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November 24, 1909. THE PRESBYTERIAI
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than a little and it is the collection of many littles
which makes the much. The Church is accomplishing
such great things today, not through the large gifts
of the few, but through the moderate gifts of the
many. In the Roman Catholic churches it is the very
small gifts of the great multitude on which the Church
has to rely. All Christians ought to be as faithful
as many obscure but earnest Christians are who are
the real strength and power of the Church in the
world.
"I am only one
But I am one;
I cannot do much
But I can do something."
Who ever will say that and act upon it will help.?
S. S. Times.
DR. CHAPMAN'S NEW PLANS.
Tidings come from Australia, in which far away
land Messrs. Chapman and Alexander have been
holding meetings, that Dr. Chapman has resolved to
modify his plan of campaign on returning to America.
Heretofore he has required as a condition of visiting
a community, that the participating churches shall dispense
with their usual services. Having had experience
of a different plan in Australia it is now said
that:
"He will henceforth make it a condition that in every
town he visits all the ordinary course of church life
and work shall be kept going, and he will interweave
his meetings with the familiar and ordinary gatherings
of the churches, so as not to discredit them, or
attenuate them, or compete with them, but to stimulate
them. He will not hold a meetinw. fnr pvamnlp <->n
oy w.
Wednesday nights, as this is an ordinary night for
church meetings. He will not hold a service on Sabbath
nights, for this will clash with the ordinary church
service, but will give five evenings in the week to
evangelistic gatherings, and on the other two evenings
every church will be expected to apply the methods of
the mission to kindle its fire, repeat its music?within
its own walls."
Unlike the usual professional evangelist, Dr. Chapman
has always emphasized the importance of the pastoral
office and of the organized church. He regards
bimself as a helper and believes that permanent results
depend mainly upon the faithfulness and efficiency
of the Church in the use of the appointed Ineans
of grace.
THE CROSS AS SALVATION.
There is one only way of getting rid of the offense of
the cross. It is by yielding to it. 7 he moment the
cross accuses you of sin, and you harden your heart
against it, that moment you begin secretly to hate it.
Think earnestly of what that means?secretly to hate
the cross.
But there is another side. The moment the cross
accuses you of sin, and you yield to it, that moment
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like the mists when the sunshine bursts upon them.
When you kneel, and with deep sorrow and repentance
confess your wrongdoing, ask forgiveness, and
seek divine help, then the cross gleams and sparkles
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* OF THE SOUTH. 9
with light divine. Then the soft sunshine of God's
infinite love falls upon your soul with a great tranquilizing
peace, and you taste an infinite joy. For
the cross is not in the world to condemn the world.
It is in the world to save it. The cross is not in the
world to accuse you of sin, the cross is in the world
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lu oner you an escape irom sin. The cross is not
here to rob you of happiness, it is here to give you the
highest happiness.?Pulpit.
SPURGEON'S PRAYERS.
Much has been said of Spurgeon's prayers. Those
who heard them were profoundly impressed by them.
The great preacher was alsr^a great intercessor. His
prayers were Scriptural, ef-nest and importunate. He
pleaded as one might plead for his life. Witness the
fervor and devotion of the following extract from l
prayer for the Church :
"Once more we pray thee bless thy Church. Lord.
quicken the spiritual life of believers. Thou hast given
to thy Church great activity, for which we thank thee.
May that activity be supported by a corresponding
inner life. Let us not get to be busy here and there
with Martha, and forget to sit at thy feet .with Mary.
May thy truth yet prevail. Purge out from among thy
Church those who would lead others away from the
truth as it is in Jesus, and give back the old power,
and something more. Give us Pentecost; yea, many
Pentecosts in one, and may we live to see thy Church
shine forth clear as the sun, and fair as the moon, and
terrible as an army with banners.' God grant we may
live to see better days. But if perilous times should '
come in these last days, make us faithful. Raise up in
every country where there has been a faithful church
men who will not let the vessel drift upon the rocks.
O God of the Judges, thou who didst raise up first
one and .then another when the nennle w'o?f ?
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from God, raise up for us still?our Joshuas are dead
?our Deborahs, our Baraks, our Gideons, and Jephthahs,
and Samuels, who shall maintain for God his
truth, and worst the enemies of Israel. Lord, look
upon thy Church in these days."
To engage in the performance of home duties faultlessly^
without petulance, without haste, without fretting?to
repress the sarcastic and unkind word, to be
calm in the hot moment of anger, to do without weariness,
and to suffer without murmuring, to be charitable
in judgment and trample out of the heart the Pharisee
spirit, deeming life at once too short and too costly
for quarrels and for pride; to maintain a chivalrous
honor in all business relations; to hold back from the
temptations of doubtful or hasty gain; to wear "the
white flower," not "of a blameless life" only, but of a
life cleansed from its earthliness and made pure by the
Holy Spirit; to walk about the world and before men
with a calm heart filled with love; to shed abroad the
"sweet savor of Christ," and allure men to the heaven
to which they know you to be traveling?th^p arc
but many-sided exhibitions of the one holy character,
many facets of the one jewel of fidelity by which
you are to be "approved" of your Father which is*-in
heaven.?Punshon.