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Preacher's Magazine Church of the Nazarene

1-1-1945 Preacher's Magazine Volume 20 Number 01 J. B. Chapman (Editor) Olivet Nazarene University

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Recommended Citation Chapman, J. B. (Editor), "Preacher's Magazine Volume 20 Number 01" (1945). Preacher's Magazine. 217. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_pm/217

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January - February 1945 : 7 / „ IT) / > Managing Editor’s I readier 3 MESSAGE NE of the most profitable ex­ N°u'Xr 2i° f r O ercises a preacher can engage January-February, 1945 jcLQ/§ azine in is to take a healthy look at him­ self, at his preaching and at his at­ titude toward his work. There is no CONTENTS more appropriate time to do this than at the beginning of a new year. What Was Your Object? Then, profiting by what such an J. B. Chapman ...... 3 examination may reveal, begin to Windows to Let in tne i_ig.it J. B. Chapman ...... 4 make more symmetrical progress Word Pictures From Colossians during the coming year. Olive M. Winchester ...... 6 Take a look at yourself at the The Preacher and His Bible close of 1944. What has this year H. Orton Wiley ...... 9 Gleanings From the Greek New Testament meant to you? What has been your Ralph Earle ...... 12 spiritual status during the year? Are Meeting Life’s Problems in 194— ...... 14 there definite signs of spiritual pro­ Forbidden Luxuries gress? Do you have more of a Paul S. Rees ...... 16 Paul’s Idea of Inbred Sin Christlike spirit? an increased relish Neal C. Dirkse ...... 20 for devotional exercises? a greater The Man and Mis Message concern for the salvation of people? Peter Wiseman ...... 23 What about your preaching? Look Pulpit Reading of the Word of God E. Wayne Stahl ...... 27 over your whole year’s preaching Will There Be Another “Lost Generation”? program. What themes have you J. Gordon Chamberlin ...... 30 neglected that should be stressed? Some Suggestions About Preaching E. O. Chalfant ...... 32 In the light of your preaching pro­ Putting Your Church on the Map! gram of 1944, what themes and Myron F. Boyd ...... 33 messages should be brought to your I Listened to a Sermon congregation during 1945 in order Paul S. Hill ...... 35 Preachers Who Stand for Something to bring to them a more balanced A. S. London ...... 36 ministry? Because of your experi­ Power for Lowly Service ence during 1944, wouldn’t you as­ Colonel Andrew Zealley ...... 37 sume that your congregation might Dedication (poem) Grace Noll Crowell ...... 39 expect from you a little more im­ proved ministry in the new year— improvement in your manner of D e p a r t m e n t s presenting the gospel, in the or­ Searching Truths for Ministers ...... 40 ganization of your thought and in The Preacher’s Scrapbook ...... 41 Quotable Poetry ...... 42 the type of message given. Sermon Outlines ...... 44 Take a look at your attitude to­ Missionary Department ...... 58 ward your work. This is where a Illustrations ...... 60 lot of good men fail. They do not Books ...... 63 keep the proper attitude toward their work; preaching loses its ro­ J. B. Chapman, D.D., E d itor D . Shelby Corlett, D .D ., Managing Editor mance and they assume lordship Published bimonthly by the Nazarene Publishing House, 2923 over God’s heritage. You can’t dc Troost Avenue, 8ox 527, Kansas City 10, Missouri, maintained by and in the interest of the Church of the Nazarene. Subscription that and be a successful ministei price: $1.00 a year. Entered as second class matter at the post of Jesus Christ. office at Kansas City, Mo. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized December 30, 1925. Address all contributions to The D. Shelby Corlett, Preacher's Magazine, 2923 Troost Avenue, Box 527, Kansas Managing Editor. City 10, Missouri. 2 The Preacher's Magazim What Was Your Object?

J. B. Chapman, Editor

I , ' .HE story is told that a minister’s in­ convenient not to come back until the valid wife used to ask her husband series is over. But there may be a series about his subject upon his return arrangement in the preacher’s mind and from his morning service. He became ac­ heart without the announcements showing customed to this and was always well it. prepared to answer. But (jne day the On the closing night of a revival in woman of weak body but strong faith which I had served as evangelist, the pas­ asked, “What was your object in the ser­ tor announced that on the following Sun­ mon today?” That was a vulnerable spot, day night he would preach the first of a for the preacher had not had a clearly series of six sermons on Jonah. The lay­ defined object. He had a subject, and man who took me to the late train said, he preached on the subject; but he did “You should feel sorry for us. By the not have any particular object, and of end of another six weeks we will be well course one cannot reach an object if in informed on whales. We will know much truth he does not have one. about their size, their habits of life, and No doubt many of you have been think­ their history in the world. We will also ing of a preaching plan for 1945, or at least know much about the pedigree and bio­ for some part of it. There are not many graphy of Jonah. But at the end of the preachers, especially pastors, who can go time we shall be a very thin and worn along in disconnected sermon making. and hungry people.” Here was an an­ What you say next Sunday is and should nouncement of a series, coupled with be connected with what you said last Sun­ knowledge of the preacher’s method, that day, and it should be related to what you did the opposite of what was hoped for. will say the Sunday following. And I do Speaking of the prospective year, let not mean this too literally. A church us ask ourselves what our object is. I be­ should have a balanced and rounded min­ lieve that our first object, as indicated by istry both as to material and as to activity. the words of the Master himself, should be A pastor should preach on missions. In to “Feed my sheep.” That is, the first most churches he should preach on this object should be to build a people who are subject once each quarter. And if he is spiritually strong. This is as fundamental going to preach four sermons on missions in the conduct of a successful church as care in 1945 to the same crowd of people, he for the team is to the farmer who would should have in mind all those sermons make a crop. You just cannot reach your when he prepares the first one. And there other objectives in the program if you do should be a relation among all these ser­ not have a church that is united, spiritual mons; although one should not be simply and aggressive. It is easier to state this a repetition of the others. But it would point in the objective than to say just be a mistake for a pastor to preach on how it can be brought about. But in so missions every time he preaches this year. far as preaching can do it, we know And this is but an illustration. The same that it demands positive, constructive and idea should apply to preaching on tithing, well-proportioned preaching. If the preach­ testimony, church attendance and family er gets a grudge and takes it out on the and secret devotion. It should apply to people, he will be awarded with a divided, evangelistic themes, to holiness and to critical and nonspiritual church. In yes­ prophecy. terday’s mail there was a letter from a There is a question about the advisability layman who said, “W e are afraid to make of announcing a series of sermons. One suggestions to our pastor, lest he take us of the weaknesses of this plan arises from for the subject of his sermons.” It is a the fact that people who are not impressed dreadful thing when a preacher gets it by the first or any of the subsequent ser­ into his head that in order to be true he mons of the announced series may find it has to “skin the people.” Bud Robinson

January-February, 1945 3 said he used to do that, but one day he he left the impression that those that did looked about for a sale for his pelts and not get in that night would never get found that human hides are not quoted on in at all. Pastors complained that his the market at all. He said he quit skin­ meetings paralyzed their regular meetings ning after that. and made for an ebb tide that frequently But the people must not be simply an went lower than the one that existed be­ encouraged people, they must be also an fore the special meeting was held. It intelligent people. This requires a rounded should be the business of the evangelist to content in the preacher’s material. The leave the church and the pastor in posi­ preacher must avoid being a one-subject tion to go on with the work after his de­ man— a “fiddler on one string,” some have parture. Evangelists who do not do this called it. Perhaps you prefer to preach on are of doubtful service anywhere. certain subjects, and there is a temptation A London minister once said to Spur­ to use those subjects to the exclusion of geon, “I believe in saving souls as much others. But do not yield to that tempta­ as you do. How is it that you have con­ tion. You will become shrunken your­ versions in practically all your services, self if you preach just what you enjoy while I never have any conversions in my preaching. Let the Word of God and the regular meetings?” To this Spurgeon re­ needs of the people, rather than your own plied, “Perhaps it is because you do not pleasure, be your guide. Give the people expect conversions. I expect them. We the full gospel. Preach on great themes, pray for them, plan for them, expect them, but allow these great themes to cover the and have them." Expect conversions this minor subjects as well. year. Let the objective of the year in­ clude the conversion of souls. It will help And do not forget that you are a leader the average church and preacher to set of the people’s devotions, as well as a prayerful goals. How many souls do you leader of their thinking. Preach on giving. think God wants to give you this year? Preach on prayer. Preach on regularity in Christian duty. Preach on patience. Preach on kindness. Preach on hospitality. + Exemplify what you preach. Commend the examples that you see and know. Give good place for the expressional life of the Windows people. Do not try to do everything your­ self. Make your church the people’s To Let in the Light church. Encourage spontaneity and in­ itiative among the members. Have a truly B y t h e E d it o r active church. HE subject, of course, is illustrations. And of course your objective will in­ T A critic objected to the preacher’s clude a soul saving revival. Some churches stories on the ground that “straight Bible attempt too many special meetings. Spec­ preaching” is more substantial. The ial meetings lose their advantage when preacher replied that solid masonry is they become the usual. One or two special more substantial than walls composed meetings well-planned and well-adver­ partly of windows, but even so, most peo­ tised are better for the year’s program ple prefer the weaker walls to a house that than too many nominal “revivals.” And is totally dark. one real revival that revives is worth any Of course illustrations can be overdone, number of “protracted meetings” that do just as practically any form of presenting not result in revival. truth can be overdone. But I have never And besides bringing on the “break,” heard many preachers who can hold the the objective should be to make the re­ continued interests of their listeners to vival last as long as possible. That is, heavy arguments unadorned with lighter the special meeting should prove its gen­ matter. And if we go out in search of ex­ uineness by being visible in the results amples, the Master himself is quite suf­ of the regular evangelistic meetings in the ficient; for He was the master story teller, days and weeks that follow. and the artist of the parable. I used to know an evangelist who regu­ The history of preaching reveals that at larly preached on “The Sin Against the certain periods illustrations were ruled Holy Ghost” on the last night of his meet­ out, and that other periods they were used ing. By intimation, and almost in words, to excess. There were even periods when

4 The Preacher's Magazine preachers used too little care in their as to strain the credulity of the listeners, choice of illustrative material, and hence the story is likely to overshadow the truth sometimes used questionable matter and to be illustrated. Then the listener is material that destroyed the purpose. These likely to ask for the sequel. “What hap­ facts remind us that there is need for dis­ pened after that?” This is not real com­ crimination. pliment, for it indicates that the story, It has often been remarked that the rather than the truth to be enforced, se­ sermons of John Wesley, while useful as cured the limelight. theses on doctrine, have no large appeal 4. Absurdities should be avoided, but to the little interested. Now it is ex­ when they are approached, they should plained to us that these printed sermons always be in the nature of reflection on are epitomes of the arguments used, and the preacher himself, and not on someone that in the interest of economy of space, else involved in the story. Even in stories the illustrative material was left out of characters tend to become real people, and the copies submitted to the press. This if you represent yourself as taking ad­ robs us of data necessary to make an in­ vantage of another or as outwitting him telligent study of the pulpit power of this too completely, many listeners will in­ master preacher. Perhaps the omitted stinctively take up for your victim and portions were the parts that held the accept prejudice against both you and masses and gave the opportunity for the your thesis. In a popular cartoon some enforcement of the heavy teaching content. years ago there was a character named After making due allowance for the Mary Gold. She lay sick for days. The need of care in selection, and the neces­ public became greatly interested in her, sity of guarding against excesses, I think and being an ideal girl, people were con­ we will find that the skillful use of illu­ cerned for her recovery. And when the strations is as essential to effective preach­ cartoonist let Mary die, thousands of peo­ ing as the insertion of windows in the ple cancelled their subscriptions to the walls of the house is for the comfort of newspapers involved as a protest against the inmates of the home or office. In the author’s heartlessness. either case, there should be windows to let in the light. 5. Illustrations that teach religion or morality within themselves are to be pre­ And with the cautions mentioned in ferred. For this reason the biographies of mind, we hazard a few suggestions in saintly people and one’s own religious ex­ regarding the choice and use of illustra­ perience are most useful of all material. tions in preaching: 6. Only so much of the story as is neces­ 1. Books of illustrations are not of much sary to illustrate the point in mind should use to the preacher, for what one preach­ be related. Necessity for relating all de­ er finds adaptable most other preachers tails is the mark of an untrained mind. will find either extravagant or tame. Illiterate people make full use of chron­ 2. The best source of illustrations is one’s ology, but the trained thinker follows his own life and experience. Indeed there is a subject and majors on his purpose. Unless sense in which the gospel must become a the weather has something to do with the personal gospel before the preacher can story it is not necessary to mention it— preach it by any means. there is some kind of weather any day 3. Incidents and experiences must be you can mention. Ability to stop when interesting, but they need not be spec­ the purpose is reached is an art. Do not tacular. In fact, one’s stories are better follow the subjects of your illustration for seeming to be the common experience beyond the place where they serve your of many than the unusual experience of purpose. the few. Often when the preacher has 7. Do not multiply illustrations on the told a story of his own individual life, a same point. One good illustration is bet­ person whom he never saw or heard of ter than more, and if it is not good it is before will approach to say, “I was greatly just not good, no matter how many of helped by the story of your experience such you use they are still not good. today, for I have had an experience al­ It is bad for the reputation when one most like it.” This is really the highest comes to be known as “A story-telling compliment the preacher can receive; for preacher,” meaning that he overillustrates. it proves that his story went home. If the story is of such an unusual nature (Continued on page eight)

January-February, 1945 5 Word Pictures from Colossians Olive M . Winchester

Christ Revealing the Father

Who is the image of the invisible God, in the spiritual world less complete. In the firstborn of every creature (Col. 1:15). the Church, as in the universe, He is sole, For it pleased the Father that in him absolute, supreme; the primary source should all fulness dwell (Col. 1:19). from which all life proceeds and the ulti­ mate arbiter in whom all feuds are recon­ NTERNED in the prison cells of Rome ciled.” away from the immediate care of the I The first expression set forth Christ as churches, the apostle turned in his thought “the image of the invisible God.” Analyz­ and in his writing to contemplate the dif­ ing the significance of this term we find ferent phases of theological truths. His that it indicates a representation, imply­ f-arlier epistles dealt mainly with the prob­ ing “an archetype of which it is a copy.” lems arising in the different communities The fact that an image is a copy may come where he had ministered, but now he from natural causes or may be due to thinks upon some of the great facts of re­ imitation, and the word itself does not demption, and especially does his mind necessarily imply that the representation turn to the person of the Redeemer. is perfect. The context, however, leaves The city of Colossae had not been vis­ us with no uncertainty in this respect. ited by the apostle, but Epaphras, “a faith­ The qualifying phrase which modifies ful minister of Christ,” had labored among the word, image, in the context more the people there, establishing a church, specifically defines for it what was the then had visited Paul, giving a report of nature of the representation. “Christ was the work. Here in the valley where this the image of the invisible God!” The Word, church was located along with others, whether preincarnate or incarnate, is the there were certain heretical tendencies, revelation of the unseen Father. and the one prevailing among the Colos­ sians had an element in it that depreciated Down through the centuries it had been the person of Christ. Accordingly with in the thought of the Hebrew that no one the visit of Epaphras who brought the in­ could see God and live. If a direct mani­ formation of this condition, the tendency festation seemed to have been made, they toward contemplation fixed itself on the stood in awe lest the penalty of death person of Christ. should fall upon them. The fact is that all the appearances are generally attri­ T h e I m a g e o f t h e I n v i s ib l e G od buted, in our explanations, to the angel of In writing to the Colossians, Paul uses Jehovah rather than to the first person of various terms to describe Christ in his the Godhead, and thus we say that such exaltation. The heretical teachers of this appearances are adumbrations of the in­ community believed in an elaborate an- carnation. gelology which had a twofold connection, Jesus was the revealer of the Father. being related both to their cosmological The Apostle John proclaimed this fact teaching or theory of the universe and to when he said, “No man hath seen God at their religion. Consequently, as one writer any time; the only begotten Son, which expresses it, “St. Paul represents the medi­ is in the bosom of the Father, he hath de­ atorial function of Christ as twofold: it clared him.” So likewise did the Apostle is exercised in the spiritual creation. In Paul when he stated that Christ was the both these spheres His initiative is ab­ image of the invisible God. solute, His control is universal, His action “T h e F ir s t b o r n o f E v e r y C r e a t u r e ” or is complete. By His agency the world “O f A l l C r e a t i o n ” of matter was created and is sustained. He is at once the beginning and the end The designation “firstborn” seems to of the material universe. Nor is His office have had a twofold parentage as Lightfoot

6 The Preacher's Magazine says. On the one hand it was closely con­ “And he himself is the head of the body, nected with Alexandrian thought where the church,” adding moreover that all this it was allied with teaching regarding the was to the intent that in all things Christ Logos. On the other hand it seems to might have the pre-eminence. As He have been a Messianic title, for it is the holds priority and sovereignty over the word used in Hebrews 1:6 which is trans­ universe, so does He the Church. “He is its Head, and it is His body. This is His lated “first begotten.” “Israel is called prerogative, because He is the source and God’s firstborn (Ex. 54:22; Jer. 31:9); the beginning of its life, being the First­ hence the term was readily transferred to born from che dead.” the Messiah, as the ideal representative of the race,” says Abbott. Thus it is that A l l t h e F u l n e s s D w e l l s “As the person of Christ was the divine response alike to the philosophical ques­ If the previous terms in anything seemed tionings of the Alexandrian Jew and to to have failed to express the identity of the patriotic hopes of the Palestinian, Christ with the Father as coequal, co­ these two currents of thought meet in the eternal and one in being, this one com­ term, firstborn as applied to our Lord, who pletes the thought. It stands as climactic is both the true Logos and the true Mes­ to the two foregoing designations. siah.” In the elaborate angelology of the Col- Coming to the term itself and inquiring ossian heretics there were beings of vari­ as to its significance especially in this con­ ous ranks who were designated as thrones, nection we would note that first it indi­ lordships, principalities and powers, the cates “priority to all creation.” It might very appellations given in our text. These seem, as would the false teachers of that were considered to be in possession of the day have inferred, that the thought em­ divine fullness in varying degrees. Among bodied was that Christ was one with the them was made a place for Christ, but He created beings yet stood pre-eminent, but was only one among the many, and thus a further study of the passage, especially was not elevated in rank above them. the context, indicates otherwise. The Describing them Lightfoot says, “These verse continues by saying, “For in him mediatorial beings would retain more or were all things created, in the heavens and less of the influence of the pleroma, ac­ in the earth.” If Christ had been the first cording as they claimed direct parentage of created beings or simply prior to the from it or traced their descent through creation of the universe, then the expres­ successive evolutions. But in all cases sion would have been, “For in him were this pleroma was distributed, diluted, the others or the remaining created,” but transformed and darkened by foreign ad­ this is not the case, the expression is “all mixture. They were only partial and things.” “Things visible and invisible, blurred images, often deceptive carica­ whether thrones or lordships, or princi­ tures, of their original, broken lights of the palities or powers. All things have been great central Light.” created through him and for him; and he Over against such a conception the himself is before all and all subsist in Apostle sets forth Christ not only as the him.” Everything pertaining to the uni­ pleroma or fullness (the term being a verse had its origin in and through Christ, technical one which the Gnostics them­ whether it might have been laws or en­ selves used), but as the one in whom all tities. fullness dwelt. Christ was not a broken or Thus the term “firstborn” implied pri­ partial light, he shone forth in the full ority, carrying with it the thought of pre­ glory of the Father. The divine fullness existence, but it also suggests further rela­ in Him was not diluted; it subsisted with tionship, and that is sovereignty, the Son the complete content of divine being and of God, being thus the Creator of all, was functions. the natural Ruler. Accordingly Christ and Christ alone is But the Apostle Paul goes farther in this the sole Mediator between man and God. connection. As we have said the angelo- There may be angels in the economy of logy of the heretical teachers covered not God, in fact the Scriptures teach us there only the material realm, the universe, but are angels, but they are divine ministrants also entered into speculations respecting not mediators between God and man. They the Church of God. Consequently he states, perform a watchful service over those who

January-February, 1945 7 are heirs of salvation, but they have no which in itself is not so significant but mediatorial relationship. Moreover the with its qualifying phrase, “of the in­ angels are created beings, but Christ is visible God” is fraught with great mean­ God, eternal with the Father. ing. Then “firstborn,” which likewise Thus it was that the apostle proclaimed alone has its limitations, but when there the great fundamental truth regarding the is added “of all creation” it rises to pre­ person of Christ; he is God. This passage eminence, but crowning all is that of of scripture stands impregnable as does “fullness,” fullness of the Godhead; more­ the Prologue to the Gospel of John ex­ over to focus its significance it has the pounding this great truth. Men have bat­ qualifying adjective all. Therein lies no tered their small crafts of human thought question; there is no essentiality of the against it and at times it would seem that being of the Godhead, no attribute but it would be buried in the quagmire of what exists in the Son. He stands above human reasonings, but forth it comes with all creation, He stands before it and to more resplendent glory, Christ is God. him it moveth. Christ is God, the Revealer As Arius arose in early days seeking to of the Father. diminish its essential reality by saying that Christ was like God; for a time this Windows to Let in the Light concept gained the assent of ecclesiastics, and Athanasius, his opponent, who pro­ (Continued from page five) claimed that Christ was identical with God That is like building the walls of your was banished, but yet in the hearts of the house entirely of glass. common people, Christ, their Saviour, was 8. If your illustration is apt and ef­ God, and though buried for a season the fective, turn to it as often as convenient truth rose again. In our own day and in the application of the message. Avoid age many have arisen who would deny its identification in such cases, but make the validity, but we believe it will stand the application forceful by reason of its adap­ onslaught of their attacks and again assert tation to your heavier material in the ser­ its wonderful reality, yea it does to every­ mon. one who enters into a dynamic experience 9. Do not relate the experiences of of grace. others as though they were your own. Christ is God, he was the agent in the This involves veracity. But as often as creation of the universe, all came forth possible give the names of the people in­ from Him and toward Him the whole crea­ volved, rather than to say simply that you tion moveth. “The Eternal Word is the have heard of one who passed through goal of the Universe, as He was the start­ certain experiences. ing-point. It must end in unity, as it 10. Fill your files and your memory proceeded from unity: and the center of with apt illustrations and if you continue this unity is Christ.” to preach, you will have occasion to be Standing like beacon lights then are the thankful for whatever you have in this three terms used here, the first, “image,” storehouse before you die.

Secret Study

Pre-eminent, supreme among the helps to secret prayer, I place, of course, the secret study of the holy written Word of God. Read it on your knees, at least on the knees of your spirit. Read it to reassure, to feed, to regulate, to kindle, to give to your secret prayer at once body and soul. Read it that you may hold faster your certainty of being heard. Read it that you may know with blessed definiteness whom you have believed, and what you have in Him, and how He is able to keep your deposit safe. Read it in the attitude of mind in which the apostles read it, in which the Lord read it. Read it, not seldom, to turn it at once into prayer.— H. G. C. M o u l e .

