silent, are doing toward evan-gelizing the world. In
fact, the church of Christ is at the very foot of the list. One denominational
church in Chicago has three times as many missionaries on the foreign field as
we, the entire brotherhood of Christ. We, who can boast of more than five
hundred thousand members in the United States, with more than twenty-five
hundred loyal gospel preachers, must hang our heads in shame while we confess we
are spending on an average of five cents per member to carry the gospel beyond
our own borders. Yes, we, who preach the Great Commission more than all others,
are actually doing less toward practicing the first part of its teaching.
Brethren, these things ought not to be. The gospel is good news to be heard, but
it is something more; it presents a task to be achieved. When we have heard the
good news, we must not be content to sit idly by as hearers of the word only; we
must pass the message on to others. “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all
nations; . . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you” (Matthew 28:19-20). In this statement Jesus tells the apostles to teach
their converts to do the things he had commanded the apostles. He had commanded
the apostles to take the gospel to the whole creation. Therefore, each new
convert to Christ has the burden of carrying the gospel to all the world resting
upon his shoulders. If Jesus should come today and find us spending all of our
time telling the world how to do missionary work, but putting forth little
effort in the actual doing of it, what would his attitude be? To the man who had
the theory without the practice concerning love for God and his fellow man, he
said, "Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live.” To us he would
likely say, “Thou hast the right theory concerning missions; practice what ye
preach and thou shalt live.”

I’d rather see a sermon than to hear one any day; I’d rather one would walk with
me than merely tell the way, For the eye is a better pupil, and more willing
than the ear. Fine counsel is confusing, hut example always clear, And the best
of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds, For to see good put in
action is what everybody needs. I can soon learn how to do it if you let me see
it done; I can watch your hands in action, hut your tongue too fast may run. And
the lectures you deliver may he very fine and true. But I’d rather get my lesson
hy observing what you do. When I see an act of kindness, then I’m eager to he
kind When a weaker brother stumbles and a stronger stays Just to see if he can
help him then the wish grows strong in me To he just as big and thoughtful as I
know that friend to he. One good man teaches many, men believe what they behold.
He who stands with men of honor learns to hold his honor dear, For right living
speaks a language that to everyone is clear. Though an able speaker charm me
with his eloquence, I say, I’d rather see a sermon than to hear one any day. The
lawyer who came to Jesus with the question con-cerning eternal life was not only
too theoretical, but he, like many of us, had a strong desire to justify
himself. The record says, “But he, desiring to justify himself, said uftto
Jesus, And who is my neighbor?” Desire to justify ourselves seems to be a
universal characteristic of the human family. When we neglect writing to our
friends and loved ones, it is easy to justify ourselves by thinking we were too
busy. When we neglect studying God’s holy word it is usually due to unavoidable
cir-cumstances. If we are unkind and harsh with our friends and loved ones, it
is because we are not feeling well. The church that has no interests outside of
its own little circle, has too many burdens at home to consider outside calls.
We, as a church, neglect the heathen abroad, because we have too many heathen at
home, notwithstanding the fact that, in the true sense, there are no heathen at
home. So, on and on, goes our never-ending list of excuses, ever trying to
justify ourselves. If we practiced what we preached, really proving the
soundness of our theories by our works, there would be no occasion for
self-justification. James says, “Ye see that by works [practice] a man is
justified, and not only by faith [theory]” (James 2:24).

Therefore, seeing theory only, will not suffice. Let us strive to justify
ourselves, not by multitudinous excuses, but by soundness of practice, according
to the New Testament theory of soundness.

We shall now notice the answer Jesus gave the lawyer when he, desiring to
justify himself, said, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus recognized the lawyer as
a theoretical man and knew that a theoretical answer would be out of place. He
chose rather to lay before him a plain, practical case, letting the lawyer
arrive at his own conclusion. Thus, the Master said, “A certain man was going
down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and
beat him, gjjd departed, leaving him half dead.” To me, this passage is far more
beautiful to take it literally, leaving off the allegorical interpretation that
is often placed upon it. “It is very likely that what our Lord relates here was
a real matter of fact, and not a parable, otherwise the captious lawyer might
have objected that no such case had ever existed, and that any inference drawn
from it was only begging the question; but as he was, in all probability in
possession of the fact himself, he was forced to acknowledge the propriety of
our Lord’s in-ference ad advice” (Adam Clarke). At this time the whole land of
Judea was much infested with hordes of bandits. The lawyer, no doubt, had
traveled this very road from Jerusalem to Jericho and had witnessed the attacks
of these hordes of robbers. Thus, he was able to apjjreciate the lesson Jesus
placed before him. Jesus paints the picture of the traveler, evidently a Judean
Jew, as he is lying in the ditch, robbed of his money, naked, half dead. What a
sight. Is he there as the result of his own neglect, or is it due to unavoidable
cir-cumstances? These are questions which we often hear concerning the
unfortunate of earth. When we find a fellow'-man in distress it is no time to
stop and theorize about how he got there, whose duty it is to relieve him, and
by what theory we shall proceed. Jesus is trying to, present to the lawyer a
case where practice is in de-mand, not theory.

Jesus continues the lesson by saying, “And by chance a.certain priest was going
down that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.” When this
poor, dying Jew saw the priest approaching, what did he.expect? What does the
world expect of us, the religious leaders of today? Service! Practical
Christianity. Are we giving it? Like the priest of old, we are too willing to
pass indifferently by, while our fellow-man is crying out for help. Even from
beyond the seas we hear them saying, “Come over and help us,” and we, the.
“loyal brethren” are hourly, daily, yearly passing them indifferently by.1 Let
us profit by the experience of the priest and respond with the message of life
to the ery of dying humanity. Who will say, “Master, here am I, send me?” When
this suffering, unattended Jew had been, neglected by his religious leader, the
priest, he evidently was consigned to his fate and turned over to die. But Jesus
says, “And in like manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him,
passed by on the other side.” The Standard version says, “And the Levite, when
he was at the place, came and looked on him.” Yes, the Levite was willing to
investigate, to look upon the conditions which he found. Someone has suggested
that the Levite resembles, in this respect, the sociological investigator who is
ever busy studying conditions in the slums, compiling statistics and making
scholarly reports; but never found doing anything to.relieve the conditions
discovered. The world is not so much in need of sociological students as it is
relief workers. Students of humanity may have their place, but servants of
humanity are more in demand. The Levite failed because his study of the case did
not inspire him to render the needed service. A Sorjpturally sound priest or
Levite did not demand the respect of our Lord unless they were willing to
respond to the calls of practical service.

Jesus concludes the lesson to the lawyer by saying, “But a certain Samaritan, as
he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with
compassion and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and
wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care
of him. And on the morrow he took out two shillings, and gave them to the host,
and said, Take came of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come back
again, I will repay thee.” Who is this Samaritan who is approaching? Is he a
friend or foe? That calls to mind a bit of history which throws some light on
these questions. Josephus tells us that in the days of Nebuchadnezzar when the
Jews were carried into captivity and replaced by foreign tribes, those Jews who
remained in Judea went out and married foreign wives. When Ezra and Nehemiah
returned and began to rebuild the temple they instituted certain reforms, dne of
which was that every Jew should put away his foreign wife. Manasseh, the
grandson of Eiiashib, had married the daughter of Sanballat, a Samaritan. When
Manasseh returned with his wife, Sanballat persuaded him to remain in Samaria
The secured permission from Darius Nothus to build a temple at Mt. Gerizim for
the Samaritans. This tempie stood about two hundred years, until it was
de-stroyed by John Hyrcanus, never to be rebuilt again. These Samaritan Jews
originally of Assyrian stock, are said to have done everything in their power to
annoy the Jews. Thus, they were held in contempt by the Judean Jews. Even in the
days of Christ this animosity was very intense. As Christ sits by the well in
Samaria we hear him say to the Samaritan woman, “Give me to drink.” The woman,
surprised that he would even speak to her, says, “How is it that thou, being a
Jew, asketh drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? (For the Jews have no
dealings with the Samaritans).” Again she says to him, “Sir, I perceive that
thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain: and ye say, that in
Jerusalem is the place where men ought to wor-ship.” This conversation shows
clearly the relationship that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans. The
Samaritans were considered as dogs in the eyes of the true Jews.

"Who is this man who has stopped to minister to the suffering, dying Jew? No, he
is not a priest nor a Lcvite, who might be expected to render this service. He
is a despised Samaritan. This very man whom he is now serving, in times past,
might have mistreated him, refusing to speak to him or sneering at him as one of
those Sometimes it is dear old mother, whose hair is white caught the spirit of
the Master, and is now in active service of his enemy. From this plain example
of service the lawyer learned the answer to his own question. Jesus turned to
him and said, “Which of these three (Priest, Levite or Samaritan), was neighbor
to him that fell among the thieves?” He was too prejudiced to recognize the
Samaritan by calling his name, but he said, “He that showed mercy on him ” Jesus
said, “Go and do thou likewise.” This was equivalent to saying, “Go and practice
what you preach.” Jesus was trying to teach this self-satisfied Jew that
theoretical soundness was insufficient.

Let us not deceive ourselves by thinking that Christ will accept us merely
because we are sound in theory. Our theory must be made perfect by our practice.
When Jesus comes to receive his own, many will hear him say, “Thou hast answered
right (You have held correct theories during your lifetime), but thou hast not
done- (You have not practiced what you preached.” To those he will say, “Depart
from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and
his angels: for I was hungry and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty* and
ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; nftked, and ye
clothed me not; and in prison, and ye visited me not.”

During the World War I read a thrilling story of a young man who went with the
American forces to France. Later I was in Detroit and heard a Chamber of
Commerce secretary, to whom this boy had gone’ to school, tell the same story.
He said the lad grew up a shiftless, worthless, towsled-headed kid in whom no
one had any confidence But there came a day when his opportunity for service was
presented and the manhood within him came like a flash, making him one of the
World War’s heroes. He and a group of fellow doughboys were in a dugout one cold
rainy night when a shell came rolling in at the door. The fuse was rapidly
burning and only a few seconds stood between them and eternity. Like a flash the
towsled headed boy jumped to the front, grabbed the shell, fell into the corner
of the dugout with it in his bosom, saying, in his broken English, “I’ll take
care of this thing and ‘youse guys’ take care of yourselves.” The shell exploded
and his body was blown into a million pieces, but it served as a shock absorber
and his fellow-doughboys were saved.

It was this same spirit that led Christ to the cross, all the apostles, save
one, to martyrs’ graves and thousands of fearless saints to he burned at the
stake. The church has been built upon sacrifice, and the crying need of the
church today is men and women who are willing to lay down their lives for the
cross. 0, Lord, help us to forget ourselves and lay down our lives for others.
An old man going down a lone highway, Came at the evening cold and gray To a
chasm, vast and deep and wide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim, The
sullen stream had no fears for him But he paused when safe on the other side,
And restored a bridge to span the tide. “Old man,” said a fellow-traveler near,
“You are wasting your strength by laboring here Your journey will end with the
ending day, And you never again will pass this way. You have crossed the chasm
deep and wide Why build you this bridge at the evening tide?” The traveler
lifted his old gray hear. “God friend, in the path I’ve come,” he said, “There
folio wetli after me today, A youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm
which has been as naught to me, To that fair haired youth may a pitfall be, He
too, must cross in the twilight dim. Good friend, I’m building this bridge for
him.”


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  CHAPTER 11: THE CHURCH
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The Church THE CHURCH By FOY E. WALLACE SR. In these days of countless
institutions, some worthy and some unworthy, it is necessary to repeatedly
em-phasize the importance of the church, lest the world forget its existence and
its own members forsake its ranks in their patronage of the more popular human
organizations by which we are surrounded. There are said to be more than two
hundred religious bodies in our land, claiming to be churches and asserting the
right of their existence. Among these institutions of men the true church must
be identified.—the difference between the human and the divine must be
maintained. Such is the object and task of the present effort. Our aim is to
present the general marks and characteristics of the Bible church; (1) what it
is; (2) its unity; (3) identity; and (4) its paramount work in the world.

I. What, then, is the church?

(1) First of, all,.it is the spiritual body of Christ. He is its head and we are
its members. The relationship between us—between Christ and the church—is that
which exists between husband and wife. “For the husband is the head of the wife,
even as Christ is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23) The church is subject
to Christ as the wife is subject to her husband (verse 24). And Christ is not
only head of the church, but also h^ad “over all things to the church,” which
means that we ,piust have authority from Christ for every act of worship
rendered and deed of service performed in his church. Here we see the unity of
the church in beautiful figures. The expressions, “the body” and “one body”
occur in the New Testament not less than thirty times—and in 1 Corinthians 12:20
it reads “but one body”—that is “but one church.” Every time the Bible affirms
that Christ has only one body it also de-clares that he. has only one church—for
the church is his body (Ephesians 1:22). Yet many people, and even some
sentimental church members, become highly insulted and deeply offended if the
preacher ventures to assert it from the pulpit. Paul said it about thirty times
in the New Testament and his argument summed up is as fol-lows; One head and one
body; one husband and one wife; one Christ and one church. As well ask me what
Christ I believe in as to in(2) Next, the church is a kingdom—the kingdom of
Christ. Jesus said to his disciples, “I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father
hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom”
(Luke 22:29-30). Also in Hebrews 12:28 we read: “"Wherefore we receiving a
kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” Also in 1 Thessalonians 2:12 : “Ye
should walk worthily of God, who calleth you into his own kingdom.” Jesus
appointed us a kingdom and Paul assures us that we have received it. He also
told the Colossians that they were in it: “And hath translated us into the
kingdom, of his dear son” (Colossians 1:13). The kingdom here undoubtedly refers
to the church, for the Lord so understood it when in Matthew 16:18 he said to
Peter: “Upon this rock I will build my church—and I give unto you the keys of
the kingdom.” They are one and the same. Christ is head of the church and we are
members; He is king of the Kingdom and we are sub-jects. “Will build” in Matthew
16:18, is future tense and “hath translated” in Colossians 1:13, is past tense.
If the language of Christ in Matthew 16 proves the establishment of church and
kingdom was then future, by the same law of grammar the language of Paul in
Colossians 1:13 proves its establishment is now past and the excitement of some
brethren over the future millennial kingdom, and reign of Christ on earth is
only wild speculation and groundless assertion. That Christ is now m his
king-dom and reigning on David’s throne is plainly taught by Peter in Acts 2:30.
The throne of David is now in heaven and the reign of Christ is spiritual and
heavenly. Briefly stated, the throne of David has been transferred from earth to
heaven and transformed from temporal to spiritual. Christ reigns now by
appointment from the Father as he plainly told his disciples: “I appoint unto
you a kingdom as my father hath appointed unto me” (Luke 22:29). At his second
coming he will surrender this appointment and deliver his kingdom to God, the
Father, and with us be subject unto him throughout all eternity (1 Corinthians
15:20^24). Now, that will not be the millenial reign of Christ, as some suppose,
for his reign is then ending, not beginhing. It will be heaven when, as Peter
tells us, we shall have “abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom.” The
kingdom idea then is but the government feature of the church-—it began with the
church: and. will end at the coming of Christ, so far as its present: state, is
concerned, The church, then, being’ a kingdom is not a democracy and cannot be
subject to the legislation of men. It is an absolute mon-archy with Christ as
its king and the New Testament its' constitution. It suggests incidentally that
the growing sentiment and modern tendency to yield to the majority is not a
Scriptural procedure in the church. Neither majority nor minority rule is the
divine order. The New Testament being our divine constitution it is our sole
guide in all things pertaining to the work and worship, of the church, and its
plain teachings cannot be vetoed by the vote of the majority nor the wishes of
the minor-ity. We should let it settle every question that we may “all speak the
same thing and be joined together in the same mind and the same judgment’’ (1
Corinthians 1:10).

(3) Last on this point, the church is the family of God. “For this cause I bow
my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in
heaven and on earth is named” (Ephesians 3:14-15). A few questions are here in
point. First: Are all of God’s children in his family? The answer is evident.
God does not have children out of his family—they are all in the family,
otherwise Paul avers they would be “bastards and not sons” (Hebrews 12:8). God’s
familj- is the church (1 Timothy 3:16). All of God’s children are in his family.
Therefore, all of God’s children are in the church. Second: Are all Christians,
children of God? Again the answer is plain. All Christians must be chil-dren of
God. But all of God’s children are in his family —the church. Therefore, all
Christians are in the church. There is not a Christian on earth out of the
church. Third: Can one be saved without being a Christian? If yes, then what
advantage is it to be a Christian since we would reach, all the benefits of the
blood of Christ without it? Here again the answer is inevitable. One cannot be
saved without becoming a Christian. All Christians are in the church. Therefore,
one cannot be saved out of the church. There is not a saved person on earth out
of the church If here someone inquires concerning the infant who cannot belong
to the church we merely remind you tha£ the term “saved” can be applied only to
that which is, or has been, “lost.” The infant is not lost and its condition is
expressed .in the word “safe” rather than “saved.” Reaching years of ability and
responsibility, sin separates from God. This brings accountability. That,
condition is expressed in the word “lost” and only in the church can we then be
saved. The relationship existing between Christ and the church is further proof
that salvation is in the church. Christ and the church are one, as husband and
wife are one (Ephesians 5:31). This being true we cannot be in Christ and out of
the church—they are one. Salvation is in Christ. “For in none other is there
salvation” (Acts 4:12). Again, “there is, therefore, now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Since salvation is* in Christ, and
Christ and the church are one, it follows that salvation is in the church, for
if they be one how can we be in the one and out of the other? In summing these
points up we find that the church is the body of Christ and we are
fellow-members- it is the kingdom of Christ and we are fellow-citizens, and, it
is the family of God and we are fellow-heirs.

II. Let us now give attention to the identity of the church.

How can we find the true church in the world today? Out of the fjaany churches
in the world, which church is right? Here we shall deal with its
characteristics, for the question cannot be settled by arbitrary methods or
answers. We must identify the church in the same man-ner we identify anything
that is lost. If you were seek-ing to recover a stray horse or stolen car you
would describe the thing lost, and the thing found must measure up to the
description in every particular, otherwise there would be no identification. You
will observe in this connection the difference between similarity and identity.
Sheep and goats are similar but not identical, and in the judgment “sheep” will
stand on the right and “goats” on the left. So there is similarity between many
institutions of the world and the church. Indeed, it is doubtful ;f one could be
found that is not in some point or characteristic like unto the church. In order
then to find the Bible church in the world today we must know the description
and compare the characteristics given in the New Testament and when you find a
body of people who teach and practice accordingly you have found the true
church. We now submit to you some points of identity—Scriptural marks by which
we can be guided in the search.

(1) We must be Scriptural in organization. God has ordained that Christians in
certain localities shall band themselves together for the purpose of worship and
service. This divine arrangement calls for organization, hence, Paul commanded
Titus to “set in order the things that are lacking” at Crete and “ordain elders
in every place” (Titus 1:5). Paul also, while on his missionary journeys in like
manner “appointed elders in every church” (Acts 14:26). Then in addition to
elders we find there were deacons in the church Also there were evangelists, but
New Testament preachers were not pastors—they were evangelists. The word
“pastors” occurs in the New Testament but once and is plural— not singular. The
elders are the pastors and God has ordained that there should be a plural in
every church— not plurality of churches under one elder—but a plurality of
elders in every church. The growing tendency to appoint ‘‘leaders” to take the
place of elders and to make “pastors” out of preachers is not the New Testament
plan and should be discouraged. The simple organization of the New Testament
church then is, briefly stated, elders to rule: deacons to serve and evangelists
to preach.

(2) We must be Scriptural in doctrine. We mean by this that whatever it took to
make Christians in New Testament times it takes to make Christians now. In the
second chapter of Acts these conditions are plainly set forth. Here the first
gospel sermon is preached. Here Jesus Christ is first proclaimed to the world
the Son of God and the Savior of men; the Holy Ghost begins its mission of
converting the world; and the law of pardon announced unto all men for all time.
Thousands hear the word and are pricked in their hearts. With leep conviction
they throw themselves at the feet of the King’s ambassador and cry: “What shall
we do?” The answer comes “Repent and be baptized . . . for the re-mission of
your sins.” They were at once ready to act and “gladly received the word” and
were baptized (verse 41), and the Lord “added to the church daily those that
should be saved” (verse 47). Thus the plan of salvation was first put into
operation and it must be the same as ‘then. Faith, repentance and baptism are
conditions of pardon, equally related, joined together with the copulative
“and.” May wc not suggest that what the Holy Spirit joins together let no
preacher put asunder?

(3) We must be Scriptural in worship. If to be unseriptural in doctrine will
destroy identity of the church then to be unseriptural in worship will do the
samel Doctrine is no more important than worship and the way most people
complain at “doctrinal sermons” one would think it far less important. If we are
not permitted to'decide our own terms of salvation neither are we privileged to
determine our own items of won ship. We are commanded by Paul to “keep the
ordi-nances as I have delivered them to you” (1 Corinthians 11:2). In our
worship then we can practice only those things delivered by inspiration. This
includes such items as prayer, Lord’s Supper, singing, etc. But we find neither
leaching nor example for-burning incense, the use of holy water, or the playing
of mechanical instruments of music. These practices have not been ‘ delivered
unto us” and cannot be adopted by those who are seeking to be identical with the
New Testament church. After exhorting the Corinthian church to “keep the
ordinances as delivered” he carries that same principle on in-writing the
Philippians in these words: “Those things which ye have both learned and
received, and heard and seen in me, do.” According to this text we can practice
in our Ivor ship only those things which we have either learned and received or
heard and seen in Paul. Did we learn the use of instrumental music from Paul?
Did we receive that practice from. Paul? Did we t ear from Paul of its use- in N
ew Testament churched ? Have we seen in him the practice of such? Unless .there
is some other hook than the New Testament revealing .Paul’s teaching and
practices we must answer the questions with an emphatic NO—and therefore must
not. “dq” those things. To do it in the absence of New Testament authority and
example is but to destroy identity in. wor-ship and those who engage in the
practice disregard the word of God and have ceased to be the church of, Christ.

(4) We must be Scriptural in name. The apostle urges Timothy to “hold fast the
form of so,and words,” that is, “Bible things by Bible names.” We have ,too much
of the language of Ashdod (Nehemiah 13:23-24) in our speech today. The Jews
corrupted the pure speech of Canaan by using “half the- speech of Ashdod.” So
today we see the tendency to speak the language of.-the denominations—calling
our preachers “Reverend,” •‘Doctor” and “Pastor” and referring to our Lord’s day
teaching as-the “Sunday School.” These tendencies should be avoided. Bible
speech should be. maintained. The church uses methods of teaching and work,, but
is not the. Methodist church. It practices baptism, bpt is not. the Baptist
church, It teaches -the; Word of God to young and old,, respecting .the classes
nature has made in ..ago and ability, but is not. affiliated with, and has
neither part nor lot in, -the- modern, international and interdenominational
organization universally called the Sunday School.” Paul exhorts us to “hold
fast the form of sound words” and to “speak the same thing,” We can do this only
to the extent that -We-employ the pure speech of the. Bible - The, power of.,
unity.„in speeek is demonstrated in Genesis 11, at the tower of Babel. There a
united language became the power of an apostate and idolatrous union which God
had to break up in confusion of tongues. Even so today the pure speech of the
Bible will become a bond of union among Christians that will triumph over error
and eventually bring unity out of confusion. Let us “speak the same thing and be
perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment,” holding
fast the “pattern of sound words,” thus showing to the world the superiority of
Bible names over the human. In so doing we will have taken a long step toward
that Christian unity for which we have so long striven and so earnestly prayed.

III. Having defined and identified the church it is proper that we should
discuss its mission in the world.

It has a well-defined work to accomplish. The church is, in-deed, a living,
working, perfectly framed organism, complete and perfect for every good work.
The divine arrangement, as already stated, is the local body with its elders and
deacons. This organization is complete and perfect for the work of the Lord and
in submitting to it (to those who have the rule over you), Paul tells us that we
are “made perfect unto every good work” (Hebrews 13:17-21), and in so doing we
work that “which is pleasing in his sight.” The work of the churches reaches out
in three directions. There is the work of teaching; then the work of
benevolence; last and greatest the work of sending the gospel.

(1) It is the duty of every congregation to teach and edify its own members. The
divine arrangement of the local church is perfect for this work. Methods are
necessary, but organizations are not. A protracted meeting is a method employed
by the church in teaching the gospel to the world. Likewise Bible classes on
Lord’s day is a method of imparting knowledge to the members of the body, and is
the same in principle as a protracted meeting. They are merely methods of work.
A protracted meeting is a Scriptural method of -work, hut a missionary society
is neither Scriptural nor a method, but an institution. So, in like manner,
class teaching is Scriptural, but class organizations are not. A method may grow
into an organization and when it does so it ceases to be a method and is no
longer the church at work, hut rather, another organization supplanting the
church.

(2) The church also has a benevolent mission in the world. "We are commanded to
“do good unto all men.’’ Here again the church in the simplicity of its divine
or-ganization, accommodates every humble disciple of the Lord seeking to “do
good” rather than his own personal glory and selfish honor. We read in Acts 9:36
of Dorcas, a woman “full of good works.” We need many Dorcas’ in the church
today, but we do not need any “Dorcas societies.” She was a humble disciple
doing good. No group in the church should create funds apart from the church and
operate through an arrangement of their own in doing the work of the church. Our
benevolences should be done through the church, giving glory to Christ, for “to
him be glory in the church” says Paul (Ephesians 3:21). In the Jerusalem church
there was “none that lacked” for we read that “distribution was made according
as any man had need,” the funds being provided by the liberality of these
Jerusalem Christians as they came and “laid their money at Peter’s feet’’ thus
signifying that they placed the money in the treasury of the church. And the
church at Antioch relieved the brethren in Judea in-time of distress “sending it
to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul’’ (Acts 11:29). Thus may
churches, through their elders, cooperate to-day in the work of the Lord.

(3) But the work of benevolence is not the para-mount work of the church. As
miracles and physical healings of Christ and his apostles served to produce
faith, so in our ministration of benevolence, providing the temporal needs of
humanity, our aim should be to save their souls. Thus our benevolences become
the medium through which to reach many with the saving message Sending the
gospel to the lost of the earth is, therefore, the supreme mission—the paramount
work— of the church. Again, the simplicity of God’s divine organization meets
every need. To the Thessalonian church Paul said, “Prom you hath sounded forth
the word of the Lord in every place” (1 Thessalonians 1:8). And he thanked the
Philippians for their fellowship in the “furtherance of the gospel” (Php_1:5),
for they sent “once and again” unto him at Thessalonica. The human way is to
build gigantic human societies at the expense of the churches, squandering the
Lord’s money in enor-mous sums, oiling the machinery and greasing the wheels of
these unscripturnl organizations. The divine way is far more simple and
effective, Christians working through the church, and churches cooperating
through the elders of a local congregation, where the work is being done (Acts
11:29). Thus the church becomes the grandest institution on the earth, in
pristine beauty un-furling her banner in victory and acclaiming His glory “in
the church throughout all ages.”


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  CHAPTER 12: PLEA AND PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLES
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Plea and Principles of Disciples PLEA AND PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLES By C. M.
STUBBLEFIELD By disciples, I mean those people who call themselves Christians,
refusing to call themselves by a human name or to organize themselves into a
denomination, but by the world designated Gampbellites. By plea and principles,
I mean the plea made, and principles announced, by Thomas and Alexander
Campbell, and maintained by them and their co-laborers. With some of the items
herein mentioned, many now in our ranks do not agree, but no one acquainted with
their literature will say that those men have not been fairly represented. I
shall quote them freely, using, not sentences alone, but, in some instances,
entire paragraphs. This will explain the free use of the pronouns “we,’ “us,”
and “our,” etc. Before speaking in particular of the plea and principles, it is
necessary to say something of the state of the religious world at that time, for
one can neither understand nor fully appreciate them without some knowledge of
that state. The papacy was hurling its silly anathemas at protes-tantism, and
protestantism, exulting in its young strength, was haughtily retorting every
insult. Nor was enstrangement of heart confined to these parties alone, for
among protestants themselves, party spirit flamed high, with no sign of
subsidence. Calvinism, cold, nar-row, bigoted Calvinism, claimed to be the only
orthodox faith in the world and demanded universal credence. Arminianism put
forth the adverse claim, and refused to accept a homage inferior to that of its
great rival. Out of these huge strifes, sects and parties arose with an
astounding rapidity. Bach reared high its narrow standard, proclaimed itself
divine, anEach party had its creed, or confession of faith, setting forth its
rules of faith and practice, around which its members clustered as tilings
around a magnet and to which, when assailed, they rallied. Intended, of course,
to compose disputes, they served only to estrange the professed followers of
Christ; designed to excude error they came, in the lapse of time, to exclude
only the truth. They, instead of the Bible, were the criteria by which one’s
acceptance with God was determined, those who adhered to them being orthodox,
while those who dissented were heterodox. From each attempt to revise a creed,
there arose a new sect or party. The language of the “clergy” was a peculiar
language, their themes abstruse and metaphysical. The essential natures of the
Father and Son, the mystic mode of three in one and one in three, how a spirit
divine quickens a spirit human, these were some of the themes. Hloly Trinity,
triune God, eternal sonship, eternally begotten, Holy Ghost religion, head
religion, heart religion, sanctifying grace, electing grace, particular
atonement, general atonement, operation of the Holy Ghost, getting religion,
—these are but a specimen of that peculiar dialect with which their discourses
were replete. They boldly affirmed their rank and calling to be of God, and
pronounced their neighbors heretics and dissented from them with as little
scruples as if they had been fallen Seraphs. These assumptions gave them great
poiver over the people. The interpretation of the Scriptures was their
inalienable right, hence the' people left them unread and unstudied.

