Newspaper Page Text
2
©ur yutptt.
'WWVWVAA.
CHRIST OUR PATTERN AND LAW
GIVER.
BY REV. F. H. POSTON.
Jesus therefore said to them again,
Peace be unto you ; as the Father hath
sent me, even so send I you. And when
he had said tills, he breathed on them,
and salth unto them. Receive ye the
J ( vKpirit—John 20:21-22.
This text takes us back to the l>egiii
nlng of the New Testament church.
Its object is defined, its authority con
firmed, its mission revealed. We are
here to study the plan of the Leader,
and to learn the nature of the commis
sion from the King who sends out the
embassy of which we are a part.
Studying the consecration prayer in
which our Lord surveys the work en
trusted to bun, we find him praying
for new means of action. The |>art to
be accomplished by his visible presence
being finished, he prays for restoration
to the complete exercise of divine
power, of which, for a time, he had
divested himself. He does not ask
simply for restoration to blessedness
and glory, but the continuation and
finishing of his w rk—that “ thy Hon
may glorify thee ” and “that the world
may believe that thou d (Ist send me.”
He now assu mes the title of Christ,
that they may have his sanction for its
use. Since he is in “ a little while ”to
commit his work on earth to them and
to give them the new word of com
mand for mankind, he prays by an ap
peal to the decree of the Father— ■*' as
thou ha-tgiven him power,” the'decree
by which all power in heaven and
earth is now upou him as ltedeemer
and Savior. That sovereignty he (the
Christ) is to use as the basis of the
great command to go and disciple all
nations. Hs prays also for the little
band whom he had chosen and kept,
and for all who should believe on him
through them, that they may be
brought to oneness with the Father
aud himself, in order that through
them, whom he has not simply pre
pared to be taken out of the woild, but
who are to remain in the world, and
whom he sends unto the world as the
Father had sent him—that through
them the world may know God and
Jesus Christ, and receiving that knowl
edge and believing it, may have eter
nal life. He concentrates his prayer
on the missionaries of truth to the
whole world, on them alone, for the
world’s sake. As he was sent from
htaven to quicken and renew the life
of man by the communication of the
true God, so, having brought up into
that knowledge those given him of the
Father, he is about to send them in
whom that life is embodied to be her
alds and propagators of that knowl
edge in all the world.
Appearing to his disciples on the
evening of the resurrection, he proves
that his prayer for himself had been,
in a measure, answered, confirms their
faith In him, reu rites them to him,
illumines their minds, that they may
understand the Hcriptures concerning
him—that Christ must needs stiller
and rise again, “that repentance and
remission of sin lie preached in his
name unto all nations.” Ho we see
that the apprehension of the Gospel
was followed at once by the command
to proclaim it, the work of Christ,com
pleted in one sense, was to he continued,
in another, and fresh powers were pro
vided for fresh duties. The disciples,
awakening from the joy of surprise,
Easaed into the joy of calm assurance,
ut,convinced|as to the present and en
lightened as to the past, the great
Kllure before them was unknown and
Htiexplained. “Jesus, therefore, said
Ho them again, lienee be unto you.”
had spoken to them the word of
peace for themselves—|ieace in the cer
tainty of his resurrection, in fellowship
with a lost master, in the word which
lifted from them their load of sin—
“ aud the disciples were glad when
they saw the Lord.”
By virtue of his resurrection they
had been made new creatures, they
had tasted the powers of the spiritual
world. But the shut doors by which
they were environed remind them of a
world hostile and powerful, and this
world was to be met and conquered
The words, “ ye are my witnesses, ’unto
all the nations, showed them tlnir
mission. Therefore, in view of the
vast undertaking which they had uot
yet attempted, using the s rength of
an invigorated personal faith, begin
ning on the vantage-ground of a lively
hope, and reaching forth at once to
the last issues of Christian effort, Jesus
said to them again, “ Peace be unto
you.”
.Not merely as believers this time,
but also as missionaries to the world.
He brings from the tomb this message
of reconciliation and peace they will
have the task of proclaiming to the
world, that they may be able to say,
‘‘We are embassadors for Christ, there
fore, in Christ’s stead as though God
were entreating by us; we beseech you
in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to
God. ’ He confers the vocation, then
the gift of power, then the greatness of
the task. And we would do well to
note that our Lord here is not speaking
exclusively to his apostles; the com
mission and promise were given, like
the Pentecostal blessing, to tiie body of
disciples, aud not to any special order
in it. The message of the Gospel is t lie
glad tidings of sin conquered. To con.
vey aud apply this is the office of the
church, and so of each member of the
church. Christ is the one great apostle,
they are his evaugelists; this relation
is inferred in the word used to express
his sending; while passing it on to
them he uses a simpler word which im
filies a sending uucer that and included
u his, and they are simply to realize
that to the world.
We find but one mission and but one
great force for fulfilling, the which he
communicates through the Hpirit.