8 The Preacher's Magazine The Preacher and His Bible

Dr. H . Orton Wiley

HE preacher should be familiar with mysteriously in each of these books; but T his Bible. This is a trite saying. I know that the mystery in the works of However, general observation reveals the God is only another name for my ignor­ fact that many who consider themselves ance. The moment, therefore, that I be­ well-read in the Scriptures, have been come humble, all becomes right.” merely going up and down over narrow beaten tracks. They have never made Dr. Chalmers once said, “The Bible is any discoveries of their own. Out beyond like a wide and beautiful landscape seen the narrow confines of their thinking are afar off, dim and confused; but a good whole vistas of truth to be discovered, telescope will bring it near, and spread could they but be induced to leave the out all its rocks, and trees, and flowers, lower and much traveled highways for the and verdant fields, and winding rivers, higher and less frequented mountain trails. at one’s very feet. That telescope is the Spirit’s teaching.” “Touched by one of John Burroughs of western fame, was a these many fingers,” said Canon Farrar, lover of the mountains. To him, probably “our hearts cannot but respond. A t the more than any other, are we indebted for turning of a page, we may listen to Solo­ our present knowledge of the high Sier­ mon the magnificent, or Amos the herds­ ras. He climbed the rugged mountain man, or Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian sides and drove deep into the inner re­ conqueror, or Matthew the Galilean publi­ cesses of nature. He not only trod the can. If St. Paul be too difficult for us, less frequented paths, but blazed trails we have the practical plainness of St. of his own. Far from the common haunts Peter; if St. John soar too high for us of men, he discovered the wonders of the on the eagle wings of his mysticism, we western ranges, their snow-clad peaks, can rejoice in the simple sweetness of St. their forests of giant sequoias, their Luke; if we find the Apocalypse too pas­ beautiful lakes and waterfalls, and their sionate and energetic, we can rest in the high valleys, entrancing in their quiet homely counsels of St. James...... There loveliness. To him we owe much of our are shallows which the lamb can ford as knowledge of the many beautiful spots well as depths which the elephant must which have since become popular resorts swim. There is poetry for the student, for lovers of mountain scenery. But the history for the statesman, Psalms for the difficulties of mountain climbing mean temple, and Proverbs for the mart. There little to those who have never toiled la­ are appeals, denunciations, arguments, boriously up the steep trails which seem stories of battle, songs of love. There are to stretch out into endless distances. Only mountains and valleys, shadow and sun­ the toilers know the stateliness and majesty shine, calm and tempest, stormy waves of the mountains; only through struggle and still waters, lilies of green pastures and weariness can the heights be reached. and the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” The God of nature and the God of reve­ lation are one; and He who reveals Him­ Even Jean Jacques Rousseau was com­ self in the marvelous works of nature to pelled to confess the beauty of the Scrip­ those who take the steep and rugged trails, tures. “I will confess,” he says, “that the reveals Himself likewise to the close and majesty of the Scriptures strikes me with diligent student of His Word. Doubtless admiration, as the purity of the gospel it was this which led Cecil to exclaim, “I has its influence on my heart. Peruse the cannot look around me without being works of our philosophers, with all their struck with the analogy observable in the pomp and diction; how contemptible are works of God. I find the Bible written they, compared with the Scriptures! Is in the style of His other books of Creation it possible that a book at once so simple and Providence. The pen seems in the and so sublime should be merely the work same hand. I see it, indeed, write at times of man? Is it possible that the sacred

January-February, 1945 9 Personage whose name it records should ies, and many new sources of delight. be Himself a mere man? What sweetness, Your approach will be different, and you what purity in His manner! What sub­ will see the Book in a new setting. limity in His maxims! What profound 2. Read the Bible as a Classic in Litera­ wisdom in His discourses! Where is the ture. A classic is such because it touches man, where the philosopher, who could the deeper strains common to human na­ so live and so die without weakness and ture, and presents its truths in a manner without ostentation? If the life and death which makes an appeal to the highest in of Socrates were those of a sage, the life man. Mr. John Morley, the biographer of and death of Jesus were those of a God.” William E. Gladstone, in addressing an as­ If, as is common with preachers, you sembly said, “It is a great mistake to think have studied the Bible largely as an en­ that because you have read a masterpiece cyclopedia of texts, around which to build once, twice or three times, therefore you your sermons or other public addresses; have done with it. Because it is a master­ if you have studied it doctrinally—either piece you ought to live with it, and make it in a polemical or irenic mood—in order to a part of your daily life.” Lord Macaulay, ascertain the logical order of its funda­ the great English historian, was accus­ mental truths; or if you have merely read tomed to read his books many times. “I it in a sketchy and desultory manner in have no pleasure in books,” he said at family or private devotions, try some of one time, “which equals that of reading the new approaches, and less frequented over for the hundredth time great produc­ paths. Seek to make discoveries of your tions which I know almost by heart.” The own. Bible is the world’s greatest classic, and takes on new depths of meaning with 1. Read the Bible as if It W ere an En­ each careful reading. Read it over and tirely New Book to You. Missionaries over again. Approach the familiar pas­ have told us of the experience of preach­ sages from different angles and see how ing the gospel to those who had never new beauties of form and content ap­ before heard it; and of the enthusiasm pear. Read it through the changing vicis­ with which it was received by those hear­ situdes of life, and see how new truths ap­ ing it for the first time. Green the great pear with every changing mood. There is historian, in his “Short History of the after all, a deep underlying philosophy in English People,” tells the story of how, the persistent Bible reading of aged saints. during Queen Elizabeth’s reign, an entire Day after day they pore over it, finding people was brought into first contact with it far more interesting than the latest work the Bible. It was toward the close of her of fiction. The frequency of the reread- reign that the Scriptures were set up to ings has imbedded the W ord in their be read in the hearing of the people, the hearts. They feed upon the “hidden great crowds came to listen as the words manna.” The depth and riches of the “fell on ears which custom had not dead­ Book of books not only bursts forth in ened to their force and beauty.” The last new truths of unsurpassed beauty, but it sentence is significant. Having heard the bears spiritual fruitage in a mellowed and Scriptures read over and over again, the enriched personal experience. ears of many have become “deadened to their force and beauty.” Notice a company 3. Read the Bible in Order to Discover of young people on their way to a class in a Satisfactory Philosophy of Life. The psychology!—their very manner tells of Wisdom Books are especially adapted to their interest, and the newness of the sub­ this study. I heard Dr. Moulton, the au­ ject has a peculiar fascination for them. thor of “The Bible as Literature,” speak Notice the same group on the way to a on the Book of Ecclesiastes. He pictured Bible class!—here again, it is clear that the contents of the book as a great spir­ they regard the study as a weak solution itual temple, with its outer court, its inner of what they heard all their lives. For­ courts, its holy places, and its holy of tunate indeed is the Bible teacher who can holies. As he entered the outer court break through these deadened sensibilities and recited those portions of the Scriptures and awaken fresh interest in the Book of which are appropriate to mankind in gen­ books. Try coming to the Bible as if it eral; and then entered court after court, were entirely new to you, and the Bible reciting those scriptures which applied will indeed become a new book to you. to the several conditions of mankind in You will find many unexpected discover­ their relation to God and the world, the

10 The Preacher's Magazine audience was held in all but breathless love? Have you on your knees in the silence. As he reared before our inner presence of the Word, beheld “as in a eyes, the marvelous structure of the Word glass the glory of the Lord”? and have in its majesty and loveliness, the horizons you stayed before Him, until in some were pushed back, and new vistas of truth measure you have been “changed into the came into full view. He closed the re­ same image from glory to glory, even as markable lecture from the heights of the by the Spirit of the Lord”? This is the innermost holy of holies— a fitting climax heritage of all the sanctified. The blessed to the majestic temple of truth— with the Spirit comes not alone to purify the heart words, “Let us hear the conclusion of the from evil affections, but to take up His whole matter: Fear God, and keep his abode there, as a Comforter in every vicis­ commandments: for this is the whole duty situde of life; as a Guide into all truth; of man.” One person at least, left that as an inspirer for every occasion, and as audience room with a new concept of the One who gives us an ever-enlarging vis- scope Qf Bible truth, and a fascination for sion, of Jesus, the Personal Word of God. the Word that has never grown less. Truth had taken on an aspect of holiness, and the underlying philosophy of Christianity was + seen to apply to all the relations of life. “On the Rocks 4. Read the Bible Devotionally. CriticalThrough Self-esteem” study is of course necessary for a true Dr. R. A. Torrey said, “I believe more conception of the form and content of the promising workers have gone on the rocks Bible, but a devotional study of its pages through self-sufficiency and self-esteem will alone enable the reader to grasp its than through any other cause.” He cited inner meanings and appropriate its spir­ some very striking examples within his itual truths. It is the office work of the own knowledge. Holy Spirit to “guide into all truth.” He How careful, then, we ought to be. If was the inspirer of the Scriptures, and the Lord has used us at all, let us be care­ he alone is the authoritative interpreter. ful we recognize the sufficiency is all be­ Pray for His guidance. Have you ever cause of His help. Surely, no one wants tried placing your Bible on a chair, and his days of usefulness to end until life is getting down beside it on your knees, done. read and pray, and pray and read, until There are many other danger spots to be the pages of the Book glow with a light guarded, but let us guard this one also. from heaven, and your whole soul is This man of wide experience says many melted into humility and bathed in holy have gone down just here.— S e l e c t e d .

»| i■ »| « «| » »| i i| » >| » »| i < |» <|»«|» « |» *| > «| l »| » »| » »| » «|a ^

The Greatest of All

My greatest loss— to lose my soul. M y greatest gain— Christ my Saviour. M y greatest object— to glorify God. My greatest crown— to win souls for Christ. M y greatest joy— God’s salvation. M y greatest inheritance— heaven and its glory. My greatest victory— over death through Christ. My greatest neglect— so great a salvation. M y greatest crime— to reject Christ. M y greatest bargain— lose all to win Christ. My greatest profit— godliness now and forever M y greatest peace— passeth all understanding. My greatest knowledge— to know God and Christ. — Selected.

January-February, 1945 11 Gleanings from the Greek New Testament

Ralph Earle

1. Love in the New Testament

N the twenty-first chapter of John’s level, yet affirms his love for his Lord, IGospel we read the account of an in­ “Thou knowest that I love thee.” teresting dialogue between Jesus and the In his reply Peter used a different word Apostle Peter. Three times Jesus ques­ from that used by Jesus. It is the tions Peter’s love and three times Peter Greek verb philein, which means fo love affirms it. A t the third interrogation with the love of emotion and friendship. Peter was grieved because his Master Its characteristic emphasis may be seen should have asked him three times the in the fact that it also means “to kiss.” It same humiliating question. is so used by each of the three Synoptic Thus it appears in the English. But writers in connection with the betrayal this interpretation fails to take note of of Jesus by Judas Iscariot in the garden the significant change in Jesus’ question (Matt. 26:48; Mark 14:44; Luke 22:47). It when He asked it the third time. It was was this symbol of friendship which made apparently just that change of one word Judas’ act all the more dastardly. which grieved the apostle. The idea conveyed by phileo is definitely There are two verbs in the Greek New that of fondness or affection. It is em­ Testament both of which are translated otional love, love which finds pleasure “love” in our English Bibles. The Latin in its object. It “is more instinctive, is Vulgate is more fortunate in this respect more of the feelings, implies more passion” than our English versions in that it em­ (Trench). ploys two different words for “love” and So when Peter employed this word in thus retains the distinctions in the Greek his reply he was saying in effect, “I am which are lost in English. not worthy to declare again my steadfast The first two times Jesus asked the devotion to you. But I do really love you, question “Lovest thou m e?” he used the Lord.” Weymouth’s translation is good: Greek verb agapan, which means “to “You know that you are dear to me.” esteem or hold in high regard.” Compared Once Peter had been proud and boast­ with the other word it “expresses a more ful. But now his reply indicates his more reasoning attachment, of choice and se­ becoming humility. It is also to be noted lection, from seeing in the object upon that he does not assert1 here that he loves whom it is bestowed that which is worthy Jesus more than the other disciples do. of regard” (Trench’s Synonyms). Thayer In asking the question the second time the defines it as meaning “to have a preference Master graciously dropped the compari­ for, which will to, regard the welfare of.” son with the others. Cremer says that it “denotes love con­ sidered as a tendency of the will.” A b - When Jesus put the question the third bott-Smith says it refers to “the love of time he changed to Peter’s word. Instead duty and respect.” of “agapas m e?” He said, “phileis m e?” In Peter in the upper room had declared other words, “Do you really care for m e?” vociferously that regardless of what the This broke Peter’s heart. He cried out other disciples did he would never for­ with inner anguish, “Master, you know sake His Master (Mark 14:29). But he everything, you can see that I love you” had failed miserably. Now Jesus asks him (Goodspeed). pointedly, “Are you really more devoted Perhaps this scene was one of those in­ to me than are the other disciples?” tended by Jesus to show the usually self- It was not a matter of the disciple’s confident apostle his deep need of what he emotional affection for his Master, but was soon to receive on the day of Pente­ rather of his steadfast devotion and loy­ cost. It took the experience of being filled alty. Peter, realizing his failure on that with the Holy Spirit to give Peter that

12 The Preacher's Magazine complete devotion to Christ which he now But He knew that the highest values could lacked. be secured for the anxious sisters only if He waited to test their faith and con­ In all fairness it should perhaps be said fidence in Him. So He deliberately stayed that some modern commentators insist away. that the two Greek words for love are used interchangeably in the New Testament and When Jesus finally arrived near Beth­ that it is artificial to distinguish between any, where these friends lived, Martha them. But it is difficult to see the force met Him with the reproachful words, of the argument used by Marcus Dods “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother in the Expositor’s Greek Testament to had not died.” Jesus talked with her un­ support this contention. He says that if til He elicited from her a confession of the meaning of the words had differed it faith in His Messiahship. could not be stated that Jesus said the Meanwhile Mary had been sitting grief- third time, “phileis m e?” A glance at stricken at home. It would seem that Weymouth’s rendering of this passage will she dreaded meeting Jesus. She had sat answer that argument very quickly. at His feet and listened to His words with It seems to me that Adam Clarke’s in­ such utter devotion that her suffering terpretation of Peter’s answer is excellent: now was deeper than that of her more “Lord, I feel an affection for thee . . . . practical-minded sister. She had trusted but dare at present, say no more.” How­ Jesus so completely that His seeming in­ ever, Adam Clarke makes a serious error difference in staying away was like the in stating that “in these three questions stab of a knife in her heart. Her broken our Lord uses the verb agapao.” There heart was bleeding badly. may be a possibility that this scholarly But when she was informed by her sis­ commentator had a Greek text before him ter that the Master was calling for her, which had agapeis in all three places. But Mary rose impulsively and hastened to no variant reading for phileis in the third Him. Falling down at His feet she poured question is listed in Nestle’s critical ap­ out the anguish of her heart in the same paratus. words that her sister had used. There is one other incident in John’s Jesus did not stop to reason with her Gospel where these two Greek words as He had done with Martha. Mary’s grief seem to be used significantly. In the ac­ was far too deep for conversation. It was count of the raising of Lazarus we read no time for talk. It was time for action. that the two sisters sent an urgent “S.O.S.” So Jesus proceeded immediately to the call to Jesus: “Lord, behold he whom thou tomb where he soon restored Lazarus to lovest is sick” (11:3). In the fifth verse the family circle. we read, “Now Jesus loved Martha, and Jesus’ higher love for the two sisters led her sister, and Lazarus.” And then the Him to be moved by what He knew was Very surprising statement follows in verse for their best spiritual good rather than six: “When therefore he heard that he to be governed by His spontaneous emo­ was sick, he abode at that time two days tional reaction. He hurt them in order in the place where he was.” that He might heal them; in doing so, At first sight these last two statements produced in their hearts a faith which can seem strangely paradoxical. If Jesus loved come only as the result of suffering. It the family, why did He deliberately pro­ is the faith of Job, of Jeremiah, of Habak- long His absence from them in their hour kuk. It is a faith entirely foreign to of great need? “small-souled” Christians, one which is Perhaps the two different words for love known only to those who dwell deep, will help us here. The sisters said, in where “Deep calleth unto deep.” effect, “Your fond friend, the one who Before closing this article we wish to is dear to you, is ill.” Here phileo is used. call attention to some other characteristic But in verse five it is agapao, which refers uses of agapao and phileo in the New to the kind of love which is governed Testament. more by the mind and will than by the Whenever love to God is commanded emotions, a love which seeks the best good the word employed is agapao. Trench says of its object. of it: “The notions of respect and rever­ Jesus’ emotions would have driven Him ence are continually implied in the in haste to the bedside of His sick friend. agapan.”

January-February, 1945 13 This word is also used in the command, It is significant while phileo and its as­ “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy­ sociated forms are found only about forty- self.” We may not always like our neigh­ five times in the New Testament agapao bors, but we are to love them. and its derivatives are found over three hundred times. This preference is the This idea is still more significant in the opposite to what we find in the Greek injunction, “Love your enemies.” This Classics. We can easily understand the can be commanded because it refers to an Christian choice. In fact, the noun agape, attitude of the will, rather than to an emo­ which is not found at all in the early secu­ tional reaction. But it should perhaps lar Greek writers is used abundantly in be added that the attitude of our wills the New Testament. On the other hand has a great deal to do with our emotional the Greek verb erao, which is used of responses, at least ultimately. passionate love, is avoided entirely by the Of course John 3:16 employs this word New Testament writers because of its un­ agapao. It is also used in those chapters wholesome associations in Greek litera­ of deeply spiritual teaching in John’s ture. Gospel, the thirteenth through the seven­ Love is a dominant theme in the New teenth. Here the word occurs over and Testament and should hold a dominant over again. It is the word found in I Cor­ place in our Christian experience. In a inthians 13, the great love chapter. day when love is dragged in the murky This is the word generally used of the mire of loose living we should thank God love of the Father for the Son and of the for the pure conceptions of Christian Son for the Father. However, in John love. “Little children, love one another,” 5:20 phileo is used. It also occurs in John with that noble love which the Holy Spirit 16:27, “the Father loveth you.” sheds abroad in the heart of the believer.

+

Meeting Life’s Problems in 194—

PROBLEM is a perplexing question problems and ourselves. Do not waste any A demanding settlement, especially sympathy on yourself; stop whining. Tell when difficult or uncertain as to solution. everybody that you are a failure and they There are problems in every realm. There will believe it. Talk and act like a winner, are national, international, state, city, and some time you will be one. Remem­ town, and neighbor problems. There are ber, that a winner never quits and a quit­ financial, political, educational, social, ter never wins. No person can habitually moral and religious problems. There are think gloomy thoughts and face life with family, home, secret, inward, and personal a winning optimism. We must direct our problems. Life has its problems and they thought-life in the right channel. W e must must be met, and we must do our part keep a cool head and an active mind. We in meeting them. I offer four suggestions need clean, clear, deep and courageous which may be helpful in “meeting life’s thinking to “meet life’s problems.” Hen­ problems in 194— .” ry van Dyke wrote: Four things a man must learn to do K e e p a P r o p e r M i n d A t t it u d e If he would keep his record true! Thinking plays an important part in life. Think without confusion clearly, The soul and life are dyed by the color Act from honest motives purely, of our thoughts. Solomon said, “For as Love his fellowmen sincerely, he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. Trust in God and heaven securely. 23:7). Paul encourages right thinking in Phil. 3:8, and suggests something to M a i n t a i n a C o u r a g e o u s S p i r i t meditate upon as follows: “Whatsoever Courage is that quality of mind, which things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, meets danger or opposition with calmness, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy, firmness and bravery. It is synonymous think on these things.” There is a grave with boldness, daring, fearlessness, forti­ danger of thinking too much about our tude, gallantry, hardihood, mettle, pluck

14 The Preacher's Magazine and valor. Courage is a word of deeper B e H o p e f u l a n d C o n f i d e n t and nobler meaning than bravery. Cour­ age is of the intellect and the will, and If we lack hopefulness and confidence in “meeting life’s problems,” we are apt to may be possessed in the highest degree by be defeated. Someone has said, “Where those who are constitutionally timid. hope is gone, all is gone.” Some have Courage has a threefold source: First, di­ vine encouragement, “Be strong and of failed in life because of an inferority com­ plex, and said, “I can do nothing.” Others good courage” (Joshua 1 :9 ). Second, hu­ have failed because of a superiority com­ man encouragement, “Be of good courage, plex, and said, “I can do everything.” and let us play the men for our people” (II Samuel 10:12). Third, self-encourage­ Neither of these is to be coveted, but we ment, “But David encouraged himself in do need a middle-of-the-way complex, if we are to succeed. the Lord his God” (I Sam. 30:6). There will be times in meeting our problems that In order to meet life’s problems, we must retain hope and confidence, first, in God we may need encouragement from all three sources. Remember, that good (I John 3:21-22). Second, in others (Gal. courage is half the battle, and we may 5:10). Third, in ourselves (Heb. 3:14). have to furnish some of it. There is a If we retain hopefulness and confidence, it danger of becoming squealers. However, will bring us out of seeming defeat. we must be courageous and fight if we General Sheridan was called to a coun­ would win. We need to display the heroic cil of war, twelve miles away from his in everyday life. headquarters. While in the meeting, he heard the thunder of battle; he arose,

L e a r n t o B e C o n t e n t mounted his black steed, and urged the faithful beast to his utmost speed. Upon Discontentment has been the cause of his arrival he saw his men retreating in much wreckage on the shores of time. It disorder. With hopefulness and confi­ has led to the downfall of nations and the dence, he rushed upon the battlefield, breaking of homes; it has torn asunder and shouted, “Turn boys, turn, we are go­ well-organized and thriving churches, and ing back!” They rallied to his leader­ robbed people of the best that God and ship, faced the enemy, fought the battle, nature had in store for them, and it may won the victory, and his name became lead to eternal separation from our Maker. immortal. Contentment is a great asset. “But god­ Thus, if we will keep in mind these sug­ liness with contentment is great gain” (I gestions: First, keep a proper mind at­ Tim. 6:6 ). “For I have learned in what­ titude; second, maintain a courageous soever state I am, therewith to be content” spirit; third, learn to be contented; and (Phil. 4:11). This is not an epochal ex­ fourth, be hopeful and confident; and perience that we receive at some altar of rally to the leadership and commands of prayer. This is an art that must be the Captain of our salvation, we shall be learned. This is simply making the best able to meet life’s problems, fight life’s of things. It is the result of adjusting battles, complete life’s work, and be more ourselves to our place in life. Content­ than conquerors through Him that loved ment is not found in material riches, in at­ us, and say with the poet: tainment of ambitions, in the social whirl, Lead on, O King Eternal: in questionable amusements, in chasing The day of march has come; rainbows or things of fancy. It is found in Henceforth in field of conquest fully committing ourselves to our Master, Thy tents shall be our home. resigning ourselves to our lot, and adapt­ ing ourselves to our problems in life and Through days of preparation saying with the poet: Thy grace has made us strong, And now, O King Eternal, I will try to find contentment in the paths We lift our battle song.— J. S. W o o d in that I must tread, Gospel Banner. I will cease to have resentment when an­ other moves ahead, I will not be swayed by envy, when my ri­ Peace is more than the absence of war. val’s strength is shown; It is positive, constructive. It is nothing I will not deny his merit, but will strive less than the building of the kingdom of to prove m y own. God on earth.— D e a n o f C h i c h e s t e r .

January-February, 1945 15 Forbidden Luxuries*

A sermon by Paul S. Rees

T e x t — And the children of Israel stripped ing of His glory. And in the glow of that themselves of their ornaments from vision they began to see things in a new Mount Horeb onward — Exodus 33:6 light. They saw themselves: how sinful, (R.V.). ungrateful, undeserving they had been. They saw how childish had been their HAT a man is willing to be stripped sense of values, how poor had been their W of may be taken as a fairly ac­ pleasures, how shallow their satisfactions. curate indication of the kind of man he is. When the divine Voice spoke, they were If he is willing to part with place and ready to listen: “Therefore now put off power rather than part with his prin­ thy ornaments from thee, that I may know ciples, you know he is made of the right what to do unto thee. And the children kind of stuff. If, on the other hand, he is of Israel stripped themselves of their orna­ willing to trade character for cash, to bar­ ments from Mount Horeb onward.” The ter conscience for comfort and conven­ light had dawned; the luxuries were ience, you may be sure you have no man dropped! on your hands but a craven and a coward. In our text we are confronted with a T h e D e e p e r M e a n i n g higher kind of stripping. There came a What has all this to do with us? Very day when the children of Israel laid aside much indeed, I maintain, if only we are their jewelry. To wear their ornaments willing to see it. It is not my aim in these would not be immoral but, after they had moments to talk with you about material seen God, it was simply impossible. The luxuries only; no, not even mainly. I want change did not occur merely because their rather to speak to you about the shallow jewels were superfluous. They dropped satisfactions which, in several important their luxuries because a great light had areas of our lives, are standing in the way shone upon them. of our highest spiritual development.