Superstition swayed the popular mind. Some were “seekers,” some were “mourners,”
some “anxious,” some “concerned,” some “had a hope,” some “doubted,” some were
“converted,” some “powerfully converted,” Some had a “bright manifestation,”
some a “bright experience, ’ ’ some had ‘ ‘got through, ’ ’ some had not. The
common people did not know how to read the Bible. Martin Luther, in the
sixteenth century had given the Bible back to the people, but he did not teach
them how to read it. No book will ever be much read or much cherished, which is
not understood, and one hundred years ago the. people did not know how to read
the Bible understandingly. Did a man want to know what to do to be saved? He was
as likely to read the Psalms of David as Acts of Apostles. Things said to Moses
as prophet or to Aaron as priest, were held equally applicable to the alien
sinner for the first time seeking the way of life and salvation. This, in some
measure, is a des cription of the religions world one hundred years ago, and,
although there has been much improvement in some localities, this, to a great
extent, is still its state. A few men of the times, wholly disassociated and
en-tirely unknown to each other, saw these conditions and grieved over them.
Chief among those whose names have come down to us were Thomas and Alexander
Campbell.

If I understand these men, and I think I do, they had' no desire to establish
another denomination. They believed that there were too many already, and that
to establish another would be but to increase an existing evil. ,I£, then, there
exists a denomination called by the world the Campbellite Church, it exists in
spite of the life-long desire and intent of the Campbells and their co-laborers.
Nor was it their purpose to reform any existing de-nomination. While there was
room for a reformation in the denominations of their day, they believed that a
denomination, no difference how great a reformation it might undergo, would
still be a thing unsanctioned by the Bible. Martin Luther undertook to reform
the Catholic church. In this he failed. But his labor resulted in the
establishment of Protestantism. John Wesley undertook to reform the English
church, and his work resulted in the establishment of Methodism. The Camp-bells
and their co-laborers undertook neither to establish another denomination, nor
to reform any existing one. If their literature is to be the guide to our
conclusions, they sought: To Restore the Church to the World as it was in the
Beginning.

They did not believe that the church had become ex-tinct. Nor did they hold that
the church existed merely in the “seed.” Not that. The phrase “prevail against”
(Matthew 16:18), was defined “overcome,” and that prom-ise interpreted to mean
that Christ’s church still existed. The Jews, by reason of their disobedience to
God, were carried away into captivity to the Babylonians. But, though under that
galling yoke, they were still God’s people. What they needed was to he brought
out of Babylon, and their law and worship restored. The “man of sin“ had carried
Christ’s church away into captivity to the “doctrines and commandments of men.’’
What it needed was to be led out of denominationalism, and the “ancient order of
things” restored. This they determined to do. In the beginuing, Christ’s church
was precisely what he wanted it to be. Had he desired that it he different, he
would have established it differently. He saw the end from the beginning, and
constituted his church to meet the needs of man in every age and under every
condition To what extent, then, the church of today differs from the church
then, to that extent is the church of today wrong. Moreover, if God looked with
favor upon the work of establishing the church, his blessings will attend him
who attempts to restore it when apostate,

During the early life of the church, while it had its troubles, both from
without and from within, it was not troubled with the divisions which have since
charac-terized it. Denominationlism had not yet been bom, nor had sectarianism
yet become respectable. Every Christian in the world was a member of Christ’s
church, for the simple reason that the same process that made them Christians
made them members. All Christians are children of God. Whatever makes one a
Christian makes one a child of God. But God’s children constitute his family on
earth. God has no children that are not in his family. And his family is his
church. From this it follows that all Christians are members of God’s church,
that the sum total of Christians on the earth constitutes God’s church. But many
who have become Christians, and, therefore, members of Christ’s church have
become members, also, of a church not of Christ. They belong to two churches,
the church of Christ, and a church not of Christ. We claim to be members of the
church of Christ only, but do not claim to be the only people who do. We plead
with people to cease being members of a church not of Christ, and to remain
members of the church of Christ alone.

We claim to be Christians only, but do not claim to be the only Christians.
While we believe that many identified with the denominations have become
Chris-tians, they have taken on much that is neither Christian-ity nor anything
akin to it. Such people are more than Christians, and in becoming more than
Christians they have become less than what Christians should be. We strive to
induce such people to cease being more than Christians, and to be Christians
only. When the Ethi-opian nobleman heard, believed, and obeyed the gospel as
preached by Philip, he became a Christian. But he did not once become more than
a Christian. Had God desired him to become more, he would have been so directed.
To become more than a Christian, and, there-fore, less than what a Christian
should be, it is required that one shall hear, believe, and obey more than was
heard, believed and obeyed by this man. We strive with preachers to cease
preaching more than was preached by Philip, to the end that people may become
Christians ohly, neither more nor less. A chief item in our plea, then, is for a
complete:— Destruction of Denominationalism From the Earth

It can mean nothing else. And herein we discover the secret of the hatred toward
it which characterizes the sectarian. His effort is to build high the “wall of
separa-tion” surrounding his party and keeping it separate from those whom he
admits are Christians, while our effort is to crumble such into dust. When
denomiuationalism is destroyed, the way will be open through which God’s people
may become “one”, but not before. Just how any man can ever raise his voice
against such a “plea” is certainly one of the mysteries of sin.

It is difficult in this day for the world to learn that Christianity may be
purely undenominational. When you tell a man that you are a Christian, he wants
to know what kind of a Christian you are. If you tell him you are simply and
only a Christian, neither more nor less, he knows not where to place you. If you
tell him you are a member of the church of Christ, he wants to know to what
branch of it you belong. When you tell him that you do not belong to any
“branch”, but simply and only to the church which Jesus built, he is unable to
give you a “local habitation and name.” In the New Testament day people became
Christians, neither more nor less. Their becoming Christians made them members
of the church of Christ, but they did not become members of anything else. There
was no denomination to become members of. This all know who know anything about
it. And if the church shall ever again become what it was then, this condition
will obtain. But sects and parties will never cease to be until man-made
doctrines have been discarded. And thus we are brought to consider another item
in this “plea”:— The Destruction of Creeds and Confessions of Faith

They are the soil from which sects grow. True, the sect exists before the creed
is reduced to writing, but the principles it sets forth were promulged, and
people were rallying around them, before the sect existed, and were its cause.
If a “creed” contains more than the Bible it contains too much; if it contains
less than the Bible it contains too little; if it contains precisely and only
what the Bible contains, then is it a Bible and not a “creed” at all. Thus the
“fathers” argued. But why, it may be asked, do men propagate false principles in
religion? The answer is easy: Men do not understand the Bible. But this leads us
to consider another item in our “plea”: A Correct Method of Studying the Bible.
The devotee of “creeds” contends for them on the ground that the uneducated
masses cannot, understand the Bible. We readily concede that the masses do not
understand the Bible, but insist that their failure results from their method of
studying it. 'Given a correct method of study in g^it, men will understand it
and, when they understand it, the last thing that looks like an argument for
“creeds” will vanish into thin air. I was a regular attendant unon the services
of sectarian churches during the first twenty-five years of my life, and never
in that time did I listen to .one sermon designed to teach people how to study
the Bible. Alexander Campbell startled the religious world by his “Sermon, on
the Law”, showing men how to “rightly divide the word of truth.” From that day
until this, the strongest plain churches of Christ have existed in those
communities where those principles have been the most forcefully maintained.•
Sec- retarians, for the most part, are what they are on account of ignorance of
the Bible. But they would study it, and understand it, if they knew how to study
it. Why, for instance, do men sprinkle water on infants? Do they quote the
“commission” as authority for their deed? Certainly not. Why should I spend my
time trying to induce people to be baptized so long as they know no better than
to parry my argument with the fact that Abraham was not baptized? Why should I
urge people to cease using instruments of music in thnir worship, so long as
they know no better than to remind me that David said, “Praise him with psaltery
and harp”? The law of Moses is not binding upon us.because, (1), it was never
given to Gentiles, and, (2), it ended at the death of Christ. No one can read
the Bible Understand* ingly until he learns- that simple truth. But this is the
very thing our neighbors do not know. Things said by Moses and David are aeld
equally applicable to, and binding upon, us to-day as are the teachings of
Christ and the apostles. Small wonder that churches languish; small wonder that
infidelity stalks triumphantly through our land. Under such teaching, nothing
but confusion can result. The unbeliever sees no people keeping the law of
Moses, how can he, if he be intelligent, do otherwise than stand aloof from the
church so long as he is taught that it is binding upon men to-day? If the onward
march of infidelity is ever checked, preachers of the plain churches of Christ
will have it to do. If people are ever brought to an understanding of the gospel
plan of salvation, the young men, for the most part, who are being trained for
that work at Abilene Christian College, and the Nashville Bible School, and
Freed-Hardeman at Henderson, and our other institutions of learning will have to
teach it to them. Our religious neighbors don’t know how. Comparing, however,
the number of plain Christians and churches now with their number fifty years
ago, I do not believe that the success attends our efforts now that did then. I
trace this to the failure of our preachers to properly stress our “plea”,
especially the item: A Proper Division of the Word. Our strength lies in our
peculiarities—the things which distinguish us from our religious neighbors—while
this is their weakness. Don’t forget that. The Simplicity of New Testament
Conversion This was another item in the Plea and Principles of which I speak.
Men must be taught that the “great commission” 'is the first, last and only
world-wide and age-lasting au-thority given by the Master for the evangelization
of the world. They must be taught that Acts of Apostles is the record of the
acts of the apostles in executing that “Commission.” The idea so prevalent that
the Holy Spirit operates separately and independently of the truth, going before
it and preparing the heart of man for its reception, must be assailed from every
hill and valley in the land. The gospel of Christ, in its most inclusive sense,
has facts to be heard, commands to be obeyed, and promises to be enjoyed. Paul
was not ashamed of it, for, said he, it “is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth. ” He preached it to the jailor in Philippi, and so
powerful was its effect upon that man that he washed the stripes from Paul’s
back, fed him at his own table, was baptized by his hands, and “rejoiced greatly
with all his house, having believed in God.” If the church is ever restored to
its ancient purity, the people must be taught that “The way of holiness” is so
sim-ple that “warfaring men, yea fools, shall not err there-in.” Another
important item in this Plea, is for a:

Strict Conformity to the Revealed Will of Christ.

All practices, therefore, having their origin in tradi-tion, human reason, or
expediency, are utterly eschewed. We strive to induce all the truly pious in
Christ to become perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same
judgment, by accepting, as doctrine, precisely and (Inly what is either actual
ly asserted or necessarily implied in the Bible; to speak the same things by
speaking what the Bible speaks, and to speak them in the language of the Bible;
and to practice the same things by doing simply the will of Christ. We accept,
as matters of faith, what, and only what, the Scriptures teach, do everything
and only what they enjoin, and reject everything they do not sanction.

There is a divinely established order of Christian worship for the Christian
assembly'. It consists in singing, praying, teaching God’s truth, making a
contribution of our means, and partaking of the Lord’s supper Those who do more
than these, as worship to God, do so without faith, for “faith cometh of
hearing” God’s truth, and these alone are the acts of worship authorized
therein. However, while we strive to conform our practices to the precepts and
examples of God’s word, we should strive, also, to mark the distinction between:

Essentials and Incidentals in Work and Worship Our Master’s command to “Go teach
all nations” is binding upon us today, but his riding upon a donkey was not
intended as an example for our imitation. We must “go,” but are at liberty to do
so by any method of travel at our command.

We must make a contribution of our means, but, in making it, we are at liberty
to do so by any method which commends itself to our common sense, remembering
that all things should be done in decency and order. Hence, we may put our money
into a collection plate which is being passed through the congregation, or walk
up to the front of the house and put it on a table, or into some receptacle
thereon. The ancient assemblies sang. This, too, is an example for us. But,
while God has bound singing upon us as an act. of worship for the Christian
assembly, He has not bound any method of singing upon Us. It is freely
ad-mitted, by all who know, that our method of singing lacks nigh onto a
thousand years of being as old as the church of Christ. Knowing this, many
professed followers of Christ refuse to worship with congregations where the
modern method of singing is employed, contending that not only should we sing,
but in doing so, we should employ the same method that was employed by Christ
and the early Christians and churches. Such people are unable to distinguish
between an essential and an incidental. The essential thing is sing, and the
incidental is the method.

Teaching, too, was a thing done in the ancient assem-blies and from this fact,
if from no other, we would conclude that we should teach. But some contend that,
not only should we teach in our assemblies, but the same method of teaching
employed then should be the only method employed now. Prom this contention much
alienation and strife have come. In some instances brethren have refused to
longer worship with congregations where modern methods of teaching are employed,
and have gone off to themselves and established another. Before doing this they
should remember that there is a difference as broad as the ocean between an act
of worship, upon the one hand, and the way, method, or manner of doing that act
upon the other; that there is a distinction between the essential and the
incidental. They should remember, moreover, that the liberty, they exercise in
singing by modern methods—methods unheard of for .almost a thousand years after
the New Testament day—is the same liberty claimed by those who teach by modern
methods. The above constitute but a few of the items in the Plea and Principles
set forth by the “fathers of the restoration”, space forbidding more. Those men
have long since gone to their reward, as have those of the generation succeeding
them. We too, ere long, shall lay down our armor at the feet of the Captain of
our Salvation, but the cause we love will live on, for eternal truth can never
perish. God grant that we may transmit it to them in the purity in which we
received it!


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  CHAPTER 13: STANDING BY THE CROSS
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Standing By The Cross STANDING BY THE CROSS By U. R. FORREST

I. Introduction

I am just as glad to be Here as I can be. I thank Bt'other Baxter for what he
has said about me. I am genuinely appreciative of what he said and the trust
shall be cared for in harmonj' with the thought prompt-ing the action taken.

I am glad to be here and to have part in this meeting, (1) because it seems so
natural to be here, even if this campus doesn’t look like it did ten years ago,
there are still some old landmarks that look natural to me. It seems natural to
be here at this time of the year especially. I seldom miss one of these
meetings. (2) In the second place 1 am glad to be here because I consider that I
am being honored when asked to speak at this time. I consider it an honor
primarily because none are selected and placed on the program in these meetings
but those whom the arrangement committee believe to be genuine Christian
gentlemen. And I pray my Father in heaven to help me so live before my fellow
travelers to the judg ruent bar of the Supreme Judge of the universe that my
dear friend and Brother Baxter and those of you who have had to do with the
arranging of this week’s work, will never have occasion to regret, having
favored me with a part in this program.

I hope to be able this morning to say just what I want to say and in the way I
want to say it. I believe that the church of the Lord needs just what I want to
say.

If I did not believe that I would talk about something else. My subject is
“Standing by the Cross.” You who are familiar with the New Testament, know
doubtless, that I have in mind, at least for the purpose of illustrat-ing the
lesson, the story of the Lord’s Crucifixion as told by John in the 19th chapter
of his version of the Gospel of Christ, 25th, 26th and 27th verses. In that
narrative we see the Lord on the cross, and at the foot of that “Old Rugged
Cross” we see the Lord’s mother and some other women and John the beloved.
Peter, who had followed “afar off,” and others perhaps were standing at a
distance. • Not because they did not love the Lord, but because they were afraid
of being criticized no doubt. For this very reason, men, preach-ers, today are a
long way from the cross, so to speak, afraid to come right out and say “yes, I
stand for this or that.” Because of that fear, I may not be able to say all that
I would like to say and believe should be said while trying to present and
emphasize the points that I have in mind this morning.

II. What It Means to Stand by the Cross'.

We all know what is meant when some fellow talks about standing by. We
understand that figure of speech. Many touching stories have we heard and read
about some brave youth standing by the flag. We know what is meant. We know they
stood by and fought for “Old Glory.” The captain says, “Stay with the ship,
boys.” They know what that command means.

Well, when the cross is mentioned, we think of Christ. To us the cross
represents Christ, Then to “Stay with the cross” means to me this morning, to
stay with Christ the Lord and stand for and by the church and the “Old Jerusalem
Gospel” regardless of what others do, say or even think. It means just what Paul
meant when he said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” Had he been
ashamed of the gospel, he could not have said as he did say, ‘ ‘ I glory in the
cross. ” So in Acts 20:27, Paul says, “I have not shunned to declare the whole
counsel of God.” He stood by the cross—gloried in the cross. He preached the
gospel to saint and sinner without fear or favor. He contended for the faith
onee for all delivered to the saints (2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Timothy 2:3-4; Jude 1:3;
2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 2:2).

III. Paul Was a Popular Preacher.

He was talked about, he was known and talked about, all over the then known
world. We human beings like popularity. Especially we young preacers like
popularity. I believe that gospel preachers should be popular We should be known
for our godliness, purity, good works and firmness. But the man who has no
conviction has no popularity. Just name one gospel preacher who is ashamed of
the goBpel, that has the confidence and the respect of the brotherhood or even
the world. Nobody respects a spineless jelly fish preacher. I heard a man who
was supposed to be a gospel preacher, say “I have been guilty of contending for
the first principles, but if God will forgive me for it, I shall never do it
again.” You don't know who I am talking about, that makes no difference, I am
not going to tell you here. But hear me, That man is not getting anywhere, he
will never get anywhere. You go out in the world to preach, “brother” the sects
as you go, and have their preachers lead the prayers in your meetings, you will
be a failure, and you might as well get in with the digressives before you
start. Then I don’t know—can’t tell what will be-come of you after while,
because they are dying as a result of their weakness and their lack of
conviction.

God have mercy on the church of the Lord Jesus Christ when men like that are
leaders and preachers and teachers. Just in this connection I want to read a
part of one of a series of articles by our good Brother J. N. Armstrong:

“Last week I said ‘Worldly wisdom is fast fashioning the church of our Lord.
There is no way to save it so far as I know.’ “I mean by this that the church is
headed that way and that it will go on and on till it lands in the ditch. It is
doomed, I think. Some of the best preachers and strongest churches we have are
in front and they plan no change. The course appeals to the flesh, both of the
preacher and of the churches. It is the way of least re-sistance. So I expect
‘us’ to travel on, rather gallop on, until we go into denominationalism
head-over-heels. “Finally, a small remnant will no doubt draw out and start it
all over again, just as it was done in the beginning of the Restoration
movement. It will grow so bad and the claim to be Christians and only Christians
become so hollow and empty, that the remnant cannot endure longer and will turn
aside from the great movement to begin again a simple church of New Testament
order. Again the church will go through the testing the fire of persecution that
they are approved may be manifest.

“The signs, brethren, are all about us. Open your eyes and behold the “signs of
the times.”

“For instance, you cannot discuss anything thoroughly in any of “our” churches
or “papers.” The brethren who read the papers will not ‘ ‘ stand for it ’ ’ and
all kinds of errors are growing up in the church. The brethren do net believe in
discussions and debates. They believe they do more harm than good. They want a
paper that they can hand to their neighbors and so we must not discuss our
“differences” in the papers. Not only do we want a paper that we can hand to our
neighbors, but we want a preacher also that can preach so as not to offend our
neighbors when they come to “our church.”

“Yet, it is a fact that the first hundred years of the church was an age filled
with dispute, debate and dis-cussion. There never has been, perhaps, so much
heated discussion, religious discussions, as in that age. Then when the
Campbells and Scotts and Stones began the restoration movement, it too, was
characterized by con-tinuous and heated discussion. Day and night they were in
debates and discussions. This continued right along until the enemies refused to
debate and discuss the questions involved. In dicussion and through discussion,
truth has always thrived and prospered. While on the other hand, error grows and
dominates when discussion is shut out. Tbris is its opportunity. The devil is
delighted when he can influence good people to put away debate and discussion. I
know that he has led people to believe that no good results from discussions and
that it ' only deepens prejudice, but it is not true. Individuals may receive no
good, their prejudice may even be deepened, but the great cause of truth is
advanced by honorable discussion. Truth in all lines advances, steadily
advances, by means of severe and testing contests.

“I dislike very much, wrangling and ugly personalities. So I am not contending
for wrangling and for ugly debate, but for honorable discussion of real issues.
Nor am I contending for the discussion of unprofitable questions. But for close,
careful discriminating examination of real issues that involve truth, right and
wrong. More, I believe the hope of spreading truth and the salvation of the
church from denominationalism depends upon the eliminating of error from truth
by an earnest contention for truth and right, and this contention will involve
discussion. It has always done it. For if my positions go unchallenged, then I
go to my grave advocating, teaching, whatever error I may hold.

“As I said in my article last week, it is a condition we are dealing with. This
condition has not come over night, hut it has crept upon us through these years
and has fastened its thongs upon us to stay forever.”

We are doing things in a big way. It always makes me about half “sore” to have
some fellow come around in the interest of something, and get up in the presence
of saint and sinner and abuse the church and members of the church; tell about
how sorry we are, how little we are doing, etc. We are doing big things, in a
big way. I believe in being optimistic.

We may not have always done as much as we should but we are getting more
respectable every day. Brother W. D. Bills said to me in a letter not long ago:
“We are getting to be very respectable, now if we do not get too respectable, we
will be all right.” That suggestion sticks to me, because I know that people are
prone to swing from one extreme to another.

Brethren it is time for us to call a halt. I am speaking to young men today who
plan to go out into the world to preach. What are you going to be? A Christian
or just anything? What are you going to do? Try to please the people? If so you
are going to find your task a hard one. It cannot be done. I do not care whether
the world likes my preaching or not. I never have cared. And I am getting along
very well. I am trying to preach like Paul, Peter, James and John, and when I am
doing that I am pleasing the Lord, and I am not uneasy about my welfare and my
future, “God will take care of you.”

IV. A Contrast In contrast with Paul and his life I want to talk a while about
another man: Demas (2 Timothy 4:10). Demas shared the great hopes of this
missionary saint . with whom he was associated. He had a part in his far and
glorious visions. Not only did this young man share in the daring deam of Paul,
he also shared in his efforts toward the realization of that dream. When Paul
went forth to preach the gospel, Demas walked by his side. When Paul had faced
dangers Dfcmas faced those dangers with him. Diemas had shared Paul’s vision,
and he had also shared Paul’s task. But tijat experience is of yesterday. Demas
is not found at the side of Paul any more. He no longer labors with this great
hearted preacher, who gloried in the cross. And Paul writes with sorrow that
wets his face with tears, “Dema-s hath forsaken me.”

Demas did not commit a great crime that made it necessary for him to leave Rome.
No, he was guilty of no crime like that. The foe that wrought the ruin of Demas
appears so innocent and harmless that he would scarcely regard it as a foe at
all. What proved the undoing of Demas? Paul’s answer is, “Demas hath for-saken
me, having loved this present world.”

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” John says, “Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him.” Paul wrote a letter one day, among other things he
said, “I tell you even weeping that some of you are enemies of the cross of
Christ.” Why ? They were in loVe with the world, doubtless. But what is this
world that we are forbidden to love? I am sure that it is not the physical
universe. It was all put here for our good. Nor are we forbidden to love the
world of men, ‘ ‘ God so loved the world that he gave his Son.”

What, then, is the world that we are forbidden to love ? To love the world as
another has pointed out, is to be brought into bondage to that something in the
world that keeps us putting forth our uttermost endeavors to please ourselves
and the world. Self-pleasing is the spirit that dominates the world. And to love
the world is to be brought under the domination of that spirit. So Paul might
have said, “Demas hath forsaken me, having desired to do as he pleased.” As
Demas worked at Paul’s side over in that great city of Rome, he began to feel
this love of the world tugging at his heart. Paul was always consulting the
higher will. There were people in Rome who were going their own way and
seemingly making a great nuccess of it. Demas coiild not close his eyes to this
fact. He could not keep from, asking himself, “Why cannot I taste life as they
are tasting it, and enjoy life as they seem to be enjoying it?”

I see Paul and Demas walking down the street, one of the main streets of Rome,
on their way to church. About them are the splendors of the great city. The
lights are bright, here is a big show house into which they might go; here is a
fine church building of some kind in which Paul might preach tonight if he would
but turn from Christ, the cross of the gospel. But with his eye fixed straight
ahead he goes on. Demas is watching these things. Paul sees them not. Now the
lights grow dimmer and the streets are narrower. At last they come to an out of
the way place. It looks very much like a tomb, but a few of the saints have met
there with Paul and Demas to preach and sing and pray. Demas is still thinking
about the bright lights up town, and of the joy there, suddenly he thinks of
himself and just in time to hear Paul say, “The things that are seen are
temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal.” Demas thinks, “I am not
ashamed of the gospel. Again, I glory in the cross. He may be telling the folks
about the great commission, or how to worship as Christians should, how to sing
and pray, etc.” Demas says, “Oh well, Paul is honest no doubt, but he is
narrow.” And a few days later Demas is gone. Where? Thessalonica. Why? * Seeking
the glory of the world. He said, “I shall take the cash and let the credit go.”

Now, go with me to Thessalonica, we are walking down a fine street well lighted,
shaded, etc. We meet a man, he says, “Yes, this is the best street in town, the
rich live on this street.’* “Oh! Who lives in that fine mansion yonder on the
hill?’’ “A man by the name of Demas, ” we are told. We gain admittance. We see
the very finest carpets, tapestry and everything, just as fine as can be. One
night we attended a feast at his house. Demas gathers about him the gayest of
the gay. They belong to the highest social set of the city. Demas entertains, as
but few men can. After the feast we hasten to congratulate him, but we see that
he is not happy (the world never brings happiness). “Demas, I wish you could
meet a very dear friend of mine, he is a joy bringer. I am sorry to say that he
is in prison over in Rome. His name is Paul. He is a great joy bringer. Why, do
you know Paul?” “I used to know him. The one bit of light and joy in this dreary
life of mine is the time spent with Paul, the Lord and the Cross. I have wished
a thousand times I had never left him. But I loved the world, and the praise of
men. I have not only attained that, but I am miserable, and do not suppose I
will ever have courage enough to go back to the Cross. As far as we know he
never did.

V. Another Example

I think of another quitter. Mark was a young preacher when he first went out
with Barnabas and Paul on that first missionary trip. Mark was greatly trusted,
he was highly honored. He went over to Cyprus with his two friends. Mark soon
saw that the task wras a hard one. Soon we see him turn his back on his friends
and on their discomforts and their hardships and making his way home. In this
turning back he lost the cross. So you see, Mark is a quitter. God and his
church had honored him with a task, but he threw it down. They had trusted him
with a position of responsibility, and now he turns his back upon it. He did
very well when nothing was expected of him, but to parade. But when the real
fight came he threw down his weapons and fled.

Why did Mark quit? He did not do 'so because his friends wanted him to quit.
Paul and Barnabas did not drive him away. They did not wrong him and make his
work an impossibility. It was not because he was no longer needed. He knew that
he was needed. He knew that he could render a real service if he would only
stand by. But in spite of this fact he left.

Why did he leave? We are not told just why, but I am sure that he could give no
reason for his conduct that would pass muster. In no way could he justify his
having played the role of a quitter. And in this respect he is like those among
ourselves who quit. No man can justify himself for withdrawing from the fight
and giving over the battle. As I read the life story of John Mark, I am
convinced of this: that Mark quit because he was afraid of the hardships, of the
self-denial and of the dangers that confronted him. He had possibly had too much
petting. He was a bit soft. When he found that being a mis-sionary meant
downright hardships, that it meant pri-vations, hard work and facing danger, he
decided that the enterprise was too costly. He made up his mind that he would
not pay the price. So he threw down his ask and set out for home.

Mark is not the only quitter, Their name is legion to this hour. But why so many
quitters? It we were able to talk to each of them we should doubtless hear many
excuses. But, I dare to say the most of them, were they to give the real reason,
would give that that lay back of the desertion of John Mark. They simply have
not devotion enough to the cause of Christ, his church, the kingdom of God, and
the gospel to pay the price. They are not willing to plod along in the straight
and narrow pathway that, leads to the home sweet home of the soul. They are
unwilling to meet that test of disciplesliip laid down by the Master himself;
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily
and follow me.” But Mark came back. They do not all come back, but Mark did. And
he did a wonderful work after that. He did wrong, but made amends, and the Lord
took him back. That is encouraging to me. It helps me to get up after I have
fallen, and try again and keep on trying.

Barnabas was an easy kind of a fellow, and men like that are sometimes
responsible, in a measure, for young men being soft.

Peter could have helped him come back. He could tell him how he was down
once—how he fell—and how the Lord tok him back. But I think Paul had as much to
do with his coming back as any other man. Paul refused to even go out with him
on another trip. He gave him a real rebuke, and he came to his senses, came to
himself. Anyway we see him back in the work. And back at the cross. And I am
pretty sure that he spent the remainder of his life there. But Demos never came
back so far as we know.