Jesus himself, raised to a higher stage,
raises the disciples, by the Hpirit, to
this new position, associates them in
his state as raised from the dead—just
as later,at Pentecost,he will communi
cate to them the spirit of adoption, aud
the spirit of wisdom in the under
standing of the Scriptures, aud tlie
spirit of power in bringing their wills
into unison with his, that they may
be qualified for their new work—offer
ing salvation to every human being in
the name of Christ.
“ I send you into the world as the
Father hath me.”
I. Christ’s mission to the world is our
sturtiug point, as we strive to tiud the
motive lying back of the church. He
himself makes this pattern for his dis
ciples aud declares the extent and
character of the sympathy which must
subsist between them and their pattern.
The most absolute oneness of heart,
will aud life is required of them, to
believe in him implicitly,to receive his
mind on all things as perftet wisdom,
to accept his will at all times as abso
lute law, to be able to cry t > him as he
cried to his Father—“ Not my will, but
thine be done.” This is the spirit of
Christian discipleship. It is, as you
perceive, the character of the mission,
and not merely the fact of a mission,
which Christ dwells upon in likening
the disciples to himself In their relation
to the world. He takes the position
that it is possible for his followers to
enter into the spirit that inspired his
coming, the spirit that Paul illustrates
when he says to the Colosslans: “ I
till up on my part that which was
lacking of the affliction of Christ In my
flesh for Ills liody’s sake, which Is the
church * * • to fulfill the word of
God, even the mystery which hath
lieeu bid from all ages and generations;
but now hath it been manifested to
his saints, to whom God was pleased
to make known what is the riches of
the glory of this mystery among the
Gentiles, which is Christ iu you, the
hope of glory.”
There is a great work of Jesus Christ
in which man has no partnership,
which was done once for all and de
clared to be finished—that work by
which he took away sin by the one
great sacrifice. He is the author of sal
vation as well as the witness of salva
tion, the message as well as the messen
ger sent from heaven. Not rh he makes
the one atonement for sin, but as he
brings that out of the counsels of eter
nity and makes it operative upon the
world, not as the high priest, but as
the apostle of our confession, is he here
set to be the pattern for the church.
let us notice, for example, a few
features of Christ’s mission.
1. He was sent into the world to de
clare and apply the remedy for sin—a
remedy which made application of
God’s mind to a disease which lie alone
could measure. “Christ crucified the
wisdom of God and the power of God.”
He was sent to declare that the one
mighty to save had entered into the
miserable condition of humanity, put
himself under God’s law; one who
knew no sin had taken upon himself
the slu of the world and been made a
curse for sinful men, that thus there
might be a vicarious sacrifice; the io
ta vention of a stainless will aud an
untainted love through which God
might drive in his wedge of mercy and
effect a s< paration between man and
his heritage of sin. He was sent to
bring the remedy which he had pro
vided for sin—sin, the source of the
poverty and the slcknesseq and the
distresses of the world.
2. He was sent to declare that this
remedy was from God ; an act out of
heaven. Not up from man, but down
from the God of light, must help come.
The force of the whole story of Christ’s
coming founds itself upon the truth
that the “ 1 am” must begin the work
of salvation, that the mi-ery of slu is
its powerlessness to begin the recovery,
that man cannot beget himself. Just
as the secret act of God’s original en
ergy underlies our natural life, preced
ing, hidden, enduring, so a secret act
of forgiving, life-renewing love, origi
nal, precedii g, enduring, must under
lie all man’s regenerative life. God
spoke once, “ Let us make mail,” and
breathed into ins nostrils the breath of
life ; and man became a living soul
God spake again, “Thou art my son,
this day have I begotten thee. Ask of
me anil I will give tiiee the nations for
tbine inheritance and the uttermost
parts of the earth for thy possession ;’’
and in the power of that decree the
new race of tiie saved finds itself exist
ing. It was not man’s goodness that
moved the Father to send his Hon as
lie did into the world, but man’s sin.
“ While we were yet sinners Christ
died for us.'' God first loved man while
he still loved sin rather than the way of
holiness, in order that by loving us he
might restore the long lost power of
loving him. Man could not begin to
love until God had begun. To deny
this is to be still under the law of work
and wages, which Paul dec ares is un
availing Not by a process of develop
ment but by the listing of the wind j/f
regenera'ion does true
Christ’s sbuding (Jtio&s
3. Christ was sent to find a place for
and to manifest the love of Jehovah-
Jireli iu the world. How tan holiness
dwell with that which is corrupt? The
answer is, “ God sent his Hon into the
world’’ to have part with man, to be
identified with him. The act, then, by
which God pardon-, brings out of
heaven the power to begin in the
world the change that justifies the for
giveness. God pardons by sending his
Hon iuto the world. He lias ever been
ready, has ever been crying to man,
“ Wiiy will ye die?” But what istuere
in man on which his favor can rest ?
His forgiveness and love are shut up
within himself. There is uo point of
attachment by which to lay hold. The
love of God had been, as it were, wau
dering round and round this siuful,
inhospitable world, aud finding no
door that was not barred, and no hand
that was stretched out to take i( in.