T h e P l a c e o p V i s i o n I. Whence came these trinkets of silver In the realm of personality take, for ex­ and gold. Why, from Egypt. They had a ample, the luxury of emotional looseness pagan origin. They were the treasures in which so many of us indulge ourselves. that the wearied Egyptians were glad to There are our spells of bad temper, our give them when the Hebrews left the ranklings of jealousy, our nursing of re­ land. And where was it that these flash­ sentments. You have met people, as I ing gems and gaudy finery suddenly have, who are terribly down on drunken­ looked out of place? Where was it that ness but who, every now and then, let this love of ornament passed into a chas­ themselves go on an emotional debauch of tened humility and a becoming self-de­ evil temper. They foolishly think that nial? It was at “Mount Horeb,” says the such outbursts are necessary to main­ text, and from there on. tain their ego. What they do not seem to Mount Horeb! It means little or nothing realize is that they are not maintaining their ego; they are maiming it. A phy­ to the average American today, so small sician with a weak heart admitted, “My is his knowledge of the history of the Old Testament. Mount Horeb was Sinai. Sinai life is at the mercy of the first person who would make me angry.” In other was the place of meeting with God. There words, neither the mind nor the body the law was given. There the people were was made to bear the tension and endure taught how great is the God of heaven the poison of those emotional upsets to and earth, how strong, how gracious, how unutterably holy. There they stood in which we, too often, attach so little im­ trembling awe, smitten by the forthshin- portance. Aside from the mischief they do to others, there is the damage they do *Originally delivered on a Missionary to our own personality. They are per­ Broadcast. sonal luxuries we simply cannot afford.

16 The Preacher's Magazine This truth had taken strong hold on the that we need. Without it we are weak. Apostle Paul when, writing to the church What I am now saying comes right down at Ephesus, he pleaded, “Let all bitter­ to this: when we feel that we must have ness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, the approval of other people even at the and evil speaking, be put away from you, expense of our character and our convic­ with all malice.” “Drop it,” is the terse tions, then that social approval becomes and telling phrase Moffatt give us. Do an extravagance we cannot afford. what the Israelites did with their orna­ Every Sunday of my ministry I look ments— strip them off! into the faces of dear folks who are

No V i c t o r y W i t h o u t V i s i o n never tempted to commit a burglary, or to get drunk, or to defile moral virtue; But remember, it will be with you as it but those same fine folks are tempted to was with them: you will win no victory please a certain crowd, and in pleasing unless you first catch the vision. Sur­ that crowd they are not playing fair with render must be not negative merely, but their souls or with their Christ. They positive. It must be surrender to God. need to cup their ear and listen again to An old selfish motivation must give way to the voice that rang across a Syrian hillside a new and higher motivation— the love long ago, “What shall it profit a man if of God. So we hear Paul add his positive he shall gain the whole world, and lose instruction to his negative exhortation: his own soul.” “And be ye kind one to another, tender­ hearted, forgiving one another, even as Approximately a hundred years ago the God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” question of slavery was becoming a burn­ God’s grace of love and forgiveness as ing issue in this young nation. Public revealed in Christ! Expose your soul to men were lining up on one side or the that, and unworthy emotions will give way other. In the United States Senate was before the inrush of worthy ones. the brilliant orator, Daniel Webster. In the year 1850 he delivered his famous II. Seventh of March speech to the Senate In the area of society there is the luxury on the Fugitive Slave Law. To many of of popular approval. Here is an ornament his friends that speech was the disap- • so colorful that even Jesus had to resist pointment of a lifetime, because to them the temptation to wear it. Simply bow is was a bid for the Presidency at the cost down before me, said the prince of this of compromise with slavery. Whittier, world, and I will give you the kingdoms the Quaker poet, was among those friends, and the glory thereof. From the offered and, to express his grief and indignation, luxury of a cheaply won approval, Jesus he wrote the poem called “Ichabod: ” turned to the sacrificial way of the cross. More than once He had an opportunity to So fallen! so lost! the light withdrawn “cash in” on the suddenly aroused en­ Which once he wore! thusiasm of the community— an enthusi­ The glory from his gray hairs gone asm that concerned itself for the greater Forevermore! part with thoughts of material advantage through making Him their leader. But Revile him not; the tempter hath not once did He fall for the snare that A snare for all; lay in His way. How well He knew the And pitying tears, not scorn and wrath, deceptiveness of social approval! How Befit his fall! surely He discerned the difference be­ tween the favor of men and the seal of Oh, dumb be passion’s stormy rage, God! When he who might Have lighted up and led his age, T h e C o r e o f t h e M a t t e r Falls back in night. You will not understand me to be plead­ ing here for anything that is weird or Scorn! would the angels laugh, to mark abnormal. As social creatures, we desire A bright soul driven, the good will and favor of the group to Fiend-goaded, down the endless dark, which we belong. Few of us, if any, are From hope and heaven. such solitary creatures that we can get on indefinitely without the confidence and Perhaps Whittier was a bit too harsh with esteem of others. It is a social backing Webster. Whether he was or not, the

January-Febtuary, 1945 17 burning lines he wrote are the fitting tric ward.” Presently the light began to epitaph of any man who clings to the break, and the man confessed that he had luxury of popular approval when a higher no experience of Christ whatever that commendation should be sought. he could effectively share with anyone else. The pastor turned him over to III. another worker, and the probing went deeper. And now comes the viewpoint of the­ Now it came to light that the man was ology. Here, too, we shall discover a piece involved at that very time in a family of ornamentation from which many of us quarrel over money. The matter finally need to be stripped. It is the luxury of resolved itself into an issue of personal a smug self-righteousness. surrender to Christ— surrender that would You recognize it, do you not? It is the mean taking God’s way, and not his own finery in which people try to deck them­ way, in this family row, and that would selves when they have no conviction of mean his becoming a witness for the Lord sin. They are faced with the claims of Jesus. He accepted the issue, made the Jesus Christ, and they talk airily of being surrender, and entered into a new life. “good enough,” or of trying to live by When did the glorious change take place? the “Golden Rule,” or of subscribing so When his comfortable self-righteousness much to the church every year, or of was smashed to pieces, and he saw it as some other of the dozen or more stock a now broken camouflage to cover his excuses of the poor, proud souls who have spiritual poverty. God give us eyes to never really seen their spiritual rags. They see it: when we are willing to be stripped have never been gripped by the terrific of our artificial finery, He will clothe us truth of Holy Scripture that “all have with the genuine luxuriance of His own sinned and come short of the glory of righteousness and beauty. God.” They have never fallen on their faces before the solemn announcement IV. that “by the works of the law shall no A fourth area of life in which one sees flesh be justified.” They have never really too frequently a forbidden luxury is that listened long enough to absorb the fact of humanity. When human needs are to be that only “the Son of man [the Lord Jesus served, all of us must be stripped of the Christ] hath power on earth to forgive luxury of complacent indifference. sins.” When Jesus “saw the multitudes,” we are told, saw them “as sheep having no S e e in g O u r P o v e r t y shepherd,” he was “moved with compas­ sion on them.” Unconcern was an ex­ They are like the business man who travagance He never permitted Himself. came to a pastor in an eastern city re­ But, alas, that sensitiveness to human woe, cently, disturbed because the necessity of that sympathy with the world’s burden of conversion had been taught by the min­ darkness and fear and evil, that awareness ister. He began by asking, “Do I have to of the unmet needs of our fellow beings, go through one of those great upheavals? has not always been manifested by those I have tried always to serve God, and who profess to be His friends and repre­ been a good influence. I believe if I died sentatives. They may not be as brazen tomorrow, I should be accepted by God.” about it, but they are much like one of To which the pastor replied, “How many the leading characters in H. G. Wells’ more are there who will be accepted be­ writings, who says, “I don’t care. The cause of what you have said to them and world may be going to pieces. The Stone been to them? As for influence, may I Age may be returning. I’m sorry. I have ask, What is your business?” The man other engagements. I am going to play described his business and the minister croquet at half-past 12!” went on, “If you sent out from your company a representative to another city T h e W o r l d a C r u c i f i x to do business, and if at the end of two We speak unceasingly of Calvary as the months you asked him for a report of place of our Lord’s pain and passion and what he had done, and he told you he had atoning death. There was something so made a general good name for the com­ supreme and matchless about it that I pany, but nobody had taken any of his always pause before using that word “Cal­ goods to buy, you’d put him in a psychia­ vary” in any secondary sense. And yet I

18 The Preacher's Magazine am convinced it has a secondary meaning. tion to the kingdom of Christ” ; or with It does become a symbol of every place on Bishop Hannington, “I have purchased the earth where God’s holy love bends and road to Uganda with my life” ; or with bleeds over man’s failure and sin and Martin Luther before the Diet of Worms, blindness. Remembering this, one can “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, God understand an experience that Chaplain help me.” But our fine sentiments may Studdert-Kennedy had in the last War. play a trick on us if we are not careful. He says that one day on the battlefield he How many of us, for example, will ever stumbled over an “undersized, underfed have a chance to follow Hannington and German boy, with a wound in his stomach lay down our 'lives in Africa, or to follow and a hole in his head.” Dealing with the John and Betty Stam and give our lives in realities of war had become his business: martyrdom in China? Extremely few of one couldn’t be too sentimental about it. us. But today, and every day, the oppor­ But this was different. The vision of that tunity is being given to us to do some­ battered soldier went through him like a thing heroic, something unselfish, some­ knife. “From that moment on,” wrote thing sacrificial, with our money. In the Studdert-Kennedy, “I have never seen spirit of self-giving we can, by our con­ the world as anything but a crucifix. I secration of money, enter the fellowship see the cross set up in every slum, in of those royal souls who have enriched every filthy, overcrowded quarter, in every forever the memory of mankind. vulgar, flaring street that speaks of lux­ ury and waste of life. I see him staring Two V i e w s o f M o n e y up at me from the pages of the newspaper that tells of a tortured, lost, bewildered One day, a few months ago, my dear world.” friend George Vallentyne of this city, was talking to me. He said, “Paul, a little Studdert-Kennedy had been to his while back I was thinking of writing a Horeb. He stood stripped of the luxury tract that I proposed to call ‘Deadly of indifference. He couldn’t say, in jaunty Dollars.’ While thinking about it, I rode fashion, “I’m going to play croquet at past your church on the street car. Glanc­ half-past twelve.” ing at your bulletin board, I noticed that V you were going to preach the following Sunday on ‘Immortal Money’.” And the All of this leads us today to one other dear doctor chuckled at what seemed to consideration. If in the area of personality be the contradiction of the two titles. we need to be stripped of the luxury of Actually, of course, there is no contradic­ emotional looseness; in the area of society, tion. Money is neither good nor bad in the luxury of popular approval; in the itself. It is neutral. It becomes good or area of theology, the luxury of smug self- bad according to the use we make of it. righteousness; in the area of humanity, the Make a selfish use of it, and it is “deadly.” luxury of complacent indifference; then It is deadly in the sense that Lew Sarett surely, in the realm of money, we need to has in mind in his “Requiem for a Modern be stripped of our narrow possessiveness. Croesus: ”

T h e A c id T e s t To him the moon was a silver dollar, spun Do not tell me that preachers talk too Into the sky b y some mysterious hand; much about money. The greatest Preach­ The sun was gleaming golden coin, er ever to appear on this planet spoke His to purloin; thirty-eight recorded parables, and sixteen The freshly minted stars were dimes of out of the thirty-eight have something to delight do with a man’s relations to his material Flung out upon the counter of the night. possessions. Money is not the whole of In yonder room he lies, stewardship, but money, in most cases, is With pennies on his eyes.” the acid test of stewardship. W e talk about sacrifice. I wonder if Deadly dollars— verily! But, on the other we have any right to— most of us. W e like hand, put your money to work for God; to imagine ourselves doing something send it out on errands of love; ordain it, really fine and heroic, saying with David with your own prayers, to ministries of life Livingstone, “I shall put no value upon and healing for others, and it will be trans­ anything I am or have except in rela­ muted into immortal values.

January-February, 1945 19 Paul’s Idea of Inbred Sin

Neal C. Dirkse

N his letter to the Philippians, there is renders one dead in sins (2:13), and as T probably less reference to this idea of such, begets God’s wrathful displeasure sin than in any of his letters of equal (3:6), and that regardless in whom it may length. This church had found a warm be found, punishment will be meted out, place in the writer’s heart, and he spoke for God is no respecter of persons (3:25). more positively than negatively. How­ The glad note of the gospel is sounded ever, indirectly and directly, he is faithful out more distinctly than ever as Paul to the whole counsel of God. He recog­ glorifies the Son of God in stating the nizes inbred sin as the cause of the death divine remedy. Our deliverance is of Jesus, both as committed by sinful through the merit of Jesus (1:13), and men and for sinful men (2:6-10), It gave His death was planned in the divine coun­ wrong motives to conduct (2:3), issuing sels of eternity in order that a race pos­ in divisions and opposition to God’s work sessed of this virus of hell might be pre­ (3:2). The root of all sin is essentially sented holy and unblamable and unre- selfishness (2:21), and manifests itself in ' provable before Him (1:22). Through the crookedness and perversion and darkness circumcision of Jesus upon our hearts, (2:15), even prostituting the preaching of the body of sins of the flesh are put off the gospel to selfish ends (1:15, 16). It and the new man is put on (2:11; 3:10). is sensual, earthly minded, serves the The wrong fleshly bent is removed pro­ creature more than the Creator, is the visionally by the cross (2:14), and the cause of backsliding (3:18) and issues in dead are provisionally quickened through eternal ruin (1:28). its merit (2:13). An interesting suggestion is made by Paul. We are dead in one COLOSSIANS sense or another— either dead in sins (2:13) or dead with Christ—the latter sets The letter to the Colossians has two us free from the desire for manmade re­ definite references to the twofold nature ligions (2:20), and the cause of all evil of sin. Paul speaks of the body of sins in the heart is put to death (3 :5). Through as the outer expression of the flesh (2:11); Jesus Christ, the old man with all his and he speaks also of the old man with deeds is dealt with; it is put away from, his deeds (3:9). separated from, or, better still, eradicated Inbred sin alienates the individual from (3:9). Jesus as it issues in wicked works (1:21).

It tends always in the direction of evil I AND II THESSALONIANS (3:7; 2:13), and is verily in league with the powers of darkness (1:13; 2:15), thus The letters to the Thessalonians are making one an enemy in mind to Jesus equally clear in the delineation of Paul’s (1:21). When one’s attitude toward Jes­ thought relative to inbred sin. It is this us is thus wrong, there is the necessity of “Judas” within the hearts of men that building false doctrine based upon human persecutes and opposes both the truth of opinion; a religion that substitutes the God and those who proclaim it (I Thess. rudiments of the world for the teachings 2:2, 15; 3 :4 ). It has that tendency in it of Jesus (2:8), and substitutes outer cere­ that it refuses the truth to accept a lie mony for inner reality (2:21-23) (2:18). (II Thess. 2:10-12; 3:6), and thus build­ Thus it serves to please men rather than ing a false comfort based upon immediate God (3:22). It issues in a whole brood of surroundings rather than inner reality (I hell-begotten whelps: deceitfulness (2:8), Thess. 5:3 ). Refusing the truth, and op­ criticalness (2:16), puffs up the fleshly posing faith and all its securities (II Thess. mind (2:18), sexuality, impurity, appe­ 3:2) is but a step, issuing in direct op­ tite, evil desires, lust, idolatry (3 :5), diso­ position to God’s will for man (I Thess. bedience (3:6), anger, wrath, malice, 7:8). blasphemy, filthy talk (3:8), lying (3:9). The natural consequence is to beget a It hardly need be said that this condition blindness to the ways of God (I Thess.

20 The Preacher's Magazine 5:4 -7 ), and to become possessed of a force I a n d II T i m o t h y to keep one blinded (II Thess. 2:9 ). It encourages ignorance of God (I Thess. In the letters to Timothy there appears 4:5; II Thess. 1:8). a more detailed development of his idea of sin than probably in any other short letter. With the robbed, or denied, the dynamic It may be that due to Timothy’s youth and of God, there is the basis for wrong and Paul’s age, he felt an especial solicitation selfish motives even in preaching the gos­ over his welfare, not entirely entrusting pel (I Thess. 2 :4 -6 ). It finds pleasure the oncoming generation’s idea of sin. It in unrighteousness, thus bespeaking a is this principle of sin that caused all the- dwarfed soul (II Thess. 2:12). In seek­ trouble in the Church and cut Paul’s min­ ing to displace God, it opposes Him and has istry short, for it persecutes and hampers in it the element that would exalt itself the truth by every means possible (II Tim. above Him (II Thess. 2:4 ). The latter 1:12; 2:9; 3:11, 12; 4:14). Those who deny day apostasy finds its ground in inbred sin the truth (II Tim. 2:12) are only raising (II Thess. 2:3 ), and has within it such a defense mechanism because they have corrupting tendencies that it demands the been rendered incapable of grasping the restraining power of the Holy Spirit to truth (II Tim. 3:7 ), and have become re­ keep it in check (II Thess. 2:6 ). probates to the truth (II Tim. 3:8 ). Thus Those possessed of inbred sin are under they oppose themselves (II Tim. 2:25) by judgment of the eternal wrath of God (I raising false standards of evaluation and Thess. 1:10; 2:16), issuing in eternal dam­ faith (I Tim. 6:9-10, 17), and by substi­ nation for the individual (II Thess. 2:12). tuting false doctrine for the truth, care­ It begets God’s displeasure and judgments lessly drifting into speculative religions, here and hereafter (II Thess. 1 :6 -9 ). It is and creating an unstable and undepend­ a force that is in league with the devil able relation (I Tim. 4:1, 3; 6:20-21; II (I Thess. 3:5; II Thess. 2:3, 9), and has Tim. 2:18; 3:5; 4:14). They thus become hypocrites in an endeavor to teach ex­ the element of murder in it (I Thess. 2:15). Those possessed of this condition shall periences and doctrines of which they have no part in the resurrection of the know nothing (I Tim. 1:3 ). That this con­ just or in the rapture of the saints (I dition begets sorrow (I Tim. 6:9, 10) is Thess. 4:16). not to be wondered! Inbred sin sears the conscience (I Tim. 1:9; 4:2), corrupts Inbred sin is the cause and basis of all the mind (II Tim. 3:8) until it is incapable outward expressions of carnality; and of receiving the truth (II Tim. 4:15), and here, as in other epistles, Paul lists those encourages a self-deception as regards of which the particular group addressed God’s Word (II Tim. 3:13). are in special danger: idol-worship (I Thess. 1 :9 ); fornication (I Thess. 4:3, 5); Without the presence of the blessed dishonesty (I Thess. 4 :6 ); laziness (I Christ serving as the motive force within Thess. 5:14; II Thess. 3 :6 -1 1); falsehood the life, the life is lived for pleasure (I (II Thess. 2 :9 ); busybodies or gossipers Tim. 5:6 ), rendering it dead in the sight (II Thess. 3:11); disobedience (II Thess. of God. It is likened to gangrene (II Tim. 3:14); deceitfulness (II Thess. 2:3 ), and 2:17); to be reckoned with at the judg­ insubordination to God’s Word (II Thess. ment (I Tim. 5:24); and builds a momen­ 1:8). tum that carries one on into the excesses of sinfulness (I Tim 3:13). There is only one remedy for this ele­ ment of sin, and it is involved in the In both the first and second letters, merits of the atonement (I Thess. 5:10). Paul lists in great detail the issue of in- Because of the shed blood, man’s heart bred sin in both sins of the will and sins may be made clean and kept clean by the of the disposition. Since inbred sin puts experience and grace®of entire sanctifi­ one in league with the devil (I Tim. 4:15), cation (I Thess. 5:23). It is this glorious it is only natural that the issue, whether experience that delivers one from the in the heart of Satan or the heart of man, power of the common and characteristic the results are the same. It is not a pretty tendencies and sins of the day (I Thess. list; look at them: vain jangling (I Tim. 4:3 ). The sanctified are kept until the 1:6; II Tim. 2:16), lawless, disobedient to coming of Jesus (I Thess. 5:23), at which God, sinfulness, profane, patricide, matri­ coming, Satan, the source of all sin, shall cide, murder, immorality, kidnappers, be destroyed (II Thess. 2:8). liars, perjurers (I Tim. 1:9 ); ungodly (I

January-February, 1945 21 Tim. 1:9; II Tim. 2:16), unholy (I Tim. ing of regeneration” and “the renewing 1:9; II Tim. 3:2 ), sexuality, (I Tim. 1:10; of the Holy Ghost” (3:5). II Tim. 3:6), blasphemy (I Tim. 1:13; II To be possessed by inbred sin is to be Tim. 3:2 ), persecution, injurious (I Tim. possessed by the basis of all false doctrine, 1:13), unbelief (I Tim. 1:13; II Tim. 2:13), attempting to substitute human law for pride (I Tim. 3:6; 6:17; II Tim. 3:2) lying, divine injunction (1:10, 14; 3:10). Those hypocrisy (I Tim. 4:2 ), laziness, gossip, who thus refuse the truth find themselves tale-bearing (I Tim. 4:17, 13); begets false robbed of the capacity to receive truth doctrine, ignorance of divine revelation, (3:11). The disposition toward self-will Controversy (I Tim. 6:3, 4; II Tim. 2:14); is evident (1:7), begetting a hate for one envy, evil surmisings,' insults, friction, another (3:3), and a conscience and mind corrupt minds, false basis of evaluation defiled by its presence (1:15). With wrong (I Tim. 6 :3 -5 ); strife (I Tim. 6:4; II Tim. motives (1:11), it is but a short step to 2:23), covetousness (I Tim. 6:5; II Tim. becoming the servant of lust and pleasure 3: 2 ); selfishness (II Tim. 3 :2 ); disobedi­ (3:3). ent to parents, ingratitude, prostitutes It is the basis of anger, intemperance, emotions, has little concern for veracity or greediness (1:7), and makes of a man a dependability of word, false accusers, sex­ liar, an evil beast, and a lazy glutton ually intemperate, fierce, hates goodness, (1:12). It is impure, unbelieving (1:15), traitoriousness, heady, highmindedness, tends to hypocrisy, abominable practices, conceited, pleasure lovers (II Tim. 3 :2 -4 ); reprobate in mind (1:16) and to diso­ deceitful (II Tim. 3:13). bedience (1:16; 3:3 ). It is ungodliness and The cure is mentioned again and again, begets worldly lusts (2:12), speaks evil but well epitomized in his reference to of men, encourages a cantankerous spirit, Jesus Christ and the atonement; the death unsound thinking, deceitfulness, malicious­ of Jesus is our only hope of deliverance ness, enviousness and hatefulness (3:2, 3), (I Tim. 1:15). and gives way to foolish controversy, dis­ sensions and strife (3:9). Faithful to the cure, Paul proclaims that T i t u s because Jesus gave himself, He made pos­ In the Epistle to Titus, Paul is again sible our redemption from all iniquity faithful to his idea of inbred sin. He dis­ (2:14). Through His mercy a twofold tinguishes between sins as outward mani­ work of grace is effected (3:5) based upon festations, as given below, and sin as in­ the merits of the atonement and divine ner principle. The term “iniquity,” as grace (3:6, 7). describing a condition, is noted (2:14). Thus concludes this study of Paul’s idea The twofold cure is stated as the “wash­ of inbred sin.

The Calm and Peaceful Life

A Cambridge undergraduate was much impressed with a preacher who had an arresting message and a lovely face, with a calm and peaceful ex ­ pression. “I should suppose,” said the university man, “that preacher spends most of his time in prayer and preparation in his study, apart from the din and noise of ordinary life.” Smiling rather knowingly, the elder friend said, “Would you like to meet him?” The young man said he would, and they arranged to meet on a Monday morning outside of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Pushing his way through the swinging doors of a large London counting- house, the old friend introduced his young companion to the man with the beautiful message and calm countenance, sitting at his desk immersed in business. “My young friend is very anxious about your occupation,” said the older man. “My occupation, my boy? My occupation is to wait for His Son trom heaven, and meanwhile I make buttons.”— Selected.

