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2 (1010) THE J5
tbe oiiuicb oa Luuduua bt. wat cbosca as tnc
aiore ceatrai. Certaia niiproveaieals, iiuwever,
were allied; aati saorti^y alter tin setticineat ui
Dr. Liac^, 11 was decided taat sunie extensive aati
custi^' repairs and additions siiuuid lie undertaken.
Accordingly, important enanges were
made in tiit interior aad exterior ol tiie einircii,
aad a large building added, suitable lor tiie midweek
services, tiie babbatii seiioul aad otiier
enured meetings. Tiiese have eoatributed ant
teriaiiy to the value ul' the property, aud to the
convenience and comlort of the congregation.
it would he uupardonahle, even in a snetcb at
briei at this, not to mention that the building iirst
erected ior .Presbyterian worship in Winchester,
is still standing. It is the large stune structure
on the hill north-east ol the town. This building
is one of unusual historic interest. Besides the
fact that it is one of the oldest churches of any
denomination now standing in the Shenandoah
Valley, it has been the theatre of many memorable
events in the annals
Si in cheater much more ire- it-J
quentiy uian uu any other M
place -already lilleen tunes |8k|
in aJJ?eleven of these meeL- ?wj
2 "* # 1 I S3
juuge> have been held in that
one house. At one oi its *11 iyr" j
meetings, hbl, the eeiebrat- ii||ji^i.^ t
ed Dr. A reL j bald Alexander rej
vsas licensed in tins church .j '
lue Presbytery
tou jjj the jjj esence ol' the H
fry nod. Jt was honored in
j . i/if by a meeting oi the
ileneral Assembly?the only
place out oi' -Philadelphia?
(.with the exception ol Oariisle,
.Pa.), in wkich, ior a
period of nearly bO years, that venerable court
........ 'PI... 4' \A 1.^4.... .....
c* ci iiiCL. J lie a J. vci ^ \JX- ?? tucir.oici ?>oo uiganiaed
there Dee. 4, 1/K4, and the Presbyterian
church of Winchester hiept. 7, 18UU. Besides the
distinguished men who, as pastors, have occupied
its pulpit Legraud, Jiill, aud Kiddie?nearly ail
the fatuous Presbytenau monsters of our
country, from 17H0 to 1834, have preached within
its walls. hiouie of the must distinguished lueu
iu ouj- land, oi church, aud state aud army, have
worshipped iu its pews, aud iu its graveyard their
mortal remains have been laid.
It may be oi interest to add, that when the
Presbyterians removed to the chur ch ou Kent hit.
this building, in 1834, was sold to the Baptists oi
Wjnchester, aud they, iu 1858, sold it to their
colored brethren. During the Civil War it was
completely dismantled. When repaired, it was
leased to the school board, aud is now used by
the colored public school.
<Jod always makes the requisite provision for a
time of special need, not only in giving strength
as the day demands, hut in raising up agents to
do his will and to thwart the wicked. When
there was a Pharoah oppressing the people, Moses
was sent. When Ahab's idolarous rule was over
Israel, Elijah appeared. When Sanballat and
Tobiah raged against the re-erection of Jerusalem's
walls, a Nehemiah confronted them. When
Nero came upon the scene there was a Paul to
arive nower to the truth and to nerve Christians
to stand in their lot. God never forsakes his
people. When the need comes he will raise up
defenders. He has always done so.
?E?S?YT?KJAJN OF 2 H IS ttC
The Ministry of
Hy Hev. Jiuestll (Seal, I). D.t Mi
"And all Unisys art of Cod, u/uj hath rtc/tcoilod
tu to htiii&Uf Oy J*.sua Christ, and, /uith given
to lis tiu ministry of reoonoilifUurn; to wit, thai
Cod wot in Christ, reconciling t/ot world unto
l.~ If ?,.J ..J 1 <L?'_ 4-, i L. t.an* .
riMiiAUij } jlvi ontyu,i vtsj iruei r it zcjsu-cok. c u n *v
and iuiih oain/miited unto us iioe uord of reoonviliuiMm."?2
Gor. u :18-19.