Paul never did leave. And where can you find a preacher with greater honors than
Paul. Paul, from, his prison cell, can look into the past of which he is not
ashamed. There is many a sacrifice in it, many a conflict, many a persecution,
many a sleep-less night, many a tear. But the grand old hero looks upon it all
with a smile, and takes up his pen and writes, “I have fought the good fight, I
have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

VI. Some Great Needs of Today.

We need a lot of things today. We need more money. We need better buildings. We
need more schools like this—thank God for A. C. C. We need education and a lot
of things along this line. But friends, most of all. we need more men and women
who glory in the cross, who are not ashamed of the gospel. We need preachers to
stand by the cross. We need preachers out in the world who are willing, ready
and able to meet the ene-mies of the New Testament Church and the gospel, in
public debate in the country, in the towns and cities, on the foreign fields and
at home, anywhere and every-where that men need to be saved. We need preachers
to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

Missions have never heard the story of the cross, we need preachers. Millions
are following blind leaders. We need preachers there. In fact we need preachers
everywhere. But we want those who will stand by the cross as Paul did. I had
rather see you go out into the world to preach, without money and. without price
and without education, if you contend for the faith, than to see you go with all
the degrees and honors that schools and colleges can give man, if such things
have weakened your faith in God Almighty and you will to contend for the faith.
I would to God that every gospel preacher had a good college education with the
honors and degrees that go with it if they, while obtaining them, learn enough,
to know what to do with them when they got them. In other words, learn how to
forget that they have them, when they get in the pulpit. When I first decided to
preach the gospel, I went to Brother 0. E. Bonner, than whom there are none
greater in the church today, in my estimation, and told him of my purpose and he
said, "Ulmer, there is just one sug-gestion I want to make. For the first two
years, don’t you preach on anything but first principles.” I thought that was
foolish advice, but I took it. And I have leaimed since, that before you can
build a good house, a building to stand, you must lay the foundation broad, deep
and strong. "A hint to the wise is sufficient.”

VII. This Suggestion in Conclusion.

Let us, young and old, together march out like a great wall, with our feet shod
with the preparation of the gos-pel of peace, with the shield of faith and the
helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, and defend the blood-stained
banner of Prince Emmanuel, fighting un-der his directions and instructions until
Jehovah calls us to that City that hath foundations not made with hands. Fight,
I say Fight! until time for us to stack arms on fairer fields and brighter
crimes.

I thank you and may God bless us all with those things that we need and deserve.


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  CHAPTER 14: THE PULPIT OF POWER IS THE PULPIT OF THE GOSPEL
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The Pulpit of Power is the Pulpit of the Gospel THE PULPIT OF POWER IS THE
PULPIT OF THE GOSPEL By L. S. WHITE In this discourse, the word “pulpit” is not
used in reference to the platform on which a public speaker stands, but to every
means the Lord has ordained for the teaching of His word. Our Savior said: “Go
ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every crea-ture” (Mark 16:15).
This text is the basis of all that may be said on this subject, at least so far
as this discourse goes; and much is said in the Bible on the subject of the
gospel.

Paul said he was “Separated unto the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1). It is the
gospel of God because it originated in the mind and purpose of Gbd, and came
from him. But in Romans 1:16, it is called “the gospel of Christ.” Why? Because
Christ died to establish the gospel, and is the imediate author and subject
matter of the gospel. In Acts 20:24, we read: “Which I have received of the Lord
Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” It is called “the gospel of
the grace of God” because it is the means the Lord used in bestowing the grace
of God on the human family. Also in Ephesians 1:13, this same gospel is called:
“the gospel of your salvation,” It is thus called because the gospel contains
the conditions with which people must comply in order to be saved. And in Romans
10:15, it is called, “the gospel of peace.” It is so called because by obedience
to the gospel, we make peace with God, and stand free and justified in his
sight. These different Scriptures all coin-cide, and teach a great lesson. The
apostle, Peter, asked the question: “'"What shall the end be of them that obey
not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). Paul answers Peter’s question by telling
us that people who do not obey the gospel will be :“Banished from the presence
of God, and from the, glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

If the pulpit ever loses its power, it will be because it ceases to preach the
gospel. The gospel is the message. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that bellevetli;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). Paul did not say, “The
gospel is a power of God,” neither did he say, “It is some power,” or “A part of
a power,” but emphatically declared it “is the power of God.” And I want to
emphasize the fact that the gospel of Christ is the only power God uses to save
people. The power of the pulpit lies in the message, and the messenger. The
message is the gospel. The message is perfect and sufficient. “All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for re-proof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly fur-nished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But the
message may be hindered by the messenger. Every minister of the gospel is either
a “live wire” or a “cut-off”; he transmits the power or sidetracks the current.
The messenger who has character and wisdom gives the gospel an opportunity to
reach the hearts and consciences of men and women. And here we had as well learn
as anywhere that God has made it the privilege and duty of the pulpit to bring
fallen humanity into contact with the gospel. “For the word of God is quick and
power-ful” (Hebrews 4:12). The word “powerful” means “full of' power.” And while
this is absolutely true, that power must be applied to become effective. For
example, an engine has power to draw a train of cars, but is powerless to move
the train till the train is placed in contact with the power of the engine. So
is the gospel powerless to save till the unsaved are placed in contact with
G*od’s power in the gospel to save. Hence, the binding obligation of the pulpit
to bring the gospel message to the lost. Nothing else will do. Jehovah never
inspired any man to know as much as he knows, nor to preach what Christ did not
proclaim. Those who say, “Here is something in religion Christ has not told you”
are “blind leaders,” and should not be heard, much less, followed. Spurgeon once
said “If the revelation of God were not enough for our faith, what could we add
to it?” And since revelation was completed, many have tried to teach new things
and make them true; but their true things were not new, and their new things
were not true. To one and all I plead that the foundation has been laid by our
Lord, the healing medicine has been prepared, the cleansing element is ready,
and what remains is the redeeming power of Christ in the lives of his people.

Christ said, “If I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John
12:32). "While he was lifted up on the cross a long time ago, he must now be
lifted up in the gospel and in our lives; for the preaching of the gospel
produces faith in the mind and heart of the honest seeker after truth. “So then
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17) And the
application of the gospel to an honest, inquiring heart, produces conversion, as
the following Scriptures show: ‘‘For after that in the wisdom of God the world
by wisdom knew not God,*it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the
Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:21-24). ‘‘For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall
they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”
(Romans 10:13-14). “Many of the Corinthians bearing, believed, and were
baptized” (Acts 18:8). Paul and Barnabas went into the synagogue, “and so spake,
that a great multitude, both of the Jews, and also of the Greeks, believed”
(Acts 14:1). “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that
is the word of faith, which we preach” (Romans 10:8). In fact, our God has
revealed no other way of making Christians; for Christ said, “All authority is
given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with Vou always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt,
28:18-20). “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature He
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall
be damned” (Mark 16:15-16).

"Thus it is written,and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the
dead the third day: and that repentance and re-mission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47).
‘‘Neither is there salvation in any other (than Christ) : for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
This is the message of the pulpit; and it is the gospel that saves. And those
who hear, believe, and obey this gospel are added by the Lord himself to the
inner circle he Is pleased to call the ‘‘church.” “And the Lord added to the
church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). And no power can prevail
against this church. “Upon this rock I will build my church: and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). “I have set before thee an
open door, and no man can shut it” (Revelation 3:8). The preaching of the gospel
by the early pulpit broke down all barriers of easte, race, and nation.
Prejudice and error entrenched behind wealth and social position gave way before
it. In fact, the most marvelous thing in the world is the power of the gospel as
preached in its simplicity and purity in the early church. It will have the same
effect today when the pulpit is as true to the word of the Lord as in the
Apostolic age.

Some pulpits have lost their power. Why? Simply because they have substituted
something else for the gospel. “Social service,” and various sorts of
amuse-ments and societies have taken the place of the gospel in some places: and
when these things, or anything else, is substituted for the gospel of Christ, I
am ready to say, “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they laid
him.” Such a message has no power to save the lost or to help the saints.

It s sad to see some of the announcements in the daily papers of what men are
going to preach about from their pulpits on the Lord’s day. Here are some
samples:

1 was conducting a meeting in a great city, and a preacher announced through the
paper that he would preach on Sunday morning on the subject of “Thirty Cent
Gas.” A fight was being waged in that city to reduce the price of gas to thirty
cents a thousand cubic feet. In another city where I was in a meeting, a column
and a half of a daily paper was used to give a synopsis ’ of a sermon preached
on Sunday morning oh the subject: “The Unfinished Work of Abraham Lincoln.” I
recently saw in a paper where a preacher announced he would preach on the
question: “Is Kissing Sanitary?”

I could use much space in recounting subjects I have seen announced through the
papers for men to preach on. A prominent preacher once said to me in a large
city where he had preached for years: “I have good audiences on Sunday mornings,
but only a handful on Sunday nights, I have tried various kinds of
entertain-ments and amusements to draw crowds on Sunday nights.

I have even put moving picture shows in my services; but I stand in my church
door on Sunday nights and see people pass by on their way to the theatre, I have
tried everything I know to get people to come to church on Sunday nights, and
have failed; and I would like to know what you have to suggest to me to try
next.” I quickly said to him: “I suggest you try the gospel.” And I will say
here that when the church goes into competition with the theatre, moving picture
show, or anything else in the way of worldly amusement, the church will lose
out, and ought to lose out; for the church is not a place to he amused or
entertained, but a place to worship God in spirit and in truth. Oh, that we
could make the world realize it means something to belong to the church. The
pulpit of power is the pulpit of faith. “Nothing avails anything except faith
which works by love” (Galatians 5:6). The pulpit is no place to preach doubts.
In fact, the true gospel preacher has no doubts about the word of the Lord.
Christ said, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). People go to church on the Lord’s
day after they have jbeen battered and scarred in the fierce con-flicts with the
world, the flesh, and the devil during the past week. They are heart-sick and
weary, and need help. They do not want a minister to preach about his doubts.
They do not want him to have any doubts. They have enough doubts of their own.
And I am persuaded that the people want a minister to preach the whole gospel as
it is written in the Bible, without fear, favor, or apology; for the faith that
saves is an affectionate confidence in, acceptance of, and obedience to a
personal Savior. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1) And if the people can be made to realize that
Jesus Christ sees and hears all they do, and will judge them accordingly, they
are not going to lie, cheat, and defraud their fellow- man as many of them are
now doing. Oh, for a pulpit with faith enough to make Christ real! “I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). And in order to be
able to lead the lost of Christ, the pulpit must have both love and zeal as well
as faith. Paul’s great love and zeal for the Jews ought to stir our hearts to
action. “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me
witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in
my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my
brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Pom, 9:1-3). Hear him again:
‘‘Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might
be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according
to knowledge” (Romans 10:1-2). Such zeal as that today throughout the Church of
Christ would shake the world from center to circumference. Oh, for more zeal!
And last, but not least, the pulpit must put no soft pedal on the coming
judgment. There is nothing better established in the Bible than the fact of the
final judg-ment of all people as described by Jesus Christ in the twenty-fifth
chapter of Matthew. And this lesson on the great Judgment day is one of the most
dramatic things in the Bible. For, knowing he was nearing the end of his earthly
career, Jesus made an outlook on the inevitable coming Judgment day. And this
scene was not painted by the brush of some Michael Angelo, nei-ther is it the
poem of some Dante; but it is a solemn pageant, with its tremendous issues of
life and death, builded by the burning words of Jesus Christ. And each sinner
found his own place in a realm which had not been prepared for him; but which
had been prepared for the devil and his angels.

Paul said, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”
(Hebrews 9:27) If a judgment, and there will be, then there is a law of the
judgment, and everyone will be judged by that law. What is the law? Jesus said,
“He that rejectcth me, and reeeiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him:
the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John
12:48). “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was upened, which is the book of life: and the
dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according
to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and
hades delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man
according to their works. And death and hades were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of
life was cast into the lake of fire”- (Revelation 20:12-15). These Scriptures
forever settle the matter as to the final judgment of all the earth. And here, I
remind you that a court of justice is a solemn procedure; and it is a serious
thing for one to be charged by indictment, and brought before a court for trial.
It is even more terrible for the sentence of death to be pronounced on a
condemned person. But God has an indictment against the whole human family in
the following language: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God” (Romans 3:23). And our Lord will pronounce sentence on the finally
incorrigible: “Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew
25:41). But we will be able to stand in the judgment if our life’s record is
washed in the blood of Christ. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The following description of the
judgment is borne out by the word of the Lord: Here comes a man. The indictment
against him is, that with full knowledge of the facts, he refused to believe.
The law is plain and positive: “He that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark
16:16. Cast him out, and call next case. He refused to repent. The law is:
“Except, ye repent ye shall perish” (Luke 13:3). He is cast into outer darkness.
The next one refused to confess Christ. The law is: “Whosoever shall deny me
before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew
10:33). Cast him out, and bring in next case. The charge against him is, he
refused to be baptized because he said baptism is non-essential. What is
the.law? “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). “Repent and be baptized every one
of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).
“Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the
Lord” (Acts 22:16). Cast him out, for the Lord has no “non-essentials.” What is
the next one charged with? He substituted something for baptism, which he said
would do just as well. He argued that, at least, it would be indecent for ladies
to be immersed; and said it seemed right to him to do some other way.

What is the law in this ease ? ‘ ‘ There is a way that seem- eth right unto a
man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 16 25). What is the
trouble with the next person? He did not think it necessary to meet with the
church regularly for worship, and to study the word of the Lord. The law is
plain in this case: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see
the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews
10:25-26). What is the trouble with this person? He was stingy, and did not give
regularly to the support of the gospel; and at no time gave as he was prospered.
The last in this case is as binding as in baptism, or anything else. The law is:
“ Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as
God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (1 Corinthians
16:2). Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be
not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor re\ilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God”
(1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Such people cannot be saved. Stingy, covetous people are
placed in the same class as “fornicators, adulters, thieves and revilers”; and
Paul expressly declares they “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” But the
next case is of a person who did not live a pure life. The law is “Blessed are
the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Cast him out, and call
next case. Here he is. He did not assist widows and orphans, neither did he
visit the sick. "What is the word of the Lord in this case? “Pure religion and
undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows
in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” 'James 1:27).
And the great host of persons lost, as described in Matthew 25:41-45, were cast
out because they did not do the things that the good Lord tells us it takes to
constitute “pure and undefiled religion. ’'

If the pulpit will hold its place of power with God and man to the salvation of
a lost world, it must preach in faith, love, and sacrifice, the full gospel of
Christ in its ancient purity and simplicity; for it is the power of God. “For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who
are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).


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  CHAPTER 15: HOME MISSIONARY WORK
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Home Missionary Work HOME MISSIONARY WORK By C. A. BUCHANAN The subject of this
address does not relate to a modern religious fad, but to a work well defined in
the New Testament Scriptures. The records of missionary efforts upon the part of
the early Christians take up a large portion of the book of Acts. Numerous
references to missionary work are found also in the epistles. Hence, the
conclusion may be reached in all soberness from an honest and candid study of
the New Testament that missions, both “home” and “foreign,” were among the most
prominent works of the apostolic church. The twelve apostles were the first
missionaries that Jesus sent out, and under the first commission that Jesus
charged them saying, “Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into
any city of the Samaritans: hut go rather to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel, And as >ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt,
10:5-7). And since the church had not been established, and since there was,
therefore, no or-ganization to support these missionaries, their temporal needs
were provided for in a special way. "We read, “Get you no gold, nor silver, nor
brass in your purses; no wallet for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes,
nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. And into whatsoever city or
village ye shall enter, search out who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye
go forth” (verses 9-11). He later sent seventy others under the same
instructions. But after our Lord arose from, the dead, and before he ascended
back to heaven, he delivered unto the apostles a worldwide commission, saying
unto them, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel unto the whole
creation” (Mark 16:15). And again, “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you,
and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew
28:19-20). He commanded them further to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until
they received the power of the Holy Spirit and then they would be his witnesses,
beginning in Jerusalem, then throughout all Judea and Samaria and unto the
uttermost part of the earth (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). The time had come for the
establishment of the church, for an organization was needed through which to
evangelize the world, and we read that it was according to God’s eternal purpose
which he purposed in Christ Jesus that “the manifold wisdom of God should he
made known through the church” (Bph. 3:10, 11). Further*- more, to do all things
commanded of Jesus makes the church necessary, for some things commanded are to
be done in the assembly of the saints. And besides, to make disciples of men,
baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, inducts them into Christ, or the body of Christ, which is the church.
So, immediately after the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and after the
apostles began to preach under the great commission, we read of the church as
being in existence and of souls being added to it. And wherever the gospel was
preached and obeyed after this, congregations sprang up, a result which did not
follow the work of the apostles under the first com-mission. And since Pentecost
the church has been “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15), and
the God-ordained institution back of all true missionary efforts. The actual
missionary labors of the early church did not begin until the church at
Jerusalem was scattered abroad by persecution. The efforts of the enemy to put
the church out of existence only contributed toward its extension throughout the
length and breadth of the earth, for, “they that were scattered abroad went
every-where preaching the word. And Philip went down to the city of Samaria and
preached Christ unto them” (Acts 8:4-5). And again, “They that were scattered
abroad upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen travelled as far as
Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word” (Acts 11:19). These
references also show that the command of Jesus was being carried out in the
order given by him, first in Jerusalem, then throughout all Judea and Samaria,
and unto the utter-most parts of the earth. As the early Christians came to
comprehend the full mission of the church in the world the missionary spirit
grew accordingly. Not just a few of the leading churches, but every church
seemed to become thoroughly imbued with the spirit of missions. Antioch in Syria
became a radiating center for the gospel There were several prophets and
teachers in the church there, and the Holy Spirit said, “Separate me Barnabas
and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. Then when they had fasted
and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away” (Acts 13:1-8). So,
from Antioch'Paul and others went out on several different missionary tours.
When they returned from these tours they made their reports direct to the
chureli at Antioch. The church at Philippi became active in missionary work
early in its history. They sent once and again to Paul’s need (Php_4:16), and he
thanked God for their fellowship in the furtherance of the gospel from the first
day (chapter 1:5). Likewise the church of the Thessalonians became an example,
both in home missions and in foreign mis-sions, for Paul wrote to them thus,
“For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Mace-donia
and Achaia, but in every place your faith to God- ward has gone forth” (1
Thessalonians 1:8). These apostolic churches are our examples, and from them we
may learn the kind of work the Lord would have the church to do as well as how
he wants it done. The local church is the organization which sent the
missionaries in the days of the apostles. There was no separate organization
known as Missionary Society of any kind, home or foreign. Every congregation was
a complete missionary society within itself. There was no general assembly,
synod, conference, association, or convention—district, national or
otherwise—among the early Christians. In fact the New Testament reveals nothing
in the way of a religious organization among them except the local church.
Elders were appointed in every church and every church was independent. Any
religious organization, therefore, other than the local church is unauthorized
in the Scriptures. With no or-ganization other than this greatest missionary
pro-gramme on record was carried out by the early church. The inspired records
show that within about thirty years, beginning with a small group of despised
disciples in the city of Jerusalem, the gospel was preached to the whole
creation under heaven (Colossians 1:23), and the church was planted throughout
the Roman Empire. These facts prove that no organization is needed other than
the church to evangelize the world. It is a reflection upon divine wisdom as
well as a presumptuous sin to substitute any other organization or system. Of
course, we may employ modern methods of communication and travel without
changing the original system. We must distinguish between fundamentals and
incidentals. Methods of travel and communication are purely incidental, whereas,
the church and its organization belong to the class of fundamentals, and
fundamentals do not change with the times. The church was not founded as a
temporary affair to be superseded by some other institution which human wisdom
might devise, for the apostle exclaims, “Unto him be the glory in the church and
in Christ Jesus. unto all generations forever and ever’’ (Ephesians 3:20. Jesus
said he would build his church upon the rock and the “gates of hades should not
prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). And the Scriptures further show that Jesus
Christ became head of the church, that the church is subject to him, that he is
Savior of the body, that he loved the church and gave himself for it, that he
purchased it with his own blood, that he sanctified and cleansed it, and
presented it to himself a glorious church, holy and without blemish, without
spot or wrinkle or any such thing (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:23-27). Certainly,
therefore, the church of Jesus Christ is more permanently established, and more
precious in his sight, and more glorious with him. than any other institution1
on earth. But we rob the church of its glory when we set up other institutions
to do the work the church is designed to do.

Some seek to justify the society by claiming that after all it is nothing more
than the church at work. But others just as honest seek to justify human creeds
and disciplines on the same ground, that they are nothing more than the Bible
interpreted. I think the argument is just as strong for one as for the other.
That the mis-sionary society and the cliurch are two different institu-tions is
evident from the following facts: The head of the society is not the head of the
church; the society has conditions of membership peculiar to itself; it has
officers which the church does not have: it has a constitution and by-laws all
its own.

While the church is the only organization which is authorized to send the
missionaries there is nothing to prohibit any faithful servant of the Lord who
so desires from going into the field, either home or foreign, at his own
charges. But he should be answerable for his con-duct to some local congregation
where he is known, and he should have their endorsement. This will work no
hardship on him if he is a faithful servant indeed. However. the fact that there
are men who are willing to go without a definite promise of support does not
relieve the church of the responsibility of supporting the gospel, for “the Lord
has ordained that they that preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1
Corinthians 9:14).

Every congregation that is strong enough to do so should carry on an independent
program of missionary work. There is less complication and less chance for
embarrassment when this can be done. Any number of congregations, however, may
cooperate in the support of any Scriptural work, without the creation of any
other organization, by placing the work under the direction of one congregaiion.
An arbitrary control should not be exercised, over the work, but all who are
interested should advise together. The New Testament furnishes examples of
individual efforts, as in the case of Aquilla and his wife teaching Apollos the
way of the Lord more accurately (Acts 18:24-28), and of congregational efforts,
as the church at Antioch which sent out Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13, 14), and of
cooperative efforts, as exemplified by the churches that sent relief to the
brethren in Judea (Acts 11:27-30, 1 Corinthians 16:1-3). It is not cooperation
that we oppose, but corporation, for the reason that corporation destroys the
autonomy of the local church.

Departures from the principles of church government revealed in the New
Testament were among the first steps of the apostasy. The “systery of iniquity'’
was at work in the days of the apostle Paul. There were men in the church who
loved the preeminence. The ambition for places of distinction and power revealed
itself even among the chosen twelve. They disputed among them-selves as to who
would be the greatest until Jesus taught them that none should exercise lordship
over the other as the chief ones did among the Gentiles, but that who-soever
would become great among them should be their minister; and whosoever would be
first among them should be servant of all (Mark 10:42-45). This ended the strife
among them as to who should be greatest In the kingdom. And the development of
ecclesiastical power was after the apostle passed from the earth. The
development was gradual-—almost unnoticable at first. In fact the Roman Papacy
was more than five hundred years in developing. But it never could have been if
the principles of independent, congregational government and equality of rank
among the local church officers had not been violated. When these principles
were sacrificed the way was opened up for the growth of human authority in the
church and therefore, for the introduction and adoption of human dietrines. Many
doctrines of today are called orthodox, not because they are taught in the
Bible, but because they have been approved by some church council and written
into some creed. The reformatory movements of modern times have fallen short in
that they have failed to restore the orig-inal organization and practice of the
church. All refor-mations may have accomplished some good but most of them have
resulted in the starting of new denominations with about the same ecclesiastical
machinery as the Roman church has, only in a modified form. The restoration
movemeni of the nineteenth century had as its object a complete return to the
simplicity and purity of the apostolic church, in name, organization, doctrine,
and practice. But there is an old saying that history repeats itself, and recent
developments in what is known as the “res-toration movement,” have confirmed the
saying. When the missionary society movement began among us a few years ago
there were brethren who saw in the movement a serious departure from Bible
principles. But many of our brethren were unable to see any harm in the society.
To these the society seemed to be the best method of cooperative missionary
work. Those who oppose the movement were called “anti-missionary” and
“non-progressive.” And as in the first apostasy, so in this one, one advance
step called for another. Soon there came to be more organizations than there was
room for and it seemed advisable to incorporate all of them under one general
head, so the United Christian Missionary Society was created and incorporated
under the laws of the state of Ohio. And as the glory of the society has
increased the glory of the church has decreased. The society has grown in power
until it is too great to be controlled by the church, and to some of the society
brethren it is proving a very troublesome and unsatisfactory thing. The
Christian Standard has been for some time raising its voice against it, but with
small success. And recently the Standard launched a new publication, The
Touchstone, the purpose of which is to inform the brotherhood against the
society, and thus to check its “progress” if possible—progress, toward Rome. It
is claimed that the officials of the society are incompetent and disleyal to the
truth, that the laws of the state in which the society is incorporated have been
violated by them in several points, that the society persists in keeping
missionaries on the field who compromise the principles of the ancient gospel.
No doubt the society needs a reformation, but there can be no permanent
reformation of a thing which is wrong in principle until the principles are
reformed. The only solution of the matter would be to do away entirely with the
unscriptural organization and come hack to the Scriptural ground. Anything short
of this is not worthy of the name, “restoration movement.” The society is
weighed in the balance and found wanting.

I am expected to give in this address something of my work as county missionary
in Johnson County, Texas. Beginning March 1, 1920, I labored for four years and
a half under the direction of the Central Church of Christ at Cleburne, the
county seat of Johnson county. I did some work in adjoining counties and
responded to some calls from distant points, but my work was largely in Johnson
County. I lived in Cleburne and was answerable to the Cleburne church. This
church was responsible for my support, and I reported to the treasurer what I
collected in the field. The collection was small at first, but it grew to be
more than half of my support the last year. Our first efforts were in those
communities where we had a few scattered brethren and where there was a prospect
of opening up a regular work. Brethren from Cleburne cooperated in developing
local leaders at the new places. Some of the more distant missions failed, due
to a lack of outside help; but a number have con-tinued to this day and seem now
to be permanent con-gregations. Six years aeo there were seven congrega-tions of
loyal disciples in the county. Since that time the work has been started at
eleven places. And while the work has been discontinued at several of these
places, largely on account of transient membership, we rejoice in the good that
has come from the work even at the places that failed for some of the workers in
other congregations at present were won to Christ at these missions. The results
of this home missionary effort have been very gratifying. The gospel has been
preached in nearly every community in the county and at numerous places in
adjoining counties. Besides the new missions started, three congregations that
had ceased to meet at all were revived, and others that were about to fail were
strengthened. Brother Jesse Powell, who is capable and successful, succeeded me
as county evangelist, and the work has become a permanent thing with the
Cleburne church. Also, several of the capable young men of the Cleburne church,
having caught the missionary spirit, are now preaching at mission points and are
rapidly develoy- ing into good preachers.

I consider the years I spent in the county work in Johnson County the most
fruitful years of my ministry up to the present. While thus engaged I held some
of the most successful meetings that I have ever held. The preparation of this
address has brought to memory some of the most pleasant experiences of my
ministry and some of the dearest friendships that my family and I have ever
formed. There are always hardships and discouragements to be experienced in
planting the cause in a new place, but these can be overcome, and they will
diminish as the work becomes established.

County mission work should extend into the rural sections as well as into the
towns and villages. I believe the church should be established in the centers of
population first if possible, for more people can be reached there, but I do not
believe in giving up religious efforts in rural districts. In recent years the
movement to the city has been hard on the rural church, and in many communities
the people are as those whom Jesus met on one of his tours, as sheep having no
shepherd. As long as there are people in the country the gospel must be preached
in the country. The church in the city or town may justly give the rural church
credit for a large percentage of its growth in membership in recent years. Go to
any city church and ask all who became Christians before moving to the city to
hold up their hands, and I dare say you will be astonished at the number. The
congregation at Alvarado is the youngest in Johnson County at this time. It was
established last September by a cooperative effort of all the congregations in
the county. The plan used is worthy of a detailed account in this connection.
Alvarado is the second town in size in the county, and for a long time has been
considered a difficult place for the ancient gospel, Several mission meetings
have been conducted there without visible results. The people would not come out
to hear. But last fall a new method of attack for that place was employed. After
all other meetings of the town were over and there seemed to be nothing in the
way, we engaged the use of the largest tabernacle in the town, secured Brother
McMillan of Cleburne to do the preaching and Brother An twine of Bonham to
conduct the singing. We gave only a few days notice to the town. We had brought
out a special Alvarado Meeting edition of the Cleburne Christian, our county
church paper at that time, and just a day or two before the meeting began we
placed a copy in every home in the town. In addition to the gospel teaching in
the paper there was something by different writers on every page of the paper
about the meeting. This, with the other usual means of advertising a meeting,
brought out two or three dozen Alvarado people to the first service, which was
on Sunday night But counting the visitors from Cleburne and other places over
the county the crowd was estimated at one thousand. The several congregations
dismissed their night services in order to attend the first service of the
meeting. Every congregation in the county was represented except one, which was
twenty-five miles distant. The psychology of a crowd worked. The meeting was the
talk of the town the next day. The report got out that all the “Campbellites” in
Texas were there. After this some of the visitors had to stay away to make room
for Alvarado people. Brother McMillan was equal to the emergency. He preached
the truth in love, and with telling effect. The number of baptisms was not large
but from all sources a body of about thirty members was left there meeting
regularly, and the number is growing. Cleburne is assisting this young
congregation by furnishing them preaching three Sundays in the month. Brother
Powell preaches one Sunday and conducts a weekly Bible class, and Brother Paul
Suthern, a young preacher in the Cleburne congregation, visits them two Sundays.
From the Alvarado meeting we learned some good lessons in cooperative missionary
work. Cooperation does not mean simply to contribute some money. The missionary
needs more than financial support; he often feels his need of somebody to stand
by. The apostle Paul nearly always had a company with him. Being forced to leave
Berea hastily he left Silas and Timothy behind on one occasion. But upon
arriving at Athens he sent for them to come to him with all speed. Again, when
brethren from Rome came out several miles to meet him, having heard that he was
coming, Paul thanked God and took courage. The greatest problem at a place where
the cause is not established is getting the attention of the people, for we must
have attention to get results. A large crowd always attracts attention. Hence,
there is a double service rendered by those who accompany the preacher to a
mission point: the preacher is encouraged, and the attention of the people is
gained. In missionary work it is best not to scatter the efforts too much, but
rather to concentrate on a few places until the work is established. A
protracted meeting, however successful, must be followed up with other
constructive work. We were not so careful about the follow-up work when we began
in Johnson County, and for lack of it our labor was apparently lost in some
instances. We were anxious to hold as many protracted meetings as possible. But
to spend all the time holding protracted meetings is a mistake. The seed planted
must be watered It is better to furnish every mission with preaching at least
one Sunday in the month and a regular mid-week service, either a Bible class, a
prayer meeting, or a sermon. Some of these meetings can be conducted profitably
n the homes of the members. By reason of the social advantage some people can be
reached in this way that might not come to the public place of meeting. I think
many of the conversions we have had in summer meetings had their beginnings at
services of this kind.