22 The Preacher's Magazine The Man and His Message

Dr. Peter Wiseman

T W A S Dr. Burns, in his excellent work, tiles, unto whom now I send thee, to Ian old book but good, entitled “Encyclo­ open their eyes, and to turn them from pedia of Sermons,” who said, “The preach­ darkness to light, and from the power of er is the steward of God, the messenger Satan unto God, that they may receive of mercy, and the servant of the Church. forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among His commission is from heaven; his call­ them which are sanctified by faith that ing from on high; his qualifications divine; is in me” (Acts 26:16-18). his message, mercy; his aim, human sal­ vation. He is the guardian of youth, the 1. To reveal— “to open their eyes.” counsellor of the perplexed, the consoler 2. To reverse— “to turn them from of the sorrowing, the visitor of the af­ darkness to light.” flicted, the advocate of the widow, the friend of all, the enemy of none.” 3. To release— “from the power of Satan unto God.”

T h e M i n i s t e r o f J e s u s C h r i s t I s 4. To regenerate— “that they may re­ ceive forgiveness of sins.” a M a n o f D i v i n e C a l l a n d C h a r a c t e r 5. In order for an inheritance— “and His call is a call backed by the divine inheritance among them which are sanc­ imperative,, “must.” He must preach the tified by faith that is in me.” gospel. He may desire to follow other What an appeal to character in a min­ vocations, but he must be a minister. The ister there is in the fact that David Hume call is divine; it is of God, “No man taketh on his deathbed would ask a little girl, this honour unto himself, but he that is a relative of his own who used to visit him, called of God, as was Aaron.” The call to kneel by his side morning and evening is human, through the church, and the and say her prayers aloud. How won­ call has its evidences, revealed in fruit. derful for one to come to the last hours To young men uniting with the conference, of his life with a life of prayer upon which an old discipline asks such questions as to look back, and not a feeling of disap­ these: pointment and efforts to make amends! “Do they desire nothing but God? Are One has remarked that the cause of so they holy in all manner of conversation? much religion is that men cling to God Have they gifts as well as graces for the with their weakness rather than with their work? Have they, in some degree, a strength. How true! “Let us beware,” clear, sound understanding, a right judg­ said George Meredith, “of a pettish fatal­ ment in the things of God, a just con­ ism which thins the spiritual life, saps the ception of salvation by faith? Has God vigor of character, makes humility mere given them any degree of utterance? Do' acquiescence and piety only feminine, by they speak justly, readily, clearly? Have banishing the will from prayers as much they fruit? Are any truly convinced of as thought has been banished from it.” sin and converted to God by their preach­ Prayer, the battlefield of life— “The out­ ing? As long as these marks occur in come of Gethsemane, explains His victory anyone, we believe he is called of God to at Calvary.” Prayer is prerequisite for preach. These, we receive as sufficient character. proof that he is moved by the Holy Ghost.” Character is revealed in conversation. Paul tells us what should be on the Henry van Dyke spoke of the “vice of parchment: “But rise, and stand upon thy talkativeness,” a “selfish, one-sided, in­ feet: for I have appeared unto thee for harmonious affair, full of discomfort and this purpose, to make thee a minister and productive of most un-Christian feelings.” a witness both of these things which thou Character is revealed in one’s attitude hast seen, and of those things in the toward criticism. Cardinal Manning’s which I will appear unto thee; delivering motto for his priests was “Stand to be thee from the people, and from the Gen­ shot.” Small intelligence will be busy

January-February, 1945 23 setting one who is doing things for God and Character is revealed by what one is. humanity right. There are backbiters and “Ye are a holy people, a royal priesthood,” envious people. “God’s workmanship,” (sacred song), “the epistles of Christ,” “the sweet perfume of A man of character will go on doing Christ,” “the salt of the earth,” “the light things for Christ and His Church as if of the world.” “Y e are .... that ye may nothing happened. “You’ll either speak show forth his excellencies.” Out of a sense or come down from the pulpit,” condition of being comes the life accord­ cried King James II, being greatly an­ ingly. The minister does more good by noyed by the message. “I’ll speak neither what he is than in any other way. “A sense nor come down from the pulpit," minister,” said one, “must be transparently answered the preacher. God’s man for Christian.” The character of the man de­ the occasion! It sometimes happens, how­ manded for the ministry is determined by ever, that a minister may answer a fool the service which he is asked to render as according to his folly. Beecher on one “an ambassador for Christ.” The sinless, occasion received a letter with one word guiltless Christ and His representative; on it; the word was “Fool.” Beecher in “Never fear,” said Phillips Brooks, “to commenting on the letter said, “Now, I bring the sublimest motive to the smallest have known many an instance of a man duty.” It was said of Calvin that God writing a letter and forgetting to sign his gave him a character of gi'eat majesty. name, but this is the only instance I have Character is revealed in the worth­ known of a man signing his name and while contribution one makes to life, the forgetting to write the letter.” character contribution, putting back into Character is revealed in this Christlike- life a little more than you have taken ness. The minister must be a man of out of it. transparent character. He is Christ’s rep­ resentative, and he should be like Christ. A M a n o f M a n l i n e s s He should be like Christ in ministration. It is recorded of Stanton of St. Alban’s, He is not a womanish man, a namby- London, that “he excelled in personal pamby kind of man; but a manly man, ministration to individual souls, and es­ a he-man. A womanish man is worse pecially the souls of men.” “I have taught than a mannish woman, and that is bad you publicly, and from house to house,” enough. Effeminacy in the minister is said Paul. “To me pastoral work is the repulsive, unbearable. He must be free crown of my ministry,” said Dr. George from pettiness, not “a little shrunken fel­ Morrison. “I used to love books much low, with pale thought and weak emotion,” more than people, but now I love people with “bats in the belfry.” Such a man a great deal better than books. I long cannot be the mouthpiece of God. Manli­ for the day when I shall have more time ness in a minister will reveal itself in a to spend daily in the homes of my flock.” great human spirit, broad sympathy, a big­ Principal James Denney said, “All life brotherliness, a divine love for all, and has to be Christianized; but the process is a holy boldness for Christ and His king­ to be accomplished not by dragging every­ dom. True manliness is the opposite of thing under the scrutiny and sentence of pride and “strutting vanity.” Manliness the Church as it exists among us, but by in the minister is a sterling characteristic sending out into all the departments of absolutely necessary in those who would life, men to live and work there in the be “good ministers of Jesus Christ.” He spirit of Christ.” The Master said, “I am must be big enough to be humble and among you as one that serveth.” Con­ humble enough to be great, and with that cerning the great Master the immortal spirit of humility, a spirit of determination words are recorded, “Who went about that will not be quenched; buoyant and doing good.” In the light of the Master’s courageous, not shrunken and cowardly; activity, consider this: A minister hastened no weak side to his brain, nor any broker to a home to pray with a dying man. He wing in his imagination; a manly man foi did not get into the home. The sick man, Christ and poor humanity! He carries his on being informed of the clergyman’s visit, burdens cheerfully. “Excuse me, sire replied, “Tell him to come when I am Aren’t you a clergyman?” asked a strangei better, and I will pray for a clergyman at a railroad station. The man sadlj in danger of living.” answered, “Oh, no, I am not a clergy­

24 The Preacher's Magazin! man; it is my indigestion that makes me what you don’t like, and read what you look like this.” should like.” “If a man stops when he David Livingstone called Jesus Christ “a graduates,” said Brown in the Ram’s gentleman of the highest honor.” Gentle­ Horn, “he will soon be able to take his man— a man who puts more into the collar off over his head.” Read! Read! common cause than he takes out of it. Read! At the age of eighty, Sidney Calvin wrote There are books temporal and books to a company of young men, stating that eternal, and above all, the Book of books, the best advice he could give from his the Word of God! Was it Lord Bacon own experience was, “In all your thoughts who said, “Reading makes a full man, and actions accustom yourselves, first, to writing a correct man, and speaking a be guided by any motive rather than ready man” ? There are many great and desire for your own success.” “Do you excellent books— books a minister can­ covet distinction?” asked Woodrow W il­ not afford to miss, but the Bible is the son. “You will never get it by serving great “Source Book” for the minister. It yourself. Do you covet honor? You will is God’s revelation to man. “Sir William get it only as a servant of mankind.” Hamilton said of John Foster’s Essays, Be a gentleman. Don’t truckle to any, ‘he fetches things from a rare depth,’ might but be a servant to all. Be courageous; be be well the hope and aim of those en­ strong, be patient. “Do not affect the trusted with the holy oracles.” gentleman,” said John Wesley; we would humbly add, “Be one!” He is not a small, shallow, aenemic per­ He has the ability to get along with sonality of meager, stinted spirit, “unable men. He is a representative man. The to assimilate character-making truth,” a Christianity he preaches is judged by him­ person marked by a “scramble for choice self. As a preacher or evangelist, he moves vacancies,” but a personality with out­ among his fellows as an ambassador of standing characteristics; marked, per­ Christ, a representative of the Almighty; haps, by the following “P’s”: and furthermore, he is, in person and in Prayer and Piety— Poise and Pep— Pa­ word, as much as possible like his Mas­ tience and Perseverance ter. The revelation of God as pastor- preacher, he moves among his people as Punctuality and Partnership— Purpose a good shepherd of the sheep, healing, in­ and Passion. structing and enriching. A visitless min­ Dr. H. S. Coffin’s definition of a pastor istry is a frutless ministry, for in the is applicable to the minister of Jesus words of Chalmers, “a home-going pastor Christ, “A friend at large.” makes a church-going people.” A holy passion is an absolute neces­ The minister not only moves among men sity in the ministry. Without this in a as stated in the aforementioned, but in minister, be he ever so orthodox, there every respect he reproduces in his life will be a noticeable lack in his ministry. everything in the life of his Lord, except Hugh Price Hughes, the English Methodist, of course His merit. “What Christ is, de­ recovered for his church its ancient pas­ termines the man that the ministry needs, sion for the souls of men and set it in liv­ and must have. The light in which we ing power in the stream of modern life. decide is the light of His face.” White- Doctor Jowett said, “The gospel of a field considered the Christian ministry the broken heart demands the ministry of greatest preferment under heaven. It bleeding hearts. If that succession be is said of Henry Drummond that he was broken, we lose our fellowship with the more at home with Jesus Christ than King. As soon as we cease to bleed, we with anyone else. A crucified man rep­ cease to bless. When our sympathy loses resenting a crucified and risen Christ, that its pang, we can no longer be the servants was Henry Drummond. of the passion.” “Paganism is an elaborate device to do A M a n o f P reparedness , P e r s o n a l i t y a n d without the cross,” it is said; but Chris­ P a s s i o n tianity ceases to be when the cross disap­ As a good soldier, he is either cleaning pears. his armor, and uniform, in drill, on parade, Donald Hankley wrote, “There is only or in battle. One has advised the min­ one way to win men to Christ and that ister thus: “Read what you like, read is to show them something of His love,

January-February, 1945 25 His humility, His quiet strength, His hu­ morous common sense, His distrust of the THIS efficacy of human aids to success, and His quiet confidence in the power of love Was Not Reported and truth.” It is said that Fra Angelico painted the “Crucifixion” on his knees and OMEONE has said that a periodical is with deep emotion. He once said, “He who S to be judged and evaluated as much would do the work of the Christ must by what is not printed, what is left out, continually dwell with Him.” as by what is printed. A look through the files of the rejected articles will re­ “When we open the New Testament,” veal the character of the periodical. wrote Principal James Denney, “we find ourselves in the presence of a glowing re­ Possibly this line of thought was sug­ ligious life. There is nothing in the world gested in making out reports for the An­ which offers any real parallel either to nual Conference. Some of the report this life, or to the collection of books which looked good; some of it was discouraging. attest it.” God can restore the passion Here was the report. The statistical tables and glowing religious life seen in the New show what the minister and church have Testament, and that blazing out here and done. By those figures they are judged. there across the centuries even through But is that all? Is everything in a sta­ the “Dark Ages” and that seen in the life tistical report? Are all the vital facts in of John Wycliffe, Luther, Wesley, and the figures? If so, a lot of preachers and men of passion in the early days of Ameri­ churches have not done much for there ca. Our Lord said, “The zeal of thine is not too much to report. house hath eaten me up.” Paul said, “I Of course, reports give certain measure­ could wish that myself were accursed ments for the work of the church, but they from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen are not the last word on church work. according to the flesh.” W e read that Here is a minister who by laying a hand when Jesus “saw the multitudes, he was on the head of a little boy, gives birth to moved with compassion,” and His min­ noble aspirations for a great future. By isters must live where they will be moved a telephone conversation with a discour­ by the sight of the needy, for a passion­ aged youth the fire of new hope is kindled, less ministry is a barren ministry. “He a new grasp of life is taken. Because of an was a burning and a shining light.” There understanding handclasp one who lived must be heat as well as light. It is re­ in cynicism found in life a song. In a word corded by Dr. David Christie, in his book, of kindness to one who has had a life of “The Service of Christ,” that Sir Herbert harshness all life is made tender. With Tree, while playing Hamlet, once said to one visit to the aged the sunset is painted himself, “Why should I continue to act with golden hues. The minister rises to during the scene when Hamlet, speaks face his congregation on Sunday morning; with the ghost of his father? The scene the attendance is small, nothing happened, is played in semidarkness. No one will there was but little to make statistics. But see my expression or know that I am not he preached the gospel. Because he showing any intensity of feeling. Why preached, a home which was about to wear myself out needlessly?” For a night break to pieces was saved, a man was or two he reserved himself in this scene. losing his grasp on things eternal, but The result was disastrous. The audience he took new hold; a youth beginning to could not see that Tree was no longer drift into waste and destruction got foot acting, but it could feel that he was not, upon the solid rock again. and because there was no feeling in him, The baptism of a baby was but a small there was no feeling in it. The scene fell statistical fact, but it made a lasting im­ flat. Hamlet was no longer in agony be­ pression for good on a family. A “God fore the specter of his murdered father. bless you” makes all the difference be­ Instead, Sir Herbert Tree, the manager of tween “nothingness” and life. His Majesty’s Theatre, was taking it easy These are not reported to the Confer­ in the dark. He soon decided to return to ence. But they constitute the greatest part the wearing business of acting, even in of the ministry, and the work of the places where the eyes of the audience Church. These “unreported” facts make could not detect him. possible those that are reported.— L e o n a r j (To be continued) C o c h r a n in Wesleyan Christian Advocate.

26 The Preacher's Magazine Pulpit Reading of the W ord of God

E . Wayne Stahl

LEARNED of a minister who before his word for reading here is anagnosis. W est- Icongregation would read the Scriptures cott and Hort, supreme authorities on with such power and spiritual appeal that New Testament Greek, state that it is people would come to his services chiefly “nowhere used for studying.” The verb to get the blessing of hearing such ef­ is anagignosko; we find it in I Thessa- fectual reading. I would say that this lonians 5:27, where Paul charges that the preacher was one in ten thousand. It is epictle be read to all the brethren. almost tragic the way the average pastor In Acts 15:21 it also appears, when we mars the message of the Book, as he reads are told that the writings of Moses are it to his people from the pulpit, by failing read each Sabbath at the synagogue serv­ to observe some of the elementary rules ices; and in the third verse of the first of speech. chapter of the Apocalypse we come across If the public reading of the Bible were it again. Time was when I thought that looked upon by him as fully as important the beatitude pronounced there, “Blessed as his delivery of the sermon, with con­ is he that readeth .... the words of this sequent adequate preparation, what tri­ prophecy,” referred to one who sat down umphant transformations would take place and perused the message in private. But in midweek and Sunday services, in the I was wrong; as in the previous verses I way of edification of those who hear such have quoted, anagignosko here means a reading! Is it not a fact that usually the public reading, a reading to others. This preacher makes no preparation as far as will be evident if the four words I “vocal interpretation” of the passage to omitted in making use of the passage just be read is concerned? I have even been now are replaced, “Blessed is he that read­ in meetings, and that not once or twice, eth, and they that hear . . . .” where there was no scripture reading at My former erroneous impression about all, preliminary to the sermon! Revelation 1:3 may also be perceived by The homiletic offering is chiefly the a casual perusal of Acts 8:28. There we work of man; the portions of the Bible are told that the treasurer of the Ethiopian read are the very words of God. Would queen, as he traveled in his chariot “read we not be showing greater honor to the Esaias the prophet.” One might think Most High by spending some time in this was a silent reading; but verse thirty getting ourselves in tune with the passage will correct this error, “Philip ran thither to be read? By practicing reverently to him and heard him read the prophet.” reading it aloud some time in our study In the original the word anagignosko is during the week preceding the public used in both these verses, and signifies service? Truly in this regard “there re- reading aloud. The same verb we meet maineth much land to be possessed” as in Luke 4:16, where we see Christ in the to improvement along such lines. synagogue on the Sabbath, when He “stood up for to read.” The results of such preparation would be that the reading of the Scriptures at One of the most frequent weaknesses in the beginning of the service would not the pulpit reading of the Bible is that the be looked upon as something secondary minister does not seem to be sharing a to the sermon, a kind of chore to be gotten treasure he has found. Repeatedly I have, aver as quickly as possible. The listless­ when in the pew, noted that the one be­ ness that can be observed among many in fore the congregation seldom, if ever, the congregation when the Scriptures are raises his eyes from the page. It would read would not be so pronounced. The almost appear that he might as well be words of the Apostle Paul to preacher alone and simply reading aloud to him­ Timothy should be practicingly considered self. by every minister today: “Give attend­ It indeed adds immensely to the effec­ ance to reading” (I Tim. 4:13). The Greek tiveness of the reading for the minister ranuary-Febnlary, 1945 37 often to lift his eyes from the Book, scripture to be read at church a short when he desires to emphasize some time before leaving for service, on the thought, and with look as well as with way there, or after he arrives. voice manifest his realization of the par­ Note that the psalmist wrote, “While ticular importance of the words his peo­ I was musing.” Long meditation on the ple are hearing at the moment. Also, by passage to be read, prayerful meditation, such procedure he will do away with the helps to bring the fire that David knew. impression he unconsciously may have And intimate contact with the Living given that he has, as it were, insulated him­ Word during this musing, as the Emmaus- self from his hearers by seeming failure bound pedestrians realized, does much in to recognize their presence. Some laymen experiencing the blessedness of the heav­ must have wondered with great amaze­ enly burning for one who is preparing to ment how certain preachers keep their read the Bible to never-dying souls. organs of vision glued to the Book as they read the Scriptures in the pulpit. Such reading is sometimes marred by rapidity of utterance. A student of the This frequent glancing at the congrega­ spoken word for many years, I am more tion will not, of course, be merely a me­ and more impressed with the superlative chanical matter, a kind of optical gym­ value of the pause in speech. A very suc­ nastics. The reader’s soul can be so burn­ cessful advertiser confessed that one of ing with the message from the Book that the most important things in such work the holy conflagration will shine out from was a great deal of white paper. He was the soul’s windows. Unlike that speaker referring to advertisements in magazines I heard some years ago: and newspapers, and meant that in such displays calling attention to things offered He was addressing a large assembly, and for sale, there must be plenty of unprinted evidently felt that to smile occasionally space. Such space had a great psycho­ during his remarks would make them logical value; it had effective appeal. more impressive. It was such a smiling as never was “on sea or land.” For a mo­ What he called “white paper” in ad­ ment he would occasionally screw his vertisement, I would call the pause in features up into what he thought was a speaking. It is one of the most successful beautiful smile; but it was clearly just a ways of emphasizing. It gives the au­ muscular contortion, and on his auditors ditors time to realize the immense import the effect proved ghastly when not com­ of the thought just read. Here again, it ical. He was acting by rule and not by should not be a mere mechanical stopping; principle. His action did not have its not based on rules such as were offered root in experience. Sincere feeling was children years ago when they were told to conspicuous by its absence. stop at a comma, in their reading aloud, long enough to count one; at a semicolon Here is the secret of effective public long enough to count two, while the period reading of the Word. One must first was honored by being given a count of have realized in his own heart the mighty three. The pause in speech may be as message he would transmit by voice to his meaningful as the rest in music. people. The psalmist said, “While I was musing the fire burned” (Psalm 39:3). As important as the pause is change of And the two travelers to Emmaus, on that pitch. This too is not a mere mechanical first Easter evening, testified mutually, matter, but a result of the thought affect­ “Did not our heart burn within us, while ing utterance. The difference may be he talked with us by the way, and while seen in the two terms, elocution and ex­ he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke pression; the former connotes speech for 23:32). speech’s sake, while the latter denotes speech from a heart that is thrilling with Fire communicates itself. If the min­ the message to be shared. One is a sur­ ister’s heart is aflame with the tremen­ face affair, the other is “from within dous news he has found in the Word, some outward.” of that heavenly burning will be imparted to his hearers in the pews as he reads it Why will one who manifests beautiful from the pulpit. But this consummation changes of pitch in talking with a friend so devoutly to be wished, will not be read a passage before an audience in such attained by the minister selecting the a monotone that it almost has the effect of

28 The Preacher's Magazine an anesthetic? In the first instance, thought and feeling dominate the one who Bulletin Exchange speaks; in the latter case, “words, words, words” dominate the consciousness. It is One of our readers suggested that some an immense aid to one seeking to secure sort of an exchange of church bulletins be change of pitch in public reading of the arranged for the subscribers of T h e Scriptures to remember that utterance be­ P r e a c h e r ’ s M a g a z i n e . This suggestion was fore a congregation is just enlarged con­ passed on to our readers several months versational form. Such a principle acted ago asking those interested in such an ex­ upon will solve many problems of pitch. change to write us. Many responded— Of course persistence in private prac­ in fact so many that we are at a loss to ticing will help greatly. Running the know what to do. scale in the speaking voice will be very After considering the idea from many profitable. angles we thought that about the best way Perfect familiarity with the passage to to care for this matter would be to publish be read in public will do much to conquer the names and addresses of pastors in­ the reader’s bondage of words, with re­ terested in a bulletin exchange, and let sulting changes of pitch. Here is where each work out his own plan of exchange vast diligence is necessary in preparation, with as many pastors as he may desire.— both in the way of prayer and practicing E d it o r . Here is an incomplete list: aloud. I do believe that if a preacher Rev. M. C. Garrison, 205 Fifth St., Ala­ took half as much time getting ready to bama City, Ala. read the Bible from the pulpit, as he does Rev. Noble J. Hamilton, Morrilton, Ark. to give his sermon there, often there Rev. Kenneth Vogt, Wasco, Calif. would be twice as much blessing from his Rev. Paul E. Low, 415 N. Willis St., services. Stockton, 111. Any minister who desires to add to his Rev. L. L. Watters, P. O. Box 5, Mont­ effectiveness in pulpit reading of the Word rose, Iowa. will find a gold mine in the book “Vocal Rev. Wendell Wellman, 316 Euclid Ave., and Literary Interpretation of the Bible” Waterloo, Iowa. by S. S. Curry, Ph. D. It is packed with Rev. J. F. Brockmueller, Marienthal, invaluable and practical counsel for a per­ Kansas. son with a purpose to make such a scrip­ Rev. W. O. Fisher, B o * 146, Shreveport ture reading more helpful. I by no means 82, La. agree with the author theologically in one Rev. L. S. Boardman, 19 Gardiner St., or two portions of this book; but on the Richmond, Me. whole it is worth at least a thousand Rev. J. Edwin McConnell, 406 Sixth Ave. dollars to any preacher. (The Publishing N.E., Minot, N. Dak. House can supply it for you). An index Rev. Ralph Schurman, 2200— 19th St., at the close with numerous Bible refer­ Akron 14, Ohio ences doubles its preciousness. Adherence Rev. C. G. Schlosser, 114 N. Bennett St., to its teachings along speech lines will Bradford, Pa. mean that the preacher will move nearer Rev. R. J. Smeltzer, 1105 Greenfield that lovely goal set in Nehemiah, “So they Ave., Nashville 6, Tenn. read in the book of the law distinctly, and Rev. J. E. Chastain, 4023 Church St., gave the sense, and caused them to un­ Greenville, Texas. derstand the reading” (8 :8). And more Rev. Hadley A. Hall, 1926 Connor Ave., glorious will prove the rewarding promises Waco, Texas. in Revelation 1:3, “Happy is the reader, Rev. C. Wesley Jones, P. O. Box 147, and happy are those who listen to the Cheney, Wash. words” (Twentieth Century New Testa­ Rev. Paul M. Bard, Box 466, Pomeroy, ment.) Wash.