Therefore he sends his Hon, in whom
his pardou can find a road into this
repellaut world, into this repugnant
humanity. “And she brought forth
her first-born son, and wrapped liiui
in swaddling clothes, and laid him in
a manger; because itliere was no room
for them in the inn.” God’s expelled
love, as all other doors are bolted, will
open away for itself; as no man will
admit it, it will itself become man,
that it may find admittance. Jesus
Christ is tiie forgiveness of God. He
arrives, bringing with him into hu
manity the forgiving aud cleansing
love of the Father. There is now,
amidst the loveless herds of men, one
heart on which he can pour out his
love, one person who can admit the
rushing power of the transfiguring
spirit. Tuere is now one spot, at least,
on which the eyes of God's purity can
rest. Now there is one son of man iu
aud through whom they can begin to
work. Through him, a real man, the
love of God, the life of God came into
the race of which he became a mem
ber. He was sent not only to do a
work for us, but in us and in sucli a
way that God is “ holy” aud “ right
eous'’ in the forgiveness of sin.
4. He was seut thus to bear witness
to the truth that the salvation of the
world while from God, is by man.
Therefore he became man—"the Word
became flesh aud dwelt among men,
aud we beheld his glory as of the only
begotten Son of God full of grace and
truili, and of his fulness have we all
received, aud grace for grace.” This
condition was necessary that he might
identify himself with those iu whose
places lie was to stand, for there must
be both a revelation of God’s claims
upou humanity aud a recognition of
those claims by that humanity itself.
More than a man he was, but
he must become man aud deal
with actual human conduct iu
actual human conditions. But not
only for his distinctive personal work
does he thus enter himself, but he
shows this to be God’s plan for the
world, to save mau by man. Ho it had
been trom the first. It was the seed of
the woman that was to bruise the
serpent’s head ; primarily, Chi ist him
self, but in Christ, the redeemed pos
terity. Wuen he came he submitted
to the law, and took up the struggle
as a struggle of the race. He illus
trated this idea in various ways, not
ably in the parable of the leaven,
where there is not only the working of
the leaven originally put in, but of
each particle that is leavened, till the
whole is leavened. He, the Hon of man,
is the Hon of God, “ but to as many as
received him gave he the right to’ be
THE CHHISiIAN INDEX: THURSDAY. DECEMBER 31, 1896.
come the children of God, even to
them that believe on his name.’’ He
1* the preacher of rlghteousuees, but
he makes men preachers of righteous
ness. He brings the Gospel, but he
deposits the Gotqiel with all its institu
tions and appointments, with men.
He is baptized with the Hpirit, but he
baptizes men with the Hpirit. He for
gives sin, but he also fells men “whose
soever sins ye forgive they are for
gven.” They declare the pardon he
■ought and wrought—a savor of life
unto life, or of death unto death. He
comes to oo ■'< rt the world, but he
gives men the work of evangelizing the
world. He is the captain of salvation,
but he is to fight through his soldiers
for tiie victory. Having choeen men
to propagate his work, and made them
one with himself through the Hpirit,lie
makes them worthy to be called his
own by giving them the task of over
coming the world, “Wince by man
came death, by man came also tiie
resurrection from tiie dead.’’ God was
in Christ rec moiling the world unto
himself, is the Gosjiei Christ came to
tiring, and which be has given to men
to preach Through a human medium
this revelution came, througli human
means it is to be made known.
11. Thus we are brought ti the New
Testament church, the body In which
the risen Christ contiuues to dwell on
earth, and through which he continues
and extends his mission to the world.
To men, then, chosen men, lie commits
himself aud bis mission. Hesays, “As
tiie Father hath sent me, even so send
I you.” He thus declares that his
work is not over, though the manner
of it is changed. Henceforth be is and
he acts in those whom he lias chosen.
They are in him sharing in the fulness
of his power; he is in them, sharing
tiie buiden of their labors; and now it
is their part to bear witness, that the
world may believe. They are to take
tiie same truths lie came to bring from
heaven—God’s remedy for sin, the love
of God to man, man's work for man,
Christ the sacrifice and the Havior, to
bring from another realm that which
eartli could not furnish, to illumine,
vivify aud guide. He entrusted to
them the su|>eniatural message, and
they are to bear witness to the truth,
and like him “ to seek and to save that
which was lost,” to call not the right
eous hut sinners to repentance. As he
con'inually appealed to the Father, “I
do nothing of myself, as the Father
lias taught me I speak these tilings,’’—
so they are to be aide to say, “ We are
uot as the many, corrupting the word
of God, * * * butasof God, in the
sight of God, speak we iu Christ.”
He is the light of the world ; to them
he says, “Ye are tiie light of the
woi Id.” He is the sole purifying sacri
lice, but they,organized in him, liecome
his sacrifice, by which corruption is
stayed, and lie says, “ Ye are tiie salt
of the earth.” He says also of the dif
fusiveness of his work, “ He that sow
eth tiie good seed is the Hon of man.
aud the field is the world, and the good
seed, these are the sons of the king
dom.” Ye are the light of the world,
the salt of tiie earth, the good seed of
the kingdom sown iu the world-field.
If you will read over the farewell ad
dress of Christ, his last prayer, and
then his great commission after his
resurrection, you will find every word
pregnant witli meaning from tills view
of the mission of the church to the
world.