Another important result of the Johnson County work is the influence it has had
on the established congregations of the county. All have profited more or less,
first, because the work has brought them closer together and has helped to
create a better spirit of cooperation among them. I seriously doubt that the
churches of the county could have made such a success of the Alvarado meeting
six years ago. And again, almost every mission meeting which has been held in
the county has afforded some congregation an opportunity to lend at least its
moral support. The help received from this source made possible some work that
could not have been done without it. Besides, to have a part in such work always
strengthens the churches that participate, Those who have known the Cleburne
church for years say that it has had its greatest growth since it began to do
systematic missionary work. The present congregation at Venus represents some of
the fruits of our county work. For nearly two years now the church at Venus has
been self-supporting. The expenditures of this church for all purposes during
last year were about thirty-five hundred dollars. Until about three years ago
that church did not meet the year around, and had no regular preaching. There
were a few faithful members there who realized they could do better if somebody
would teach them how, so they solicited help from Cleburne. The Cleburne church
allowed me to give six months time largely over to the Venus work, and also
realeased Brother McMillan for i protracted meeting there following that period
of concentrated work. This effort more than doubled the membership and brought
the church to a self supporting basis. They support a preacher for full time now
and do some outside work. Within the last two years the membership of this
congregation has grown from about thirty-five or forty to one hundred and fifty.
Venus gives the Cleburne church most of the credit for this growth. The efforts
would not yield such results as this at every place, of course, but I have come
to believe that when we start out to do home missionary work we would do well to
begin on some of the old congregations, if we can get the opportunity. If we can
bring more of our present congregations up to the New Testament standard it will
be easier to convert souls to Christ and to start new congregations.

I am not advocating that the larger churches should exercise any authority over
the smaller ones and dictate as to the management of their affairs. We have no
“authority” to exercise anywhere, at home or abroad, but it is our privilege as
brethren to teach and admonish one another. We all can do better than we are
doing; and most of us do better when we are taught better, if we are approached
in the right way. Most of our con-gregations are stronger than they think they
are. They just need to be taught what they can do if they will try1. But the
teaching must be done in the spirit of gentleness.

We have just cause to be encouraged over the future prospects for the Lord’s
work. More of the local churches are awaking. There is more agitation of
missions, and as a result, more missionary movements are getting under way i
different parts of the country. And while it must be deplored that the simple
New Testament plan of missions has suffered in the hands of thoughtless men, and
that denominational machinery has galded the shoulders with burdens heavy, we
believe that a happy day of Scriptural missions is dawning upon this very
generation. May low spirited and listless disciples lift their eyes and look on
the ripe harvest fields. May more of us pray to be sent into the harvest as
laborers.

'‘The morning light is breaking; the darkness disappears; The sons of earth are
waking, to penitential tears; Bach breeze that sweeps the ocean, brings tidings
from afar, Of nations in commotion, prepared for Zion’s war.”


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  CHAPTER 16: MUSIC IN THE CHURCH
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Music In The Church MUSIC IN THE CHURCH By E. M. BORDEN For many years this
question seemed to have been settled, but in the last few years it has revived,
and a greater interest is manifested, There is no question as to its being one
of the living issues of the day. It concerns every member of the great body of
Christ. I have been invited to give you our reasons for not using Instrumental
Music in our worship. We believe we have good reasons for not using it, and it
is my purpose to give you those reasons now. When I was a boy I remember hearing
a debate in which both sides claimed that the Bible is silent on the question. I
thought it was myself until a closer investi-gation caused me to see that the
Bible’ is not silent on the great question. The Lord not only authorizes music
in the church, but he tells us the kind of music we should have. The Lord has
not left it with us to select the kind of music we should have. The Bible is not
silent on this music question, as some people think.

I fear that some of us have been inconsistent in condemning the use of
instrumental music in the worship^ for the reason that we did other things just
as inconsistent. Before we condemn the use of instrumental music, we should be
able to give a reason why. Why do we sing and not play ? Is it for the reason
that instrumental music is not the kind the Lord has commended? That is my
contention.

Once while I was holding a meeting in a country village, a lady jumped up and
began to shout. At first I thought she was happy, but I soon found out that she
was mad. She, was mad because her brother had made the good confession. When she
began to shout, Brother Slaton announced a number and began to sing. The lady
shouted and the brethren continued their song. We could not hear what was said.
It was just a noise, and it could not be called a joyful noise. Instrumental
music could have served the purpose just as well, for it was not the Lord’s kind
of music. On another occasion, after I had preached a sermon with an appeal to
sinner and called for an invitation song, the brethren sung: The home where
changes never come Nor pain nor sorrow, toil nor care, Yes tis a bright and
blessed home, Who would not fain be resting there? 0 wait, meekly wait and
murmur not 0 wait, 0 wait, 0 wait and murmur not. Did the brethren really mean
to sing that song? Did the brethren expect the sinners to wait? Did the
preach-er want the sinners to wait? If he did not, why did they sing that song?
Did they notice the sentiment of the song, or did they sing to drown the
silence? If it was just the tune or the noise, why object to instrumental music?
If we do not get the sentiment of the song, why oppose instrumental music? On
another occasion, while I was a young preacher, the brethren gave us “God be'
with you till we meet again” as an opening song. It was somewhat embarrassing,
for I did not think they intended for me to go, for I had just arrived. The song
is a good one but it was out of place at that time. They certainly did not get
the sentiment of the song. Instrumental music would have done just as well.

One brother who was very much opposed to instrumental music in the worship,
said: “Brethren,let us sing the notes to this song.” What was this save the
tune? There was no sentiment in the tune without the words. Instrumental music
could have served the purpose just as well. If the tune is all we get there can
be no fight against instrumental music. With our contention, we should take a
great interest in learning how to sing, so as to bring out the sentiment of the
song. In order tc* be consistent, we should patronize our singing teachers more
than we do. The tune is to help bring out the sentiment of the song. The most
embarrassing thing that has come before me, is to condemn the use of
instrumental music as a help and then pitch the tune so hight that the highest
singer cannot reach it, and then in trying to lower it get the tune so low that
the bass singers cannot sing the highest part of it. The old members will
shudder, the younger members will laugh and others will hide their faces in
shame. We are not consistent if we condemn instrumental music and then do not
try to learn to sing. Let us be consistent.

If I should be governed by my likes and dislikes, I would want instrumental
music. I like it. I can remem-ber when I was a boy, how hard it was for me to
stay at home when the circus band began to play. The reason I do not want it in
the church, is because it cannot furnish the kind of music the Lord wants in the
Christian dispensation. The music question is not on a par with incidentals)
such as church houses, lights, seats, black hoard, bap-tistries and things of
the kind. The Bible commands baptism, but it does not say where it is to be
done. The place to baptize is left with us, just so we have enough water to
comply with the demand. The music question is not that way, for the Lord has
told us the kind of music we should have, and instrumental music cannot satisfy
the Lord’s demand. The question is, "Music in the Church of Christ?" That
confines it to the Christian dispensation. The law came by Moses but grace and
truth came by Christ. Paul says we are not under the law but under grace. Paul
tells us that we are saved by grace and not by the law of Moses. It does not
matter to me what kind of music was under the law. I will not even take time to
discuss it. The question is, is there a place for it in the church of Christ and
under the new covenant? The Jews kept the Sabbath day, but we are not commanded
to keep it. There were other things under the law that do not apply to us at
this time.

While Jesus was here he told his apostles that after he went away he would send
the Comforter who would guide them into all truth. All truth would embrace the
instruction concerning the use of music in the church. Thet Spirit has given us
the kind of music we should have. The New Testament, is not silent on the
question. If the New Testament tells us the kind of music we should have, that
will eliminate all other kinds.

Paul was guided by the Spirit the same as the other apostles so we will let him
testify a great deal on this question. In Acts 20:20, Paul says: “And how I kept
back nothing that was profitable unto you, hut have showed you and have taught
you publicly and from house to house.’’ If Paul kept back nothing that was
profitable he has certainly taught us the things we should know on this great
question. Again he said: “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel
of God.” If, in the great counsel of God, music is commanded, Paul certainly
taught it. In his writings we will find the kind of music we should have in the
worship.

Now there are some things in which we are allowed lib-erty. There is no express
command as to how we shall contribute. We may pass a basket, walk up and put it
op the table, or hand it to the treasurer. The Lord has not told us that we
shall worship in a certain kind of a house. That part is left with us. There are
many other , things of this kind in which we are allowed liberty. But when
selecting, here is a rule by which we should be governed.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be
any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. This is a rule
that the Lord expects us to observe. But the music question is not included in
this, for the Lord has told us the kind of music we should have. Therefore it
will come under the instruction in the next verse. “Those things which ye have
both learned and received and heard and seen of men, do, and the God of peace
shall be with you.” Here is where the music question comes in. He has taught us
the kind of music we should have and that settles it.

We understand that the church of Christ began on the day of Pentecost. Beginning
that day, the early disci-ples continued steadfastly “In the apostles’ doctrine,
and in fellowship, and in breaking bread and prayers. ” All of the worship,
every item is embraced in the four things mentioned. Now the question is, where
does the music come in? It is easy to see that. The music comes in with the
apostles’ doctrine and also in the prayer service Our songs should embrace the
same gospel truths that the Sermon contains. In fact, every song should be a
sermon within itself. In that way we can sing the apostles ’ doctrine. The only
difference, in the singer and the preacher is the tune. The preacher has his
tune and the singer has his tune, but the message should be the same •—the
gospel of Christ.

Here is a wonderful appeal in song. The tune is the least thing about it. The
apostles’ doctrine is told by the words and not by the music. Could the tune
alone have told the same story?

Some of the best prayers I have ever heard were sung. They were the same as
other prayers, only the tune was different. Once while in a park in Riverside,
California, I noticed some ladies getting ready to eat their picnic dinner. When
they had made ready and were seated, they sung their thanksgiving. That was the
same as the other except that the tune was different. The tune alone would have
been worthless, for it could not have spoken the words.

Now we come to Paul’s instruction as to the kind of ^nusic we should have in the
worship. Read Hebrews 13:15 : ‘‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of
praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving; thanks to his’
name.” This shows that the praise we offer in the new covenant should be the
fruit of the lips. This kind of music cannot be furnished by mechanical
instruments. Whatever might have been the plan of praise in the past, the plan
in the Christian dispensation is that which is the fruit of the lips.

Now let me read another passage from Paul (Ephesians 5:19): ‘‘Speaking to
yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in
your hearts to the Lord; giving thank always for all things unto God and the
Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice. The Lord’s music is speaking. ‘‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs.” Whatever it means by psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, it is to be done by speaking. That embraces sing-ing and cuts out
instrumental music. This is also the fruit of the lips. The fact that psalms is
from Psalinos does not change it, for whatever it is, it is to be sung. It is
the fruit of the lips and is done by singing. But here is another passage:
(Colossians 3:16): “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Here it is again. The Lord’s music is to teach and admonish. Teaching is to be
done by tne trult of the lips. Can instrumental music teach, admonish, speak?
Certainly it cannot. In singing we have speaking, teach-ing, admonishing,
praising, thanksgiving, fruit of the lips, but instrumental music can only
furnish the tune. In singing we have the tune and all the other essentials to
make it the Lord’s music. We are to sing hymns, sing psalms, sing spiritual
songs. Singing is the Lord’s kind of music.

But, is there a place for instrumental music? Yes, Paul makes that matter very
clear. We have now.found ' the Lord’s kind of music and we will now find the
place for instrumental music. I want to read several verses from 1 Corinthians
14, beginning with the 5th verse: “I would that ye. all spake with tongues, but
rather that ye prophesied; for greater rs he that prophesieth than he that
speaketh with tongues, except, that the church may be edified.” The same is true
with the music. There can be no edification unless the language of the song is
understood. None can be edified if the lan-guage is not understood.

Now let us read the 7th verse: “And even things without life gieing sound.” Here
is instrumental music. It is without life, yet it gives sound. But let me read
on: “Whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction of sounds, how shall
it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound,
who shall prepare himself for battle.”

Paul’s illustration is a good one. He shows the real place for instrumental
music. It gives sounds and even a distinction of sounds, but it does not teach,
edify, ad-monish and praise by the fruit of the lips. The soldier answers the
call of the bugle, but not one lesson does it teach him. We hear the tolling of
the bell and we say there is a funeral. We hear the church bell. It is time to
go to church. The bell performs its part and then remains silent until the
service is over. The bell cannot teach one lesson. Even the distinction of
sounds can be duplicated and confusion can be caused.

I once heard of a man who called his hogs by knock-ing on a log with a piece of
wood. One day when he went to see how his hogs were getting along, he found them
in confusion. They were running this way and that way, squealing as they went.
He wondered what was’ the matter with them. But soon he heard the sound that
caused the confusion. It was a woodpecker pecking away on a dead tree and the
hogs were trying to locate the sound and go to it. The tune or the distinction
of sounds cannot teach one lesson. As I have said before, I like instrumental
music. It is very entertaining, but when that is said all is said. If
entertainment was a part of the service, that would let instrumental music in. I
am not condemning instru-mental music in its place. I like to hear the beautiful
tunes and they are not sinful. Instrumental music is beautiful to the ear as the
flowers are beautiful to the eye, but the flowers, even so beautiful, cannot
reveal a truth except that nature is wonderful. Many times 1 have feasted on the
soothings furnished by instrumental music but not one truth could it reveal to
me. The old abused tuning fork, if it could be called a musical instrument,
gives the first musical tone, then remains silent while the song is being sung.
But the talented singer does not use the tuning fork.

“So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood how
shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.”

Now we have the comparison. To speak in tongues not understood by the audience,
is like music that does not teach and admonish. When we have music without
words, we send a noise into the air and no one is bene-fited. Even if we sing in
another tongue, no one is edified.

Then, in order to teach, admonish, edify and praise by the fruit of the lips, we
must speak words that people can understand, and if it is in the music
department, it must he done by singing. That is the Lord’s kind of music. Then
the Lord’s music is “Speaking to yourselves in psalrns and hymns and spiritual
songs.” But let me read again: “There are many kinds of voices in the world, and
none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of
the voice; I shall he unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh
shall be a barbarian unto me. Eve'n so ye, for as much as ye are zealous of
spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” This
shows that a sound without a sentiment does not edify. A sound may be beautiful
and it may blend in with other sounds to add to its beauty, but if there is no
meaning or understanding to the voice, it fails to be the Lord’s kind of music.
How can instrumental music excel to the edification of the church? But now we
come to the climax of Paul’s lesson in the 14th chapter of 1 Corinthians. Now we
read verse 15 :“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray
with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with
the understanding also.” This shows that it is necessary that the Lord’s music
shall be to sing with the spirit and the understanding. I must sing and pray in
language that can be understood.

“How shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say amen at the giving of
thanks, seeing that he understandeth not what thou sayest?” The case is made
out. The Lord’s music is a spoken music. It is the fruit of the lips. It edicts,
teaches and admonishes. It must be spoken in words that can be understood.
Instrumental music cannot furnish it, for it can only give the tune, but the
Lord’s music is to sing. The tune of the Lord’s music is the least thing about
it. It is the sentiment of the song that makes it worship. Every song, if it is
true, has a place according to the truth it reveals. At a meeting I was holding
in Texas, there were two ladies who had not spoken to each other for some time
We tried to reach them through the sermons and the songs, and one day our
efforts were fruitful. A group of singers stood singing and these two ladies
came together and after embracing each other and sobbing confessed their faults
one to another. It was a happy moment. All eyes were turned in that direction,
and while we were all rejoicing, a lady started that old familiar song:

"Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love The fellowship of
kindred minds Is like to that above." No song could have filled the place
better. It was the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love that caused these
ladies to forgive and forget. No musical instru-ment, even so beautiful the
tune, could have told the story as did the words of this song. To the believer
in Christ, the words of the Lord have a warm place in his heart. On one occasion
when the great multitude had gone away and the Lord and his apostles were alone,
Jesus said: “Wilt thou also go away?” The answer was this: “Lord, to whom shall
we go, for thou hast the words of eternal life.” We love these words. When that
mother in spiritual Israel come near to the end of her life here, there is
nothing that satisfies her like the words of God. Those words upon which her
faith rests,

“Sing them over again to me Wonderful words of life Let me more of their beauty
see Wonderful words of life Words of life and beauty Teach me faith and duty
Beautiful words, wonderful words Wonderful words of life Beautiful words,
wonderful words Wonderful words of life.

O these beautiful words. Think of their great sentiment. It is the sentiment of
the song—the story that it tells that makes it so wonderful. Instrumental music
cannot tell the wonderful story. Words alone can ex-press it, but the tune
impresses it. But possibly some one is ready to say that the tune tells the
story. Did we not read in 1 Cor 14 that the tune cannot tell the story? In a
distinction of sounds there, is deception. I want the brethren to give us some
instrumental music at this time.

(The class will hum the tune to Old Black Joe.) What is that? Old Black Joe, did
you say? Well, that is true, but we will hear it again with the words. Then the
words will be sung to the religious song “I love him.” There are songs for all
occasions. They are suitable for the place they fill. As we near the river of
death, or on,a funeral occasion, there is no sing that fills the place like the
old familiar song: (One verse of Nearer, My God, To Thee.) But some one wishes
to know if I like quartet, solos and other specials. I certainly do, if they are
sung to edify and not just to entertain. A good quartet helps to bring out the
sentiment of the song and often brings conviction to the hearts of many of the
hearers. A good solo is very instructive and edifying. Let it express a truth in
words that can be understood. I once heard a solo that I did not appreciate. I
understood the first part of it, but as she continued she ascended until she had
reached such heights that she could not articulate Finally she had reached the
highest note with the voice all in a quiver, and then she began to descend.
Finally she came down to where I could understand her. I heard and understood
the first part of it and when she came down, I understod the latter part of her
solo, but what she said while up in the air so high I could not tell.

Then, the Lord’s music is to sing and its purpose is to edify, sing praise,
teach, admonish, pray and give thanks. When our music fails to do any of these
it is not the Lord’s kind of music. While instrumental music is fine and»its
tunes are beautiful, but give me the tune and the words that express to me the
sentiment of a wonderful truth.


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  CHAPTER 17: THE DIVINE NATURE
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The Divine Nature “THE DIVINE NATURE" By JOHN T. SMITHSON.

What is “Divine Nature” and how is it now mani-fested? This duplex question
covers all the field of our present study. We never speak of divine nature or
di-vine things independently of the thought of God, the creator of all tilings.
Hence, the subject itself is antagonistic to that brutal, beastly bloody and
Christless theory that has been adorned by its devotees in the fashion of
Modernism, Rationalism and Evolution. This theory stripped of its modern and
less offensive terms is down right infidelity. With two master strokes it knocks
out, so far as it is concerned, the entire Bible wherein divine nature is
revealed. Its stroke against the Old Testament is the denial of God’s account of
the creation of man. Its blow against the New Testament is the denial of the
virgin birth of Christ the Lord. This, of course, if successful, would destroy
the Bible, and would forever hide the divine nature. We have neither time nor
respect for such a theory, but denounce it with all the powers of our being.
Believing the Bible to be the revelation of, and from God, we now begin with it
to find what divine nature is. It can not be less than the nature of God. As
God’s nature is, He is. Therefore we ask, What is God? This question is answered
by three short, simple, unambiguous and unequivocal sentences. These three
sentences with three words each, and with only three different words tell us the
nature of God. These three are:'' . First: “God is Spirit” (John 4:24). Second:
“God is Light” (1 John 1:5). Third: “God is Love” (1 John 4:7; 1 John 4:16).

Divine nature then is Spirit, Light and Love, for God is these. Spiritual life
is God life, and there is no divine nature that is not spiritual. In order that
God might reveal himself and his nature to the children of men He sent ais
immortal., immaculate Son into the world. He was begotten by the Spirit, born
“of woman,” the virgin Mary, “bom under the law,” thus having both divine and
human nature. “In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the
word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” “And the Word became
flesh and dwelt among “men, and they “beheld his glory, glory as of the only
begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Son of God being both
divine and human in nature, reveals perfectly to human nature “the divine
nature.” “He that hath seen me,” said he, “hath seen the Father.” From the time
the star of Bethlehem appeared in the firmament, and the heavenly host sang to
listening shepherds the appropriate song, “peace on the earth and good will
toward men” very little is revealed concerning Jesus until he was about thirty
years of age. At about that age he was baptized by John the Baptist in the river
Jordan. He then began his life’s work which ended when he died on the cross. It
was during this period of his life that he made known to mankind the nature of
God the Father. He had the spirit of God without measure. Immediately after his
baptism he was, by the spirit, led into the wilderness where for forty days and
forty nights he fasted, thereby being, through hunger, subjected to every desire
and want of human nature. This prepared him to manifest over human nature the
divine nature, which is very clearly seen in his victory over the arch demon of
the soul. The tempter appealed to him through human nature. He defeated him
through divine nature. The spirit always speaks to the foe, however formidable,
saying: “it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Here we see both human and divine
nature portrayed, The human nature lives by bread alone. Divine nature is by
every word that God speaks. This characteristic of God was always manifested by
his Son, and it is plainly seen by his conversation with the Samaritan woman at
Jacob’s well. On that occasion Jesus was returning from Jerusalem to Galilee.
Being weary with his journey he sat by the well to rest. It was noon. His
disciples had gone into the city to buy food. In their absence the Samaritan
woman came to the well for water. Jesus said to her, “Give me to drink.” This
opened the conversation which led from drinking literal water of Jacob’s well to
the drinking of the living, spir-itual water that flows from the never failing
fountain of God’s nature. The disciples returned with' food. The woman left
Jesus, and her water-pot by the well. She went into the city to tell the people
that she had seen the Son of God. The disciples asked Jesus to eat. He replied
to them saying, “I have meat to eat that you know not.” “My meat is to do the
will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.” In doing this his divine
nature subdued hunger, satisfied thirst, banished weariness and stood in bold
contrast to human nature. Again, Jesus said, “While I am in the world, I am the
light of the world.” He was that light sent down out of heaven, ‘.'the true
light, which ligliteth every man coming into the world.” “In him was life, and
the life was the light of men.” Light and good are used interchangeably, and
likewise darkness and evil. “Light is come into the world, and men loved the
darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For every one that
doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should
be reproved. But he that doeth the truth cometh to the- light, that his works
may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God.”

Divine nature, being light, shines forth in its heavenly splendor through Jesus
the Son of God. Though he was human and divine, his divine nature was always the
first to reveal itself in his life. He did no evil, com-mitted no sin, “neither
was guile found in his mouth; tvho, when lie was reviled, reviled not again;
when he suffered, threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth
righteously.” Behold his nature divine, ‘calm, serene and sublime, that in the
midst of evil, sin, darkness and the storms of threats, did shine as the sun ’in
the skies gives its light while the storms on earth are raging. The purpose of
light is to reveal truth and error, good and evil, right and wrong, safety and
danger. Where there is no light there is darkness. Where there is no divine
nature, spiritual darkness must be. Light reveals the path of safety.
Governments spend large sums of and manifests all harmful tilings as well as to
point out money erecting light houses on the rough and dangerous cliffs at sea.
Why do they do so ? They do it that the weary, seaworn and fearful mariner may
set gleaming through the darkness, the mist and fog the beacon light from the
top of the tower; and thus by that glowing light which he hails with gladness,
may direct his wave-lashed and tempest-tossed ship safely to port, Jesus, at the
cost of heaven and its glory ,stands as God’s light house on the great sea of
life, and from him radiates the life giving rays over the benighted and
sin-cursed world that the sojourners thereof may be guided in the port of .the
everlasting shore. Were it not for the glorious light of the Son of God, every
soul would be shipwrecked upon the dark and rough sea of life. But for alkwho
travel, jut the light of the way of life, there is perfect safety apd sure
landing on the golden shore. Jesus alone is “the way; and the truth and the
life.” No one can come unto the Father but by him. Thank God for his Son, the
light of the world.

Again, Jesus is ;he very embodiment of God’s, love. God is loVe, and he so loved
the world that he gave 'ijs only begotten Son, that men who were lost may be
saved. When we approach this characteristic of God’s natuhe, we lose ourselves
in its vastness. Divine love is limitless and boundless. It is beyond death. It
transcends all life. It extends beyond the angelic habitation. It is stronger
than principalities and earthly powers. It coveys the universe, descending to
the lowest depths and ascending to the highest heights. I fear we fail to
comprehend it as we should. It is so different from all that is human. When we
speak of love as divine nature, we must not confuse it with love which is human
nature.

There are many kinds of love in human nature, such as, marital, conjugal,
filial, altruistic, egoistic, philan-thropic and of various lusts and greed.
Many of them are right within themselves, but they are not divine nature. But
love, that is divine nature, is higher than the heavens, is as great as GSod and
is as lasting as eternity. It is as separate and independent of human nature as
God himself. It is the greatest thing that angels know. It is the greatest thing
on earth below. It is independent of the speech of men and angels, It is not,
but it is greater than, miraculous faith. It does not rest upon the wings of
prophetic gifts, neither is it written upon the scroll of knowledge. It is not
always present in the sacrifice of earthly possessions. It is possible for one
to suffer the mot intense and excruciating pain by giving his body to be burned
at the stake and not have love. All things earthly fail, but love never fails
and never ends. “It is kind’’, envieth not”, “vaunteth not itself”, “is not
puffed up”, “seeketh not its own”, “taketh not account of evil”, “rejoiceth not
in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, be-
lieveth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Now consider how
great love is. To the finite it is infinite. If all the men from Adam till now
were scribes, and the twigs on all the trees were pens, and the water in all the
seas were ink, and the vast vaulted heavens were a scroll, the love of God by
them could not be told. Love is the crowning trait of God’s nature, and no one
but his only Son could reveal it to man. When I see Jesus, our Lord, in his
great temptation, overcoming the devil by the spirit, I stand amazed and
exclaim, Wonderful. From his temptation I go with him to Hermon’s summit,, and
there I see him in the presence of three apostles, and two saints of the glory
world with his raiment “white as the light” and “his face did shine as the sun.”
I cry aloud, Glorious. Most Glorious! I hear him telling those risen snints
about his death which was soon to take place on Calvary just outside of the wall
of Jerusalem. I follow him to see those things accomplished. I go with him to
the pass-over feast and see him institute his memorial supper. Then I go with
him into the garden of agony. I hear him say, “My soul is sorrowful unto death.”
I see ascending the slope of the mountain men with swords, and staves and
flaming torches. Ah! They are led by his familiar friend, who sold him for the
price of a slave and betrayed him with a kiss. I see him on trial. I hear the
verdict rendered—Not guilty. But I see him led away from justice and acquittal
to “the place of a skull” to be crucified. I hear the sound of marching soldiers
and the hellish glee from that diabolical mob as they lead their victim to the
slaughter. Soon I see him suspended between earth and immortal glory as if he
were unworthy of either place. The sum grows dark. The earth trembles. His
enemies rejoice. His friends weep. I see him with love divine as he looks down
upon his murderers and turns his eyes toward heaven and prays to the Father,
saying, “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.” I stand for a
moment breath-less, and then exclaim, Sublime! sublime! wonderful, most
wonderful of all! Love, Oh, what love! Matchless love!* Who but the Son of God
could pray for his enemies? What nut love divine could prompt the thought? I
stand with my eyes fastened on the suffering, dying Son of God. I hear him speak
again. He says to the Father who sent him into the world, “It is finished.” It
is done. The great transaction is done. AH is over. He commends his spirit in
the hands of his Father. As his gentle spirit takes its flight his head falls
upon'liis heaving bosom. He dies. Those who killed him said of him, and.not to
the thieves by his side, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” Now my friends
those sufferings of .Christ are over. The example is set for us, that we “should
follow-in his steps.” Christ has perfectly manifested divine nature and has
ascended into his primitive glory with.*his Father. And now in conclusion we
ask; hoW is divine nature now manifested?: It is manifested only by those who
“become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that
is in the World by lust.” They must not be fashioned according' to the world,
but must be unspotted from it and love it not nor the things that pertain
thereto. Jesus prayed to' the Father concerning his faithful followers saying,
“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the
truth; thy word is truth. ’ As thou didst send me into the world, even so send I
them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself that they themselves
also may be sanctified. Neither for these alone do I pray, but for them also
[generation after generationJ that believe on me through their word; that they
all may be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may
also be in us ; that the world may believe that thou didst send me; And the
glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; That they may be one even
as we are one; I in them, and thou in me that they may be perfected into one;
that the world may know that thou didst send me and lovest them even as thou
lovest me.”