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God asks no man whether he will accept life. That is not the choice. You must take it. The only choice is how— B e e c h e r .

January-February, 1945 29 W ill There Be Another “ Lost Generation” ?

*J. Gordon Chamberlin

HEN demobilization comes!” A l­ quickly? How long will it take to bring W ready our minds, filled with news those home from overseas? from the battle fronts, find time to wonder Or more long range questions could be what it will be like when the fighting is asked. Will the anticipated postwar over and our brothers, husbands, sons, “boom” lead to another depression? Is come back from those battle fronts. A l­ vast unemployment inevitable? Is the ready the government is planning for a country headed for a period of moral D -day which marks the turning of the decadence similar to the “gay 20’s” ? Will stream of inductions, sending service men we refer to the men who served in this and women back to their homes, their war, as “the lost generation” ? churches and their communities. Already it is clear that the process of demobili­ The church has a stake in the answer to every one of those questions. It cannot zation involves not only nine or ten mil­ lion men and women in uniform, but more stand idly by when the men go away— than twice as many men and women now it follows them with its prayers and sends chaplains to be with them. With equal working in war industries. That will be a vast migration for the country. Yet the concern it must begin now to plan for their return. problems such shifts may raise are but part of the problems of the transition per­ There are four steps every church iod. Already it is obvious that America should take: must solve her domestic problems of First, a thorough survey should be made transition at the very time she will be of those who are away for either military most deeply involved in interational post­ service or war work. Perhaps you al­ war issues. For all of this we must be ready have their names on a list— but just ready when demobilization comes. who are they? How many are married— where are their wives and children? How These indicate but a few of the problems many had jobs in the community to which — each vast in itself. Involved are prob­ they may return? How many will be lems of transportation of troops, feeding likely to go back to school? Which ones of liberated peoples, reconversion of in­ were active in the church— from which dustries, handling surplus war goods and groups did they go? Make your survey stock piles, beginning civilian production, complete, and then carefully study the re­ disposal of supplies of raw materials, find­ sults to discover something of the problems ing jobs for veterans as well as war work­ ahead. ers. And for each family will be read­ justments to new circumstances, prepar­ A t the same time you should see that ing to welcome sons, brothers and hus­ someone in the church is studying plans bands— and for many, settling down to of your community, state and the nation the final realization that “he” will never for demobilization. Is anything being done? return. Are plans being made for employment (which is essential to successful reinte­ There are so many uncertainties ahead. gration into civilian life)? What are the When will the war end? How long will federal provisions for mustering-out pay, the Asiatic theatre continue after the war for pensions, benefits, educational oppor­ is over in Europe? How many men will tunities, and vocational rehabilitation? be in this country to be demobilized What plans are being made for the dis­ abled— by government and by private agencies? You can write to the national *Member of the Staff of the Department of Christian Education of Adults, Board of headquarters of your church for literature Education of the Methodist Church; and describing such plans. Everything you Chairman of the International Council Com­ do will be affected by the nation-wide mittee on Services for Demobilization Period. developments, so study them.

30 The Preacher's Magazine Second, perhaps the most important were printed months in advance and con­ task of the church now, is to lay the solid tained the words of the hymns, scripture foundation for its postwar work with re­ and responsive reading. On the front was turning veterans or war workers, by main­ a clock face showing what time it would taining a truly constructive spiritual con­ be in England, Tunisia, India, and Austra­ tact with them while away. lia, when it was 11 o’clock Sunday morning Most churches are having first-hand in Wichita. Then the bulletins were sent experience at being “ecumenical” (world­ out with the request that the fellows try wide) for their own congregation are to go through the service at the same time scattered around the world. Those men — doing exactly what the home congrega­ and women are still members of the home tion would be doing. church wherever they are. Still that home 3. Literature. There are many, many church is obligated to maintain its Chris­ tian counsel, its religious guidance and its kinds of devotional religious literature spiritual sustenance. Out of this period which those away in the armed forces or at war work would be eager to read. Here of dispersion all of us should gain a new appreciation of the spiritual bonds which is opportunity for a very significant and maintain the whole world church as well constructive program. Perhaps your as our own local churches. church has done something already of this nature. The effort should continue. One How, then, is this constructive contact possible procedure is to have a committee to be maintained? A group of young men of two or three obtain copies of pamphlets, and women of the various churches in booklets, tracts and periodicals. After ex­ Scranton, Pennsylvania, discussed five amining all of them and determining definite suggestions. Every church could which would be most helpful to each one do these things. away, a mailing schedule could be worked 1. Regular correspondence. Letters are out and followed regularly. very important for morale, but they are Every encouragement should be given even more important as a continuous con­ to reading the Bible. In one church an tact between those at home and those interested layman gives a list of passages away. We who have stayed behind may to each fellow as he leaves. The list sug­ never understand what it was like to land gests a passage for each day, and the at Tarawa, Salerno or La Havre, but at fellow is asked to join the daily Bible read­ least we can have this in common— a con­ ing circle of that church— a circle that tinuous correspondence which kept us as reaches round the world. close together as possible. Individual church members should write regularly. 4. Missions. Where have your church Groups and classes should write to their members gone? Some churches put up a members away—whether in uniform or in map at the entrance of the church, with war work. The minister should write each ribbons stretched from the location of the one regularly. And wherever possible home town to the approximate location mimeographed bulletins, containing ex­ of each one away. Then letters are sent cerpts of their letters, news of the church, to each one, telling of mission stations messages from the minister, should be sent (home or foreign) located near there and monthly. suggesting a visit to that mission station. Variations are possible. A group, plan­ Even more effective is asking that ning its program well in advance, may ask a report be sent back to the home church for comments from those away on the sub­ — education goes both ways. ject to be discussed. The answers could 5. The chaplain. Some religious oppor­ be used as though Tom, Bill, and Henry tunities are provided by the chaplaincy were there, and a report of the discussion service and the Service Men’s Christian sent back to them. League. Each man or woman in uniform 2. Special Services. Special prayer should be urged to visit the chaplain and services for mothers and wives, special take part in such activities. Many churches communion services, midweek prayer give each fellow an introduction card to groups of the families of service men be handed to the chaplain, on which is in­ have real meaning. dicated the name of the home church and One Wichita, Kansas, church planned a its minister and information about the round-the-world service. The bulletins fellow’s church activities.

January-February, 1945 31 Highest priority should be given in each church to these, or any other steps which Some Suggestions can be taken now to maintain a construc­ tive spiritual contact with church members About Preaching away. But this is not enough. The third phase of the church’s program should be properly to serve those now E. O. Chalfant returning. More than one and one-half million men have been discharged since Preparation: Someone has said, “Read Pearl Harbor. Do we know the ones in yourself insane in order to keep full of our community? Our church should be information. Pray yourself under a bur­ prompt in welcoming them| Our church den. Systematize what you read, then should be sincere in helping them return preach under the anointing, with the Holy to normal civilian life. The disabled Ghost sent down from heaven.” should be received as normal individuals— not pushed to the side with pity, over­ That may be a simple plan, but it is the sympathy and paternalism. Those who most workable that I know. There is no have returned because of nervous disabili­ reason why preachers cannot have plenty ties deserve our sincere effort to under­ of books, regardless of how poor they are. stand something of what they went Every preacher should live in his Bible through. And we need to be patient— until it blesses his soul every day. The always. thing we are to emphasize in preaching, is God; also His providential oversight in Fourth, every church should start now the world. Next to that is His great doc­ its detailed planning for the more serious trine of holiness, and the cardinal doctrines tensions of the demobilization period. of the Bible. The people want to hear Perhaps a special committee should be as­ these things, and are interested in them. signed to study the effect of the transition on the church program, the problems that A n Outstanding Suggestion About can be anticipated, and begin to work out Preaching: It is said of our founder, the steps to be taken, new services to be sainted Dr. P. F. Bresee, who was a master established, new groups to be formed, new in preaching, that he would spend up to activities to be initiated. Part of such Saturday morning in making his prepara­ study should look over the plans of the tion for his message on the Sabbath. Then community— if there will not be enough he would go out on Saturday, visiting his employment in your community for those people, making contacts, over the city who return, the church may never have where he was pastor. He was in touch a chance to reintegrate them into its con­ with God, with the great masters of earth, gregation. and too, was in touch with human need. On the battle fronts of the world our These are the simple things about a great sons, daughters, brothers and husbands man. are being tested as never before. When The temptation now— is to be superficial. they come marching home our church will It is easy to bluff, to build on the sur­ face its big test. What we do now will face, and think you are fooling the people; decide whether the church will be ready, have no devotional life and no habits of or whether those returning men and wo­ study. I once knew quite an able preacher men will be another “lost generation.” who backslid; he said that his downfall • • • was that he failed to keep up his devotional life, his study life, thus he became pro­ How Much Ought I to Give? fessional and soon was a backslider. Un­ less we bore down through the superficial­ Give as you would if an angel ity of this age and lay ourselves out in Awaited your gift at the door; study, and unless we go out of our way Give as you would if tomorrow to make human contacts, we will be in the Found you where giving was o’er; common herd of mediocrity. Remember Give as you would to the Master that only one preacher out of every two If you met His loving look; hundred ever gets out of the rut. One Give as you would of your substance great leader in our church says that If His hand your offering took. ninety-five per cent of the preachers are — Selected. failures.

32 The Preacher's Magazine Putting Your Church on the Map!

Myron F. Boyd

HE day has come when every ortho­ soul hunger and need everywhere, and Tdox church in the land should launch it will stimulate a new vision, we are out on an aggressive program of right­ sure. eousness. Following this war the Church II must be ready with a life, message and Enthusiasm must accompany our vision service that will convince the world of its if we are to put it into concrete reality. divine origin. Too long have we as holi­ One has said, “Enthusiasm is partly in­ ness people sat back with an inferiority terest, partly energy and wholly success­ complex because we were small and in­ ful. One national proverb reads thus, sisted upon high standards. In altogether “Rest in health.” By so doing that nation too many places we have a little strug­ paid the price. We cannot rest while m gling church which is a nonentity in the a condition of good health spiritually lest community. Too many of us are sitting it will lead us into a condition of apathy. on the side of “Mount Success” waiting Too many churches all around us are al­ until God sees fit to give us a great in­ ready in that condition. A boss said to his crease. “Heaven helps the church (man) Negro servant, “Sambo, I don’t see how which helps itself.” “Success is always a you get so much work done in such a culmination and never a surprise.” We short time.” Sambo answered, “Well, ’tis believe that if the laity and ministry dis way, you see— I jist sticks de match of would co-operate with God to the fullest enthusiasm to de fuse of yenergy and I extent that great things could be done in jist naturally explodes— I can’t help it.” every church. We now want to present When a church removes that word “im­ suggestions on how to get your church possible” from its vocabulary as Napoleon on the map. did, it, too, will start performing miracles. III I Stick-to-itiveness is a great essential to A vision is an absolute prerequisite success. James has warned us to “let pa­ to success. “Where there is no vision the tience have her perfect work.” The spirit church (people) perishes.” The church of discouragement is a leading cause for which does not attempt new and bigger suicide and insanity. When this spirit things for God is barely holding its own. gets into the church it works havoc. Of The story is told of a Baptist, John Leland, course there are difficult fields. In fact, who was building a church. Friends came what field is not a problem in these days? along asking, “Why are you building a I remember of reading once in a mathe­ Baptist church here when there are no matics book the following: “There are no Baptists in the community?” He an­ problems too hard to solve, but there are swered, “I am getting ready for the Bap­ many people too small to solve them.” tists who are going to be here soon.” A That need not be so if we get the vision man sat listlessly chopping at a wooden and become enthusiastic about it, deter­ log with an old butcher knife. His an­ mined to succeed. “Columbus kept on swer to an inquiry on what he was making keeping on, and a new world was discov­ was, “I don’t know; maybe a god or ered; Washington kept on keeping on, and maybe a house.” But you know as well the Colonies were freed; Grant kept on as I that he made nothing but chips. There keeping on, and the Union was preserved; is plenty of material on every circuit the Allied Forces kept on keeping on until to be used in constructing a real program the Central Powers collapsed.” David for the kingdom, but listlessly chopping Starr Jordan has said, “The whole world at the job will never produce anything will stand by to let a church [man] pass but “chips.” A vision of God, heaven, sin, which knows where it is going.” hell and souls would change the situation. IV Look at the false religions, modernism, Spirituality is an absolute requisite to infidelity, sin, worldliness and the great success. Sincerity and earnestness should

January-February, 1945 33 permeate all of our work, preaching and tric bulletin board, by all means. Put living. The church must convince the your sermonettes in it the first part of the city that it has but one motive, and that week. Put your Sunday subjects in it is “to glorify God” and get souls into the the latter part of the week. Keep the kingdom. Our churches must be praying lights on the sign and bulletin board every churches. Our prayer meetings must be night. For the fifteen or twenty cents a “the heating plant of the church,” as Spur­ week it will cost, you will get a lot of geon suggested. It was the great Luther advertising. who said that holy living and spirituality When you have an evangelistic cam­ prevail only where there is a real spirit paign advertise it so thoroughly that of prayer. The great need of the hour everyone will know about it. Use the in every church is a mighty baptism of the mail. Have a sign on your car. Have an divine personality, and blessed Holy Spir­ attractive, newly painted sign displayed it. in front of the church. Use the newspaper Oh, for that flame of living fire, every other day at least. Use the shop Which shone so bright in saints of old; news if there be such in your community. Which bade their souls to heaven aspire, The radio is a great medium of advertis­ Calm in distress, in danger bold. ing as well as a good means of spreading the gospel. Use it. Practice faith. Study Is not Thy grace as mighty now hard for it. Make your program original. As when Elijah felt its power; Be sure it is different. When glory beamed from Moses’ brow. We have discovered that letters are very Or Job endured the trying hour? effective in getting our work before the public. If mimeographed they may be Remember, Lord, the ancient days, sent out in an unsealed envelope for only Renew Thy work, Thy grace restore; one and a half cents in the States and only And while to Thee our hearts we raise, one cent in Canada. Build up a large On us Thy Holy Spirit pour. mailing list. Names can be procured in V many ways. Letters of invitation to your Sunday school, Sunday night services, re­ Lack of aggressiveness is one of our vivals, etc., are all worth while and get weak points. We have depended too results. Write your members a letter much on “spurts” to build our work. every two or three months. What we need is a God-conscious church which is aggressive and evangelistic the Have various cards to use in your work. year round. Have survey cards made for a canvass of A. Advertise. This is one of the big your community or city. Have calling failures of our churches. No holiness cards and use them freely. Have cards church need bow its head in shame. We for use in the church with various items have the message for this age, so broad­ of information on it. Have your ushers cast it everywhere. In altogether too get every stranger signed up. Have your many cities the people in the immediate members fill in a card every time they vicinity of the church are not aware of know of someone who is sick or in need. the fact that there is a church there, or at They could also put down the names and least as to what church it is. Do some­ addresses of any newcomers to their com­ thing to impress them. Let them know munity. These cards may be placed on that you are alive, and to such an extent the collection plates. that you will talk about it. Keep it con­ B. Spread out. Start a new Sunday stantly before them. Some time during school. Get a Sunday-school bus, work the year for ten consecutive weeks get out a regular route, and go from house to out printed or good mimeographed ma­ house on that route canvassing for schol­ terial and have it placed in every home ars. Have a children’s meeting once a of the community. Be sure that your week in an afternoon after school. Have advertising is attractive. If mimeo­ a boys’ and a girls’ club. Have Bible graphed, be sure that it is easy to read, study one night a week. Make it schol­ and neat, with no mistakes on it. arly, interesting and thoroughly spiritual. An attractive sign with an electric light Make it interdenominational, and adver­ over it or a neon sign should be found tise it as such. Advertise a men’s com­ on every church. Then, too, have an elec­ munity Bible class on Sunday morning.

34 The Preacher's Magazine Call it the “99 men’s class,” or something First, I listened to his words. I asked attractive. Put your best teacher in myself, “Just what would be in my mind charge of the class. Give the men op­ if I were using those same words? What portunity to air their views. Take ad­ would I be trying to impress upon the vantage of every opportunity to get before listeners?” Immediately his words took the public. Often there are invitations to on stronger and more impressive mean­ speak to a service club, P.T.A., school ing. They became more related to the group, etc. Never turn down .any such whole field of thought. They became not privilege. only vehicles of a single thought, but also Have a workers’ conference. Pray to­ came as a train loaded fully with items gether. Exchange ideas. Keep records of interest from many stations and ports of all calls and any useful information of loading. The key words brought much gathered. more than was spoken because of this C. Use everybody for something. Most relationship. people appreciate having something defi­ nite to do for God and the church. It will Then I listened to the problems; there hold their interest in the church and con­ were few statistics, but a presentation of tribute to their spirituality. You need the great spiritual needs. The picture was a transportation committee. Then there not overdrawn, nor was there hesitancy should be that large visiting committee. to declare its full need. It was presented Give any typist a job assisting the pastor as a job facing us in our day. The pic­ in getting out letters, etc. Someone could ture was real and clear. There were il­ be responsible for newspaper announce­ lustrations, comparisons and a comprehen­ ments. We surely need ushers in every sive program such as was faced by St. church. Let some canvass the city from Paul and the early church. house-to-house to find any who are not in I paid attention to the spirit of the church or Sunday school. There are hos­ preacher. I do not mean what he tried to pitals, jails, workshops, street meetings, arouse in others but what I gathered from etc., where all can find something to do. what he was saying of the fire that burned D. Plan, study and arrange your ser­ in his own heart. I felt that he was brave vices to make them worshipful, dignified as a minister, loyal as a Nazarene, far- and orderly. This need not hinder the lighted as a builder, full of courage to spirituality of the service but contribute carry on the task and that every energy to it. Have the church always clean and and ability was stretching in the direc­ neat. Varnish it every other year. Get tion of the future and the accomplished new song books if you need them. Keep task. There was a spiritual program of the lawn clean around the church. Put in sacrifice, faith, vision and courage, and some shrubbery and grass. Make your when he said, “There is no other way,” property attractive. I knew he was back of his sermon and We believe that any church baptized his program with all his heart. It was with the Holy Spirit, with a vision and what he believed, and to these things he enthusiasm, which will be aggressive and had dedicated his life. work hard, will soon put itself “on the I listened to a partial list of what had map” in any city. been accomplished by these methods and processes. The task had been hard; the heroism of those who were building with + him was inspiring; their accomplishments were noticeable and in some cases wonder­ I Listened to a Sermon ful. It was a picture of God and men working together. Paul S. H ill Putting it all together, I was ready to follow his leadership without asking too HE sermon was preached by our Dis­ many questions about details. The ser­ T trict Superintendent, and the oc­ mon helped me. I believe in the preacher, casion was the presentation of Home Mis­ the gospel, the program, the processes of sions to a group of Nazarenes. I am sure building the kingdom and yes, in the in­ that because I listened, I got more out of vestment of finances. I filled out my card his sermon than I would have otherwise. and put it in!

January-February, 1945 35 Preachers W ho Stand for Something

A. S. London

PREACHER should live well. He that if the man talking to him kept on as A ought to be an example in the com­ he was, he would not have an enemy on munity where he serves. It is a tragedy earth, and that was far worse than not for any preacher to live in such a manner having a friend on earth. Lukewarmness as to cause people to hold suspicion. is one of the weaknesses of modern civil­ “Caesar’s wife should be above suspicion”; ization. The average person is afraid to yes, and Caesar too must be above sus­ express an opinion for fear of being mis­ picion! Lies will be told on any man who understood. I read of a donkey that tries to do anything worth while; but it stood between two haystacks and would is not lies that hurt public workers— not turn and eat at either one for fear what hurts is things told which turn out he would offend the other. The story to be the truth. The reader will under­ said that the donkey starved to death stand what I mean. A man’s destiny lies standing between the two haystacks. within himself. He is not at the mercy T h e C u r s e o f H alfheartedness of any man or any group of men on earth. God will pull any person through the fire, “Because thou art lukewarm, and neither provided that the individual has the stuff cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my in him for God to pull on. mouth.” These were the words of the Spirit to the Laodiceans. Lukewarmness T h e M o d e r n W a y is the curse of the average church and It is common now to keep our convic­ preacher. There comes a time in the lives tions, if we have any, to ourselves. The of men and churches when a stand must trend is to say nothing, see nothing, do be taken, and they must go either forward nothing, and be nothing. A preacher who or backward. does not live well will have no convictions, C o n v i c t i o n s G iv e S t r e n g t h and certainly he will stand for little; he is a pussyfooter, a side-stepper, and weak A writer once said that ordinarily he in influence for right and truth. weighed 120 pounds, but when he was A cheap politican was running for of­ aroused and awakened and fought for fice; he stood for nothing, and the whole something worth while, he weighed a ton. community knew it. It seemed that the A conviction gives inner strength, outward main issue before the people was the boldness, and trebles the strength of the building of a schoolhouse. In the midst individual. One man said, “ Urge me not of his speech, a gentleman stood up and to moderation; I am in earnest.” A said, “What about the schoolhouse?” The preacher is never at his best until he is politician said, “ Now ladies and gentlemen, moved with great emotion. Moral power I am glad to speak out on this subject. increases in the life of a preacher when If the schoolhouse is a good thing, I am he is driven by a holy passion. for it. If it is not a good thing, I am A great saving gospel ministry should against it.” Such characters are hesitant, be enough to drive every preacher to evasive, fearful. Wabblers in the pulpit stand for truth without fear. John Wes­ are far worse than wabblers in the poli­ ley, Dr. P. F. Bresee and men who have tical world. Preachers should be cour­ started religious movements, were men of ageous for the right, stand with sincere convictions, and stood for truth and worth­ earnestness for that which is just and while things. Wesley did not face worse right; they must stand kindly and patiently conditions than the ministry faces today, for truth and the saving gospel of Jesus Cheap religion is the curse of the church Christ. world. The Church now is face to face with forces that threaten the foundations S t a n d f o r S o m e t h i n g of society. A religion that takes in A leading writer of international fame everything and stands for nothing was told that if he kept on writing - as definite is not of the Bible. A re­ he was doing, he would not have a friend ligion without a cross is weak and never on earth. The man replied by saying can influence a community to stand foi

36 The Preacher's Magazine righteousness. The rights given us by our sounded out the cry for this hour, that Christian forefathers are the sacred heri­ is for a saving gospel—a gospel with com ­ tage of every preacher of the gospel of fort and strength for the awful hour in Christ. These men in the long ago stood which we live. for something; they had backbone, re­ ligious convictions, and all who knew them P r e a c h e r s H a v e S u f f e r e d f o r t h e T r u t h knew how they stood on every important I do not say that standing for something issue of the day. will bring a life of ease, for it never has C o n d i t i o n s been so. The world is not a friend to The church faces a world that is bank­ grace to help us on to God. It has always rupt in morals, common decency and fun­ made it hard for prophets. John the damental principles upon which our Baptist lost his head when he preached church was founded. Three-fourths of on the sins of Herod; Huss and Savonarola the w orld’s population are at war today. were burned at the stake for standing for Europe is aflame; Asia is on fire; Africa something worth while. Latimer said to is smoldering, and America is in a death Ridley as they were being marched to the Struggle. Thirteen million families in stake, “We shall this day light such a can­ America average an annual income of dle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust $471. In one southern city, six hundred shall never be put out.” That light still girls were found in one night in road­ burns amidst all the darkness of earth to­ houses, hotels, bus stations, and on the day. It is the only hope of a world in blind­ streets. Crime among the young people ness, stupidity, and complacency; false­ in my own home city has increased four hood and corruption, greed and selfishness, hundred per cent in the past twelve are to be found in the warp and woof of months. From every pulpit should be our social fabric.