He begins the parable of the vine
and its branches, but interrupts the
story by demanding “ fruit” and
“ much iruit” of the branches before
lie has told what the branches are,
and breaks off the figure entirely by
telling them
lie iintii-ipaUagfl
“ all
chiles.” He promises tiie Comforter,
who shall witness and make them wit
nesses, going with them to “convict
tiie world ot sin aud righteousness and
judgment ’’ He promises that they
shall do greater works because he goes
to the Father; then tells them dis
tinctly to “ go into all the world,” aud
be of good cheer I have overcome the
world. Here is the meaning, tiie pur
pose of the church, uot to receive, but
to give. It is sifted out, chosen, dis
ciplined, purged, that holding fast the
name, tiie truth, tiie life of Christ, it
may put that name, that truth, that
life of Christ to its full use and exer
cise, to make possible, to make known,
to make active tiie work which Christ
by his incarnation, death and resur
rection achieved once for all. Ouly
through man can the blessings ot the
Gospel be laid open to man. What
Christ was in the world,that tliechurch
is; so is every one that is born of the
Hpirit To be born of the Spirit neces
s.fates being what the Spirit is. “Now
if any man have not the spirit of
Christ lie is none of his.”
Whether, then, the membership of
tiie New Testament church shall be
filled with the missionary sp rit or not
is not a question. The missionary en
terprise is not, as some contend, an
aspect or phase of Christianity; it is
Christianity itself. “Ye are the light
of the world,” “ ye are my witnesses,’’
“ the salt of the earth,” “ the good
seed” planted iu the world-field.
As the agents of the Christ in the ex
ecution of tiie sublime purpose—sup
plying the spiritual need of the world
—the church is of necessity a mission
ary organization, endowed for this pur
pose and authorized to carry tiie Gospel
to every creature. Into all the world
it is seut, to subdue all the earth unto
Christ, tiie lord of tiie resurrection.
And each particular New Testament
church iu its own measure is thus a
missionary body, designed under the
divine arrangement to have a specific
mission lo humanity; it is a messenger
of glad-tidings to every sinner, how
ever far astray, whom it can by any
meaDS reach. Yea, its command is
“ Go out quickly into the streets and
lanes of the city and bring in hither
the poor and maimed aud blind and
lame; ’ and then that my house may
be filled, “ Go out iuto the highways
and hedges and constrain them to
come in.” It belongs to tiie world for
Christ’s sake. This being a cardinal
obligation wrought into the very con
stitution of tiie New Testament church
at large, and for each particular organ
ization of the church of the resurrec
tion, any deviation from it, even in
is infidelity to the great com
mission given to his earthly body by
the ascended head. He bi< susto j. o
into the world bent on evangelizing
all the nations. So shall we give effect
to the cross of Christ, and prove that
Christ has not been sent in vain; so
shall we uphold the honor of Christ’s
name; so shall his joy remain in us
and our joy be fulfilled ; so shall we be
bis disciples.
111. “ Aud when he had said this he
breathed on them and saith unto them,
“Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” We find
in the spirit of Christ the powt*r of
the church for its mission. A prop
er relation having been restored
between God aud man. aud as
men are united to him through Christ,
the iuipartatiou of the Spirit follows
“power from on high”—tiie same that
was poured upou Christ iu Ills human-
ity, and that he promised to give his
disciples.
Christ, ascended on high, Is the sov
ereign dispenser of this, the manifest
energy of the very God, He had told
his dl-clples that that Hpirit was wait
ing to Impart himself to them, as if the
wealth or God’s personal power had
been pent up and restrained till it
could be withheld no longer, and when
the woik of Christ Is completed it was
exjiedlent for him to go away, that the
Holy Hpirit might come forth into dis
i overeu action through those who were
joined to God through Christ. It was
as if God himself, through the way
which the incarnation and resurrec
tion of Christ had open into humanity
had entered udod the scene “ like a
torrent whose banks had been broken
down,” in the full manifestation of his
iieing. But it Is the abundance of his
grace wherewith he abounds toward
us, that he might show the riches of
bis grace to the Gentiles. God shows
iu his spirit to them that believe “the
exceeding greatness of his power ac
cording to tue working of the strength
of his might which he wrought in
Christ wlieu he raised him from the
dead, . . . and gave him to be head
over all things to the church, which is
his, tils body, the fulness of him that
fllleth all In all.” The spirit now
breathed upon men Is represented as a
mighty force, entering in, penetrating,
transfiguring. The same spirit had
wrought his work in the world upou
the Hon whom he begat, whom he
drove iuto the wilderness, “whom he
raised from the grave aud set on high
above all rule and authority, and pow
er, aud dominion, aud every name that
is named.” On men, too, in Christ,
that spirit of Christ lays hand and puts
out his force. The love which incited
him to pour out his strength upon the
Won whom he begat, impels him to
those included in oneness with the
Hon, and gives them tiie life and force
and grace of the risen Lord of life.