All who comply with the terms of that petition have the spirit of Christ and are
led by it in all the ways of life. They are the light of the world and are
perfected in love. No man, who does not let Jesus’ abide in him and govern his
life, is a partaker of the divine nature. For just as a branch must abide in the
vine to have life and to’ bear fruit, so must the followers of Christ abide in
him to partake of his divine nature and spiritual life. Since Jesus ascended to
his Father has anyone followed his example and walked in his steps? Yes, Oh yes,
beloved. Stephen the first martyr in the Christian era reflected in his life the
life of the Lord Jesus. The enemies of his Lord were desirous of his life. They
“fastening their'eyes oh him, saw his face as it had been the face of an
angel.'’ Like mad and vicious dogs, they “gnashed on him with their teeth.’’
Then they began to stone him to death. But Stephen, full of the spirit, looked
into the open heaven and “saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right
hand of God aS if he were looking over the parapet of heaven upon the scene
below. In the midst of the falling stones which took his life he asked the Lord
Jesus to receive his spirit. “And he kneeled down” and prayed for those who
stoned him, saying, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge,” and when he said
this he fell asleep. His sleep is peaceful and sweet in Jesus. Farewell, thou
hast gone most noble one to that celestial clime where the wicked cease from
troubling and where the weary are at rest. My friends, if to that blissful land
we go, we must partake of divine nature here below. We must be led by the spirit
and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We must, by the life of Christ the light
of men, live and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. In
love we must be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. Then we will not
only love our neighbor as ourselves, but we will love, our enemy, and pray for
him when he persecutes us; we will do good to him when he maltreats us. "When he
is hungry we will feed him. When he is thirsty we will give him drink. If he
should kill us, we will die willing to forgive him. We will not be overcome with
evil, but we will overcome evil with good. If such be our lives, we will at the
end of the journey fall asleep in Jesus, who, at the dawning of the everlasting
morning, will call us from our sleep, from which we will arise and go to that
spiritual land, that is fairer than day and across which the shadows of death
never fall. In that peaceful, blissful world on high we will rejoice with joy
unspeakable and full of glory. There our present faith will become sight. There
our treasured hope will lay hold on actual possession. There love will continue
on and on as we dwell on the shining plains of heaven in the presence of God
forever.


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  CHAPTER 18: PUTING GOD FIRST
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Puting God First PUTTING GOD FIRST By W. A. PERCHEVILLE In that history of God’s
dealings with the human family, we find a thread of thought running through the
entire Bible that is summed up in a few words, by the Apostle Peter: “The Lord
knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust
unto the day of judgment to be punished.” There is no exception to this rule in
Bible history; nor in the lives of men today. Then .why will man leave God out
of his life. In the Garden of Eden blessed by the hand of a lov-ing Father, we
find the first pair, Surely they must have been hnppy, for they were care-free,
(so far as the wants and needs of life were concerned). But in the law that God
gave to them God asked to have first place in their hearts. Who would question
Ilis light ? None but a Receiver and a liar. Satan made his initial attack upon
man, severing him from his God. And man lost paradise when he broke the tie that
bound him to his Maker. Notwithstanding the mistake of his predecessor and
grandfather, Adam, Enoch turned back to God, and walked with him while here on
earth, and God translated him that he should not see death. A notable reward for
the wise choice of putting God first. And while mankind was growing worse and
worse in sin, until it repented, God that he had made man, another character
looms up before us as one who honors God and aceords to him his rightful place,
and God in turn saves him and his house in the ark, bunging the flood upon the
world of the ungodly. Characteristic of Noah, when he emerged from the' ark'
after the flood, the first act upon his part was to build an altar and worship
God. And God in answer said he would no more destroy the world by water, and as
a token of this promise to Noah we have the beautiful rainbow, even unto this
day.

Abraham became a sojourner in a strange land, leaving lus kindred behind,
answering the call of God, and very vividly do we see God bolding first place in
the heart of this patriarch in .the crucial .te?t when God called upon him to
offer up his son Isaac, as a burnt offering. -For three days he goes on this sad
pilgrimage and when he reaches the place where God had directed, leaving the
servants a short distance, he goes, and with only, the eyes of God looking on:
he raises his hand to take the life of his son (conceding to God first place);,
and God said “Stay thy hand, now I know that you fear me,” and in this great
trial he won the title of the Father of the faithful, and that same God that
wanted reverential fear at the hands of Abraham of old, want's us to reverence
him today.

God appeared in the burning bush to Moses, and it east an ennobling influence
upon his life, enabling him to become Israel’s successful leader for a period of
forty years. See him as he looks out of his tent door with only the red hills of
the desert to greet him, and the murmurings of an ungrateful people to, cheer
him, for forty long years. What kept him up? It was the memory of that same God
in the burning bush. Yes, whenever his spirit grew faint and weary, he went back
in memory to that wonderful day. Once again he. saw; the unconsuming fire. Once
again he heard the voice of God quivering through the silence of that' lonely
desert, and in a moment the feeble knees are strong again, and with a new
courage he grasps his shepherd’s staff, and goes forth to meet the inevitable
tasks and trials of the day, for even at the close of the life of this great and
good man we hear him invoking the good will of Him who dwelt in the bush upon
the tribe of Joseph which incidentally shows that the God of the burning bush
was never consumed in the life time of Moses. The advantage of putting God first
is forcibly brought out in the history of the spies viewing out the land of
Canaan. The ten saw the difficulties arid forgot God, and the two saw God (or
had the righ conception of God), and forgot the difficulties. We firid the two
classes in the church today. How sad it is that so many are looking on the
difficulties that surround us and are losing sight of God; Tthen the Holy Spirit
says plainly through Paul, “Be ye steadfast immovable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord for as much as ye kriow that your labors are riot in vairi in
the Lord.” When a child is surrounded with danger it is natural for it to fall
back upon its parents for help, and how the danger is diminished when the
parents stand between the child and the' danger. Let us put God first. A wise
old elder Said to ine one time that if he had beeri successful he owed it to’a
simple rule by which his life had been governed: “That he always tried to
conduct; himself in such a way,- that if any should make an attack .upon him
that they would have to come through the Lord Jesus Christ to get to him.”

What did the apostle mean when he said, "When I am weak, then am I strong?” In
his weakness he de-pended upon God, and God became his strength. So in our
weakness may we learn to depend upon God, and by his might and power we may
accomplish much and lasting good. David was comparatively weak, when measured by
some of the strong men in the army of King Saul, even his brethren in the flesh
looked upon him as a tender Lad, unfit for service in the army. And yet this
tender lad with his shepherd’s staff faced the mighty Goliath who had defied the
army of Saul and chilled the hearts .of his men of war. David, you fight against
this hardened soldier and too, do you not see that he is a giant physically?
Look how he is armed! The very sight of him makes hardened soldiers tremble.
Yet, the hoy in the face of all protest persists in fighting this enemy to the
army of the Lord. But ere they meet, David turns down the armorfr of King Saul,
but adorned with one more powerful for we hear him say, “I come in the name of
Jehovah,” with this strength he could easily discount the size of the giant, and
with this power the simple sling became mightier than the sword of the enemy.
David felled the great giant because he relied upon his God. As we compare the
church of Christ today with the institutions of men, we are made to feel that
the odds are against us. Their armour seems mightier than ours. But never has
there been a conflict (it matters not how weak our forces nor how strong the
enemy), where our people relied upon the power of God, but what a signal victory
has been th( result. How many times has the conflict compared with .hat of David
and Goliath. When an inexperienced.lad with just one hook would measure swords
with a veteran representing the forces of error, with his seholarsliip and
unlimited supply of books at his command, we well know the result. In fact the
victory has been so decisive under such conditions, until the word has been
passed in the camp of the enemy to ‘beware of the man with one book.” “God
looketh lot upon the stature but upon the heart." ’ But in many ways today we
are not putting God first. It is natural for us to rely upon him when in actual
conflict with forces of evil, but for the Christian to make ..the proper
preparation, a citadel that shall withstand attack is not built while the enemy
is bombarding, but beforehand. Saul’s refuge of peace must be erected be-fore
troubles come. I fear that we are losing sight of .this great principle in our
homos, in our schools and even in our churches today. It seems that after the
Lord has blessed us, we have been lifted up with a false pride, and about to
forget the source of our strength. A preacher becomes a strong exponent of the
gospel. He feels that he is following a safe course in preaching the powerful
word of the Lord, and he is, but perhaps he forgets to look into his own home
and make God first there in the hearts of his children. And not only preachers,
but many seemingly devout fathers and mothers, whom it seems have truly
enthroned' the Lord in their hearts. Yet the God of this world claims control of
son and daughter. Yes, I know we flatter ourselves to believe that our boys and
girls will be able to success-fully escape the pitfalls and snares set for them
as they wander in sin, until, finally we awake to find them openly , -and
brazenly standing in rebellion against all that is holy and righteous. We are
many times to blame for not instilling into their hearts early in life the
importance of putting God first. We leave them to be controlled by the evil
influence that surrounds us today, without the protection of God to help, and
what more could we ex-pect? Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and
his righteousness.” This is not only a command of the Lord, but God has always
demanded first place in the hearts of his people, and when we fail to concede to
him his rightful place, we may naturally expect to fail in everything we
undertake to do.

There are many who would have us believe that a transformation of the social
organism, a change in the political organzation, or a reorganization of
industry, will right the ills to which society has fallen heir. But Jesus
recognized the fact that society cannot be right while man himself is wrong :
that the moral integrity of the individual is a necessity to a true social
structure. It is not enough to change man’s relations and en-vironments and
leave his character untouched It is, perhaps beeause of his relation to the
whole that Jesus accounted the individual of such infinite worth, just as the
health of each slighted limb or organ of our body effects the vitality and
health of the whole. So stands the individual in the organic life of the social
world. “We ate members one of another.” “No man livetb or dieth unto himself.”

“Seek ye first,” carries with it the idea of concentration. The only way we can
succeed in a spiritual way is' for us to concentrate upon God. Set our
affections upon things which are above. The rich young ruler it seems from his
history was far above the average in having kept the law, but when the great
test came te put the Lord first, he turned away sorrowful. In our work today, of
preaching and praying, and building, church houses, and colleges, I wonder if we
always put God first? If we do not brethren we will fail. Moses Said, “If thy
presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” A young man asks the question,
“Is it safe for a Christian to get rich?” Answer: If he will get the Lord Jesus
Christ first and hold on to him, it rs safe for him to get anything. But we find
the true order that God designed for man reversed. Man tries to get established
iii everything else first, and if he has any .time of money left over he
proposes to spend that in service to God. Do you believe God will accept such
worship, when he asked for the first fruits from the Israelites and demanded of
them that no other gods should go before him ? Ah! how sad it is that there are
thousands of gods going before Him today, even in America, and we claim to be a
Christian nation. Brethren and fellow citi-zens, our nation will go down, if the
tide of sin is not cheeked. May we not repent in sack cloth and ashes before God
will destroy this wicked generation. Millions are being spent in the name of
charity and religion and still the tide is not checked. Good works alone will
not avail. We need God in our lives, and let. the good works be done through
him, and then we will succeed. We have expelled God from our American life. We
have expelled Him from the public schools, and very few colleges allow Him to
attend them. Nor can w.e satisfy the Lord by employing a few preachers or
prophets to carry on a form of worship for us. God demands first place in our
hearts. "Seek ye first," or else you seek in vain. Give the Lord first place or
else you can have no claim upon him.

Historians tell us that the first two or three hundred years of the church was
the most mighty and aggressive period that the world has ever known, and the
Bible bears this out, for Paul alone came very near covering the civilized world
in the spread of the gospel. "What! Have we not the same gospel today ? Are we
turning the world upside down (and that would be right tide up today) ? No. Why?
We simply do not have enough mer of the type of Peter and John, who said, “We
will obey God rather than man.” Too many preachers who are afraid to preach
God’s truth, afraid they will lose their place, for the world says, “Don’t you
do it, and if you do we will call you narrow.” A prominent business man said to
me a few years ago, “Young man if you would be just a little broader in your
views you could command ten thousand dollars'a year,” and I answered, “Yes, and
I would not really be worth two-bits.” He wanted me to compromise with the devil
and I could not afford to do it.

I have often thought of Satan tempting Jesus, and of the great Offer he made the
Son of God if he would come under his control, and it seems he did not despair
when he failed to ensnare Jesus, for he would still deceive you into believing
that if you would just come over with him that the whole world would be yours,
and if we do not keep real close to God he will sometimes catch us off our
guard, and tell us that God is too hard on us, and is depriving us of all the
pleasures of life, and actually has the nerve to tell us that it is “silly now
days” to be pure, good, and righteous, and will threaten us that we shall be
dubbed as a back number if we per-sist in keeping ourselves unspotted from the
world. Ohl How many today have been embroiled by this treacher-ous liar, and may
we with God’s help try to rescue them from the clutches of Satan. May we
remember that the God that we hope to serve is the same God of Israel who said
to them, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your
sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. ’ ’ But we also find that
* ‘ our God is a consuming fire. ’ ’ So after all the wise course for us is to
draw near to Him with our imperfections and the dross within ns will be
consumed. It may be painful at the time but Paul says, “It will afterwards yield
the peaceable fruit of righteousness, to he chastised of the Lord.” So, to be in
tune with God suggests the true harmony of life. If we' could bring the glory of
God into the church today and into our preaching, in such a way as to cause
humanity to really know God and his Son (whom to know aright means life
eternal), there would be a great awakening. Men would break away from partyism,
and the doctrines pf men. So let us pray the prayer of Moses, “Lord, show us thy
glory.”

Like a home without the guidance and protection of a father and mother, so is
the church without God. In this great western country there is a steady stream
of horne-seekers conning from all over the world. A great opportunity is offered
us. The unlimited resources as yet undeveloped, suggests that this tide of
immigration shall continue. Why not prepare in a spiritual way to take care of
the opportunity thus opened up to us? As wide awake business men who are
enlarging their places of business, building larger hotels, opening new
addi-tions, villages are fast growing into towns, and towns into cities. Let us
open our eyes that the progress of the church may be commensurate with the
growth of the country. I know that the tendency is to adjust every-thing else
first and call on the Lord when it is more convenient. But we are beginning to
learn that the ad-justment without God will not stay adjusted. If we build
without God we build in vain. The God who frowned against Sodom I fear could not
smile over many "West Texas cities today. We are prone to be like Lot, to “pitch
our tents toward Sodom,” leaving God behind. 1 was deeply impressed to read
about the action of the officers of the law in the city of Amarillo, before
enter-ing upon the duties of the day, they meet with the Chief of Police and
engage in a word of prayer, asking God to help them make the city a fit place
for the thousands whor reside there.

Judge Mullioan, district judge in our district, just rerecently sounded a note
of warning in respect to the wholesale sinning in the city of Lubbock, and the
students of Tech College were scored as the chief violators of the law in that
city. He said, “The entire moral' code has been broken down.” So if these men,
whom we may judge are in a position to know the conditions, are becoming
alarmed, it is high time that we should awake to our duties and
responsibilities. In the language of Patrick Henry; paraphrasing the latter
part: “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of the
destruction of our boys and girls?” Our only hope may be realized by the power
of the Lord- We, need his influence in our homes today. Let us remember if we do
not want him in our homes he will not break in, though he may stand at the door
and knock. Of course we would have to clean up some bofore we could invite this
heavenly guest to come in, or else it would be very embarrassing. In many homes
today, even the preacher could not be invited, much less the Lord Jesu» Christ.
We need the Lord in the church today, in fact t is our one great need. Out in
our country it can be said: “We have more crops and less money, more cattle and
less milk, more church members and less religion, than any country in the
world.” I am reminded of the story of a poor man who made application for
membership in fashionable church. The preacher advised the applicant to postpone
the matter, telliner him to talk to the Lord about his troubles for a while
Longer. The poor fellow reported after a few days, feeling that he should be
admitted into the church, but the preacher delayed him again in a polite but
cool manner. The poor man goes away very sad, feeling that he has been rejected:
but a- few reeks later this same man falls heir to an immense fortune, and now
the preacher calls on him and is very different in his manner, and he asks the
man if he has talked to the Lord about the important matter of becoming a member
of the church. The fellow cunningly answers, “Yes, I talked to the Lord about
joining this particular church of which you are pastor, and he.said he had been
trying to get into this same church for the last twenty years, and you had
barred him, so I just decided I w’ould stay out too.” Many hearts are so
reasoning today. The might and power of the Lord is as powerful as it ever was
in converting men and women, and this power is within our reach, but so many
minds have been cor-rupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus, and
instead of knowing nothing but Jesus and him crucified they know everything else
but that, and God’s power is not effective in such cases because it is not
relied upon.

We need an Elijah today to call us together as he did Israel on Mt. Carmel. “How
long will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord be God, serve him, but if
Baal, then serve him,’’ or a Moses to ask, “ Who is on the Lord’s side,’’ and we
may profitably listen to Joshua, "and if it seem evil unto you to serve the
Lord, choose ye this day whom ye will serve, but as for me and my house we will
serve the Lord." May the Lord hasten the day when the forces of righteousness
shall be united in one mighty body, in such a way that the Lord may light up the
church with his glory as he did the tabernacle of old, and when we build the
church today according to the authority of his Son, or the correct pattern given
on Mt. Zion, as Moses built the Tabernacle according to the correct pattern
given on Mt. Sinai, may we not rightfully expect the glory of God to light up
the church and make it shine forth today as it did in the days of the apostles?
In recent years it seems that there is a move on foot to unite all who accept
the Bible as true, in one body, and unite all skeptics and infidels in another
body. We hear much of the fundamentalists and the modernists. The time has come
when we must get on one side or the other. Jesus taught a long time ago that “he
that is not for me is against me." But it seems it has taken us two thousand
years to appreciate the truthfulness of this statement. The cry has been made
throughout the land: “Back to the Bible. Baek to the true worship of God. And
many, many today stand ready to surrender their idols. What a great opportunity!
Brethren, shall we close our eyes in the face of this white harvest before us?
Or shall we by the might and power of the Lord rally our forces under the
blood-stained banner of the Lord, and fight as we have never fought before?

We may have to kick Brother Achan out of camp if he will not fall in line and
give up his Babylonish gar-ment, or his wedge of gold, or quit his aching.
Israel of old used rather drastic measures to get rid of this fellow who blocked
their way to victory. But today just such fellows as would block every move
forward, are standing at the head of the congregation. No wonder we have failed
under such cnditions. But today, in many places, we have wide awake and
efficient leaders who are standing at the helm, and in the advance move Brother
A,chan has either lined up, or been left so far behind that his block effects
none but himself. So, in the name of God (feeling that a great oppor-tunity has
been opened up to us to come out from the bondage of sin), as the Red Sea was
opened up to the children of Israel, and they heard the stirring command of
Moses to go forward, let us advance!

We have put God first in name. We have given him control in doctrine But where
we have failed brethren, we have not honqred him in our practice. The church
today in my mind stands as a great power plant, perfectly constructed, but the
current from the great dynamo, which is God, has been cut off. Carbon, which is
sin, has destroyed the wires through which the current came. With faith and
prayer may we replace these wires that connect us with God, the Power. And once
more this great plant will move, and the hand of man . nor the power of Satan
cannot check her mightly wheels.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 19: WE ARE HERE, WHY?
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We Are Here, Why?

WE ARE HERE, WHY? By G. F. MICKEY

(In January, 1920, at Clovis, New Mexico, there was held a series of special,
gospel meetings during which Brother T. Smith delivered an address on the above
subject. From that discourse I borrowed Valuable materials which I have woven
into the fabric of this sermon.)

Out of the ignorance, superstition, and intolerance, away from the confusion,
turmoil, and strife of one hundred years ago, there came a devout people who
were dominated by peculiar religious views, doctrines, and practices. The
movement grew rapidly into a multitude of zealous souls)' and today they wield a
tremendous influence over the religious life, and thought of the world. This
people profess an unwavering faith in the being of God, the divinity of Jesus of
Nazareth, the power of the Holy Spirit, the inspiration of the Bible, and the
sufficiency of the church. They discard all sectarian names, reject all man made
creeds, throw away all for-mulated confessions of faith, and steadfastly refuse
ex-tensive affiliation with contemporary religious orders as being established
by men. In their service to others, these workers preach the gospel at home, ano
abroad, without organized mission! ary societies, and take care of the needy
without estab* lishing benevolent associations. Their worship is as simple as
the plan of their work. They disregard all pomp, develop no ritual, employ ho
select choirs, and use no mechanical musical instruments in divine service. They
are an active, thriving, growing brotherhood, and are the folks to be dealt with
in this discourse.

Now since the inspired Peter exhorted disciples to “be ready always to give
answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope, that is in you with
meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15); and since we are here, especially in the
Southland, and more than a half million strong, demanding an earnest hearing
from a long-suffering people, it is imperative that we be always ready to give
answer to those who ask us a reason for our peculiar existence. To begin with,
it is well to observe that no establish-ment of whatever nature, whether it be
secular or religi-ous, human or divine, has any moral, physical, of spiritual
right to maintain its organization unless there are good, sufficient, and
logical reasons for so doing. And furthermore, no establishment of any kind
ought to expect recognition, and support from a much harassed people unless it
can offer happy relief from some of the burdens of life.

Then too, those reasons for existence ought also to satisfy the requirements of
the following postulates: (1) The purposes of the institution must be both
lawful, and laudable. If they be not so, then its existence immediately becomes
a menace to society; (2) The efforts of the institution should be both unique
and different ; directed toward virgin fields, satisfying long felt necessity,
and utilizing long wasted energies. If not, then the institution can only
eouflict hurtfully with other worthy establishments; (8) The methods of the
institution must be both practical, and worth while. If they be otherwise, then
can the institution avail nothing, and its organization will come to naught.

Moreover, ir order to arrive at a workable understand-ing of this significant
proposition, and definite answers thereto, the question should first be studied
negatively. Find reasons for which we do not exist, and state them pungently. In
this way much error can be eliminated, and misunderstandings removed. Therefore,
we are here not for the sake of oddity. We are not a generation of freaks, nor
do we maintain our identity in order to be whimsical. We do not proscribe the
piano just because our religious neighbors beat us to it. It is not our
intention to reject a beautiful symbol, or exclude a profitable expedient simply
because it has fallen into denominational hands.

Neither are we here to build up an exclusive social order for pleasure, or
diversion;- nor do We seek to hesr from novel fraternal societies for physical
protection. The field for these temporal benefits is already well occupied. We
consider that it is not the business of churches to stress the protection of the
perishable body for the neglect of imperishable souls. Furthermore, We are here
not to compete with theaters, and moving pictures. We are not in the
entertainment business, nor do we seek to please the crowd. It is not our
purpose, intention, or desire to engage in such exer eises as will attract mere
numbers. Our heartfelt conviction is, “too many are even now seeking to satisfy
immortal souls by feeding the material husks of carnal pleasure."

Then again, we are here not to develop new doctrines, formulate new articles of
faith, or found new religious orders. Already the world is over-supplied with
sectarian, notions, and denominational institutions. Novelty may stimulate
inquisitiveness, and inquisitiveness may result in new discoveries; yet no
improvement has been found, nor can be found for the simple doctrine, faith, and
institutions of the New Testament. But we are here, Why? What is the stir all
about? We are actively engaged in a multitudinous endeavor.

We constantly push our peculiarities upon'the citizens of the land; we send
missionaries to foreign fields, build church houses at home and abroad,
establish schools, maintain orphan homes, and minister to the sick. Why this
independent feverish activity? Men and women have a right to demand a clear cut
answer to this pertinent question, and we ought to satisfy that reasonable
demand. We should count ourselves happy to be able to answer for ourselves
before the whole world, touching these things whereof we have been accused. We
can give good, sufficient, and logical reasons for our peculiar, bold, and
rather exclusive existence; therefore let us to the question,

Paul, in Ephesians 4:3-6, states the Great Christian Funda-mentals, “There is
one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in the one hope of you calling,
one Lbrd, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all,
and through all, and in you all.” From these fundamentals the religious world
has drifted far. True, religionists profess to honor one God, acknowledge one
Lord, speak of one Spirit, and confess but one hope; yet they make void their
claims by contending for many faiths, practicing many baptisms, and recognizing
many bodies. We humbly assume the grave responsibility to reaffirm these great
and vital truths, and call men back to God. We insist that to honor God all must
walk by the same rule, and have the same ''faith that to acknowledge" the one
Lord is to obey him in the one baptism; that to know the one Spirit, and partake
of the one hope is to become members of the one body which is the church of the.
Lord Jesus Christ. Read Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:19-22.

Then in the shadow of the cross Jesus prayed, "Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. That they all
may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one in
us: that the world may believe that; thou hast sent me” (John 17:20-21). But
professed followers of Jesus ignore this prayer. They are divided into numerous
hostile camps, vigorously contend about sectarian dogmas, and rigidly uphold
unscriptural practices. But we have conceived an earnest zeal for Christian
unity. We are here with the practical plea, and worth while message that all who
love the Lord, and delight in his truth should unite upon the ‘‘one tradition,"
and take the Holy Bible as the only "infallible'' guide in things pertaining to
life and godliness (2 Timothy 3:16).

Moreover, the Spirit-filled apostles fully carried out the requirements of
Christ’s ‘‘Great Commission” (Luke 24:46; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16). They
gave to sin burdened souls a definite answer to the question, ‘‘What must T do
to be saved?” (Acts 2:38). Modern religious teachers have for the most part lost
sight of these simple and easy terms of pardon. They have substituted the
requirements of their various creeds, and have given assurance upon false
premises. We make no new proclamation, but are here to declare in boldness, in
clearness, and in love,, the New Testament answer to that all important
question, "What must I do to be saved?” We are not afraid to quote anywhere, and
in full, the language of the “Great Commission,’’ nor are we ashamed to tell
inquiring souls just what Peter told the heart-stricken Pentecostans.

Then again, the churches of the New Testament period were each an independent
unit. They performed their several work without the interference of an overhead
organization. But place-seeking men have organized gigantic ecclesiastical
machines which rob congregations of their autonomy, create positions of tyranny,
and suppress the spirit of real Christian service. We are here with the avowed
purpose to restore the rugged independence of the first century church, and give
back to each congregation their New Testament liberties. In so doing, we can
recognize no head but the Christ, no rule but the Bible, no institution hut the
church, and no organization but the local congregation.

Finally, the worship in those primitive days was sub- litne in its utter
simplicity. Christians met to teach the word of God, to sing praises, and pray
unto God, to have fellowship in every good work, ail'd to break bread and drink
wine in memory of Christ’s suffering (Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7;1 Corinthians
11:23-30). But this unadorned worship has been corrupted. Pompous men have
supplanted it with elaborate programs, worldly entertainments, and dignified
ritual. We are here to protest such sacrilege, and earnestly seek to eliminate
all gross humanisms from Christian worship. Ve desire to restore in practice,
and in reality, the ancient beauty, simplicity, and effective-ness of pure
gospel ministries. For these reasons we feel that we have a place under the sun,
and that our efforts will not only meet the approval of Almighty God, but will
also merit the support of honest souls among the children of men. Realizing that
the days of life are short, that death is inevitable* that judgment is sure, and
that eternity is long, we hum-bly pray that the Lord will give us wisdom to use
his word, and faith to practice it.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 20: THE BIBLE AND SCIENCE
========================================================================

The Bible and Science THE BIBLE AND SCIENCE By W. L. OLIPHANT

There are no conflicts between the Bible and science. The teachings ,of the
Bible are true, and only truth can be real science. Hence a conflict is not
possible. All of the seeming discrepancies between science and Christianity may
be accounted for by saying that where a dif- fel-ence appears it is due to
either ignorance of science or ignorance of God’s word. Paul warned Timothy
against “science, falsely so called”; and we might with equal propriety speak of
“religion, falsely so called.” While I know that there are many religionists who
are not informed on matters of science; and who by their efforts to discuss the
subject, only widen the apparent breach between science and Christianity, yet
the ignorance displayed in the controversy is far from being all on one side.
Many scientists are woefully ignorant of God’s word. I venture the assertion
that the average preacher knows more about science than the unbelieving
scientist knows about Christianity. As an example of inexcusable ignorance of
Christianity, witness the recent statements of the great scientist, Luther
Burbank. Mr. Burbank is an authority on plant life, but he is no more an
authority on matters of religion than the hum-blest preacher is an authority on
the material sciences.