+ Power for Lowly Service

Colonel Andrew Zealley

He .... took a towel, and girded him­ of lowly service. Do you want the record self (John 13:4). of the highest achievement ever wrought by anyone who has lived on this earth? \ \ J HEN we ask God to give us His Well, here it is: W power, what do we mean? Is it power to do some great thing, beyond the “All things were made by him; and ability of our fellows? Is it that we may without him was not anything made that rise above the commonplace, the trivial was made” (John 1:3). and the ordinary and perform feats which And yet He voluntarily took upon Him­ mark us out to be possessors of a subtle self the role of the slave; for we read, force which makes us to excel in the work “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given we are called upon to do? all things into his hands, and that he was But do we ask God to give us power to come from God, and went to God; he do the lowly service, to take the subor­ riseth from supper, and laid aside his gar­ dinate place and to hide away from the ments; and took a towel, and girded him­ eyes of men and to ask for no commen­ self.” This is an amazing succession of dation from them? It is usually found that heights of ability, power and glory, to the a great increase in human knowledge, the level of the commonplace. acquisition of wealth, an elevation to a Human dignity usually rests on a per­ high place or position, unfits us for lowly verted opinion of our importance and the service. notion that humble service is degrading. But the Master sets us a wonderful ex­ It is the small artist who always pines for ample and reveals the fact that the highest the big canvas. Turner, the great painter, and noblest, and the richest in every pos­ could put the infinite into a square inch. session, can stoop down and perform acts The really big man can be at home in

January-February, 1945 37 small places; the man of small make-up a soft pillow when we lie down to sleep, wants nothing less than the hoardings. and a soft pillow by and by when we A deep realization of our close relation­ come to die. ship with God will fit us for humble, yet The Rev. Mr. Goldsmith said, “I gave telling service. away a tract to a policeman in Madras, India, which led to his awakening and An American soldier tells that at the conversion. Afterward his wife was con­ end of one of the Civil War battles there verted; she brought two of her brothers were a hundred wounded men, many at to the Saviour, and one of them is now the point of death. Lincoln heard of it a minister of the gospel. Then the old and hurried from Washington. He caught mother was led into light and liberty, and sight of a little fellow who had been a three others followed, making eight mem­ britve lad, and was fast departing. “Can bers of the family savingly converted to I do anything for you?” asked the Presi­ God—all through the simple service of dent. “Yes, sir; if you will, I should like giving a gospel message to a policeman. for you to write to my mother.” Lincoln A simple invitation from Andrew wrote the letter, and signed it with his brought his brother, Simon Peter, to Jesus, own name. The dying lad saw it with and what marvelous results followed. surprise, and said, “Are you the Presi­ dent?” A woman, whose name is forgotten, gave a tract to Richard Baxter. Through read­ “Yes, my boy; can I do anything more ing it, he was converted, and afterward for you?” “Yes, if you will, take my wrote that wonderful book, “A Call to the mother’s place and hold my hand till I am Unconverted,” which was used by God to through. I shan’t be long.” The great turn hundreds of people to Christ. Among statesman held that hand until it grew cold others, Philip Doddridge was saved, and in death. he wrote, “The Rise and Progress of Re­ But we have a more sure promise of our ligion.” The reading of this book led many Commander’s presence with us in the last into the kingdom, including the great hour; for He has said, “I will never leave Wilberforce, and he wrote “A Practical thee, nor forsake thee.” View of Christianity,” and that book was The great preacher, George Whitefield, the means of saving a multitude. was once staying for a night at an inn. So, obey the Master’s call to do the The room next to the one occupied by humblest service; be faithful in that which himself and a friend was taken by some is least. men whose card-playing and swearing And Moses said, “I beseech thee, show distressed and kept Mr. Whitefield awake me thy glory.” And Jehovah said, “I will until very late. make all my goodness pass before thee, “I feel that I ought to go and speak to and I will proclaim the name of the Lord them,” he said at last to his friend. before thee; and will be gracious to whom “Nonsense! What good will that do? I will be gracious, and will show mercy they won’t listen to you,” was the reply. on whom I will show mercy...... And the But he felt that here lay his duty, and Lord passed by before him, and pro­ at last he knocked at the door, entered the claimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful room and spoke earnestly and faithfully to and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant the men about their souls. But they only in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for laughed, and went on as before. thousands, forgiving iniquity and trans­ “Well, and what did you gain by it?” gression and sin, .... this is my name asked his friend tauntingly, as Mr. White­ for ever, and this is my memorial unto field came back. all generations.” “A soft pillow,” he answered, and at once Show me Thy power—show me Thy fell asleep. glory ! That is revealed in His wonderful Yes, to do our duty, and to act as we condescension—His lowly service for the know God’s Spirit would have us, gives us children of men.

The Christian experience of the church is not deep, intense and living enough to meet the world’s need.— S e l e c t e d .

38 The Preacher's Magazine the sickness which lays us aside, and the Walking with God health which sustains—in all such things to be of the same mind with God. Enoch Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:22). was, else he would have stood still, or Holy scripture, which is ever careful of gone back, or turned aside.—J. E. C. in its language, and means something by Pilgrim Holiness Advocate. every word, has used this expression so seldom, and so discriminately that we are forced to see something here which we + seldom see elsewhere. It is not said of How to Understand Abraham, who “walked before God,” nor Isaac, nor of the psalmist, nor of the In the early days of the South, a Negro “people who” “walked after God.” It is slave and preacher had an infidel master. said of Noah, who “walked with God” in The master said to the slapve one day, “You those weary years when he stood alone are a preacher, Sam?” in his testimony, and all men mocked him “Well, I tells about Jesus some, Mas- as mad to build a ship on the dry land. sa.” But it is said of Enoch here that, for three “Well, if you are a preacher, you ought hundred years, his—slow, humble, domes­ to understand the Bible. Now tell me, tic life was one long “walk with God.” what does this mean?” And he opened the Sons and daughters born into the family; Bible and read, “Whom he did foreknow, the usual incidents of a completely human he also did predestinate”—words that have life, with its clouds and sunshine, its eve­ puzzled wiser heads than the poor slave. nings and mornings, its tears and smiles, “Well,” said the slave, “Massa, where is its struggles and prosperities. Yet, it was it?” one long “walk with God.” What does “It’s in Romans,” said the master. it imply? Agreement. “Can two walk to­ “ Oh, my dear Massa; I will explain dis gether except they be agreed?” “Let this ’ole business to you! It is very simple. mind be in you which was also in”— You begin with Matthew, and do all the God. To agree about everything in daily dear Lord tells you to do there: and then life; in what we lose and in what we gain; you go on to Mark, and Luke, and John; in what is wanting, and in what is pos­ and when you get to that place it is easy sessed; in the poverty which pinches us enough—but you can’t begin there.— and the riches which make us strong; in —Preacher’s Homiletical Commentary. ..

di c c i t 1 1 o n

By Grace Noll Crowell

Thank God, thank God, the debt that laid so long Like some dark shadow on the heart, is paid! And now today our church stands freed and strong Because an earnest people worked and prayed, And saved and sacrificed for this good hour When we can come together joyfully To dedicate these walls, this lifted tower, The altar, aisles and pews, dear God, to Thee!

Accept it, Lord and Master, as Thy right, And claim it for Thine own, we humbly pray. This is Thy house, and may Thy guiding light Shine on us as a people, day by day. Here in this hour so long foretold, we bring This church to Thee, Lord, as our offering!

January-February, 1945 39 SEARCHING TRUTHS FOR MINISTERS

“If the Church is to be the Church, it Plain Preaching must follow its Leader as He goes His What is plain preaching? Some preach­ way, redeeming, healing, transforming ers, and even some laymen, have con­ men.”—B i s h o p A r t h u r J. M o o e e , in “Cen­ fused it with what may be termed abusive tral Certainties.” preaching. The man in the pulpit who applied cutting, scathing terms to his hear­ + ers from his secure position behind the Bruised Reeds pulpit where no one dared to speak back, A bruised reed shall he not break, and often would be complimented as a plain, the smoking flatc shall he not quench fearless exponent of the truth. He may (Matt. 12:20). have been given credit for more courage Reeds are not of much account. We find than he really possessed, and his exposi­ them standing beside stagnant ponds. In tion of the truth may have been anything spite of their worthlessness, the ancient but plain. Putting a sting in the message shepherds were accustomed to cutting does not necessarily add to its clarity. It them and making music on them so long may rather add to its confusion. Plain as they would last. When the reed became preaching is that which enables people to bruised or broken, it was thrown away. discern the thought and will of God, to If no tune would come out of it, what see their own weaknesses in the light of was it good for? His truth and have set before them the In Jesus Christ we see a Man who stoops path of duty in such terms that they will to restore the bruised reed, and when He be able to follow it, and will want to fol­ has repaired it, it becomes more musical low it. It is speaking the truth in love, than ever. What a type of humbled sin­ with a warm heart that yearns for the ners the bruised reed is—the weakest salvation of the lost and encouragement thing that grows, and bruised besides! for the weak and the discouraged. If Still our Lord would not kick him out of harsh words must be uttered by way of the way but lifts him up and puts a new rebuke and reproof they will accomplish song in his mouth. their purpose best when the hearer is “The smoking flax shall he not quench.” made to feel that they proceed from a The margin reads, “A dimly burning wick heart of compassion and love. When the will he not quench.” preacher loves his people and convinces Is the candle just being lighted? He them of his sincerity he can say to them would guard it till the wick is well ignited. just about anything that ought to be said Is some poor man’s candle about to go out? and they will receive it with relish.— Do not open the door and let the wind Religious Telescope. blow through. Fan it gently back into + a flame. He does not condemn even the How Will You Build? first confused and hesitating beginnings Here is an old and much-us^d story, of the Christian life. He breathes the but it is appropriate here. A visitor ap­ oxygen of His love upon the spark. May proached a group of workmen using mallet His method in dealing with souls be ours. and chisel on huge blocks of stone that —Selected. were lying around a proposed building + site. To one of the workmen he said, “What are you doing here?” With a What He Couldn’t Pack chuckle the man replied, “I am earning Having no evil thing to say of you. five dollars a day.” To a second work­ A young minister was leaving a North man the visitor made the inquiry, and he Country town, and was bidding an old replied with show of pride, “I am making lady good-by. “Well, sir,” she said, “you’ll a perfect cube of this stone.” Then to a be busy packing up your belongings, I third workman the visitor said: "What expect?” “Yes,” he replied. “I have only are you doing here?” Seriously replied a few things to get into boxes now.” the man, but with un unmistakable thrill “There's one thing you won’t be able to in his tone, “I am building a cathedral!” pack up, sir,” said the old lady; “you’ll All three men were doing the same things, have to leave that behind.” “I don’t know but with vastly different conceptions of •—whatever is that?” questioned the min­ their task. ister. “You can’t pack up your influ­ ence, sir,” she answered quietly. That is The task Thy wisdom hath assigned, true; whether influence is good or bad, we O let me cheerfully fulfill; leave it behind when God’s call comes. In all my works Thy presence find, —From The Christian Herald. And prove Thy good and perfect wM.

40 The Preacher’s Magazine fHE PREACHER’S SCRAPBOOK

W e Are Immortal God’s Minorities Death is not the end; it is only a new beginning. Death is not the Master of the During the time Noah was building the house; he is only the porter at the King’s ark he was very much in the minority— lodge, appointed to open the gate and but he won! let the King’s guests into the realm of When Joseph was sold into Egypt by eternal day. And so shall we ever be his brothers, he was in a decided minority with the Lord. The range of our threescore years and —but he won! ten is not the limit of our life. Our life When Gideon and his 300 followers, is not a landlocked lake enclosed within with their broken pitchers and lamps, put the shore lines of seventy-years. It is an the Midianites to flight, they were in an arm of the sea. And so we must build insignificant minority—but they won! for those large waters. We are immortal! When Elijah prayed down fire from How, then, shall we live today in prospect heaven and put the prophets of Baal to of eternal tomorrow?— J . H. J o w e t t . shame, he was in a notable minority—but he won! + When David, ridiculed by his brothers, went out to meet Goliath, in size he was “We cannot do without religious emo­ in a decided minority—but he won! tion...... Emotion is the wind that fills When Martin Luther nailed his theses the sails of the soul and drives it to its destination. I am not afraid of the wind on the door of the cathedral, he was a of heaven filling the sails of my soul pro­ lonesome minority—but he won! vided there is a Hand on the rudder. Many When Jesus Christ was crucified by the things are upsetting us; trivialities about Roman soldiers, He was a conspicuous mi­ our own position and power, pettiness in nority—but HE won!—Selected. the church...... We are spiritually below par...... It is true that in the name of + this beautiful fact of Pentecost some have gone up above normal into fever, and Daily Manna when one goes into fever he often talks One of his scholars once asked Rabbi ben because some have gone into fever it has Jochai, “Why did not the Lord furnish frightened the most of us into an anemic enough manna to Israel for a year, all at condition. ‘When the Holy Ghost,’ says one time?” The great teacher said: irrationally, sometimes deliriously, and “Once there was a king who had a son Edward Irving, ‘departs from any set of opinions or form of character they wither to whom he gave a yearly allowance. It like a sapless tree’.”—D r . E. S t a n l e y J o n e s . soon happened that the day on which the allowance was due was the only day in + the year when the father saw the son. So the king changed his plan and gave his son day by day that which sufficed for the day. Moody on Spiritual Power Now the son visited the father every morn­ ing, realizing his continual need of his A great many people are afraid to be father’s love, companionship, wisdom and filled with the Spirit of God—afraid of giving.” being called fanatics. You are not good So deals God with His children’s daily sup­ for anything until the world considers you ply, that supplication, communion, thanks­ a fanatic. Fox said that every Quaker giving may be daily.—S e l e c t e d . ought to shake the country for ten miles around. What does the Scripture say?” + “One” shall “chase a thousand, and two You cannot satirize or scold or ridicule put ten thousand to flight.” It takes about men into goodness. You can only lift them a thousand to chase one now. Why? Be­ into it and love them into it by the touch of cause people are afraid of being too re­ the Master’s spirit and the power of the ligious. What does the world want today? Master’s indwelling life. The searchlight will not reform any one any more than the Men that are out and out for God, and looking glass will wash the face of a dirty not halfhearted in their allegiance and boy. You must take him to the fountain.— service.—Gospel Herald. A. B. S i m p s o n .

Jcmuary-February, 1945 41 QUOTABLE POETRY

A Prayer for the New Year 1 Give All Dear Father in heaven we thank Thee I meet another year, O Lord, For the year that is past and gone, With courage, hope, and faith in Thee— For its mingled shadows and sunshine, Not asking for a path of ease For every bit of its song; But one of constant victory. For grace in the time of trouble, For strength in the day of need; I dedicate the coming year For friends in the hour of darkness, With all that it may bring to me; For faith in a holy creed. Take, use my strength, my life, my all, To glorify and honor Thee. Now that the old year is ending, And the new will soon dawn on our sight, I gladly walk with Thee alway, O help us keep all of its pages With Thee, my Saviour, Friend, and Beautiful, clean and white! Guide; O may we be kinder to others, I know that Thou wilt keep me true, Forgetful of self the while, For I each day in Thee abide. Swifter to share a burden, Quicker to give a smile. Enlarge my love, increase my faith; My present state is far too small. We know not now what the new year I give Thee more than now I am— May bring us of gladness or pain; Set Thou the measure—I give all. We only ask Thee for the courage —E l g in S . M o y e r , i n Heart and Life. To battle the wind and the rain; For strength to stand ’mid the tempest + Inwardly peaceful and still, Bowing our heads in submission I met God in the morning To all of Thy holy will.—A l i c e H a n c h e When the day was at its best, M o r t e n s o n , i n Sunshine and Shadows, And His Presence came like sunrise, used by permission. Like a glory in my breast.

+ All day long the Presence lingered, Be Still, M y Soul All day long He stayed with me, And we sailed in perfect calmness Be still, my soul; the God of mercy O’er a very troubled sea. r eigne th: Bear patiently thy cross of grief or pain; So I think I know the secret, Commit thy life into His loving keeping; Learned from many a troubled way: In every change, He steadfast doth remain. You must seek Him in the morning Be still, my soul; the eternal God’s thy If you want Him through the day! refuge — R . S . C u s h m a n And underneath the everlasting arms sustain. + Be still, my soul; for thy Redeemer liveth; When doubts and fears and questionings Soul Leanness thee assail, Sometimes when I have asked amiss Trust in His Word and in His footsteps And God has given to me follow; The answer that I sought and craved, The everliving truth can never fail. Then afterward I see Be still, my soul; amid life’s strife and How better it had been that I tumult, Had prayed, “Thy will be done”; He gives the peace that can alone avail. For m y insistence brought but pain, Though my request I won. Be still, my soul; the Spirit ever helpeth The psalmist’s words come to my mind, Those who in truth strive Christward day “God gave them their request by day; But sent a leanness to their souls” However bitter be the cup life proffers, (It was their own behest). Strength, hope, and courage will He grant No when I pray I ask in faith alway. That all I seek shall be Be silent, my sold; the God of life hath In true accord with God’s own plan; promised His will I ask for me. An inheritance that fadeth not away.— D e l l a A d a m s L e it n e r , reprinted from C . A . C o r n e l s o n i n Christian Observer. Moody Monthly.

42 The Preacher's Magazine A Prayer God Is There Courage to do my work today, (Isaiah 43:1-3) Strength for the dreaded task; “I have called thee by thy name, Patience to suffer, grace to pray, Thou art mine.” These are the things 1 ask. “Have redeemed thee” ts God’s claim— Plan divine. Courage to face the very thing Though thou pass through waters deep, I dread the most to do; They shall not God’s bound’ries leap. Courage to lift, to smile, to sing— While beside thee God shall keep, Grace to be strong and true. Safety thine.

Courage to help the one who errs; “When thou walkest through the fire,” Grace to be m eek and kind; Naught shall harm! Showing the fallen someone cares— Though flames gleam and blaze conspire, Helping the lost to find. Trust God’s arm. Kindling flames shall scorch thee not, Courage, when someone rivals me, Even though they’re fiery hot! Passes me in the race, When perplexing be thy lot, Just to be glad; and loyally Ban alarm. Tell him so to his face. I, the God of Israel, Courage to face the hardest task; Am thy Lord, Grace for the smallest test; And with thee will deign to dwell,— Strength to be faithful, this I ask—- Help afford. Whatsoever works for ill, Always to do my best.—K a t h r y n B l a c k ­ Or thy heart with fears may fill, b u r n P e c k , f r o m Golden Windows, u s e d There am I and there I will by permission. Faith reward. —G r a n t C o l f a x T u l l a r + + A Little Talk with Jesus Steadfast in Thy Word A little talk with Jesus, Martin Luther How it smooths the rugged road! How it seems to help me onward, Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word; When I faint beneath my load; Curb those who fain by craft or sword When my heart is crushed with sorrow, Would wrest the kingdom from Thy Son And my eyes with tears are dim, And set at naught all He hath done. There is naught can yield me comfort Lord Jesus Christ. Thy power make known. Like a little talk with Him. For Thou art Lord of lords alone; Defend Thy Christendom that we Ah, this is what I am wanting— May evermore sing praise to Thee. His lovely face to see; Fellowship News. And I’m not afraid to say it, I know He’s wanting me. + He gave His life my ransom, To make me all His own, Like Jesus And he’ll ne’er forget His promise I want to be like Jesus, To me His purchased one. So lowly and so m eek; For no one marked an angry word I cannot live without Him, That ever heard Him speak. Nor would I if I could; He is my daily portion, I want to be like Jesus, M y medicine and food. So frequently in prayer; He’s altogether lovely, Alone upon the mountain-top, None can with Him compare; He met His Father there. Chiefest among ten thousand, And fairest of the fair. I want to be like Jesus: I never, never find So I’ll wait a little longer, That He, though persecuted, was Till His appointed time, To anyone unkind. And along the upward pathway My pilgrim feet shall climb. I want to be like Jesus, There in my Father’s dwelling, Engaged in doing good; Where many mansions be, So that of me it may be said, I shall sweetly talk with Jesus, “She hath done what she could.” And He will talk with me.—Anon. —Selected. January-February, 1945 43 SERMON OUTLINES

Steadfastness in the Christian Faith III. O u r S t a t u s T o d a y A. The natural man. T e x t — Let us hold fast the profession of our faith (Heb. 10:23). 1. Forgets God (in worship). 2. Does not consider in deeds. I ntroduction 3. Tries his own (my way) first. Context. 4. No tithe—no scruples for obtaining Necessity of theme. or spending money (cheats partner I. N a t u r e o f C h r i s t i a n F a i t h in withholding the tithe). A. Know Christ. B. The converted and consecrated. B. Trust Christ. 1. “My heart panteth after thee.” C. Show forth Christ. 2. “For to me to live is Christ.” II. C h r i s t i a n O p p o s e d b y — 3. “In all thy ways acknowledge him.” A. Satan. B. World. 4. “ The tithe is the Lord’s.” C. Carnality. C o n c l u s io n A. God still is seeking partners. III. How F a i t h Is M a i n t a i n e d A. Give Christ the pre-eminence. B. The requirements are: B. Attend means of grace (v. 25). 1. Confess our need of Him. C. Filled with the Holy Ghost. 2. Express our confidence in Him. 3. Lay aside every weight and the sin, I V . I m p o r t a n c e o f t h e T h e m e A. To the unsaved. etc. B. To other Christians. 4. Run with patience the race. C. To ourselves. C. His invitation: Matt. 11:28-30. Invitation.—E d w a r d J . J o h n s o n . C o n c l u s io n A. Provisions made for you. B. Look at the goal at the end. C. Will reap what we have sown for The All-sufficient Christ Christ.— S . E l l s w o r t h N o t h s t i n e . T e x t —My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in • weakness (II Cor. 12:9). Partnership with God I ntroduction Paul prayed for deliverance from a I ntroduction thorn in the flesh. After three seasons of Advantages of a partnership, combined prayer Jesus answered him in the words resources. of the text. Jesus is always sufficient, not Risks: each other’s debts (God has none) just once in a while. Although we change, Scripture: Luke 20:9-16. He does not change. His promises are I. G r e a t e s t P a r t n e r s h i p i n t h e U n iv e r s e ever true. He is all-sufficient for us today. A. God is Owner and Creator, gives in­ I. All-sufficient for our physical infir- crease and supplies (Psalm 50:10, 12). mities B. Man has dominion (Gen. 1:26); our A. To heal the body (Jas. 5:14, 15). If hands, feet, etc. not best for us to be healed then C. Bond is weak or strong as we make Psa. 41:3 it; time proves reality of it. B. To give strength to the body daily. Illust.—Story of a man who married Paul’s weakness made strong. while unemployed and those trying C. To give even superhuman strength days of uncertainty proved the reality when necessary as He did to Samson. of their bonds of love in a real life D. To give grace to endure testings. He partnership. renews our strength (Isa. 40:31). II . H i s t o r y o f S o m e P artnerships II. All-sufficient for our material needs. A. Disappointments to God. A. To provide with food and clothing. 1. Adam’s desire for God’s knowledge. His promise, “Seek ye first the king­ 2. Man’s desire to ascend into heaven. dom of God.” 3. Moses’ anger over Israel. B. To supply financial needs (Phil. 4. Saul’s seeking the advice of the 4:19; Mai. 3:10). witch. III. All-sufficient in times of soul distress. 5. “Demas hath forsaken me, having A. In times of trial to keep us true and loved this present world.” faithful. Isa. 43:2. B. Successful partnerships. B. In times of sorrow to keep us trust­ 1. Enoch and Elijah. ing in God and to comfort us, although 2. Abraham from Ur to Canaan. we cannot understand it. Isa. 63:9. 3. King David and King Solomon. C. In times of reproach, slander and 4. Peter learning God’s will. evil reports, like Paul, to take pleas- 5. Paul’s life and ministry. sure in it.