“Yes, blessed be the God and Fattier
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with every spiritual blessing
iu Christ, even as he chose us, having
foreordained us with adoption as sous
through Jesus Christ unto bimself, to
the praise of the glory of his grace,
which he freely bestowed onus in the be
loved, having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, to tiie end that we
should be unto the praise of his glory,
having sealed us wnh the Holy Spirit,
upon tiie praise of his glory, having
quickn. ss with Christ and ra sed us
with him, that In the ages to come he
wight show the exceeding riches of his
grace in Christ Jesus.” This is the
dispensation of the grace of God now
to oe preaciud unto them that are afar
off, as well as to tiie in that are nigh,
tins open mystery of Christ which, in
other generations,was uot made known
unto tue sons of men as it bath now
been revealed by the Hpirit, to wit:
“That the Gentiles are fellow-heirs
aud fellow-members of tiie body and
are fellow-partakers of the promise iu
the Gospel.” And to us h this grace
given, as to Raul, less than tiie least of
all saints, “to preach unto the Gentiles
tiie unsearchable riches of Christ, and
to make all meu known what the dis
pensation of the mystery, to the intent
that uow might be made known
through the church the manifold favor
of God according to the eternal pur
pose which he purposed in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” The mission of tiie
church, then, is the carrying out of the
sending of Christ into the world—to
seek aud save the lost—and he bids us
go unto all the worll, and if tills briugs
immense upon them, ss
n to
or
1. Is it not umwforour churches to
apprehend, fully, their function iu the
world? Christ came uot to found a
church, but he founded a church as
the meaiiß by which the work that he,
by his incarnation, death and resurrec
tion achieved once for all, be made
known aud be made active in tiie
world. By being members of the
church we are under strict obligatiou
to do and to help others to do, all iu
our power toward the ignorance, suf
fering and sin of tiie world. We are
members of Christ's body—tiie bands
and feet on earth of Christ in heaven.
To each of us tiie voice of Pentecost is
uttering its eternal commission, apply
ing the word which Christ appropri
ated to himself. “ The spirit of the
Lord is upou thee; because he has
anointed thee to preach good tidings to
the poor. He hath sent thee to pro
claim release to the captives; and re
covery of sight to the blind ; to set at
liberty them that are bruised ; to pro
claim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
2. This missionary spirit is needful
to the church lor its very existence, for
whosoever would save his life, shall
lose it: and whosoever shall lose his
life for my sake and the Gospel’s, shall
save it. “The bestowmeut and distri
bution of God’s favor are connected,”
aud tiie former ceases without tiie lat
ter. This principle is Illustrated iu tiie
parable of tiie talents: “Give to him
that hath, and from him that ha h not,
take that which he seemeth to have.”
The church that ceaseth to be mis
sionary ceases to be evangelical; and
when it ceases to be evangelical it
ceases to be a true church of Christ,
however primitive and apostolic it
may be in its outward form aud con
stitution. History shows that a mis
sionary church is a flourishing church,
and that those Christian bodies that
have seen this primal obligatiou most
distinctly, and have given themselves
most zealously to its fulfilment, are
precisely those which have increased
most rapidly, aud whose future is
brightest w ith spiritual promise.
3. What right have we to change the
term of the commission, to turn to our
own use what is intrusted to us by the
Master to be carried into all the world?
This is to repeat the mistake of the
church in the old dispensa'iou, who
hoarded for themselves what was de
signed for mankind, and thought more
of themselves as the depositories of
the truth than of the world, for whom
the truth was given, and had to have
their exclusiveness and egotism shat
tered agaiu and agaiu by disp rsion,
that they might be planted out among
the nations as witnesses iu spite of
themselves, to the world, aud finally
lost their place in carrying out the
great plan for the nations. What right
have we to overlook, suspend, or in
definitely postpone the work of foreign
missions; or to say that we must first
thoroughly Christianize our own land,
and then lultil the command? The
two must go together. “There is that
scatteretli and yet increasrth.” In
deed, the power is given to us only as
it is used—“the righteousness and
grace of God are revealed from faith to
faith.” Is not our present compara
tive failure at home due to our ineffi
ciency in going into all the world?
Should we be on the defensive at this
late day, “and like a beseiged city,” if
we had thrown ourselves in perfect
faith against the principalities and
powers, and world-rulers of this dark
ness? Shall we depend upon persecu-
tions, as did the disciples at flrst,
“when they that were scattered atm ad
went about preaching the Word?”
Shall we wait lor the corrupting agen
cits now at work to scatter us ? Shall
the kingdom be taken from us and
given to another?
4. Enough for ub that the Lord sends
us to preach the Gospel to the world.
"The one broad basis is loyalty to
him. 1 ’ There is weariness on the part
of some with the idea and methods
and the appeals of missions. Every
thing that is large and generous u this
age of iutellect is subjected to the keen -
est criticism, and we cannot expect this
work to escape.
We are told that missions are too
expensive; that they are a failure;
that they .are useless to the heathen.