I have the greatest respect for science. Without the improvements which science
has brought to us, the world would be most seriously handicapped. In fact, I do
not believe that science is given its deserved consideration by the public mind.
It is lamentable that our public press is so unbalanced in its recognition of
worth and merit. A prize fight or a football game will be given whole columns in
our papers; the account of a terrible crime will be spread across the front page
in glaring headlines; while the scientist who discovers a specific cure for some
terrible disease will be mentioned in a three inch, one column article over
among the advertisements.

It is not our contention that the Bible is a text book on science. God did not
give to man a discussion of the material sciences when he gave us his
revelation, but where are incidentally made in the Bible about matters of
science, such statements are absolutely true. Any theory which attempts to
disprove any state-ment of God’s word is not science. Suppose the patients in a
hospital should conspire together and attempt to drive all the nurses and
physicians out; would you consider their actions wise? Would you think they were
acting scientifically? Any theory which attempts to drive God from his universe
by discrediting His word, instead of being real science. is a false gospel of
Jesus Christ~God’s specific rule for humanity’s most hideous disease. No other
physician offers a remedy. To disregard God’s word is to turn our backs upon the
only remedy for the most blighting malady which has ever afflicted mankind.

Three Branches of Science Considered The three branches of science probably most
relied upon to discredit the revelation of Jehovah are Geology, Astronomy, and
Anthropology. The Bible appeals to each of these sciences. First, let us briefly
consider

#1-Geology It is a fact worth noticing that the Bible, instead of fearing the
test of Geology, actually appeals to this science. More than two thousand years
ago, Job said, “Speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee-’ (Job 12:8). A
conscientious'study of geology in connection with a prayerful study of the Bible
should lead us to exclaim with Dhvid, “The earth is full of thy riches’’ (Psalms
104:24). Mr. F. H. Caprion has shown how the very first words of the Bible are
in accord with the very latest conclusions of science. Mr. Herbert Spencer, who,
al-though an agnostic who had no desire to establish the truth of the
Scriptures, gave a scientific theory confirm-ing the Biblical record of
creation. Speaking of the “manifestations of the unknown, he says that such a
manifestation must, on a scientific basis, take these five distinct forms:
Space, time, matter, motion, force.

We are told in the very beginning verses of the Bible that these manifestations
really did occur, and almost in the precise order given by Mr. Spencer. “In the
beginning God created the heaven and the earth. . . . And the Spirit of God
moved upon the face of the wa-ters” (Genesis 1:1-2).

Notice the five specified forms suggested by Mr. Spencer: “In the beginning"
Time “God created the heaven" Space “and the earth" Matter “and the Spirit of
God" Force “moved upon the face of the waters” Motion

Sir J. W. Dawson, a Canadian geologist, working from an entirely different
standpoint from Mr. Spencer, gives us a similar outline which corresponds with
the Genesis account of creation. Please bear in mind that the hook of Genesis
was written thousands of years before it was possible to have known matters of
this kind from the information of scientists. How do you account for this
harmony save by admitting that the writer of Genesis simply stated facts as
revealed by the Holy Spirit, and that scientists have only recently come to know
these truths? Mr. Dawson, in his “Meeting Place of Geology and History,” says,
“There can now be no doubt that the order of creation, as revealed to the author
of Genesis, corresponds with the results of astronomical and geological research
in a manner which cannot be accidental.” The same conclusion is reached by
Professor Tristram in “Natural History,” .Mr. Pember, in “Earth’s Earliest
Ages,” and many other geologists of note.

"We are sometimes told that the Bible does not agree with scientific conclusions
as to the age of the earth, From an examination of the works of some twelve or
fifteen of tfie best scientists, I have learned that their estimation as to the
age of the earth varies from about 10,000 million years (the conjecture of
Professor Ramsey in “Illustrations of Hnttonian Theory of the Earth”), down to
about tern million years, as suggested by Professor Tate, in his “Recent
Advances in Physical Science.” So we see that between the estimates of the
scientists we have a slight discrepancy of about nine thousand nine hundred and
ninety millions of years! When *1 am asked, “Does the Bible agree with science
as to the age of the earth?” and this "forces me to reply by asking, “What
science?” " The' Bible could not possibly agree with Professors Ramsey,
GoodChlld, Dubois, Lyell, Croll, Tiiit Lodger Kelvin^. Sollas, et al, when these
men of science afre milleniiirns apart" in their estimations" A: number of
prominent scientists now aclmii that geology knows nothing as to the age of the
earth. Besides, the Bible does not say when the earth was created, save, “In the
beginning ...” We do not know when the earth was created except that upon that
wonderful occasion, termed “in the beginning,” a wise, loving, eternal God “made
the heaven and the earth.” The Nebula Hypothesis Desiring to get away from the
sublime idea that “God made the heaven and the earth,” man originated the Nebula
Theory to account for the beginning of the earth on naturalistic grounds., This
theory is a guess “that the earth and other planets have been slowly evolved
through untold ages from cloudy vapour or masses of incandescent gas having a
circular motion}, parts of which navigate the process of concentration, broken
away from time to time and formed separate bodies. These, continuing to revolve
in the same direction as the original mass, are supposed to have ultimately
formed the earth and other planets as we know them” (Collett). When we remember
that this theory has as its opponent the Book of God which has stood the test of
investiga-tion, exanination, and criticism for more than nineteen centuries; a
sufficient offset should be simply to say that the theory does not claim to be
more than a guess, as the very term “hypothesis” proves. Ttlie theory is founded
upon a series of assumptions so gigantic that they stagger the mind of man and
stretch human credulity to the very breaking point. When the simple facts are
known, it must be admitted that the theory is not only a mere guess, but a very
poor guess at that.

Scientists are not at all agreed as to the essential facts (?) of the theory.
Tyndall says that the earth began in a “fire mist” that contracted as it became
cold; while Spencer says it was a “ cold cloud“ which became heated as it
contracted. If we were confined to the two theories we could not know which to
believe. Fortunately, however, we are not compelled to accept either; in fact we
cannot do so, for the gases that we know anything about; do not act in either of
those ways today. The theory cannot stand up in the face of the facts that some
of the planets in our solar system, as, for example, our moon and the satellites
of Saturn and Jupiter, revolve from west to east, while the moons of Uranus and
Neptune revolve from east to west. If the planets as we know them developed from
Booties thrown off from a parent mass moving in a circular motion, these planets
would of necessity be moving in the same direction.

It is also now known that two of the principal planets —viz., Venus and Mercury
have almost no rotation at till. Both of them move around the sun with the same
side practically always toward that central object, in the same way that our
moon moves around the earth. Mercury occupies 88 days in its orbit and Yenus 224
days in its orbit. Mercury only turns upon its axis four times a year, while
Yenus is much slower, and takes seven or eight months to make one complete
rotation. Would we not naturally suppose that if the planets were thrown off
from a great mass of matter, revolving very rapidly, that these planets would
move in this same direction and that they would move with something near the
same speed? When you remember that not all the planets move in the same
direction; and when you con-trast the rates of speed with which the various ones
travel, for instance, Barth and Venus, you are com-pelled to reject the Nebula
hypothesis as a very foolish conjecture and return to the Grand Old Book, and
begin with God, “In the beginning.” Yet the entire framework of such popular
books as Wells’ “Outlines of History” is built upon the Nebula theory.

Prof. George McCrehdy Price in his “New Geology,” and his “Fundamentals of
Geology, conclusively proves that the old “Onion Coat” theory- as to the
formation of the rocks is far from the truth, and that no uniformity of
formation can be proven. He shows that the old theory relied upon by geology is
based upon local formations and that it is foolish to attempt to give the theory
a universal application. Mr. Price also proves that at some period in the past
this old earth has passed through a terrible catastrophe. Many fossil elephants
are found in the frozen regions of nothern Siberia. Many of these animals died
suddenly, with undigested food in their stomachs, and even bits of tropical food
in their mouths. Since we know that these animals could not have lived in an
arctic climate, nor could their food have grown under such conditions, how are
we to harmonize these facts with the old theories of geology which contend for a
continual, unbroken chain of development? Would it not be much more reasonable
to believe in God and remember that he has given us an account of just such a
calamity as would be needed to produce the results we see, when he tells us that
“all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven
were opened” (Genesis 7:11). There is no conflict between true geology and God’s
revelation in the Bible.

#2-Astronomy Without the aid of the telescope, the sweet singer of Israel
probably could not get the view of the starry dome encircling this earth with
which we are now blessed.; but his view, limited as it was, caused him to break
forth in that beautiful psalm of praise, “The heavens declare_the glory of God,
and the firmament showeth his handiwork” IPs. 19:2). This sentiment should
certainly be shared by the astronomer of today when, through the powerful
telescope or spectroscope, he gazes into the blue heavens, into infinite space,
beholding planets, suns and stars, as flying and burning worlds all traveling in
their respective orbits around solar centers; When he realizes the immensity of
space and observes the perfect system and harmony which characterizes these
immense heavenly bodies. How can he fail to see, plan, and design in this most
wonderful vision? How can he avoid seeing beyond and above it all an all-wise,
all-knowing Creator whose hand guides each great planet in its course?
Certainly, “the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his
handiwork.”

Astronomers inform us that under the most favorable condition, the naked eye
cannot see more than three thousand stars from a given point. However, by the
aid of the telescope, as many as one hundred million stars may be discovered;
and it is presumed that there are innumerable myriads which the most powerful
telescope cannot bring within the scope of our vision. We might ask, in passing,
‘‘How did the writer of Hebrews know that the stars are innumerable?” (Hebrews
11:12). This was before the time of the powerful telescope.

Alpha Centauri, probably our nearest star, is estimated to be twenty-five
trillion miles from the earth, 25,000,000,000,000 miles! Light travelling at the
tremendous rate of 180,000 miles a second requires almost five years to reach us
from this planet Pollux, the brightest one of the Twins is still farther away;
we are only just receiving its light message sent in 1893. Castor, its twin
brother in the sky, is much more remote, it is twenty years behind Pollux. Its
light reaches us in a little more than fifty years. Astronomers know of stars so
far from the earth that it takes more than a thousand years for their light to
reach us. The figures of the mathematician fail to convey to our minds this
almost endless distance. When we get a faint conception of the immensity of
space and the innumerable host of planets moving about with almost perfect
precision, each travelling within its own orbit; we cannot fail to realize the
presence of the great Designer and Governor—God. We are made to exclaim: “When I
consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the, stars which
Thou hast ordained, what is manV’ (Psalms 8:3-4).

Light Before the Sun The fact the Genesis says there was light on the first day
of creation, while the sun did not appear until the fourth, has been considered
a weapon for the disbeliever. Many pointed with the finger of ridicule to this
seemingly unscientific, statement of Holy Writ. But we are now in harmony with
Moses’ account. Science has discovered that the sun is not the only source of
light; but that the earth and other planets may be self-luminous. The Nebula
Hypothesis presumes the existence of light before the sun. If Moses had been
speaking from human wisdom, would he have given us this order? But why quibble
about such matters? “God is light.” John describes a city which has “no need of
the sun,” for God is its light. Mr. Sidney Collett suggests that there will
again, after death, be a time when there will be light without the sun, but
there will be no critics to cavil at it (“All About the Bible,” p. 274).

Light Not Created The Genesis account does not tell us that God “cre-ated”
light. We now know that light is the result of rapid vibrations in the form of
waves in the ether. Hence light is not a substance and could not be created. God
said,—literally, “Light be, and light was.” Instead of referring to light
dwelling in a place, Job asked; ‘‘Where, is the way where light divelleJLhl”
Light, involving motion, could not dwell in a place, but dwells in a way,
travelling at the rate of 186,000 miles a second. If not by the inspiration of
Jehovah, how did Job, in his day of limited scientific knowledge, know this
marvelous scientific principle? An Earth Without Foundation Ancient philosophers
believed the earth rested upon some huge foundation, Ptolemy, Aristotle and
Plato thought the earth to be a flat disc of land surrounded by a great world
river, and that this disc formed the foundation for all other elements. These
ideas pre-vailed in the very centers of learning until the sixteenth century.
But Job knew, more than three thousand years ago, what we have now learned, that
our globe is poised in space .Listen to the science of inspiration in Job's day:
“He hangeth the earth upon nothing1' (Job 26:7). Will someone please account for
the knowledge of this scientific principle at that early date, without God? The
Bound Earth I need not quote history to show you that men have not long known of
the globular shape of the earth. Every school boy knows that such knowledge is
of comparatively recent origin. But Jesus knew it (Luke 17:24-36). Christ tells
us that his coming will occupy but an Instant, as the time of a lightning flash
(verse 24). But in that instant there will be upon this earth, people
sleeping—it will be night; others will be grinding at the mill—it will be early
morning (reference is to the ancient custom of early morning grinding by the
East-ern women); men will be laboring in the field—it will be broad daylight.
And all this will be at one, and the same time. This can only be true because of
the shape and movements of the earth. We now know that when darkness prevails on
one side of the earth, the sun is shining upon the other side. Jesus knew this
too; but scientists of his time had no such knowledge. But why argue the
question? Inspiration declared the earth to be round long before the time of
Christ. “He set a circle upon the face of the deep’’ (Proverbs 8:27). Isaiah is
even clearer. He speaks of Him “who sitteth upon the circle of the earth”
(Isaiah 40:22).

Moffatt’s translation of this passage says that God “sits over the round earth.”
Yes, Isaiah knew of the spherical form of the, earth, but he did not learn it
from science. When science arrived at a knowledge of the truth, the
“contradiction between science (?) and the Bible” on this point disappeared. The
Empty Place of the North Authorities at the Washington Observatory have
discovered that there is a vast space in the northern heavens in which no star
appears. In other words, there is a great “empty place” in the north. Men of
science made this discovery by means of high-powered instruments, but Job had no
such instruments. Yet he knew this fact. Hear him “He [God] stretcheth out the
north over the empty place” (Job 26:7). Again we see perfect science and the
Inspiration of long ago.

Joshua’s Long Day The Biblical record of Joshua’s long day has afforded the
infidel much solace. It is argued that since Joshua is quoted as having said,
“Sun, stand thou still,” he did not know that the movements of the earth, not
the sun, cause day and night. A scientist would have no hesitancy in saying, “I
saw a beautiful sunrise this morning.” But in reality, he saw no such thing!
What he really saw was an “earth roll.” No one would think of questioning the
scientist’s knowledge because of his use of this unscientific expression. What
would the reader of that day have known about the matter, if scientific terms
had been used in an effort to express exactly what happened? A better rendition
of Joshua’s language, is, as suggested in the margin, “Sun be silent,” or “be
inactive.” Scientists understand that a diminution of the action of the sun
would cause the rotation of the earth to become slower.

Believing in a Govi who could, and did, create the sun and all other planets, it
is not difficult for me to accept this unusual occurrence as a miraculous act of
His powerful hand. And especially since the calculations of astronomy leave a
place for just such a long day as is described in the Bible. Professor Totten,
basing his conclusions upon an elaborate mathematical calculation, tells us that
it is impossible to avoid the acceptance of both Joshua’s long day and the
backward travel of the shadow pn the dial of Ahaz Kings 20:11). After a long
astronomical calculation, he says that this fact “affords the key to the entire
Hebrew soli-lunar calendrie system .... and squares itself with every date of
the Bible down to the birthday of Heber” (“Our Race”). Joshua’s long day is not
only an astronomical fact, but is an historical one as well. Including the
Biblical record as to Palestine, we know of five countries having a record of a
long day, viz: Greece, Egypt, Mexico, China, and Palestine.

Time forbids my mentioning many other matters of astronomy which offer proof of
the inspiration of the Bible. There are no contradictions between the Bible and
a completed astronomy.

#3-Anthropology “What is man?” (Psalms 8:4). This question, asked by David, is
always an interesting one. Man’s body, with its more than two hundred hones,
five hundred muscles, a thousand ligaments, ten thousand nerves, an equal number
of arteries and veins and a hundred thousand glands; covered with a skin
containing two hundred million pores, is certainly capable of arousing
considerable interest. God says to this body, “Dust thou art, and unto dust
shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:19). Dr. A. T. Pierson has shown in his book,
“God’s Living Oracles,” that at least fourteen elements of the human body— such
as oxygen, hydrogen, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, carbon, and silicon—are
identical with the “dust.” Later methods which are more sensitive than chemical
analysis, which is referred to by Dr. Pierson, demonstrate that practically
every element of man’s body is also an element of the dust.” And we all know
that the disintegration of the human body results in a “returning to the dust.”
But man is more than a physical body. He is an in-tellectual being. The mind of
man so far supersedes that of any beast as to present an unbridgeable chasm
between them. In the beginning, God gave man “dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and over everything that m.oveth on the face of the
earth.” This dominion man has maintained to a remarkable degree. God gave to man
the tremendous task of “subduing” the earth (Genesis 1:28). This has also been
accomplished wonderfully. The mountains, the rivers, the forests, and even the
elements of the air have become the ser vants of man.

Man is also more than body and intellect. Man has a conscience, a higher nature
than that given by mind and matter—a soul. This is true of no other creature in
the world. This gives to man a field which he alone occupies. No scientific
theory advanced by man can account for the faculties of man and eliminate God.
Wallace quotes Huxley as saying, “One thing which weighs with me against
pessimism, and tells for a benevolent Author of the universe, is my enjoyment of
scenery and music. I do not see how they can have helped in the struggle for
existence. They are gratuitous gifts” (Wallace, “Darwinism,” p. 478). While
himself adhering to “continuity of physical and mental development,” Wallace
admits that at “three distinct stages of progress from the inorganic world of
matter and motion up to man, some new cause of power must necessarily have come
into action” (Wallace, “Darwinism,” pp. 474-478). On the other hand, Professor
Ernest Haeckel says that the best definition of evolution is the “n
on-miraculous origin and progress of the universe.” He declares that if the
Creator is admitted at any one point, He may as well be admitted all along the
line. Scientists who hold that man is a product of evolution are unable to agree
upbn the essentia] details. Dr. William E. Hitter, member of the advisory board
of the Science League of America, says, “If one scans a hit thoughtfully the
landscape of human life for the last few decades, he can hardly fail to see
signs that the whole battle ground of evolution will have to be fought over
again; this time not so much between scientists and theologians as among
scientists themselves” (“Science,” April 14, 1922). Evolution must always remain
no more than a theory (See “The Direction of Human Evolution,” by Professor
Conklin, of Princeton). It is a matter of faith with the scientists accepting
it. Dr. Ritter closes his article re-ferring to above with this exhortation:
“fjet us bestow much more time and energy upon the grounds of our faith in
evolution as one of nature’s grandest processes, than upon searching after, and
speculating about, the causes of evolution.”

Dr. D. H. Scot, after summing up the present difficul-ties of the evolutionary
theory, exclaims: “Yet evolu-tion remains—wc cannot get away from it, even if we
hold it only as an act of faith” (Nature, September 29, 1921). If then,
evolution has been reduced to a matter of faith, why all the criticism of the
believer in the Biblical account, of creation' Is it not more “scientific’1 to
accept as a “matter of faith,” God as the supreme cause of life in all its forms
than to attribute these inexplainable phenomena to blind chance. It has been
estimated, for example, that if the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, were
thrown promiscuously about by chance force, they would probably fall together in
the present order—A, B, C, etc., once in five hundred million, million, million
times that they were thus tossed up and allowed to fall by chance. Why then,
would chance give us such a systematic universe at the very first “fall”?

Professor Edward Clodd, an evolutionist of recognized standing, says, “The
absence of facts forces us to confine ourselves largely to suggestions and
probabilities” .(“Making of a Man,” p. 188). Professor Henry Pair- field Osborn,
who is at the head of the American Museum , of Natural History, says, “The mode
of the origin of life is a matter of pure speculation” (“The Origin and
Evolution of Life,” p. 67). We do not wonder that Darwin. in his works, used
such terms as “ it may he supposed,” etc,, more than eight hundred times. The
theory of evolution begins with a supposition (“pure speculation”), and then
builds supposition after supposition upon this foundation. This is in violation
of the rules of evidence, one of which is that “one presumption of facts cannot
be based upon another” (16 Corpus Juris 765).

Allow me to examine briefly the fossil specimens presented by evolutionists as
the “missing links” in the development of man from lower forms of life.

“PITHECANTHROPUS"’ (Java Apeman) This overwhelming name has been given to the
man reconstructed on the basis of some bones supposed to have been found by Dr.
Eugene Dubois in the Island of Java in 1891. Of this man only a skull cap, two
teeth and a past of a femur Bone were discovered. These fragments were found
scattered through twenty yards of space in a gravel pit on the bank of a rushing
stream. Not all the bones were discovered at the same time. Scientists are not
agreed on these fragments of evidence The geologist, Dana, took the position
that if these hones all belonged to the same individual they belonged to a
low-grade man or to an idiot. They were rejected by Professor Klaatsch of
Heidelberg University, Dr. Lull, Professor Virchow, and many other scientists.
In' fact if you will read the Encyclopedia Brittannica (1922 edition), Volume
30, page 145, you will find there ip one short paragraph three different
opinions of three famous men regarding this creature Dr. John Roach Straton
quotes Dr. William Gregory, of Columbia University, as saying that scientists
estimate the age of the Java fossil at 500,000 years. Can a thoughtful man
believe that, in spite of earthquakes, fire, and flood; these bones assumed to
have belonged to one individual, would have remained undisturbed beside what is
now a rushing stream, for a period of 500,000 years ? The Heidelberg Man How
much of this creature was really found as a fossil? Only one jawbone! Some have
made a great sport of the Biblical account of woman being made of a rib, and
now, behold scientists have constructed a whole man out of a jawbone! Lull says
of this fragment: “The teeth are regularly placed and the canines are not in any
way bestial in their development, less so, indeed, than in some modern men.” The
Piltdown Man Of this creature, two or three bits of skulLhane, a piece of
jawbone, and a canine tooth L were found in Sussex, England, near Piltdown
Common. Dr. Henry P. Osborne admitted in 1918 that it had “not yet been shown
that the Piltdown jaw belongs with the Piltdown skull” (“men of the Old Stone
Age,” p. 14). The Neanderthal Man Of this type several bits of remains have been
found at various times. This specimen has provoked from competent authorities
more than a dozen opinions con-cerning itself. The remains; indicate a creature
with a cranial capacity considerably larger than that of the average modern man.
Dr. Thomas D. Parkman, professor of anatomy ia Harvard University, says, “The
Neanderthal man is not a specimen of a race arrested in its upward climb, but
rather a race thrown..down from a still higher position. The Cro-Magnon Man This
species is truly Homo-sapien of the highest type, comparing most favorably with
modern man in every way. The Talgai Specimen The Talgai skull is still shown as
an evidence of evo-lution, but very little is now said about it. Mr. Archibald
Mestou, of Australia, former chief protector of Aborigines, has shown that it is
the skull of an Australian hoy who was shot and buried in 1848.

Sir J. W. Dawson contends that the earliest known remains of man are those found
at Gibralter, Belgium, and Clichy, France, etc., and that these men exhibit
great superiority of brain power, intelligence, taste and skill; extreme
longevity of life; great stature, and great muscular power, with indications of
violence and bru-tality. All of these characteristics correspond with the
Scripture records of ancient man (Read Genesis 1:27; Genesis 5; Genesis 6:4;
Genesis 6:5-11). If there is any identification to be gained from these fossil
remains, it seems that it would tend to show the devolution of man from that,
“upright” state in which God created him. The authority just referred to
(Dawson), says the earliest relatives of man show “that man’s earliest state was
his best.’’ In fact, we have on every hand, instead of evidence of evolution,
evidence of just the opposite—degeneration. Man may, within a given specie,
develop a much Befler variety than he begins with; but so soon as the hand of
man is removed, a process of degeneration begins, and a reversion back to the
original is the result. This is true of both plants and animals.

Resemblances in Structure It will hardly be denied that there are resemblances
between the body of the beast and the body of man. But would we not expect some
points of similarity between the various products of the same God? The very fact
that all forms of animals have to breathe air and live on the same sort of food
largely, necessitates more or Less similarity between them. I see in these
resemblances, not proof that the one is a development of the other, but that
both matt and beast were made by the same Creator.

Vestigial Organs Evolutionists have thought to prove their theory by the
existence of certain organs in man’s body, for which they could see no use. It
has been argued that these organs are relics of man in a lower form. Among these
we note the pineal gland, the thyroid glands, the thymus, the pituitary body,
etc. But physicians have come to know that these little, seemingly uesless
organs, perform, valuable functions in the work of the body. Why argue that a
part of my body is useless, and must be the remains of an organ belonging to a
beast, simply because I do not t know its functions? But why continue further?
No man-made theory can account for the origin of life, the origin of
consciousness, the_jmigia-.o£ the soul, or the natural longing of the human
soul, la live after the death of the icily. Man naturally desires food. God
provides food. Man naturally desires water, provision has been made for the
satisfaction of this desire. Man naturally desires an eternal life; and it is
but reasonable to suppose that that desire will also be given consideration by
Him “who doeth all things well."

God’s word offers to us our only hope of an eternal salvation. The science which
deals with the soul’s eternal welfare is of more lasting worth than any of the
material sciences. So in the final analysis, the gospel preacher who “handles
aright the word of truth,” is a real scientist. He deals with an everlasting
science. His science is unchangeable. Other sciences change. The science of
today is tomorrow relegated to the background, and declared untrue. We need not
expect the Bible to agree with every so-called scientific theory. We know that
many of the theories of the past are untrue; perhaps many of those offered today
will be rejected tomorrow. But I make this statement without fear of successful
contradiction: The Bible contradicts no principle of science which has been
demonstrated to be a fact.

If you possess a piece of property, having a title which has stood the test of
litigation for more than 1900 years, you are quite sure that your title is good.
Oi.. “title to mansions in the sky,” is more than 1900 years old, has been
subjected to every kind of test known to men or demons: Still it stands! Shall
we now discard it because it fails to harmonize with some theory which is not,
and cannot ever be, a demonstrated fact? Especially when it is the only possible
title to a home for the soul? Two boys, students in school near Lake Michigan,
were among those called one dark, stormy night, to assist in rescuing the
passengers from a ship wrecked in Lake Michigan. These boys were expert
swimmers. Both worked in earnest for a while. Finally one of them said, ‘‘I
cannot risk my own life. I have carried several people to safely. I am not going
after another.” The other boy had a greater love for his fellow-man. Back into
the surging waters he went, and again and again, until he had saved seventeen
lives. In his effort to rescue the eighteenth, he succumbed. He was carried to
his home and placed in bed. He lay there several days in a state of
semi-consciousness. All this time he kept saying over and over: “Did I do my
best? Could I not have saved one more?” Do you admire this young man for his
interest in others, for his estimate of the worth of a human life, and for his
undying vision of the needs of others? I am sure you do; hut remember, young
preacher, his efforts were for the salvation of the body, which must some day
die. You have a life-belt to carry to souls, sinking in the great sea of
immorality, degradation and sin! Hold fast to your interest in the souls of men,
to your estimate of the worth of a never-dying soul, and to your vision of the
spiritual needs of humanity. Do not allow any unproved theory to drag your
anchor loose from the immovable Rock of Ages. In the words of Mr. Bryan: “It is
better to trust irj the Rock of Ages than in the age of the rocks." In 1922 I
conducted a protracted meeting in Drumright, Oklahoma. During this meeting 113
souls were added to the church. Great crowds were in attendance at each service.
Among the many curiosity-seelcers was an old infidel. I often talked with him.
Once I asked him for his idea of heaven and a future life. He replied : “I have
a good home here. I like it. I have no desire to go to heaven.” I later moved to
this town and came to know the old man better. He became seriously ill. The
doctor informed him that he could not live but a short time. He called for me. I
went to his bedside. As we talked, I could not get my mind away from his remark
about heaven. Finally I said, “I do not want to appear to be antagonistic to you
at this time. It is too late to argue the matter now, but may I ask if you
remember your saying to me that you were satisfied with your home here and had
no desire to go to l.eaven? And may I ask, What is your attitude now?” He was
silent for some time, but finally answered me, slowly and deliberately, and this
was his answer: “I cannot stay here any longer. The question with me now is,
Where can I go when I must leave this home ? I have made no preparation for
another,” Do not give up that eternal science which deals with the preparation
for an eternal home. Do not be misled by “science, falsely so called.” There is
no antagonism between the Bible and a completed science. Science must advance by
climbing upon the dead ruins of discarded theories. Day by day she comes nearer
to all truth. And when, if ever, science learns all about God’s great book of
nature, every honest scientist will become a Christian, and upon the title page
of the texts of science may be written the words: “In the Beginning, God.”