In your studies ol' this epistle, juuy brethren,
vuu have probably observed that a large portion
of it. beginning with tbe twelfth verRe of chapter
second and extending through chapters third,
fourth, fifth, and ten verses of the sixth, is devoted
to e discussion of the Christian ministry. This
section has been called "Paul's apologetic for
preaching." He found it necessary in writing
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Interior \'icw, Winchester Prrfcbytcria.11 Cburcb
I tn tW.- fllinul IMIIW '.It I '.I.fin+Vi .3 .1 t?;?
^ ETC UTTCIJU iilfi
iiiiiiirilrv among them from aspersions cast upon
n l>\ c'-riaii. unl ,'riendiv er;tics who questioned
his oali c?1 God to the apostleship. The effect of
f j^M
REV. J. H. LACY. D. D.
Pastor Winchester Presbyterian Church
this criticism had been to weaken_th?_faiih?oL
some of the brethren in Paul's authority and to
induce them to "seek a proof of Christ speaking
in him." (13:3). The church had indeed followed
his instructions given in the First Epistle
%
> U V H 1 October 20, l&H
Reconciliation
jderutor of the Synod of Virginia.
in the matter of tint: discipline of an ninnoraJ
member, but apparently uot without controversy
ami some division of sentiment due to the influence
of the Apostle's critics. The knowledge
of the situation at Corinth, which was communicated
to J'aul by Titus, was the occasion of the
writing of this second Kpistle to the Corinthians,
in which we find this long and illuminating die
eussion of the Christian ministry.
The text which is a part of this discussion
consists of two verses, the second venae being sn
explanation and fuller statement of the truth
found in the first. "And all things are of God. 4
who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesos Christ,
and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation
; to wit, that God was in
Christ reconciling the world
unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them;
B and hath committed unto us
the word of reconciliation."
The ministry has always
been the subject of criticism,
and therefore is always up
4 for discussion. The world
never has, and does not now,
r ; < take kindly to the message
which it utters with a tone
of authority to the people.
Ag Lj* I ?'""C The objectors are numert
it? ous. their criticisms often
acrimonious, and those to
I whoni the delivery of the
gospel message is committed
are frequently in confusion
m and more or less &t sea in
their apprehension of what
they are expected to do. Certainly,
if we listen to the
clamor of the world, we can never arrive at any
satisfactory conclusion as to what the ministry
involves. Let us then turn to this Scripture and
endeavor to understand its teaching.
1. Observe first thot v.? ~r
btiuL UK. millionJf Ui mc JJlXSJ/Ci
is the ministry of the grace of God to a sinful
world. This truth is broadly stated in the words
with which the text opens: "All things are of
God." These words refer not to the all things of
the universe, although they express an absolute
truth in that sense, but to the "all things that
pertain to life and godliness?"the all things of
the gospel of Christ with which the ministry has
to deal. "All things" that have to do with the
salvation of men from sin come from God.
There is need in our day that the gospel of
divine grace should be emphasised. We do not
hear much of it from the modern pulpit. Men
seem to forget that the ministry of the gospel is
a ministry of grace. "The grace of God that
bringeth salvation." that is nur the
world, and any form of "new theology" or
"scientific faith," so called, which obscures, confuses,
or displaces this dominant truth has no
part in it. It is so easy, in our anxiety to be
considered open-minded and progressive and in
our desire to escape the criticism of liberal theologians
and advanced thinkers, to keep the doctrines
of grace in the background, while bringing
secondary truths to the front under the guise
of practical ethical preaching, for which the
modern world is so insistent. But "grace for
sinners should be our watchword and nothing
else: for "tV?n I?I'Ur>.. n?j 1 *' *
, b.bm- ??i mimi inai onngetn salvation"
teaches us, as no system of ethics does,
"that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we