Our “Christian Kuglaud audAiutrica,
with the right hand laden with death
dealing drinks and drugs for lar-off
people,” while the lean and laggard
left carries feebly the lif. -givu g Gos
pel, need to be told that “he that
soweth sparingly shall reap also spar
ingly.” We need to be summoned
airesh, and have our love and faith
aroused. We need not to be rem nded
that as the Father sent Christ unto the
world, even so he sends us into the
world to call not the righteous but sin
ners to repentance ; to dare something
for the Gospel; to belitve that it lias
power to arrest the careless, raise the
lallen, to save the uttermost; ai.d al
ready the sp rlt of lovt kindles in men
and women, and movement all aloug
the line is called. Preach Christ and
bis cross and tLe resurrection, is our
answer. And now, as of old, in the
track of the “ eautiiul feet” all goodly
seed will spring; in that preachiug is
the “mighty working whereby he is
able even to subject all things unto
himself.” Preach Christ, who reveals
the true worth and dignity < f man ;
the sacredness of obligations and rights;
the bi othi rhood of men as the children
of God and redeemrd through Christ,
the conin.on Havior, and all those
great ideas which have w keueJ man
to himselt, to s ciety, and to God, and
have guded and inspired the true po
litical and social pr>.gr«ssof modern
times. Commerce has tritd its hand
at saving, strong rulers have tritd, ed
ueatl in has tried, civilization has tried,
all expr riments have been tried, but it
is power from on high which has
wrought salvation and development
for men in all ages of Christian nisloiy.
“Christ crucified the wisdom ot God
and the power of God.” Tue risen
aud the living Christ—in him are all
our springs. Great Is the mission of
commerce, of civilization, of educa
tion, ot science, aud we hail them all;
but the missionaiy of the cross has the
first aud the greatest missiou to l>ear
abroad the word that quickens, re
deems anil saves. Aud let us fall back
in implicit faith on the great commis
sion of the Master aud leav, the results
to him. He can find a place for these
people, aud he can care tor them. We
preach so men in cause Ch if t died for
men; and wherever a man lives we
believe that there is an immortal being
for whom he yearns, and if he made
tue kuowlrdge of his Gospel dep ud
upon the ministry of man to man, be
it ours to justiiy his ways, he claims
the world ; be it ours to give the world
to him.
“Cnrist for the world we sing,
The world to Christ we bring,
With loving zeal.”
True, the progress may seem slow.
The light of the knowledge and glory
of our God as revealed in the face of
his Son, iu touching so many points at
once may appear fitful, “ like the early
miiiheiy.is the summit appa
liie
: " !IH
" • ' > ■ ■ JIjPfhWWV <I 1>
above the
present, sees ™e* vision iu the golden
light of the future. “Men of every
tribe and tongue, and people, anil ua
tion made to be unto our God a king
dom and priest, aud they reign upon
the earth.”
Cordele, Ga.
A Comforting Thought.—
Jesus had an interest in the every
day toil of his disciples. He
wanted them to have due success
in business. And he was as ready
to help them fish or plant, or buy
and sell, as to help them pray.
It is the same now as then. Jesus
watches us with a loving sym
pathy in our daily duties and tri
als. We can confidently go to
him for direction and help in
whatever concerns us in our life
as his servants.
Anything that is right for us
to nave an interest in, it is right
for us to expect his interest in,
whether itbefishing, or farming,
hunting a house or doing an
hour’s shopping, gaining a friend
ship or retaining it, making a
garment or buying an article of
dress, cooking a dinner or quiet
ing a crying child, writing a com
position or selling a subscription
book. If it is our business, our
Savior is ready to make it his
business. And surely it is not
beneath our notice if it is not be
neath his. What a comfort is
this to the worried and perplexed
disciple!— Selected.
You Can Be el
When your blood is pure, ruh
and nourishing for nerves and
muscles. The blood is the vital
fluid, and when it is poor, thin
and impure you must either suf
fer from some distressing disease
or you will easily fall a victim to
sudden changes, exposure, or
overwork. Keep your .blood pure
with Hood's Sarsaparilla and be
well.
Hood’s Pills are the best after
dinner pill; assist digestion, cure
headache. 25 cents.
Hood’s
Cure sick headache, bad ■ I I
taste in the mouth, coated all
tongue, gas in the stomach, 111
distress and indigestion. Do ™
not weaken, but have tonic effect. 25 cents.
The only Dills to take with Hood’s Sarsaparilla.
Guarantee Position. Accept not** fcrUtion, or can deposit
money In bank till position is secured. For Catalogue addreM
Nashvibe Jenn. Indorsed by Bankers, Merchants, and other*
Bookkeeping, Penmanship, Shorthand, Typewriting,
Telegraphy, etc.; 12 teachers. 4 in Bookkeeping
with us equals 12 elsewhere. 600 students past year. No
vacation. Enter any time. Cheap board. Car fare paid
To order our books for home study is next best thing 10
•menus oui school. Write us. (Mention this papery
JLmong the $ out? a.
Any publication mentioned in thia de
p&rtment may be obtained of the
American Baptist Publication So
ciety. 98 Whitehall St., Atlanta, Ga.
When pricee are named they include
postage.