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 21: THE PRAYER OF JABEZ
========================================================================

The Prayer of Jabez THE PRAYER OF JABEZ (1 Chronicles 4:9-10). By W. DON
HOCKADAY

“And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name
Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of
Israel, saying, Oh, that thou wouldcst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border,
and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou Wouldest keep me from evil,
that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested.” In
the inidst of this long chronology, Jehovah stops long enough to tell us that
Jabez was more honorable than his brethren and that he prayed unto Him. When
Jehovah makes this statement about a man, it is safe for us to make the same
compari­son and take knowledge of that man. In this petition, he does not ask to
be greater than his brethren, but to be a blessing indeed. The question next
arises, what is a blessing indeed? The form of the ques­tion sounds like he did
not know and was just leaving it to Jehovah to make of him what Jehovah called a
blessing. The man who would pray that prayer would be a man who had submitted
his will to Jehovah. The wise man said, “Commit thy works unto Jehovah and thy
purposes shall be established” (Prov. 16 3). The man who asks the Father to make
him a blessing indeed, and means what he says, has committed his works unto
Jehovah, and that means that his purposes, which will necessarily be in harmony
with the Father’s purposes, will be established. Have we prayed, “Father, in
Jesus’s name, give me the thing that will make me a blessing indeed”? “And this
is the baldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to
his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he lieareth us, we know that we
have the petitions that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). What is the
thing we need? It might be chastisement. “My son regard not lightly the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art reproved of him; for whom the
Lord loveth, he chas- teneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth”
(Hebrews 12:5-6). When we are chastened by the Father, that is a sign that He
loves us and should be a real reason for rejoicing. The Father is preparing us
to be real servants of his own; just shaping the submitted will to his own
liking, and making us his powerful agent. Hear Paul rejoicing, “And not only so,
but we also re­joice in tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh
stedfastness; and stedfastness, approvedness; and ap­provedness, hope; and hope
putteth not to shame Decause the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us” (Romans 5:3-5). We see the wild
man of Tarsus spreading perse­cution and death upon the saints in Jerusalem,
Judea and on to Damascus and God says, “Stop! Saul’s will sub­mits, the refining
fire of God’s chastisement begins; we hear him rejoice, we see his
steadfastness; his being ap­proved of God, we see the love of God being shed
abroad in his heart and that love radiating from him throughout the world
bringing salvation to men.

Jesus’ life was the greatest blessing to the world. He said, “I came not to do
mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” Paul’s life was the next
greatest blessing. He said, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no
longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). Paul said to
Christians, ‘‘For ye died and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians
3:3).. How about Jabez if he were living today and God said he was more
honorable than his brethren? "Would we look for a man like King Saul standing
head and shoulders above his brethren? or would we look for a man like mighty
Solomon sitting upon the greatest throne of the world? or would we look for a
man among the poor and needy, ministering to them in their need, living clean
and pure and preaching Jesus everywhere? Yes, Jabez himself would be so
completely hidden by the blazing light of Jesus, that the world could not see
Jabez at all. Is Jesus all that the world can see in you and me? If we ever
convert the world to Christ, He must shine brightly in us.

We hear Jabez petition again, “Enlarge my border.” “Lord, give me a larger field
of usefulness or enlarge the one where I am working.” Do we really want our
border enlarged? “If we ask anything according to his will he heareth us.”
Jehovah enlarges us and uses us if we want to be used. 'God said to Isaiah,
“Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” Then Isaiah said, “Here am I, send
me.” IJow many of us are really saying, “Lord, send me”? When Jesus stopped Saul
on the road to Damascus and told him that he would send him far hence unto the
Gentiles, he prepared himself in mind and heart, and when the “Holy Spirit said,
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them”; away
they went through storm and persecution everywhere. When Paul was in prison he
preached.to the jailer, when tried before Felix and Agrippa, he prcaehed to
them. When Paul was in Rome in prison, his bonds became manifest in Christ
throughout the whole Praetorian guard (10,000 in number—International Bible
Encyclopedia), and all the rest. When he was on his last journey to Jerusalem
with the contribution for the poor saints, he stopped at Miletus to talk to the
Ephesian elders. In his address he said, “And now, behold, I go bound in the
Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there save
that the Holy Spirit testifieth unto me in every city, that bonds and
afflictions abide me. But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto
myrself, so that I may ac­complish my course, and the ministry which I received
from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God’* (Acta
20:22-24). On the same trip to Jerusalem, when he reached Caesarea, the prophet
Agabus came to Paul and taking his girdle, bound his own hands and feet and
said, “Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem do to the man
that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gen­tiles.
And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place besought him not
to go up to Jerusa­lem. Then Paul answered, Why do ye weeping and breaking my
heart? for I am not ready to he hound only, but to die at Jerusalem for the name
of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:12-13). Paul’s borders were enlarged because he
wanted them enlarged even if it cost his life. Any church will he enlarged in
the same way as was Philipp: and Thcssalonioa, if they are ready. What obstacles
do we have to the spread of the gospel as compared with Paul and the early
Christians? Are we ready to die if need be to give men and women the gospel of
Christ?

Now, if we are ready, how may the borders of the church be enlarged? May we
suggest that each home be sure that its children are taught about Jesus in their
early years so that they will not depart from it. If the Tipton Orphan Home can
have one hundred per cent of its children Christians as soon as they reach the
age of responsibility, why cannot the Christian home? Will the short Bible class
on Lord’s day morning prepare them to be real Christians? Surely the child needs
the word of God more than it does arithmetic or any other secular branch. Why
cannot a Bible class be taught every day by the church to the children of the
homes of the church? If the Catholics can maintain schools to keep their
children Catholics and really keep them, why cannot we keep our children
Christians? Do the Catholics love their children more than we do?

We can do our best to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and make service the
great approach to men. Jesus took five loaves and two small fish and fed five
thousand men besides women and children, and then said, “I am the bread of
life.” The palsied man was let down through the roof to him, Jesus said, “Thy
sins be forgiven thee,” and “Arise, take up thy bed and go to the bedside of the
sick man, though we have never seen him before, minister to his needs and
thereby win his affections and confidence. By so doing, we can then say, “Jesus
said, ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved’ ” and the man will do
it and be saved.

We can do as the disciples of old, leave our fishing, our tax collecting, and
any other business that we have, and spend our time teaching Jesus and getting
others to teach him and thus spread Jesus and his love everywhere we go.

Jabez prays again that the hand of Jehovah might he with him. We can have Ihe
hand of Jehovah with us too, “if we ask anything according to l^is will, he
heareth us.” The Psalmist said, “Except Jehovah huild the house, they labor but
in vain that build it” (Psalms 127:1). “For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro
throughout the whole earth to show' himself strong on the behalf of them whose
heart is perfect toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Was the heart of Jahez
perfect? What else would it take to make it perfect? Is your heart perfect
hefore God? Have you completely submitted your life to Him? Jehovah was with
Gideon, who in simple, trusting, faith, for only that could do it, with three
hundred men put to flight one hundred and thirty-five thousand Midian- ites.
When there was not a man in all Israel who was willing to fight the giant
Goliath, the shepherd hoy, David, said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine,
that he should defy the armies of the living God”? “I will fight with the
giant.” When the great Goliath, whose height was six cubits and a span and was
well trained in the art of war, saw David, he disdained him, for he was ruddy
and but a youth and withal of a fair countenance, he said, “Come to me and I
will give your flesh unto the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field,”
hut David said, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a
javelin; but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the
armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will Jehovah deliver thee into
my hand: and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and will give
the dead bodies of the hosts of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the
heavens and the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there
is a. God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saveth not
with a sword and with a spear; for the battle is Jehovah's and he will give you
into my hand.” When the apostles and their co-laborers went out to preach the
gospel to the whole creation, they ivent in the name of Jesus, knowing that the
battle was Jehovah’s, fighting the greatest enemy of the race amid persecution
and death. In a few years the enemy said, “These that have turned the world
upside down have cOme hither also.” So valiant was the fight that the great­est
victory that had ever been achieved by man was won when the mighty sword reached
all creation under heaven. Brethren, do we believe in Jehovah? He said to them
and He says to us, “Go teach all nations . . . and lo I am with you always even
unto the end of the world.” The end of the world has not yet been reached, all
men have not been saved, and God is depending upon us to rescue them from the
enemy. We must, all of us, go forth in Jesus’ name, realising that the battle is
Jehovah’s and knowing that His mighty hand is with us wherever we go to obey His
commands.

“That thou wouldest keep me from evil.” Do we want to.be a blessing indeed, do
we want our border as a Chris­tian enlarged, do we want the hand of Jehovah with
us, do we want to be kept from evil? “If we ask anything according to his will,
he heareth us; and if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know
that we have the petition which we have asked of him.” How will Jehovah keep us
from evil? Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil” (Matt 6 13). How many of us are praying daily that we may
be free from sin? David said, "Thy word have J laid up in my heart that I might
not sin against thee” (Psalms 119:11). Daniel purposed in his heart that he
would not defile himself with the king’s dainties, nor with the wine which he
drank. He used the word of God that was laid up in his heart to sustain him in
his hour of trial. When Jesus was tempted in the wilder­ness, instead of
performing a miracle to help Him resist the devil, He used the mightiest of all
swords and calmly answered, "It is written.” The devil was not able to withstand
the attack and fled. The Psalmist said, “Bless­ed is the man that walketh not in
the counsel of the un­godly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in
the seat of'the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his
law doth he meditate day and night —whatsoever hie doeth shall prosper” (Psalms
1:1-3). And if we add to this, the advice Paul gave to Timothy, "But flee
youthful lusts, and follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them
that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). If we pray
earnestly to the Fath­er to help us overcome temptation, fill our hearts full of
the word of God, and ufee it as Jesus did, run from every appearance of evil,
chase after faith, love, peace and make chums of those .that call on the Lord
out of a pure heart', God will keep our lives clean and pure. We should always
remember that nothing hinders the gospel more than sin in the life of the
preacher and every other Chris­tian. And Jabez adds that it be not to my sorrow.
When the principles of this prayer become a part of my life and yours, it will
come not to our sorrow in this life for God has promised us there will be “no
temptation, but such as man can bear But God is faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye able; but will with the temptation make also the
way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it’’ (1 Corinthians 10:13) “and
will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ
Jesus’’ (Php_4:19). We are sure also that if we faithfully do these things as
servants of Jehovah that great inheritance that Peter says, “is incorruptible,
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who by the
power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation to be revealed in the
last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5). And brethren, to me, the sweetest thing of the brief
two verses that Jehovah records about Jabez, is, “that God granted that which he
requested.” “And Jabez prayed unto the God of Israel saying,' Oh that thou
wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with
me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to m,y sorrow! And
God granted Ithat which he requested.” Are we ready to pray this prayer today
and mean it, praying it in faith, in Jesus name? Do we want to be a blessing
indeed, if it brings persecution, trial and even death, that we may be approved
of Christ? Do we sincerely want our bor­ders enlarged into Africa, India, China
and Japan or any other place God wants to use us ? Are we ready to sing, “If
Jesus goes visith me, I will go anywhere?” Do we believe that man is lost in sin
and that Jesus has trusted us to carry His gospel to the lost and that that
gospel has the very power of Jesus in it as we preach it to the lost of earth?
Do we want to be free from sin that our life may be no hindrance to the gospel
of Christ? He has showed us the way and since we know that God is no repecter of
persons, He will answer our prayer too.


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  CHAPTER 22: WHAT DO WE MORE THAN OTHERS?
========================================================================

What Do We More Than Others?

“WHAT DO YE MORE THAN OTHERS?” By J. D. HARVEY

I express to the committee on arrangements my feelings of gratitude for the
confidence intrusted in me allowing me thereby the opportunity and possibilities
of this occasion. I have always felt indebted to the environment of A. C. C. for
both the decision and preparation that led me into the field of service in which
I am now engaged,

There are two pieces of advice that I received early in life from which I have
never been able to get away. One of this was given me up in the office of the
old administration building by Robert Whitesides who was then president of this
school. It had dawned on me that I must make a lawyer and about the time I had
made preparation to begin the study thereof Brother White-sides called me into
his confidence and among other things said, “Any man that can plead law can
preach the gospel.” The other was given me by my grand-father, G. W. Harvey,
being over anxious that I make a preacher he made an engagement for me to hold a
meeting and then came to tell me of the engagement. Of course, I, like Moses,
began to make excuses; after listening to my alibi for not wanting to fill the
engagement he turned as if to walk away and said, “If you can keep from it you
are not fit.” These statements together with the encouragement of a mother and
wife, I have surrendered my talent, my strength and my all to the preaching of
the gospel of Christ. In that incomparable Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made a
comparison between the Law that He came to fulfill and that which he came to
inaugurate. He vividly set forth the merits of the Old and that of the New,
placing them side by side. He showed beyond doubt the superiority of the former
over the latter. After showing the virtues of both those who kept the Law and
the Gentiles around about them he turned to his disciples and made this
pertinent query, “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do
not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye
more than others? Do not even the publicans so?” (Matthew 5:46-47.) In this
reading is suggested the subject for the morning, namely: “What Do Ye More Than
Others?” I would like to emphasize every word that goes to make this pregnant
inquiry. WHAT—You cannot say that word without implying that there is something
. DO— Take the do out of religion and you cut the heart out of it, “Pure
religion and undefiled before God the Father is this; To visit the fatherless
and the widows in their afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the
world” (James 1:26). The hinge that opens the door to heaven is DO; “Not every
one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). YE—A
personal term, meaning every dis-ciple. Jesus said, “Go YE into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature,” meaning every one must go. MORE THAN—A
term of comparison, a parallel usage (Matthew 10:37). “He that loveth father and
mother MORE THAN me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter MORE
THAN me is not worthy of me.” And why OTHERS refers to the other religions of
the day. The fact that the Lord asked this question shows to my mind that he
expected more of those who followed his teachings than others. There is
suggested here the lesson of opportunity and responsibility. Why expect more
than those who were followers of Moses? Because of your opportunity, ‘ ‘ but
blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For, verily I
say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those
things which you see, and have not seen them; and to. hear those tilings which
you hear and have not heard them” (Matthew 13:16-17). Because of your
enlightenment expect more. Perhaps there is no Lesson more forcefully impressed
by Christ than that of equality of opportunity and responsibility. Hear Him
again, “Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works
were done, because they repented not. Woe unto thee, Chorazin. Woe unto thee,
Bethsaida!. for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were
done in you, they would have repented long ago in sack-clotli and ashes, but I
say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day'of
judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:20-22). There is a lesson here that ought to
sink deep in the hearts of every one of us, that we are responsible for not only
everything we know, but what we might "be able to find out. And that
responsibility and opportunity are parallel terms. We who are living in the
golden sun-light age of the gospel, surrounded with the benedic-tions and
opportunities of the twentieth century; if Christ expected more of the disciples
of the first century, how much more does he expect of us today? With the modern
methods of communication, when a hundred miles is no distance to travel, and
wHSn the gospel can be flashed from center to circumference as the speaker
speaks—surely Christ expects more of this age than any ever before. I had rather
live twenty-five years now than five hundred years of any time past. The doing
of more than others is indeed the stamp of discipleship. It goes without debate,
that Christianity, if it offers no more to the world and does not enable the
individual to do more than any philosophy or religion of man, there is no reason
for its existence. The vital essence of the Christian religion is doing; without
this ability to do more no man has a reason for being a Christian. In this very
connection Christ said, “For I sav unto von, except your righteousness shall
exceed the righteousness of the scribes and_ Pharisees, ye shall in no wise
enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20 j. Well, what was their standard
of righteousness? “For they say and do not.” “This people drawetli nigh unto me
with their mouth, and honoreth with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain do they worship, me teaching for doctrine the commandments of men”
(Matthew 15:8-9). Note also the “woe” he pronounces on such religion” (Matthew
23:23-28). Christ demanded more of his followers than the religious sects of his
day, living as we do in the age of religious chaos, sur-rounded with denom
ination alism on every hand. With all due respect to the intelligence and zeal
of our religious neighbors, I believe that Christ’s language is indeed
applicable now. Except the righteousness of the church of Christ exceed that of
the denominations around us we have no right to exist and no claim, on the
kingdom of heaven. Our claim within itself calls for something more than offered
by the denominational religion. The restoration motto, “Speak where the Bible
speaks, be silent where the Bible is silent,” demands within itself the doing of
more than others. When we hold up the New Testament and say, “This Book is the
exclusive authority for everything we do and say,” there comes back to the
church of Christ a direct challenge from the world. “Do what you say you do or
loose; stand for that which you claim or fail.” Brethren let us arise and meet
this challenge with renewed zeal and energy, let us present to the world a
church such as is revealed in the New Testament Scriptures, in organization,
government, wor-ship and activities. Aind when it comes to a Bible school, there
are plenty of religious schools that offer a standard literary training and to
teach denominational ethics, unless a school owned, operated and supported by
Christians offers more than all such schools it has no right to exist or claim
support from the church of* Christ. Of course it must be true to the Book, but
more than that, there must be there a special touch in the way of ethics. I
rejoice over some reports I hear from without about Abilene Christian College. A
lady who was not a member of the church of Christ remarked to me this summer,
“While I am a ... I am going to send my daughter to Abilene Christian College
for they really care there.” That personal care is a thing that is lacking in
school life, but vital. I think sometimes we have the wrong conception of our
relationship to the religious world; that is, “Stay Up”; Christ did not say,
‘‘Do as much as,” but ‘‘more than,” and that should be our goal.

Christianity vindicates its divinity by its ability to stir men’s souls to
better living and greater service than they would otherwise attempt It is indeed
a sad comment on Christianity, yea a tragedy! when we may point out without
difficulty scores of professed Christians who' in reality are no better than
those about them who make no profession to religion. There are those who have
their names on the church "Book in capitals that have a nmch lower rating than
many who make no such profession; and what makes this hurt is it is so.

He who claims to be a follower of the Christ and is not a better father, a
better mother, a better husband, a better wife, a better farmer, a better
preacher, has learned the gospel lesson in vain Even the man of the world
realizes truth of this. That is evident from the way he sneers at the
hypocritical Christian who fails to live no better life than his own. Christ
expects us. to do. morn, and the world demands it of us. “But When I saw that
they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto
Cephas, before them all, “If thou being a Jew livest as do the Gentiles, and not
as the Jews, how compellest thou the Gentiles to do as do the Jews” (Galatians
2:14). Let us_supply ‘‘Christian” for the..word “Jew,” and “world” for the word
“Gentile,” and see, how that reads. Indeed true religion proves its divinity by
doing more than others. When Moses stood in Pharoah’s palace with his signs and
plagues the true was put to a test. As long as the magicians could do as much as
Moses with their enchantments there was no alarm, but the moment they failed to
do as much, they said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:18-19).
The heathen who said to the missionary, ‘ Why do you come across the wide ocean
to bring your religion to me? I would not go to that trouble to bring my
religion to you; there must be something in what you teach,” clearly perceived
this marked difference, this important distinguishing feature of the’ religion
of Jesus. A Christian can and should do more, because nf -his Siew relationship
to Christ and the word of God. “If then ye were raised together with Christ,
.seek the filings that are above, where Christ is seated on the right hand of
God. Set your affections on things that are above, not on the tilings that are
upon the earth. For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God” He should
be a better worker in his vocation, because he has another one to work for. Just
as a newly married man is more careful and more diligent in his business, so a
Christian ought to realize that more is demanded of him. He should know he has a
great field of service and an additional work to support. This fact should be an
incentive. He ought to be a better neighbor, hecause he has learned more deeply
than ever before the Golden Rule, and knows how to turn men’s passions by doing
good rather than evil. If he is a gospel preacher, his pulpit must be different,
hecause of his relationship to Christ’s work, “I charge thee in the sight of God
and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his
appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; "(2 Timothy 4:1-2).

He ought to have moral strength to declare the whole counsel of God. The pulpit
is no place for a coward. The sociological power of the Christian religion is
tremendous. The future of our offsprings is no longer a chance, but now we must
bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. I am responsible to the
Creator for my procreation. The marital bond should mean more. The fact that I
am a follower of Christ should make a better teacher and a more devoted
stu-dent. This relationship should govern our dress, just how low and how short.

If you were to ask me the greatest need of the hour,, I hardly think I would
answer, More people, for there are more people in the world now than any time
ever before ; I do not think I would answer, More money, for there is more money
in circulation than ever before, neither would my answer be, More institutions
of learn-ing, but I thing the greatest need of the day is, more men and. women,
boys and girls of the right sort; and, of course, the next would be institutions
that would mold such characters to fill the demand. And let me say here there is
no substitution for the old fashion Bible home. But what is that power in
Christianity that enables a convert to assume these newer responsibilities and
obligations? “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding
greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves’’ (2 Corinthians
4:7). That ability to do, that ability to accomplish has been delegated unto
men, but we are only a fragile vessel, the power is of God. Therefore, we are
“strengthened with all power according to His might and glory” (Colossians
1:11). “That we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raised the dead” (2
Corinthians 1:9). “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on thine
own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). I like to think of the lighting system in
Stamford, where I once lived. We once had a small, undersized, poorly equipped
plant. The lights were dim and poor and unreliable, but later we connected with
the million dollar high-power plant of Abilene; there-upon, the city was lighted
with brilliance it never knew before. What was the secret of the change? The
town no longer depended on its own small plant for its electricity, but the
current now comes from the high-power line. This illustrates the way in which a
Christian’s life is made more capable for doing good; he is tied on the
High-Power Line of heaven; no longer depending on his own resources, but on the
God of his being. That is why Paul could say, and in common with us all, “I can
do all things in Him that strengthens me” (Php_4:13). And indeed, “our
sufficiency is of God.”

Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing” (John
15:5). I challenge the fountain of figures to produce a closer relationship than
that of a vine and branch. Just as the branch forces its roots in the bowels of
mother earth and draws therefrom her vitality and strength and freely feeds it
to its branches and they in turn transmit it into fruit, even so Christ has gone
into the secrets of the wisdom and strength of his Father and made it possible
that we through him might bear much fruit in the kingdom of the Lord. Then, “it
is God that works in us, both to will and do his good pleasure,” but we must
work out what God has wor ked in. We are thus saved by the power of the gospel
and kept by the power of his word.

“For this cause I bow down my knees unto the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you,
according to the fiches of his glory, that ye be strengthened with the power
through his Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith, to the end that ye may be rooted and grounded in love, may be able to
apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and
depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge; that ye may be
filled unto all the fullness of God. Now, unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we may ask or think, according to the power that
worketh in us, unfo him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all
generations forever and ever. Amen.”


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 23: FROM CREEDS TO CHRIST
========================================================================

From Creeds To Christ FROM CREEDS TO CHRIST By R. R. BROOKS “If any man willeth
to do his will, he shall know of the teaching” (John 7:17).

Mr President, members of the faculty, students, and visiting brethren, ladies
and gentlemenI appreciate the honor conferred on me by the president of A. 0. C.
in that he asked me to appear before you for a lecture. It is an inspiration to
be here, to see this splendid student body, to meet and hear the brethren that
have spoken and the ones that shall follow me. The subject that I have
selected—“From Creeds to Christ”—gives me an opportunity to bring before you the
experience of a soul laden with sin, but seeking to find the Christ, the Lamb of
God that taketh away the sin of the world. In speaking to you of my conversion
and how I became a Christian only I trust to be able to get you to see some
facts, at the same time trying to create in you an interest, and sympathy, not
so much for myself, as for the other souls that are now traveling the same road
over which I came with sighs, moans, pains, and suffering of heart. I am now
happy as a Christian only with the church of Christ at Lubbock as her minister,
but I will never forget what I have come through to reach and enjoy the Christ
that I now know. My experience is past, but many are the souls that are
struggling with the same doubts, fears, and haunted dreams that made m,y life
miserable for years.

I Was Bom and Raised in Tennessee I cannot remember when I first began to long
for sal-vation. But being raised in a home where the parents were only passively
interested in religion, and what they knew about the plan of salvation, had been
learned from their religious leaders, the Baptists, travelled in the way (as
they thought) of life. You can readily see how slim my chance of learning the
truth was. So, as a natural thing I grew to young mnnhod before I ever became
identified with any church. But in 1911, as the result of a few young people’s
interest and efforts in a personal way, I began to attend a Baptist meeting. In
one of the sermons the preacher caught my attention and it seemed that he
preached directly at me. He made a powerful appeal for folk to come forward; I
did not go, but stood shaking and filled with fear. After that the preacher
preached on the “Spirit Leaving Sinners” that had once been brought face to face
with the question “What Will You Do With Jesus”? and had been made to quake and
tremble like a leaf in the wind, but turned down the invitation. He led me to
see that when that was done, our doom was sealed. In a sermon later, he used a
magnet to draw nails to himself, to illustrate the way the Spirit draws one to
Christ. When the magnet was taken away the nail was helpless to move itself. So
was a sinner he said, if not drawn by the Holy Spirit. To listen to preaching
like that filled me with fear, dread and haunted my dreams, if I ever succeeded
in getting off to sleep, which I only could do by counting from one to one
hundred over, and over until my poor tired mind would no longer function, and I
would drop into a semiconsciousness to see visions of hell and lost souls, with
mine in the midst. Listeners, it was terrible.

' With my soul filled with fear, and a dread in my heart for what the future
held for me, I sought peace but found misery, until I could stand it no longer.
So I told my mother that if I were lost it would be for something that I had
already done, and not for something that I would do in the future, for I was
going to do all I could to be saved. With that in mind, I went back to the
Baptist meeting. When the invitation was given there followed me to the front,
six or eight young men and women, He asked me if I believed that God, for
Christ’s sake, had forgiven my sins, and then had me to tell the congregation
what I had told him, and then asked them what they would do with me. It was
moved and seconded that I be received as a candidate for baptism, after that
into the full fellowship of the church. I was baptized" the following Sunday
night.

I Become a Baptist Preacher Things went along, but not without fears and doubts
for me. But I was very active in the Church, President of my Sunday School
Class, led in prayer, made talks in the B. Y. P. U. and did anything I was
called on to do. Toward the close of the year the news reached the pastor of the
church that I was going away to school. So he called on me, and after hearing
what I had to say concluded that I was called to preach, and urged me to so do.
He carried the news from my sick bed, back to his church that I had been called
to preach, and when I recovered enough would preach my first sermon to the
congregation before leaving for College. This I did on the last (Sunday night of
December 1911 in the First Baptist church of Newport, Tennessee. The next Sunday
the church took up my case and licensed me to jireaeh. I left the following
Thursday for Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, Tennessee, to study for the
ministry, to be a preacher of the doctrine, to uphold the traditions, to
support, and defend the faith of the Baptist denomination. College Days. In the
spring of 1912, when the books of Carson-Newman College opened for registration,
I appeared before the president with fear and trembling, as all first term
College students understand. But as the days passed, I was soon in the current
of student activity and down to work. . You would think that surely there are no
doubts and haunting fears now, since I had become a ministerial student, but if
you will permit me to relate two or three incidents of my College days, you will
see that things were just as they were before I had been licensed to preach.

All ministerial students were given their tuition, but they had to convince a
committee that they had been called to preach. So, as the day drew near for the
ex-amination, we boys that had to come up for the trial, looked forward to it
with feelings of uneasiness and doubtful expressions. What must be told as proof
of our call to the ministry? The day finally rolled around in spite of our
desire that it never come. The Committee that was to examine all young would-be
preachers has arrived, we were told one morning in chapel. Therefore, we were
respectively asked to meet those men in the college parlor that day. We did.
What will the hoys say? Some I knew to he far from what I thought a preacher in
making, ought to be. But I listened. This one had seen visions, that one had
dreamed dreams and others had heard voices. With all (but myself) it was a
mystical power thad had operated on them to show them that if they did not
preach woe be unto them. My turn came after a while, but instead of telling
dreams and spooky feelings and of visions I had never had, I merely told my
intense desire to preach or do anything to bring souls to Christ. Strange to
say, T was accepted as a divinely called being to preach the gospel. But, still
had my doubts about being saved. You see, I had been taught that we are saved
because we believe we are, and if we doubt, we are not saved. All depended on
that exper- ince of Grace which I knew that I had never had in that
supernatural, soul filling, light giving, doubt removing, convincing way. My
doubts were still with me, and once in a while, even then, I would have to count
myself to sleep. Others were just like myself, which .the following incident
will show. The College Church had called a man for a protracted meeting and all
students were expected to attend the meeting. One night my room mate was so
terrified in the church, he stood up and cried out for the prayers of all, and
said “I go now to seek peace with my God,” and he walked out of the meeting
house. The church had prayed for him as he went his way in the darkness of a
misty night, to seek the God that could give, and had given to others, as he
thought, that peace of soul which he and I longed for. It was most day when he
came to our room all covered with red mud, as the result of having spent hours
in the lonely fields and gulley-washed ml hills, prostrate before God in prayer.
Are you prone to smile as you think of this poor boy ? Do not do it, pity him.
He was living through what I had felt for many long months. This young man was a
Texan, a ministerial student, in College to learn how to convert others, and he
himself doubted that he had been saved.