44 The Preacher's Magazine D. In times of persecution to be glad, to V I I . M y F'r ie n d glory, and rejoice in the Lord. “ There is a friend that sticketh closer IV. All-sufficient in times of spiritual than a brother” (Prov. 18:24). weakness. 1. His friend on conditions (John 15:14, A. To make His strength perfect in our 15). weakness. VIII. M y M a s t e r a n d L o r d B. To cause His power to rest on us. “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye C. To make all grace abound toward say well; for so I am” (John 13:13). us, that we always, having all suf­ 1. The unbelieving recognize Him as ficiency in all things, may abound such (Luke 17:13). unto every geod work (II Cor. 9:8). 2. He is Lord of all (Acts 2:36). D. To give us great faith in times of I X . M y C o m i n g K in g weariness and depression. “The King of kings” (I Tim. 6:15). E. To inspire our minds in time of in­ 1. He has all power (Matt. 28:18; Rev. tellectual need. 17:14). F. To supply every spiritual need 2. He bears His name on His own body (Eph. 1:3). (Rev. 19:16). I. All-sufficient to save and cleanse from —J. S. L e h m a n in Gospel Banner. all sin. A. To forgive us our sins and to cleanse + us from all unrighteousness. B. To cleanse us from all sin. (I John The Reality of God 1:7). T e x t —He that hath my commandments, C. To give us victory over temptation and keepeth them, he it is that loveth and the devil.—R a l p h A. M i c k e l . me: and he that loveth me shall be loved + of m y Father, and I will love him and The Lord Is M y Portion will manifest myself to him (John 14:21). I ntroduction —Fellowship between God (The following outline may serve for and man was broken in the fall. Before two sermons, the second message begin­ that the manifestation of God to Adam ning with point V ) . and Eve was an everyday affair evidently. Text—Psalm 91:2. But through the atonement made by Christ I. M y S a v i o u r the restoration of fellowship is made pos­ “The Son of God, who loved me, and sible. It is evident men desire contact gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). with God. This is the reason that even the 1. Mary recognized Christ as her Sa­ heathen seek through their idols to have viour (Luke 1:47). contact with something or someone more II. M y P e a c e powerful than themselves. This seems to “Peace with God through our Lord be a universal desire. We may there­ Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). fore set forth the fact that: 1. He died to make it our peace (John 14:27). I. T h e M anifestation o f G o d I s D e ­ 2. Thinking of Christ brings peace s i r a b l e . With Job mankind may well say, (Isa. 26:3). “Oh that I knew where I might find him!” III. M y S h e p h e r d (Job 23:3). Job goes on to say, “Behold, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psa. 23:1). I go forward, but he is not there; and 1. The good shepherd (John 10:11). backward, but I cannot perceive him: on 2. Welcoming the wanderer (I Peter the left hand, where he doth work, but 2:25). I cannot behold him: he hideth himself IV. M y H o p e on the right hand, that I cannot see him.” “If in this life only we have hope in Job seemed not at this time to have been Christ, we are of all men most miser­ able to get in contact with God and was able” (I Cor. 15:19). content to console himself by saying, “But 1. The righteous have hope in death he knoweth the way that I take: when he (Prov. 14:32). hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” 2. The coming of Christ the hope of Many other instances could be given of the righteous (Tit. 2:13; Col. 1:23-27). men seeking to secure conscious contact with God, thus indicating, as suggested, V. M y J o y a n d S t r e n g t h Neh. 8:10: “For the joy of the Lord is that the manifestation of God is a very your (my) strength” (Psa. 27:1; John desirable experience. Since this is true 15:11). it is a happy discovery to know that: VI. M y C o n s t a n t C o m p a n i o n I I . G o d W i l l M a n i f e s t H i m s e l f U n d e r Heb. 13:5: “For he hath said, I will C e r t a i n C o n d i t i o n s . When God was giv­ never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Ex. ing Moses instructions as to how to build 33:14). the tabernacle and place the different 1. He warms the heart (Luke 24:32). pieces of furniture we read in Exodus 2. Triune fellowship (John 14:23; I 25:21, 22, “Thou shalt put the mercy seat John 1:3). above upon the ark; and in the ark thou January-February, 1945 45 shalt put the testimony that I shall give It is love in company; it vaunteth not thee. And there will I meet with thee, itself, is not spectacular. It has higher and I will commune with thee from above aims than for show. the mercy seat, from between the two 5. P erseverance —How is perseverance cherubims which are upon the ark of the connected with love? testimony, of all things which I will give It is love on a journey, with a good thee in commandment unto the children of “forgettery,” pressing toward the mark Israel.” In those times God was approach­ for the prize. able only through certain persons and 6. J o y —How is joy (in the Holy Ghost) under certain circumstances. But with connected with love? the rending of the veil of the temple at It is love making its own sunshine, while the time of the death of Christ a way others are in gloom. The pure in heart was made for all men into the holiest of have the sunshine maker within them. all, but still under conditions God has 7. P o w e r —How is power connected with explicitly set forth in the Bible. No par­ love? ticular place, no particular man, and no It is love in efficiency, to m ove men to particular ceremony is necessary in order God, causing the chariot wheels of salva­ to secure contact with God. But it is tion to roll on. — The Congregational necessary to observe: Methodist Messenger. III. C o n d i t i o n s U n d e r W h i c h G o d M a n i f e s t s H i m s e l f . These are set forth + in the text as given at the beginning of this page: The Fruit of the Spirit 1. We must have God’s commandments. (Gal. 5:23-24) Jesus says “he that hath my command­ ments.” These commandments doubtless 1. Love—the grace that enlarges. The include the ten of the Old Testament as motive power of all true Christian service, interpreted in the New Testament and (John 13:34, 35; Romans 5:5; I John 4:19). His great love commandment. 2. Joy—the grace that enlivens. The 2. We must keep these commandments. spiritual effulgence of an unfettered life. To have them and not keep them would (John 15:11; 16:24; I Peter 1:8; Jude 24). be to neglect opportunity. 3. Peace—the grace that guards. The 3. We must love God. In the 15th verse of Christian’s spiritual sense of eternal se­ the same chapter from which the text is curity. (John 14:27; 16:33; Rom. 5:1; II taken we read, “If ye love me, keep my Peter 3:14). commandments.” The test of the gen­ 4. Longsuffering—the grace that en­ uineness of a person’s love for God is dures. The Christian spirit of trustful the extent to which he regards the com­ consideration (Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12; II Tim. mandments of God. 4:2). The result, if these conditions are ful­ 5. Gentleness—the grace that encour­ filled is, that God will manifest Himself ages. The Christian spirit of compassion. to the seeker. The person who thus ad­ (II Tim. 2:24; James 3:17; II Cor. 10:1). justs himself to the rules of communion 6. Goodness—the grace that influences. with God will receive from Him some The manifestation of Christian righteous­ manifestation in addition to the mere men­ ness. Rom. 15:14; II Thess. 1:11; Eph. tal conception.— W i l l i a m M . S m i t h in The Gospel Minister. 5:19). 7. Faith—the grace that appropriates. The “title deed” to the spiritual resources + of the kingdom of God. Rom. 1:17; Gal. 2:20; James 2:17; I John 5:4). Seven Elements of Love 8. Meekness—the grace that strengthens. 1. P a t i e n c e —How is patience connected Spiritual power harnessed for service. with love? Matt. 11:29; I Tim. 6:11; Tit. 3:2; I Peter It is love on the anvil, bearing blow 3:4). after blow of afflictions and sufferings 9. Temperance—the grace that over­ —without murmuring. comes. The Christian’s spirit of self-con­ 2. P e a c e —How is peace connected with trol. (I Cor. 9:25; II Peter 1:6). love? What a blessing it is to be a fruit-bear­ It is love without condemnation, which ing Christian. Such a life, however, calls passeth understandings and misunder­ for a willing response to Romans 12:1-21. standings. When the Lord Jesus Christ came forth 3. Z e a l —How is zeal connected with love? from the tomb, He left His grave clothes It is not fanaticism, but love in the behind. They were unbecoming and un­ harvest field, never becoming discouraged necessary to His glorified, risen body. in toil. Since all who are saved are reckoned as 4. M e e k n e s s —How is meekness connected being crucified, buried, and risen with with love? Him, we too are to leave in the grave of 46 The Preacher's Magazine our dead selves, the garments of our ship the apostle and his helpers had worldly nature. The works of the flesh founded a year or two before (Acts must give way to the fruit of the Spirit. 17:1-9). The apostle had a concern for What is the secret of a fruit-bearing them, like that of a nursing mother for life?— her children. (I Thess. 11:7); they were 1. Abide in Christ (John 15:5). his hope, his joy and his crown (2:19); 2. Live in the Word of God (Col. 3:16). if they prospered spiritually he couid 3. Pray without ceasing (I Thess. 5:17). rest and rejoice (3:8-9). 4. Yield to the Holy Spirit (Heb. 12:11). His central message to them is in the 5. Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus words: “This is the will of God even Christ (Col. 3:17). your sanctification; his final prayer for 6. Keep the channel of the heart free them is “the very God of peace sanctify from sin (Matt. 12:35). you wholly.” 7. Practice the presence of God (John What is the state of the Church whose 14:25). final need is expressed in the word sanc- — F. W il l ia m M a y in The Gospel Message. ification? St. Paul, wise teacher that he was, starts with words of encouragement and commendation. These believers have at least four marks of worthiness. God’s Tithe 1. They had turned to God from idols T e x t —Malachi 3:10 (with context). (1:9). They had been truly converted. I. G o d ’ s C h a r g e (vs. 8, 9). For many of them it had been a literal A. “Ye have robbed me.” turning from idols; for all of them, 1. In tithes. whether Jew or Gentile, it had meant 2. In offerings. a very definite crisis. II. G o d ’ s C o m m a n d ( v . 1 0 a ) . A. Bring ye all the tithes into the store­ 2. They had a living experience of Christ. house.” They were in the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1. Bring your tithe. This experience expressed itself in 2. Bring all the tithe. their “work of faith and labour of 3. Bring it into the storehouse. love.” “That there may be meat in mine 3. They had borne a bold witness and house.” suffered for the faith. Indeed they II. G o d ’ s C h a l l e n g e ( v . 1 0 b ) were examples to others in this respect A. “Prove me now herewith.” (1:7). 1. A challenge to action and faith. 4. They were eagerly looking for the Lord 2. Prove me with your tithe. Jesus (1:10). 3. Now. Surely these were model Christians. 4. Blessings promised. According to our diluted modern stand­ a) A poured out blessing. ards they may have been. Yet they did b) An overflowing blessing. not reach the apostolic standard. The c) A promise of fruitage.—D e l m o n t apostle is anxious to come to them in per­ B o w d e n . son that he might “perfect that which is lacking in their faith.” His prayer for • them is that they may “be stablished in The Prayer heart unblamable in holiness.” Thus he leads them on to where he can say, “This For Entire Sanctification is the will of God, even your sanctifica­ This is the will of God, even your sanc­ tion.” tification (I Thess. 4:3). In the opening verses of chapter 4 he The very God of peace sanctify you hints at some of the things that spoil the wholly; and I pray God your whole fellowship. What are they? First, sen­ spirit and soul and body be preserved suality, rooted in that desire to have for blameless unto the coming of our Lord oneself which is the essence of lust; then, Jesus Christ. deception, taking advantage of a brother Faithful is he that calleth you who also for one’s own ends; and, finally, lack of will do it (I Thess. 5:23, 24). brotherly love. Not a pleasant list, yet This letter, the First Epistle to the often found among those calling them­ Thessalonians, is of special value, as the selves saints. What is the remedy for earliest Christian letter. It was written these sad failings? For the first, the cure within thirty years of the day when those of heart purity; for the second, holiness first disciples saw their Lord ascend. No of life; and for the third, perfect love. Wonder there breathes through it the ar­ And all these are summed up in the great dent hope of His return. It is a letter term “Sanctification.” It involves the full of earnest inquiry and tender solici­ cleansing of the nature, the setting right tude for the welfare of that little fellow­ of the life, and the infilling of the Spirit January-February, 1945 47 whose ministry it is to shed abroad the believe He is the faithful One, why not love of God in the heart. trust Him to do it now! The contribution of this epistle to the great doctrine of scriptural holiness is “Saviour, to thee my soul looks up, threefold. My present Saviour Thou! In all the confidence of hope, I—S anctification Is t h e W i l l o f G od I claim the blessing now. The value of this statement depends on our interpretation of “the will of God.” “ ’Tis done! Thou dost this moment save, According to the popular notion, it is With full salvation bless; something to be endured. That is a per­ Redemption through Thy blood I have, version of the true Christian ideal. The And spotless love and peace.”—D. W. will of God is something in which we L a m b e r t , M. A., in The Flame. should glory. It is the final purpose of God for our lives, and apart from His • will there is no rest of heart or mind. In His will is our peace. Therefore we T e x t — Love not the world, neither the must seek to realize the fulfillment of the things that are in the world. If any man divine will in our sanctification. love the world, the love of the Father is The will of God implies purpose, power not in him. For all that is in the world, and perfection. Human wills often fail of the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the purpose, lacking the power and so leaving eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the the task incomplete. The divine purpose Father, but is of the world (I John 2:15, in our sanctification is empowered by the 16).

divine energy which finds its perfection I ntroduction in a complete work. “Infiltration”—a word used in military II. S anctification Is t h e W o r k o f G o d . circles; meaning “to enter or penetrate, thus forming an abnormal accumul­ This blessing is not the outcome of hu­ ation.” man effort. It is the work of the divine Abounding iniquity everywhere; be­ Spirit. Because it is His work, it is defi­ ware how we permit its waters to seep nite and complete. It covers the whole of into our boat, “Love not the world.” life. Body, soul and spirit are to be sanc­ Three ways it can inundate us: tified wholly and preserved blameless. Its I. “ I n f a t u a t i o n ”— “the lust of the flesh” effect is a setting apart for holy service, —moral wrecks everywhere. a cleansing from all inward defilement, II . “ I n f e c t i o n ”— “lust of the eyes”— desire apd an infilling of divine power. This is a for the material; big wages, to the ex­ task too great for human effort and spir­ clusion of the spiritual. itual culture. It is the work of God in A. Gehazi. the believing soul that comes to him in B. Eve. self-despair and complete surrender, I I I . “ I n f l a t i o n — “the pride of life” claiming by faith an inheritance among Ego—the enemy of humility. the sanctified. —L e o C. D a v i s . III. S anctification Is f o r t h e G l o r y o f • G od The end of this blessing is not that we God’s Holy Things should become spiritually superior. The Are You Neglccting Them? end is that God himself shall be glorified. S c r ip t u r e — Psalm 145:17 The effect of this mighty experience on I ntroduction —In scripture many persons, the Apostle Paul, on John Wesley, on Wil­ places, things holy. Holiness has to do liam Booth and countless others was to with Him. To Moses, “Put off thy make them into flaming evangelists, ut­ shoes.” In Ezekiel 22:26, the charge terly forgetful of themselves and deeply against backsliders, “Put no difference.” concerned for the glory of God and the In Luke 1:74, 75, Serve in Holiness. salvation of souls. “Then shall the heathen Note four things— know that I am the Lord when I am sanc­ I. T h e L o r d ’ s D a y (Joel 1:15) tified in you before their eyes.” The sancti­ A. Fourth Commandment. fication of believers is an essential step to­ B. Luke 4:16, Jesus kept it. wards the evangelization of them that are C. Rev. 1:10, Sabbath superseded by without. When God is glorified in our The Lord’s Day. lives, then others will seek our Saviour. D. Joel’s time: Locusts, opposing army Those who are sanctified wholly by their allowed for disobedience. lives show forth His praise and His glory. II. T h e H o l y S c r i p t u r e s (II T i m . 3:15). The promise is: “Faithful is he that A. Able to build up, bring salvation. calleth you who will also do it.” If you B. Eternal destiny determined by use.

48 The Preacher's Magazine C. Gallup survey states, “Ten in one shoes, but I got in the habit of shaking hundred read the Bible.” my shoes every time before putting them D. War, tragedy, death—if not turn on when I was in India.” “Why did you to Bible now; will the people ever? do it there?” “To shake out the scorpions i n . G o d ’ s M o n e y (Mai. 3:8-10) or centipedes or other vermin that might A. Why Christians should tithe be hidden in them.” “But you don’t need (Luke 10:7). to do it here, for we don’t have such B. Melchizedek the example creatures here to crawl into our shoes.” (Gen. 28:22). “I know, but I formed the habit and now C. “ The tithe is mine, saith the Lord.” I do it without thinking.” “Habit is a D. Mai. 3:10 a challenge to try in queer thing, isn’t it?” said the boy. “ It’s home, business, church. a very strong thing,” said Grandpa. “Re­ member that, my boy. A habit is a chain IV. H o l y C h u r c h (Eph. 5:27) that grows stronger each day, and it A. Gave Himself for it. seems as if bad habits grow strong faster B. That it might be holy. than good ones. If you want to have a C. Heb. 10:24, 25— Forsake it not. good habit when you are old, form it D. Christ did not neglect apostles, organization, officers, meeting time while you are young.” or place.—L . E. S t o v e r . Habit is a double-edged axe; if it cuts one way to destroy, it also cuts the other • way to build. The power of a good habit is as strong as that of a bad one. The wise The Force of Habit man of Proverbs has aptly said, “Train up a'child in the way he should go; and when 1 beseech you, brethren, ye know the he is old, he will not depart from it.” house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted It has been said of habit, that it soon themselves to the ministry of the saints becomes our master. At first it comes as (I Cor. 16:15). a caller, then as a guest and at last a A habit holds tremendous power over master. So the little child learns to walk, an individual. Every person has acquired to talk and to act in its own peculiar way. some habits, either good or bad. Some The child learns to play the piano by habits have made such a firm grip on us, first acquiring the elementary principles. that it is well-nigh impossible to break Training the nerves in the fingers to touch them. certain keys until a course of habit is laid A habit is an acquired, fixed way of and the child can play without watching acting. Anything acting in a certain way the movement of the hands and fingers. once tends to act the same way again. Memory likewise is a matter of habit. A piece of paper folded on a line forms We begin to associate ideas by linking a crease along which it folds more easily two or more ideas together once, and the second time. All material substances very likely when the one comes to us are subject to this fixed law. A new we at once associate it with the other. machine runs more smoothly after it has Association of ideas, objects and person­ been used for a time, for all the parts be­ alities is likewise closely allied with habit. come adjusted to the action. A new suit of clothes fits the body better after Actions peculiar to each individual are it is worn a number of times. Only- after largely a matter of habit. We come to know people by their walk. We identify it assumes the form of the figure will it follow the movement of the body and be­ people by their talk. We listen to des­ come comfortable to the wearer. criptions given of certain individuals and we say, “We know them, for that is the Organic beings are more pliable than way they conduct themselves.” inorganic substances and quickly fall into a groove of action. The human body is The Apostle Paul presents to his readers highly plastic and subject to habits. the household of Stephanas. A beautiful Muscles and nerves acting in one way tribute is paid it of a noble service ren­ tend to repeat the action which in time dered to the saints. “They have addicted grow and act the same way. themselves to the ministry of the saints.” A habit is like a strong iron chain. It This family had found the joy of full sal­ is difficult to break. A grandpa was be­ vation. In fact they are designated as the ing observed by his grandson as he put firstfruits of Achaia. To them Christian­ on his shoes each morning. The lad ity was more than a static doctrine. They inquired, “Why do you always turn over embodied its concepts and principles into your shoes and shake them before you a definite set of action. They busied put them on?” “Did I?” said Grandpa. themselves with the needs of their fellow- “Why, yes you did, and I didn’t see any­ Christians. They became addicts to con­ thing drop out.” Grandpa laughed. “I structive and practical Christian service. didn’t notice that I shook and turned my Others in need felt the impact of these