The Editors of the Christian Index
desire to make this column of service
to their readers. They will gladly
ans wer, or have answered, any quee
tions regarding books. If yon desire
books for certain lines of reading, or
desire to find out the worth or pub
lisher of any book, write to them.
Christianity and the Social Prob
lems. Lyman Abbott. Houghton,
Mittlin & Co., Boston, Mass. Price
$1.25.
Dr Lyman Abbott is well known as
the editor of the Outlook and the suc
cessor of Henry Ward Beecher at Ply
mouth church. He 13 a man of clear
cut ideas aud unusual lucidity of state
ment. Even when dealing with the
most abstiuse problems be is easily un
derstood and attractive. In theology
Dr. Abbott bolds with the liberals aud
stands to the evolution theory in na
ture aud religion. This book, however,
has little or no theology. It is a treat
ment, from the standpoint of a preach
er, of social problems. His first chap
ter clearly sets forth the character of
Jesus and exalts bis divinity. We do
not think that sufficient stress is laid
on forgiveness through the atonement.
The other chapters deal with I>emoc
racy,Communism, Socialism, the Fam
ily, the Law of Service, the Standard
of Y’alues, the Settlement of Contro
versies, personal, international, and
labor, the Enemies of the Social Order,
the Social Evil, and the Brotherhood
of Man. This will indicate the scope
of the book. Especially to be com
mended are the chapters on Commun
ism, Socialism, the Family, the Social
Evil, aud the three on the Settlement
of Controversies. Dr. Abbott believes
in personal property, but in its subor
dination to our responsibility to God
who gave it. He believes that every
man owes some labor to Sjciety, and
that his chief value is character. He
does not agree with the idea that labor
is a commodity to be sold in the mar
ket, hut holds that capital and labor
are hut sliareis in mutual toil. Neither
does lie regard marriage as merely a
c vil con ract, but holds to the scrip
tural idea of marriage that is not to be
broken. The chapters on Controver
sies are unusually valuable. Taken all
iu all, it is the best book on this line we
have seen. It is compact and inex
pensive. Thoughtful men will enjoy
it, and young men will be greatly
helped by ir. More and more the
world is coming to recognize the bear
ing tiiat Christian principles must have
on our social life. It is a great thing
to learn to hold right ideas about our
relations to others.
Baccalaureate Sermons. Ezekial
Gilman Robinson. Silver, Burdett
& Co., Boston, Mass. Price 11.25.
Dr. Robinson was one of the great
Bapt sts of the formative period of our
history. He did for Rochester Semi
nary and Brown University wbat
Boyce and Broadus did for the Louis
ville S-m nary. He was a great edu
cational leader and a great teacher.
He was al o a preacher of unique
power.
There are seventeen sermons in this
volume, all of them preached at com
mencement occasions at Brown Uni
versity. The sermons are profound
but dearly expressed. The chaste style
of the preacher of tjie pad generation
is ('hWmingly 1 1 rust rated. Dr. Robin
son did not agree with some Calviuistic
conceptions of the work of Christ, aud
this is expressed once or twice. The
sermons, however, are fine examples
and will be suggestive and helpful.
Home of the themes are Christ the
Wisdom of God, luward Uprightness,
the Heuee of Duty, the Right Aim in
Life, the Sure Victory of Faith, and
Uod Glorified in Character. Naturally
some bear on the relation of science
and philosophy to religion. We wish
more people would cultivate the habit
of reading sermoua. Some of our mo.-1
helpful re.igious reading comes to us in
this form. Preachers cauuot afford to
dispense with sermon reading, not for
repreachiug, but to satisfy the heart
itself and to see how others do it. Ti e
most effective p esentations of truth
are in spokeu sermons, aud so the ser
mons of master preachers are also val
uable for reading.
Notes on the International Sun
day - School Lessons for U 97.
E. E. Hoss, D.D. Baroee & Smim,
Na-hvihe, Tenn. Price 50c.
This is prepared by our esteemed
friend Dr. Hoes, who is the editor of
the Christian Advocate of Nashville.
It is what we have often longed to see
among Baptists, a compact treatment
of the Sunday-School Lessons in a
volume aud selling for fifty cents.
What we have not yet found the Meth
odists have in this volume. It is well
printed and bound. The expositions
are expository. The main facts and
lessons are brought forth. We have
been pleased at the treatment of the
lessons wuerein baptism occurs. Dr.
Hoss is very moderate in bis state
ments. For example, he simply s»ys
that the baptism of the Pnilippiau
jailer presents some difficulties if it
was by immersion, and only uses the
household baptism in the same uature
to show the possibility of infants. His
fairness as an expositor is also shown
iu treating the expression “ the prom
ise is to you aud your children.” This
he merely applies to the descendants of
those addressed. When a brother of
divergent views is thus fair, it is not
difficult to use his book to great advan
tage. A Sunday-school teacher can
get much of help in this pithy and
pungent book.
Bible Study by Books. Henry T.
Sell, A. M. Fleming H. Revell Co.,
Chicago aud New York. Price,
paper, 25c; cloth, 50c.
This seems to be a most sensible text
book for Bible study. Its plan is to
give one study for each week in a sep
erate Bible book or group of books.