Having been taught that we know we are saved by the experience we have had, I
was at all times full of doubts. And when the Drawing Power of the Holy Spirit
was preached on, many stories would be told of poor Spirit left souls, agonizing
before God in prayer, but we were told that there was no salvation for all such,
and my old haunting, fear giving, soul terrifying thoughts, and visions, would
return for I thought that the Spirit had left me for good. But, in our College
Boys Sunday School class the teacher, who was a professor in the College, told
us “when you have real genuine doubts about being a Christian your doubts become
the best evidence that you can possibly have, that you are a Christian.” If he
told the truth, I was a super-Christian, for the name of my Lord, whose name I
wore. Who will wave the wand, or give the magic touch and bring two
contradictory teachings to agree? I was taught; we are saved if we believe we
are, and here, if we doubt, it is fine evidence that we are saved! Poor souls,
in the realm of doubt and error! Who will try to’ bring people of my experience
to a knowledge of the truth? Years rolled by and I clung on to, or my doubts
clung on to me? but how was I to get relief or find peace of soul?

I Became a Methodist Preacher I left College in 1915, and located in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. By contact and association, in the home, with Methodist
folk, I was drawn to the Methodist Sunday School and Church. By teaching a class
in the Sunday School, I came in close touch, in a personal way, with the Pastor,
and he learned that I was a licensed Baptist preacher, So, the day that he
married me he asked me to become a member of the Methodist Church, and in the
regular way, become a Methodist preacher, which I did in a rapid way, as you
will see.

I was married one Sunday, became a Methodist the next by saying that I would be
subject to the Discipline of the Church and support its institutions. The next
Thursday night after asking me to retire from the meet-ing, I was discussed pro
and con, but was called back in a short time to be advised that I had been
unanimously recommended for license to preach in the M. E. Church South. The
next thing was to meet the committee that had examined applicants for license to
preach at the District Conference. As part of the preparation for the
examination I was handed the Discipline and told to read it. When I came before
the Presiding Elder and his committee of the Chattanooga District I felt that
the cords of Creeddom were being wrapped around me, but that I would be true to
the Bible and preach that folks ought to be immersed for baptism, even if I did
become a Methodist preacher. Several things happened in that examination that I
would like to pass on to Truth Seek-ers, but only have time for one incident. In
the course of examination, one question was “Where did the Articles of Religion
(found in the Methodist Discipline) come from?” I did not know, but I was sure
that they should hare come from the Bible, so I said— “from the Bible.” But,
imagine my great surprise when I was informed that I was mistaken, that they did
not come from the Bible but from the Church of England. It not only surprised
me, but it made an impression on my mind and caused me to think some later. If
the very faith that I was to preach, had for its foundation the faulty material
found in the Church of England, which had been received from the Roman
Catholics, I was even then beginning to feel that I was not only in the wrong
pew but in the wrong church as well. I passed the examination, was given license
to preach and recommended to the Annual Conference for admittance on trial.
However, I did not go to Conference that year, but was represented by the
Presiding Elder and my Pastor in such a splendid way, I was given, by Bishop
Waterhouse, one of the Suburban Churches of Chattanooga. This happened in 1916.

Pastor in Charge. As the new pastor I soon made my appearance, to look over the
charge, and to be looked over by the charge, allotted to me. Tilings moved along
well, for I had tanen my bride of a few weeks to our first home, and we were
busy, not only in arranging our own home, but I had to get acquainted with my
flock and to learn how to be a Methodist preacher. In spite of my inexperience
we had a good year, and I went to the Conference in 1917 with a fine report that
called forth words of praise from the Bishop of the Conference. The Annual
Conference in Pulaski, Virginia, 1917. It was a great day when the preachers of
the Chattanooga District met at the Terminal Station to entrain for the annual
Conference. We picked up preachers all along the way, until we reached
Knoxville, Tennessee, and then we had special cars assigned us. When we ar-rived
in the Conference City, it was my lot to lodge ’.n the home of a Dunkard. Things
that happened in that Conference are too numerous to mention, but I will pass to
you a few things that made me want to turn from Creeds to something, I did not
know what.

If you have ever attended a Methodist Conference, and been permitted to know
something of the inside workings, you will appreciate what I say, when I tell
you that it is a political machine from the ground up. It did not take me long
to see enough to cause me to remark to one of the preachers that I was then
attending my last Conference. And it was. However, all the preachers did not
look at it as I did. One it pleased to the extent that he said to me, “I would
rather be a Methodist preacher than an angel.”

Just to point out how the so-called work of the Holy Spirit, in selecting and
calling men to preach, will be set at naught, I will tell you what happened in
the Com-mittee Room where all the Young preachers, that had come *up for
admittance into the Conference on trial, were examined. There was there one
young man that had convinced his home church and District Conference, that had
licensed him, that the Holy Spirit had called him to preach. But, when he faced
the Committee at Conference, the law of the church had to be enforced regardless
of the work of the Spirit. So, because he did not have a High School education,
or its equivalent, he was turned down, and could not get into the Conference. I
thought: "The Holy Spirit should be more careful in his selections, or else
force the church, that I was then a preacher in, to recognize his work and use
the men that He had called, regardless of their education or lack of education.”
Others had to sware that they would leave off the use of tobacco, or stay out of
the Conference. The Conference came to a close by reading the answer to Question
4 in the Discipline, which was: Where are the preachers stationed for the
ensuing year ? I was returned to the same charge. But, on my way home from
Conference I was asking myself: What shall I do ? To go hack to the Baptist, I
cannot. To go to the Presbyterians, I will not. To join another denominational
Church, it seemed to me would he just as had as staying-where I was. I repeated
the question? “What shall I do?”

One thing I have left in the background, or untold, is, that I had married a
Christian girl. And it grieved the folk that I was then serving as preacher
because my wife would not come into the church with me. My stewards took it up
with the Presiding elder and told him that something had to he done with my
wife. But, they did not understand that I was the one that needed something
instead of my wife. It also grieved me because I was not able to get my wife to
join the church, to play the Piano, and she would not join the Ladies Missionary
Society. Now I was very conscientious, and I came to think that if my wife would
he a hindrance to me all the days of my ministerial life, and would keep me from
exercising my divine calling, as she had a good home, I would let her return to
it, and I would pursue my course as a Methodist preacher. But the Lord came to
our aid, and instead of having to give np my wife to please Him, I came to see
that the Greed, which separated ns, was the thing that I could give up.
Therefore, I unburdened my soul to her, I called her attention to the fact that
I was out of the Army because I was a Methodist preacher, but I was going to
quit, give up the faith, if they sent me to France. I said: “What shall I do?
Where can I go? I don’t know a church in the world that I can conscien-tiously
cast my lot with. I am sick and tired of what I have.” Then she said: “I wish
you could hear some of our preachers.” My trouble was not that I did not
be-lieve the Bible, but I did not think that any of the churches I knew preached
it, and tried to live according to it. They had, it seemed to me, left the Bible
and were going their own ways. What I longed for was a church that had a
Scriptural name, and took the Bible just as it is, that has no Creed but it.
Being in the frame of mind mentioned above, I was ready to listen and would
receive, with gratitude, light from any one. To help me to see, that the people
that I had taken my wife from among, really stood for the Bi-ble in its ancient
simplicity, and taught sinners to come to him as it is outlined in the New
Testament; Brother Charles Holder of Bridgeport, Alabama, passed on to me a
sermon delivered by your honored President Emeritus Jesse P. Sewell, at some
point in Texas on the subject “The Way That is Right and Cannot Be Wrong.”
Brother Moody’s book, Eunice Lloyd, came to my assistance. S. H. Hall was in
Chattanooga holding a meeting so I preached in the M. E. church in the morning,
got one of my stewards to hold services in the evening and I went to hear
Brother Hall. He preached that night on “Seeing Things Alike.” By his sermon,
and what I had read, I made up my mind that 1 could live and work with a church
that taught the unsaved the Lord’s way to life, that took the Bible and preached
it just as it is. So when the invitation was given I was glad to take Brother
Hall’s hand, accepting the Christ of the Bible as my Lord, to obey Him instead
of men. In fact, I turned from Creeds to Christ, making my decision known then
and there. That night was a season of great rejoicing, not only on my part, but
the churches in Chattanooga were glad. I took my stand with Christ and his
people on Sunday night to be a Christian only, so Monday morning I found my
Presiding elder and resigned as one of his preachers in the Chattanooga district
of the M. B. Church South. But, before I leave Methodism for good I want to give
you just a glimpse of what happened, how I was treated by the Presiding elder,
and my ex-pastor. We’came together in the Y. M. C. A. building, there I told
them my reasons for leaving the Methodist church. I asked the presiding elder to
reason with me, and if I was wrong I would accept his correction. He told me if
I tore up the church I had been preacher of, I would have to face the judgment
for so doing. I told him that I was willing to face God in what I had done and
was doing. That led him to say: ‘‘If you think God will go baek on John Wesley,
you are certainly mistaken.” When I urged both of them to show me, from the
Bible, my error, they did as the accusers of the woman of old, began with the
greater and hastily left.

So, in the same building where I was made a Methodist preacher, I unmade one,
for I had turned from Creeds to Christ. On Monday night following, I stood in
the door of a liquid tomb, in the presence of a vast throng and with my mouth
confessed him before men. Then, I was buried in the cold watery grave, raised
from its chilly embrace, believing “He that belicveth and is baptized shall be
saved” (Mart 16:16). Having been raised to a new life, I had new feelings, new
joys and a satisfied heart. My soul was at ease, and I had peace with God. There
had come from Him to me “seasons of refreshing” (Acts 3:19). Since that day, I
have never been haunted by my thoughts, my dreams are not dreams of terror. I
know what the Lord meant when he said “ Tou shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free” (John 8:32) and, “If therefore the Son shall make you free,
ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). It is a great thing to be a Christian
only. The great change in my life brought changes i£ my work and a move became
necessary. We were using Methodist furniture in our home. We gave that up and I
went to work with my hands to earn our bread.

I shall never forget nor cease to appreciate the love, kindness, and helping
hands extended us by the congregations in Chattanooga. I had given up my income
along with the Creed, without a promise of a place to preach, much less of
financial remuneration. I was not laboring for and had no promise of the food
that perisheth, but if I had not been promised a pulpit, I was only one week
without a place to preach. I gave up the Methodist faith and pulpit one Sunday
and preached in the Church of Christ the next.

Brother E, H. Hoover and the central congregation with which he has labored now
for ten years had not yet met me. I was unknown, by face to them, only they had
heard said that one that had been preaching a different doctrine was now
preaching the faith, and they sent unto our needs, not in promise, but in a
temporal, substantial way.

It will be nine years this fall since I turned from Creeds to Christ, and every
year has made my joy deeper and iny faith has constantly grown stronger.
Therefore, I never had a remote desire to turn again to the doctrines,
traditions, and Creeds of men.

What I have experienced, in this lecture related, is conclusive proof of the
truthfulness of the text found at the beginning of this lecture “If any man
willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching” (John 7:17). Let me beg
you to think in a sympathetic way of the thousands that today are traveling the
way that 1 have come, battling with the same waves of doubt that I fought
against. They are just as honest as any of us. They need to be loved, taught and
led to know the truth that they too may turn from CREEDS TO CHRIST,


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  CHAPTER 24: CHRIST OUR UNIQUE SACRIFICE
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Christ Our Unique Sacrifice CHRIST, OUR UNIQUE SACRIFICE By ROY H. LANIER

‘'But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being
witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through
faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that' believe; for there is no distinction;
for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely
by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God set forth
to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness
because of the passing over of sins done afore time, in the forbearance of God;
for the showing, I say, of his rigliteousftess at this.present season; that he
might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus”
(Romans 3:21-26). From the foregoing passage of Scripture, from the pen of the
apostle Paul, it is clearly seen:

1. That the entire human family, Jew and Gentile, had become guilty of sin
before God. 2. That God, because of the great love he had for his fallen
creation, sent his Son into the world to redeem man, and to be a propitiation
for his sin. 3. That in order for man to be justified, and God remain just, man
must have faith in Jesus. In order for us to realize the depth to which man
fell, it is necessary for us to view the heights from which he descended. In the
description which Moses gives of man’s first home, we read: "And Jehovah God
planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed,
And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is pleasant to
the sight, and good for food; and the tree of life also in the midst of the
garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” And it was here that
man knew no toil, no weariness, no care, no pain, no anxiety, no sickness, no
sorrow.

Sickness did not enter nor death spread its dark pall over this paradise of God;
hut perennial youth, drinking fresh vigor from life-giving fountains and
inhaling exhilarating breezes, was man’s heritage. With God’s Spirit brooding
over all and pervading every breeze, no fierce passions raged within, no evil
desires or envious spirits found place in human heart, no venomous serpents
hissed, no beasts of prey prowled through his garden of love, no pitiless storms
beat, no fierce tornadoes desolated this home of joy and peace. This home in
which man lived was no less than the outer court of the heaven of heavens, the
home of God the Father of man and the creator of the universe. This was man’s to
dress and to keep. In this realm man was ruler for God gave him dominion over
everything that creepeth on the earth. His was a service of love to a kind
Maker, until one sad day he betrayed this trust which God had so graciously
given him, and transferred his allegiance and service, and, with these, the
allegiance and dominion of the world, from God to the devil. And because of this
transfer, Satan, when he showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, said: “For
it hath been delivered unto me; and to whosoever I will give it. ’ ’ What a
crime! Man, intrusted with the power and the glory of the world, be-traying it
into the hands of the enemy of God! And because of this treason and transfer,
the Spirit of God, re-fusing to live in a defiled temple, returned to the home
of God in heaven. Then Satan took up his abode here as the god of this world,
and infused the poison of death into every breeze that floated over land and
sea. This old earth was changed from a seedbed of life into a charnel house of
death. Thorns and thistles grew in the paradise of God. Toil, pain, sickness,
anxiety, care, sorrow, mortality, and death became the heritage of hu-manity.
This being man’s heritage, man wandered from God, and the farther he wandered,
the weaker his moral and spiritual nature became, Brother Lipscomb said: “No
truth in the world’s history has been established by an induction from so large
a number of facts, under so varied circumstances, with so universal and uniform,
result, as that man, cut loose from God and his word, gropes in ignorance and
grovels in degradation with a continually accelerating descent to still lower
depths.” And the fearful depths to which man finally fell are vividly deeribed
in the first chapter of the Roman letter. Beginning with the 21st verse and
closing with verse 32, we read: “Because that, knowing God, they glorified him
lot as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their
senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an
image of corruptible man, and of birds; and four-footed beasts, and creeping
things. Wherefore God gave them up the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness,
that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves; for that they exchange
the truth of God for a lie, and Worshiped and served the creature rather than
the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto
vile passions; for their women changed their natural use into that which is
against na-ture; and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the
woman, burned in their lust on toward another, men with -working unseemliness,
and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. And
even as they refused to have God in the knowledge, God gave them up unto a
reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all
unrighteousness, wickedness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife,
deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty,
boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without
understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful ; who,
knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practice such things are worthy of
death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practice them.”
This is a picture of the condition of the Gentiles, and truly it can be said
they were, “separate from Christ having no hope and without God in the world.”
It is not possible, with the human language, to give a more complete catalogue
of crimes than this one given of the Gentiles. Surely, if there was ever a
people who needed a Savior, a redeemer, it was the Gentile race.

While the Jew had much advantage in every way, he had not profited by it. They
had not used the oracles of God, which had been intrusted to them, in such a way
as to get the benefit from them that God had intended they should get, for some
were without faith. The law, in which the Jews so confidently relied, had no
voice hut condemnation, seeing that “by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified.” But since it brought rather the knowledge of sin, revealing the
imperfections of those under its yoke, it is evident that the Jews were in need
of a Savior as well as the Gentiles. The Jewish catalogue of sin is found in
Romans 3:10-18. In verses 10 to 12, the general state of sin is given thus:
“There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth, there
is none that seek- eth after God; they have all turned aside, they are together
become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one.”
Their practice of sin in word and deed is given in verses 13 to 17. “Their
throat is an opep sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit ^ the
poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and
bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in
their ways; and the way of peace have they not known. ” And the source of all
their sin is found in the last verse of this quotation from the old scriptures:
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Consider the Jews! A chosen people of God; a people whom God had loved in a
peculiar way for two thousand years; those to whom the word of God had been
given; a people who experienced a mighty deliverance at the hands of God; who
trembled under the mighty voice of God when he spoke to them from the cloud. And
yet, there was no fear of God before their eyes. Surely they too needed a
Savior.

Thus we see that the Gentile and the Jew stand alike, condemned together. “There
is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The
world is in need of a Savior. By their shameful conduct they have brought
condemnation and eternal ruin upon themselves. But in order that we may see
their needs better, let us analyze this shameful condition they are in and see
what sin has done for the human family.

First, it has wounded the affections of a loving heav-enly Father. In Psalms
95:10, God speaks of being “grieved” with those very people because of their
way-wardness.

Second, sin alienated their hearts from God. In Isaiah 59:1-2, God said to
Israel: “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Their sins, were as a
wedge which drove them farther and farther away from God.

Third, sin oppressed their conscience with fear and dread. An excellent
illustration of this is seen hy the rivers of Babylon. “There we sat down, yea,
we wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst thereof we
hanged up our harps.” There with sorrow and regret they looked back to
Jerusalem, their city of freedom; while with fear and dread they looked forward
to Babylon, the city of their slavery. Sin was the cause of it all.

Fourth, sin severs from society by its morbid selfish-ness and disregard for
man. It was said of the Jews, by the prophet Isaiah, that there was no justice
in their doings. The dark catalogue given above is enough to show us that sin
severs from all pure society.

Fifth, sin induces to new infractions and habitual vio-lations of right. Sin is
enticing and finally it sears the conscience^ and the heart is hardened through
the de- eeitfulness of sin, until the result is a sinful character.

Sixth, sin takes away hope. The wise man said: ‘ ‘ The hope of the unjust man
pertsheth. ” Where there is no hope, there is no striving. Man will not strive
to be pure if he does not hope to be rewarded for it. There-fore when sin trjies
away hope, there is no more incen-tive to strive for things higher and nobler,
thus man hecomes debased.

Seventh, sin subjects man to shame and contempt— his body to the dust, and his
soul to eternal night. “And the dust returneth to the earth as it was.” “For the
wages of sin is death.” “The soul that sinnctli it shall die.” And, “these shall
go away into everlasting punishment.” From the foregoing it is evident that the
world was in need of a Savior. If sin was so exceedingly sinful, and if they
were all guilty of sin, the world was in dire need of some one to redeem them
from the terrible conse-quences of their sin. That man was utterly unable to
extricate or to redeem himself from this terrible condition, goes without
say-ing. But Micah raises the question for our considera-tion. In chapter six he
asks: “Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself down before the
high God ? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a yehr old?
Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers
of oil? Shall I give my first.born for my transgression, the fruit of my body
for the sin of my soul?” It is evident that Micah realizes that none of these
things will avail anything. And surely no man can do more than to be willing to
sacrifice the fruit of his body, his first born, for the sin of his soul. But
that has no power to wash away the stain of sin. A man might repent of his sin,
hut that would not bring back the murdered dead, nor wash the blood from the
guilty hands; neither would it cover up the crime in the sight of God. But if a
man offer a thousand rams; it is impossible that the blood of animals should
take away sin. And still man is left helpless and dependent upon some higher
power to devise a way, which, when put in operation will take away all stains
and make the soul as white as snow. But man can not demand that God bring about
such a method. He must wait the good pleasure of God, knowing that all things
are good and very good when done by the Maker of the universe which moves in
such perfect harmony.

It was while man was in this weak and shameful con-dition that God, moved with
pity and love supreme, set forth his Son to be a propitiation. Paul calls it a
“due season”, saying: “For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for
the ungodly.” Scriptural proof for the fact that Christ died for the ungodly in
order to save them from eternal ruin abounds in the New Testament. For
convenience they are here classified with reference to their relation to Ins
sacrifice.

First, those which speak of Christ’s death as a means of salvation from sin.
“'Who died for us, that,- whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with
him” (1 Thessalonians 5:10). “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might
deliver us from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4). “Who was delivered up
for our trespasses” (Romans 4:25). “God, sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh and fou sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). “He that
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also
with him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

Second, those which express the idea of redemption or deliverance as by
purchase. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13) ; “God
sent forth his Son...that he might redeem those under the law” (Galatians 4:4);
“In whom we have our redemption, the for-giveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7); “Ye
are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20); “Knowing that ye were redeemed,
not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, ... but with precious blood,
as a lamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ” (1 Peter
1:18-19).

Third, those passages which speak of the death of Christ as bringing about a
reconciliation between God and man. “ While we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God through the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10). “But all things are of God,
who reconciled us to himself through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:18). “And you hath
he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death” (Colossians 1:22). From
these and many other passages, it is clear that Christ was a sacrifice for the
sins of the world. Man was lost, separated from God, and wholly unable to bring
himself back. He was guilty of a crime, the penalty of which was death. And it
is evident that he could not pay that penalty and still enjoy life with God.
There was only one way to solve the problem, and God sent his Son to die for
man, the just for the unjust, the sinless for the sinful, the holy for the
unholy, that he might redeem man from his fallen condition, and rescue the world
from the rule and dominion of Satan and bring it back to its original relations
with God and the universe, so that the will of God may be done on earth as it is
in heaven. Brother D. Lipscomb so beautifully states: “The mission of Christ is
to root up all briers, thorns, and thistles that grow in the material, moral,
and spiritual world, and to restore this home of man to its primitive and
pristine relations to God, its Maker and rightful Ruler. In order for this to be
done, it was necessary for Jesus' to come, to be wrapped in swaddling clothes
and laid in a manger. And though he existed in the form of God, he emptied
himself, taking the form of a servant, and being in the likeness of man, he
humbled himself and became obedient to the death on the cross. If it took the
blood of the Son of God to restore man and the world to their primitive state,
surely must be terrible. There is an idea prevalent in the world today that when
man sinned, he incurred a great debt which he was unable to pay, and that Christ
died to pay that debt. If it be true that man iwed a great debt and Jesus paid
that debt, then man is free, from it and owes nothing to God; the debt, would
have been transferred to Christ. iBitf there is no.' mercy no grace, on the
part. of God if thjat be the ease. But Paul said': “Being justified freely BY
HIS GRACE” therefore it can not be that sin was a great debt which Jesus paid
for God exercised grace. When man sins he commits a CRIME against the God of.
heaven. Sin is a transgression; and not a DEBT. Man was doomed to suffer the
penalty for sin, and that is death, for “The soul that sinneth it shall die.”
That being the ease, Jesus offered to suffer the penalty in man s place. But,
says one, where is God’s mercy manifested in this plan? If I were to violate the
laws of my state and murder a man and be condemned to die, and one, or even ten
men, should offer to die in my place, I would still be as guilty as ever. The
fact that they died for me would not necessarily render me guiltless before the
law. But if the law should be so gracious to me as to extend me pardon provided
one die in my place, then his death would avail something, but otherwise it
would accomplish nothing. Though God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten Son to die for its redemption, his offended justice must be dealt with.
The fact that Jesus died in man’s place could not have accomplished our pardon
if God had not been gracious enough to extend his pardon. Thus we see that it
was through the grace of God that Christ was permitted to suffer the penally for
man. The uniqueness of the sacrifice of Christ is seen in the fact that, first,
it counteracts the effect of the one sin of Adam, and second, it is sufficient
to atone for every sin of every individual that has ever lived or ever shall
live.

Paul writes the Corinthians that “Since by man came death, by man came also the
reyurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be
made alive.” And to the Romans: “For if, by thfe tres-pass of one, death reigned
through the one: much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of
the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ.”
Thus we see that, though the sin of Adam involved the whole human family in
death, with-out any hope of a resurrection, the sacrifice of Christ, consummated
by his victory over the grave, assures the resurrection of every body which
returns to the silent dust from whence it came. Thus what man lost in Adam, he
gajns in Christ. But if that were all the benefits which come down from the
death and sacrifice of Christ, it would not be sufficient. It could not be
called unique, for it would fall far short of meeting every need of man. The
uniqueness is seen more fully in this • second thought, viz., that it is
sufficient to atone for every sin of every individual that'ever lived or ever
shall live in the world. With this thought in mind, Paul said: “And not as
through one that sinned, so is the gift; for the judgment came of one unto
condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses unto justification.” And
in commenting on this passage, Brother McGarvey says: “Who then can estimate the
justifying power of the sac-rifice of Christ, since it nullifies, for believers,
the accu-mulative power of the incalculable numbers of sins committed by
innumerable sinDers, in all the untold moments of human lives, each sin of which
carries a destructive force which no lapse of ages can exhaust?” Thus it is
evident that the benefits to be received from the death of Christ are more far
reaching in their effects, than the evil which came from the sin of Adam. For as
the Son of God is a greater personage than Adam; so is the positive power of his
righteousness greater than the negative power of Adam’s sin. And if the sin of
Adam insures the reign of life in that world that shall never end.

It will be recalled here that in the first part of this discourse, the condition
of the world was partially ana-lyzed, thus enabling us to see better the real
needs of the world. Now if the sacrifice of Jesus Christ does not meet those
needs and better those conditions, even though it insures a resurrection of the
body, it will in the end avail nothing. For if there be no power to cleanse from
individual sins, it were better that the body never be resurrected. Adam closed
the door of life by bringing natural death upon the race, and Christ opened that
door by giving a resurrection to life. But every responsible being closes the
door of eternal life to himself by his own sins, and Christ opens that door to
him on the condition of faith. And it is at this point that man receives the
greatest benefits from the sacrifice of Christ. For:

First, though sin wounds the love of God, the blood of Jesus Christ soothes the
wounded love of our heav-enly Father by bringing many sons to glory. God
delights in seeing the prodigal return.

Second, though sin alienates from God, this sacrifice reconciles our hearts to
God as seen in Colossians 1:21-22, "And you, being in time past alienated and
enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body
of his flesh through death.”

Third, though sin oppresses our conscience with fear and dread, the sacrifice of
Christ "purges our conscience from dead works to serve the living God”, and
gives us a peace and joy "unspeakable and full of glory.”

Fourth, while sin severs from society, and' causes ,, strife and contention, the
blood of Christ makes us one great brotherhood;, makes us one in faith, in hope;
in joy, and joint heirs of eternal life.

Fifth, where sin induces to habitual violations of right, the sacrifice of
Christ is a most effectual guard against infractions of the divine law in that
it makes manifest the sinfulness of sin .and the terrible consequences which
follow it.

Sixth, though sin takes away hope, the sacrifice of Christ breaks the bars of
death’s prison and gives us the hope that though a man die he shall live again.
And not only so, but he plants deep within our very souls a hope that is “sure
and steadfast entering into that which is within the vail.”

Seventh, though sin subjects the soul to eternal night, the blood of Christ can
and does atone to that extent that: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall
be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
And John was permitted to see that host in heaven who had “washed their robes,
and made them white in the blood of the lamb.”

Thus we see that the sacrifice of Christ is indeed unique. There is not a need
nor longing of the human soul that the sacrifice of Jesus does not thoroughly
rheet. It is also clear than no other being in the universe could have met the
needs as did Jesus of Nazareth. The first benefit of this sacrifice, the
resurrection, comes to saint and sinner alike and without any condition
what-ever. But the benefits just mentioned, eternal salvation from personal
sins, come only to those responsible beings who accept that sacrifice and
appropriate the blood to their souls. For “God is just and the justifier of him
that hath faith in Jesus.” God’s character is involved in the justification of
sinners. Since the sin of Adam, God had hot fully punished sin, they had been
passed OVer in the forbearance of God. As proof of the fact that God had not
fully punished sin, I have but to call to your mind the passage in Isaiah 53:4-5
: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem
him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” And Paul said that the times
of this ignorance God winked at, or overlooked. It is also significant that God
only re-quired a partial sacrifice looking forward to the time when this unique
sacrifice should be offered which would completely atone for all those sins he
was then passing over in his forbearance. But now that the complete sacrifice
has been offered and all sins have been suffered for, God can not be just and
justify a man who does not have faith in the Christ who was sacrificed. And thus
in this way Paul teaches that the sacrifices of the Old Testament were types,
and because of them God showed forbearance, looking forward to Christ, the
unique propitiatory sacrifice, in whose suffering on the cross God punished sin,
that he might show mercy and grant pardon to the sinner who would exercise faith
in Jesus.

“Therefore”, says Paul, “being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is by this rule that the moral man, with all
his boasted self-righteousness, goes down with all those who do not believe in
Jesus as the Son of God, and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus, and
they shall be punished with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the
Lord and from the glory of his power. God does not expect impossibilities of
man. He only asks that we give our lives in service to him; and this we ought to
be willing to do since he gave his only Son to die for us. Thus the apostle Paul
says: “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, Which is your spiritual
service,” The word which is here translated “spiritual” is better translated to
mean “rational,” or “logical.” In other words, since God has given his Son for
us, it is not unreasonable that he should ask us to give our bodies a living
sacrifice to him. The poet has beautifully expressed it in these words:

“Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God; All
the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. “See, from
his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such
love and sorrow meet? Or thorns compose so rich a crown? “Were the whole realm
of nature mine, That were a present far too small Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.”


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Source: https://sermonindex.net/books/1927-lectures/
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