In this way, without much labor, the
Bible could be actually studied through
iu a year. The idea is a most excellent
one and seems to be well carried out.
Os course the analyses given would
require actual use to give a judgment.
It is worthy of careful examination by
pastors for recommending to those de
sirous of entering on special study. It
is written from the safe conservatism
standpoint.
The Dwarfs Tailor, and Other
Fairy Tales. Collected by Z. D.
Underhill Harper A Brothers, New
York.
This is a collection of fairy tales
from various nationalities—Swedish,
German, Hungarian, French, Danish,
Russian, and Norwegian fairy tales
are translated for u->. The selections
are well made and the stories are inter
esting. We have found little of the
I “Mend it |!
or End it,” |
has been the rallying cry of <5
i!> reform, directed against abuses jj >
1 1> municipal or social. (< [
For the man who lets him
ijj self be abused by a cough the J i
]j> cry should be modified to: '[
I I Mend it, or it’ll end you. You «J
1 \ can mend any cough with | >
i| Ayer’s 1;
| Cherry Pectoral. ;>
objectionable. These could possibly
be a little more of morally instructive.
The best of fairy stories are but thin
veilings of real and helpful instruction.
In many of these the selection seems
based more on the wonderful and mys
terious. On the whole it is good, and
the variety given through the übs of
tales from different nationalities is a
point in its favor. Then the illustra
tions are good. This is helpful with
such books. It is beautifully bound
aud printed.
A Cape Ann Chronicle. Mildred
Scarborough. American Baptist Pub.
Society. Philadelphia and Atlanta.
Price, 90c.
This is the story of a girl who sets
out to earn money to help her father,
and in this commendable enterprise
becomes a money lover and disobedi
ent. She finally ends, like most folks,
where her good qualities are displayed
even when the bad ones are acknowl
edged. She gets a good lesson and the
good gets the best of the bad. It will
e help'ul along the line of inciting to
work.
Dwell Deep. By the author of
“Probable Sons,” etc. Fleming H.
Revell Co. New York and Chicago.
Price 75c.
An English story of a young gi 1
who is converted and amid a pleasure
loving society maiutaius her devout
life. Dwell deep is her motto as a
Christian, and she faithfully endeavors
to serve her Master. The results are
as might be expected. Tnere is a good
healthy tone to it all, and the book can
do nothing but good.
Beat Cough Syrup. Taatea Good. Use W
In time. Sold by druggiata. FI
Wire Railing and Ornamental Wire
Works.
DUFUR & CO., flMga
No. 811 N. Howard 8t„ Baltimore, Md.
Manufacture Wire Railings for Cemeter
ies, Balconies, ac.. (Sieves, Fenders, Cages,
Band and Coal Screens, Woven wire, Ac.
Also Bedsteads. Cnalrs, Settees. Ac. febaßtf
Haggard’s Specific Tablets.
FOR BRAIN, NEK YEN AMI fiENI
TO-URINARY AFFECIIONN.
PEOPLE THAT CUE ’I HEM SET
WELL. ■*
ONLY REM EM Y THAT NEVER
KAILS ro CURE.
Hem by mall on receipt of price,
1 Box 91.00 ; 3 Boxes 92 SO.
Address
HAGGABD SPECIFIC CO.,
Atlanta, Ga.
IJulyly
Our Special Offer:
zr.:::rrr.rr.:.
* c)
Gbttage Diiuier Set (white) $4.00
6 Silver Plated Knives 1.25
6 Plated Forks 0.75
6 Plated Tea Spoons 0.50
3 Plated Table Spoons 0.25
6 Tumblers 0.25
1 Large Glass Pitcher 0.25
2 Salts and Pepper Shakers 0.10
1 Syrup Pitcher 0.15
6 Jap. Napkins 0.05
1 Spoon Holder 0.15
Worth. $7.70
Special Price on the AP Art
First 100 Sets yVivU
A Cottage Dinner Set
Contains:
6 Dinner Plates, 6 Breakfast Plates,
6 Cups aud Saucers, 6 Fruit Saucers,
6 Butter Pads, 2 Meat Dishes, 1
Baker, 1 Pickle, 1 Cover Dish, 1
Sugar, 1 Cream, 1 Bowl, 1 Butterdish,
1 Gravy Boat of the celebrated Mod
dock Porcelain, the best wearing ware
on earth. Absolutely
to glaze-crack from any cause.
To introduce this famous (ft P A A
ware we will sell the first Nt U I
100 setts as above for ywiv U
Order at once so you get the benefit
of the low prices.
Carver & Harper
79 Whitehall St.,
ATLANTA , GEORGIA.
Wholesale and Retail Dealers in
Crockery, Lamps «»* Fancy Goods.
f 'We'll Dye
For You."
Why throw away your clothes when
yon can have them Cleaned and Dyed
equal to new ?
We do both ladies' and men’s clothes
better than any other in the South,
with pricee to suit the times.
Southern Dye &
Cleaning Works,
22 & 24 Dalton St., Atlanta, Ga.
ty Express paid. Send for price
(Ist. mch26ly