January-February, 1945 49 devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The it with, any individual or organization. He church is especially exhorted to engage alone builds His Church. in the ministry of good works. “As we The Church of Jesus Christ is composed have therefore opportunity let us do good of very carefully selected material. It is unto all men, especially unto them who preprocessed material, that is, it passes are of the household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10). through a divinely provided process “But to do good and to communicate for­ whereby it is rendered fit for incorpora­ get not: for with such sacrifices God is tion into the Church. In the process, the well pleased” (Heb. 13:16). individual is saved from his sins, regen­ May we, too, as God’s people who have erated by the divine Spirit, and subse­ been blessed with spiritual and physical quently purged from all moral defile­ blessings, seek to emulate the house of ment and thus made holy. This process is Stephanas by addicting ourselves to the a miracle of divine grace. There is no ministry of the saints. God will open other means by which this can be ac­ doors of opportunity and bring us in complished. We have a foregleam of this touch with those who can be reached and process in the construction of Solomon’s won into the family of the redeemed. temple. It is a picture of the Church of Jesus Christ. All the stone, wood and For the church to be addicted to the other material that went into the temple ministry of the saints, by prayer, by send­ building was preprocessed. “There was ing forth the Gospel and by distribution neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of to man’s physical want is indeed a good iron heard in the house, while it was in habit.—R e v . A r j i i n C . S t e in e r in The building.” So Jesus Christ is extremely Missionary Worker. selective in His choice of material. Of course, whosoever will may come, but whosoever comes must submit to the rigid requirements and conditions of disciple- ship. Now what are these? Jesus said, Who Is a Christian? "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, The unrighteous shall not inherit the and follow me.” There must be unquali­ kingdom of God (I Cor. 6:9). fied devotion to Christ and to His cause. Jesus selected His original disciples with Then there are certain well-defined extreme caution. St. Luke says that the moral standards. The Church of Christ night before He went into the mountain is a holy church. It is an exclusive com­ to pray and continued all night in prayer munity of Christian believers; they are to God. The following day He chose the spiritually cleansed and rendered morally twelve whom He named Apostles; these pure. The popular church is not thus He instructed and disciplined with ex­ exclusive; its policy is to admit almost any treme care. They witnessed His miracles; kind of filler, with little regard to fitness. they were taught concerning the kingdom But fortunately, the way into the kingdom of God; they proclaimed His Messiahship. of God is not by way of church mem­ They shared His popularity and His op­ bership, nor is discipleship determined on position; they saw Him rejected by His that basis. The popular church peddles own people, and finally crucified. They that pernicious, nonsensical and unscrip- witnessed His resurrection, saw Him alive, tural doctrine of the “Fatherhood of God heard His words, ate with Him, and at the and the brotherhood of man.” Thus an end of forty days saw Him ascend into effort is being made to revise the system heaven. They retired to the upper room, revealed by Jesus Christ, the only Head in obedience to His command, and there of the Church. they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, This high standard admits of no modi­ thus equipping them to carry out the fication. On the basis of this standard, one Great Commission. Thus began the ex­ is either a Christian or he is not a Chris­ pansion of what Jesus called His Church. tian, regardless of his profession or church Concerning it, He declared, “ Upon this affiliation. The Word says, As a man rock I will build my church; and the gates thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The of hell shall not prevail against it.” modern church is perilously biased in its Note two extremely important state­ thinking. It reasons away from God, ments in connection with this declaration: hence its premises are false. Like disap­ First, the foundation; second the Builder. pointed Naaman, the leper, they are say­ The unshakable rock of Christ’s deity, ing, “I thought,” while the prophet of the and His oneness with the Father is trie Lord authoritatively commanded, “This foundation of the Church. Jesus Christ do!” “Dip!” We have a vast surplus of is the exclusive Builder of the Church. He institutionalism, ritualism, ceremonialism, has at no time relinquished this preroga­ and religious mechanics piled up, but there tive, nor has He transferred it to, or shared is an astounding famine of the Word of 50 The Preacher's Magazine God and true Christian character. The groans of agony from the dying, and the majority of church members spend far faint moans of millions of starving hu­ more money for personal pleasure than man beings, “God bless America”? God they give for the kingdom of God. They will bless America when America re­ are poisoning their bodies—which ac­ turns to the faith of her fathers, and blesses cording to the Bible, are to be the temples God. of the Holy Ghost—with alcohol and nico­ Unfortunately, the popular conception of tine. Marital infidelity is regarded as having no relation to Christian disciple- Christianity has deteriorated to a neo­ ship; the moral code is supplanted by the pagan { hilosophic adulteration—a kind of philosophy of free-loveism, with its ac­ floating theology without authority of di­ companying lack of restraint and unbridled rection, save that of the multifarious lust. Lying is considered a minor fault; dreams of unguided minds. The words of profanity is not regarded inconsistent with Jesus Christ are by no means regarded as Christian profession, and dishonesty in final. Indeed, His teaching is perceived buying or selling is labeled good business. to be only an interesting sidelight, a mere Pleasure is purchased at places of amuse­ piece in the complex kaleidoscopic pat­ ment which scoff at virtue and purity; tern of uninspired religious thought. Hav­ church members frequent night clubs, par­ ing denied the divinity and eternity of take in licentious dances and various Jesus Christ, He is forthwith compelled to forms of dissipation. The Lord’s Day is take His place, in their thinking, on the desecrated without restraint. Books and low level of fallen humanity. Having cru­ magazines which reek with sex filth and cified Him physically upon a cross of wood, sensual suggestion clutter the library He is summarily crucified spiritually upon shelves of these so-called Christian homes. a cross of liberal speculation, thus filling And all this is almost wholly unopposed up the measure of human rejection. Cal­ and unchallenged in the average modern vary did not sufficiently annihilate Him; pulpit. He rose again from that death; it was therefore deemed necessary to destroy Him Are we to infer from this that these by destroying His teaching. To kill, if practices are not necessarily unchristian? possible, His living words, “The words that Does it go under the wide sweep of toler­ I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they ance and broad-mindedness? Evangelism are life” (John 6:63). This is attempted is writhing in the agony of its death strug­ by sacrificing them upon the altar of high­ gle. The prayer meeting is rapidly be­ er learning, decked in the swanky garb of coming an interesting relic of ecclesiastical liberalism, thus destroying in the minds of antiquity. Family worship is outmoded the people at large, the element of divine and radically old-fashioned. The Bible is authority and eternal finality. But Jesus retained as a handy reference book. Re­ Christ shall rise from this death also. He vivals are a hangover of primitive reli­ will not always be crucified in the minds gious enthusiasm. But what saith the of the masses by the cruel hands of His scripture, “Know ye not that the unright­ traitors. God shall not suffer His holy eous shall not inherit the kingdom of One to see corruption in the dark sepul­ God? Be not deceived: neither fornica­ cher of modern theology. He shall not be tors, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ef­ led away from the multitude for whom He feminate, nor abusers of themselves with gave His life. He shall not be hidden from mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor the eyes of those who seek Him, in the fog drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, and mist of modern skepticism. shall inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. Once more the cry shall resound in the 6:9, 10). And, further, “Now the works of high places, and in the deep haunts of the flesh are manifest, which are these, human woe, “Behold the Lamb of God, Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasci­ which taketh away the sin of the world!” viousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, va­ And when that time comes—and soon it riance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, will—the people will immediately forsake heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, their false teachers, and sit at the feet of revelings, and such like: of the which I tell Him who spake as never man spake. They you before, as I have also told you in time will gladly take His yoke upon them, sit past, that they which do such things shall at His feet and learn of Him who is meek not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gala­ tians 5:19-21). and lowly in heart, and there they shall find rest unto their souls. This will herald Shall we be tolerant of these things and the dawn of a new day for America, the regard them as inconsequential? Shall day long prayed for, when a much-needed we lightly regard it while we piously pray, religious revival shall sweep the land. The in the face of lurid skies over burning Son of man once more shall speak, and cities, the smoke of many battles, the hide­ He shall speak in His characteristic sim­ ous sight of mangled flesh, the roar of plicity, truths which the common people thousands of guns, the blood-curdling shall hear and understand. The brow of January-February, 1945 51 Christ has been crowned with a sharp nessing command, and the word of thorn wreath of skeptical criticism, but command. It fulfills the law, and that brow shall bear the diadem of loving fashions living, and furthers labors. devotion, placed there by the now deluded We have the authority, and the ap­ masses who shall quickly depose their peal, and the award of the command. treacherous leaders. In unstained hands, 3. The Truth of the Call. “He which they shall—“Bring forth the royal diadem, hath called you is holy, so be ye holy And crown Him Lord of all!”—E r n e s t E. in all manner of conversation” (v. G r o s s e . 15). We are called out of darkness to light, and from death to life, and from + depravity to liberty. We have the calling of sons, and the calling of saints, and the calling to separation. Expository Outlines We must hear the call, and heed the Purified Souls call; it is a holy call. III. T h e O b j e c t iv e — “See that ye love one Seeing you have purified your souls in another with a pure heart fervently.” obeying the truth through the Spirit (I 1. The Fountain of Love. This is the Peter 1:21). purified heart. Love has its residence I ntroduction in the heart, and its resources in the In the light of such scriptures no one heart, and its righteousness in the can possibly doubt that sin can be re­ heart. Love is a power, and a pas­ moved from the soul, and that purified sion, and a pleasure. Love does not persons can live according to the law of waver, nor weary, nor withhold. the Lord. If these persons had such 2. The Fervency of Love. “Love with a spiritual privileges, and come into such pure heart fervently” is the word of gracious experiences, then we boldly say truth. It must warm, and warn, and that all persons can find the freedom of win men for God. It must cover soul in the Saviour. faults, comfort the fainting, and con­ vert the fallen. Love must melt men, I. T h e O b t a i n m e n t — “Ye have purified move men, and minister to men. your souls in obeying the truth.” 3. The Force of Love. It constrains, and it 1. The Responsibility. These had met compels, and it carries burdens. Love their responsibility to God, and had gave us redemption; the Son, and the accepted the gracious provision in Spirit, and the Father are expres­ Christ. We must move to the merits sions of love that lifts men to purity in order to obtain the measure of and place before God. Love is a force grace offered. We see it, and seek that can conquer hate, and confirm it, and secure it. hope, and complete happiness. Love 2. The Realization. They obtained a has forgiveness, and favor, and fel­ pure soul. This was a realized fact lowship. Love cannot be broken, of heart experience. In the soul is nor barred, nor banished. It endures, the dwelling sin, and the desires of endears, and endows. Love never sin, and the defilement of sin. This fails, never falters, and never for­ purity reached the body of sin, and sakes.—T. M. A n d e r s o n . the bondage of sin, and the bent to sin. • 3. The Relationship. “That your faith Christ’s Concern and hope might be in God.” (Ver. 21). Our hope is in God, our holiness is Casting all your care upon him; for he in God, and our help is in God. He careth for you (I Peter 5:7). gives power, protection, and the pro­ I ntroduction vision. We know that God’s people are very II. T h e O b e d ie n c e — “Obeying the truth precious to Him. He has bought them through the Spirit.” at a great cost. He has a deep concern 1. The Truth of the Cost. “Redeemed for them; and invites them to cast all their .... with the precious blood of interests upon Him. He is their burden- Christ” (vs. 18, 19). Not redeemed bearer, and their burden-sharer. with gold and silver, but with blood. I. His C a r e f o r O u r C r o w n i n g — “ Ye shall This is the precious blood, and the receive a crown of glory” (v. 4). price of blood, and the purging of 1. The witnessing. “A witness of the blood. He was the Lamb of God, and sufferings of Christ” (v. 1). Christ the love of God, and is the life of suffered to save us, and to secure us, God. and to satisfy us with life. We 2. The Truth of the Command. “Be ye witness by practice, and by profes­ holy, for I am holy” (v. 16). We have sion, and preaching. Our tasks, and the written command, and the wit­ trials, and triumphs witness for Him. 52 The Preacher's Magazine 2. The working. “Feed the flock of ence of sin, and from the power of God” (v. 2). They feed on the prom­ sin, and from the possibility of sin. ises, and by the preaching of the No more tempter, no more tempta­ truth. The Word of truth strengthens, tions, no more trials to be endured. and satisfies, and supplies all needed A prepared people in a prepared to survive, and suffer, and serve, in place. The glory will be His pres­ a world of death, disobedience, and ence, and His pleasure, and we His defeat. people.—T. M. A n d e r s o n . 3. The willingness. “Not by constraint, but willingly.” No one should serve • reluctantly. Be patient, pure, and a pattern to the flock. “Ensamples.” Sanctification of the Spirit Never serve for money, nor mastery, Sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience but of a ready mind (See vs. 2-3). and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus II. His C ar e in O u r C o n f l ic t s —“Be Christ (I Peter 1:2). sober, be vigilant; because your adver­ I ntroduction sary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” The “elect” mentioned in this passage are the called-out ones; the separated and 1. Resist with grace. With poise, “Be sanctified saints. The “fore-knowledge sober.” And with perception, “Be of God” evidently means that God fore­ vigilant.” And with power, “Resist knew that not all the sons of Adam would steadfast in the faith” (vs. 8-9). The choose to remain in sin if given a choice of enemy: A person, “The devil.” His free grace. These called-out ones re­ power, “your adversary.” His pur­ sponded to the call, and God has cleansed pose, “Seeking whom he may de­ them through the sanctification of the vour.” Spirit. 2. Rely on God. Rest your burdens on I. T h e ir H o l in e s s —“Sanctification of the Him. “Casting all your care upon Spirit, unto obedience.” him.” Remain faithful, fearless, and in faith. Prayer, and patience, per­ 1. The cleansing. The merit of cleans­ severance. To be restful in God, be ing is in the “sprinkling of the blood.” confident, contrite, and committed The blood provided it, and purchased fully to Him. it, and purged the heart, making it clean. The Spirit applies the means, 3. Reinforced by grace. “God resisteth and gives the full measure of the the proud, and giveth grace to the cleansing. The Spirit reveals sin, humble” (v. 5). This is the plenti- releases us from sin, and resides in tude of grace, the power of grace, the soul. and the promise of grace. Grace for the holy, and the humble, and for 2. The conduct. “Unto obedience.” their help. Grace for strength, and Obedient in life, and in labors, and for service, and for submission. in love. Obedient in suffering, and sacrifice, and service. Obedient in III. His C a r e fo r O u r C o m p l e t io n —“The worship, and willingness, and wit­ God of all grace .... make you perfect.” nessing. 1. The sufficiency. “All grace.” Eternal 3. The calling. There is a holy calling, source, the eternal supply, and the the high calling, and heavenly call­ eternal Spirit to make this grace ing. In the calling we have comfort, available to all His saints. When contentment, and calmness. We have final completion is ours, it will mean peace, and praise, and patience. In perfected in heaven, and in happi­ the calling we are elected, endowed, ness, and in the heritage of everlast­ and endeared. ing life, love and likeness. II. T h e ir H er ita g e —“An inheritance in­ 2. The suffering. “After that ye have corruptible, and undefiled, and that suffered a while.” We suffer for His fadeth not away” (vs. 4-5). will, and for His work; and for His 1. The inheritance is reserved. It is Word. Suffer for righteousness, and “reserved in heaven for you.” God for relationship, and for reward. has not yet bestowed all His gifts Suffer in hope, and in heart, and in upon His people, some are awaiting humanity, the body. Sufferings the time chosen of the Father. The “perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle rest in heaven, the realization in you.” heaven, and the revelation of heaven 3. The salvation. “Called us unto his is yet to come. They will have a eternal glory by Christ Jesus.” Etern­ likeness, and a liberty, and a love ally in glory, and eternally in God, in measure yet unknown. and eternally in gladness. In this 2. The inheritance is revealed. The calling we are saved from the pres­ heritage is disclosed in three terms: January-February, 1945 53 “Incorruptible, and undefiled, and vation; and so long as we are on the side fadeth not away.” This means un­ of righteousness we are on the safe side. dying, and undefiled, and undimmed I. T h e P r o v is i o n o f God—“He that spared in splendor. They will never know not his own Son” (v. 3 2 ) . death, nor defilement, nor disap­ 1. A Supreme Gift. The unsparing God pointment. gave us His only Son. The unselfish 3. The inheritance is a reward. It is God made the supreme sacrifice; it given to those who “are kept by the required Him to redeem us all. How power of God unto salvation ready to deep, how desperate, and how de­ be revealed in the last time.” It is praved must mankind be to be saved the reward for faith, and fidelity, and at such a sacrifice. fruitfulness. The reward of affec­ 2. The Surrendered God. “He delivered tion, and for achievements, - and at him up for us all.” He surrendered His appearing. the Son to die that in tasting death III. T h e i r H a p p i n e s s —“Ye rejoice with He might triumph in deliverance of joy unspeakable and full of glory” (v. souls from sin and Satan. The Vic­ 8). tim of the cross made possible the 1. Rejoice in the trial of faith. “Ye victorious Christians; the vicarious greatly rejoice, though now for a sea­ sufferings for the victims of sin. son, if need be, ye are in heaviness 3. The S u f f i c i e n c y G i v e n . “How shall through manifold temptations” (v. he not with him also freely give us all 6). One may be in heaviness, yet things?” If we have been given the not hopeless nor helpless. Heavi­ Supreme Gift, it is to be expected ness is not the darkness of sin, nor that all lesser things will be given. All these things must work together the defeat of sin, neither the despair for our good, and His glory. Every of sin. We may be pressed, per­ good thing for living, and loving, and plexed, and pursued by the enemy, laboring. yet have victory in faith, and vision through faith. II. T h e P u r p o s e o f G od—“T o them who 2. Rejoice in the treasure of faith. “Your are the called according to his pur­ faith, being much more precious than p o s e ” (v. 2 8 ) . gold that perisheth.’” The way of 1. The Called. “Whom he did predes­ faith, the work of faith, and the walk tinate, them he also called” (v. 3 0 ). by faith are evidences of its value. The invitation is extended to all; the Faith has preception, it has power, insistent call, and the imploring call. and it holds the promises. It never The call of God, and the call to grace, fails, it never faints, and never for­ and the call to glory. Called by His sakes. Spirit, and by His servants, and by 3. Rejoice in the triumph of faith. “Re­ His Son. We must hear it, and heed ceiving the end of your faith, even it and honor it by obedience. the salvation of your souls” (v. 9). 2. The Conformity. “To be conformed This final salvation, finished salva­ to the image of his Son” (v. 2 9 ) . God tion, and full salvation. We have has purposed that we shall be like salvation in the heart, and in hope, His Son. He has determined that we and in the end, heaven. Faith tri­ shall be fully - recovered to the image umphs because it believes in His of Christ, which we lost in the fall. person, and in His provision, and in Not equality, but an express image of moral purity; He will produce this His promise. We come to an ex­ pattern by the power of the Spirit. perience through faith, and we are 3. The Consummation. “And whom he enabled through faith, and will come justified, them he also glorified” (v. to eternal life by faith.—T. M. A n d e r ­ 3 0 ) . In the crowning day we shall be s o n . glorified in bodies like His own glori­ ous body. We shall see His glory, • and share His glory, and shout with His glory. Lesson Reading: Romans 8:26-39 III. T h e P r o t e c t io n o f God—“If God be T e x t —If God be for us, who can be against for us.” us? (Romans 8:31). 1. Who shall charge us? “Who shall lay I ntroduction any thing to the charge of God’s The question, “Who can be against us?” elect? It is God that justifieth” (v. This does not imply that no one is against 3 3 ) . A charge is a court proceedings; us; the “who” is evidently the hostile but who can get a case in the court forces led by Satan. But no matter who is of God against His elect? He has against us, we have God for us; and He is cleared them in a just proceedings, a majority in any conflict with evil. He and for Christ’s sake has pardoned has put the element of safety in our sal­ them and purified them. We are pro-

54 The Preacher's Magazine tected against all further complaints 3. Who shall conquer us? “We are more of the devil or wicked men. than conquerors through him that 2. Who shall condemn us? “Who is he loved us” (v. 37). We have our in­ that condemneth? It is Christ that firmities, but we have His intercession died.” All condemnation has been to help us. Our persecutions are lifted by the death of Jesus. We have met by His prayers; our sufferings been delivered from the sentence of met by His strength; and our tribula­ sin, and will not pay the penalty now tions are met by His triumph over for broken law. We are not sinners, the tempter. Nothing shall separate but saints; we are not criminals, but us from His love; nothing shall break Christians; we are not rebels, but the bonds of our Beloved.—T. M. A n ­ redeemed by the blood of Christ. d e r s o n .

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PASTOR’S DAY Buford Battin

Second in a series o f articles on Special Services

SPECIAL day may be designated on has made ministers exempt from selective A the church calendar as “Pastor’s service. The minister is responsible in Day.” The Sunday of the pastor’s anni­ making a contribution to his country. The versary with the church would be an ap­ minister may then turn toward the na­ propriate time for this service. The pur­ tional flag and with his right hand over his pose of the service is to help the people heart and his left hand extended toward to better understand the task and respon­ the flag, give the pledge to the national sibility of the pastor and to bring a better flag. relationship between pastor and people. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the If the pastor has served in the com­ United States of America, and to the re­ munity for a long period he is likely to public for which it stands; one nation, in­ have many friends outside of his congre­ divisible with liberty and justice for all.” gation. The pastor could furnish a com ­ The pastor retires to the pulpit chair mittee with a list of people who might while the choir sings two stanzas of “America.” be influenced to attend the services of the church on this day. It could be used as a The pastor stands facing the Christian means of encouraging every member of the flag and with his right hand over his heart church to be present. and his left hand extended toward the flag gives the pledge to the Christian flag. The pastor should not plan the service “I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag for the purpose of bringing honor and and to the Saviour for whose kingdom it praise to himself. The motive of the pas­ stands, one brotherhood, uniting all man­ tor must be to bring about a mutual re­ kind in service and love.” lationship with his people. Unless the The pastor sits in the pulpit chair while minister takes an attitude of humility and the choir sings two stanzas of “ Onward, demonstrates the servant’s complex the Christian Soldiers.” service will not accomplish that for which it was intended. The minister steps to the pulpit with his open Bible resting in his left hand. With The pastor may open the service by of­ his eyes gazing upon the Bible and his fering a brief explanation of the nature right hand over his heart he gives the of the worship period that is to follow. pledge to the Bible. The congregation may be led in singing “I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s “Blest Be the Tie that Binds.” holy Word, and will make it a lamp unto The pastor may mention his responsibil­ my feet and a light unto my path, and ity as a citizen. The national government will hide its truths in my heart, that I recognizes the place of the ministry and may not sin against God.” anuary-I'ebruary, 1945 55 The pastor retires to his chair while the choir sings two stanzas of “The Old Book Prayer Meeting Messages and The Old Faith,” or any other hymn From the Psalms on the Bible. By Oswald Chambers The pastor may lead the congregation in the Lord’s Prayer. Following the pray­ (Taken from old copies of Spiritual Life, a British publication) er the congregation may be led in sing­ ing “Faith of Our Fathers.” Blessed by Fearing God The climax of the service is the pastor’s sermon. In the message the minister is (Psalm 128) not to solicit sympathy from the people S e e m l i n e s s o f S a n c t i t y but offer a challenge to himself. He must Blessed is everyone that feareth the face the task involved in the ministry and Lord; that walketh in his ways (v. 1). bring himself under conviction to his own The remarkable thing about fearing God responsibility. A sermon outline is listed is that when you fear God you fear nothing below that may be used for the occasion. else, whereas if you do not fear God you

W h a t C a n a C h u r c h E x p e c t o f a P a s t o r ? fear everything else. “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord” ; the writer S c r ip t u r e R e a d in g —Ezekiel 3 4 : 1 - 1 0 . to the Hebrews tells us to “fear lest haply I ntroduction there should be any promise of God’s of 1. The Pastor as a Shepherd. which we come short” (4:1). Are we alert 2. Responsibility of a Shepherd enough along this line? “ . . . . that walketh in his ways.” The word “walk” breathes S o m e T h i n g s a C h u r c h C a n E x p e c t o f a character, it is the symbol for seemly be­ P a s t o r havior. “John looked upon Jesus as he I. A C h r i s t i a n G e n t l e m a n walked”—not in a moment of ecstasy and 1. An Example in the Community. transfiguration but “as he walked, and II. A P r o p h e t saith, Behold the Lamb of God.” “Walk 1. Forthtelling the will and plan of God worthily,” says the Apostle Paul, worthily, that is, toward God, not toward man, be­ for His people. cause man’s standards are not God’s. I I I. A P r ie s t When a man says he is sanctified, the 1. As an Intercessor. charge is often made, and there is no reply 2. In Administering Means of Grace. to it, “Remember, you are not perfect.” IV. O n e W i t h a H e a r t I n t e r e s t i n P e o p l e A saint is required to be perfect toward 1. A Vicarious Sufferer. God. " Walk before me, and be thou per­ 2. One people can confide in. fect”; the standard of judgment is not man’s standard, but G od’s. Our conduct V. A S p i r i t u a l L e a d e r a n d A d v is e r before man will be judged by whether we VI. C a p a b l e i n B u s i n e s s M a t t e r s o f t h e walk in the seemliness of sanctity before C h u r c h God. That means conduct according to the C o n c l u s io n highest we know, and the striking thing 1. A Pastor’s Source of Help: is that the highest we know is God him­ a) From God. self. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as b) From the people. your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” At the close of the sermon the pastor, There is something in human nature realizing the seriousness of his calling, that enables it to go through a big crisis, announces that he desires the people to but we do need help from God to “walk gather at the altar for prayer. The pastor worthily” the sixty seconds of every min­ explains that he wishes to kneel at the ute. Am I behaving myself in God’s sight altar and requests that the people kneel in the seemliness of sanctity to those who are nearest to me? in my letterwriting? about him. The prayer is to be for the in my study? Is the one great lodestar of pastor in behalf of his ministry. The my life “walking in his ways”? The thing pastor then prays a prayer of consecration we have to guard against is wanting to be dedicating himself to the work of the min­ somewhere else. Have I sufficient of the istry. grace of God to behave myself as His child Standing to his feet the minister pledges where I am? It is one thing to feel the himself to be faithful and loyal to God, sufficiency of God in a prayer meeting the church and the people. As a token and in times of delight and excitement, but another thing to realize His sufficiency of this vow the pastor requests that all in whatever setting we may be—in a thun­ may pass by and allow him to shake hands derstorm or on a calm summer day, in a while the choir sings “A Charge to Keep cottage or a college, in an antique shop or I Have.” on a moor.

56 The Preacher's Magazine S atisfaction i n S trenuousness Sincerity means in the straight. Am I straight in my relationship to God and For thou shalt eat the labour of thine to other people? If I am the Lord says hands happy shalt thou be, and it shall He will bless me. “And thou shalt see the be well with thee (v. 2). good of Jerusalem all the days of thy This verse reveals the connection be­ life.” It is righteous behaviour that brings tween the natural creation and the re­ blessing on others, and the heart of faith generated creation. We have to be awake sees that God is working things out well. strenuously to the fact that our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, not only S urroundings o f S a n i t y in the spiritual sense, but in the physical Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s chil­ sense. When we are born from above we dren, and peace upon Israel (v. 6). are apt to despise the clay of which we It is in ordinary surroundings and among are made. The natural creation and the commonplace things that the blessing of creation of grace work together, and what God is to dwell and reveal itself. “Blessed we are apt to call the sordid things, labour­ are they that do his commandments, that ing with our hands, and eating and drink­ they may have right to the tree of life, and ing, have to be turned into spiritual ex­ may enter in through the gates into the ercises by obedience, then we shall “eat city” (Revelation 22:14). Have I entered and drink and do all to the glory of God.” in through the gates? There is a time There must be a uniting in personal ex­ when the exceptional has to rule and “the perience of the two creations. It cannot right arm” has to go, but that is only a be done all at once, there are whole tracts phase. Our Lord was brought up so much of life which have to be disciplined. “Your in ordinary surroundings that the religious body is the temple of the Holy Ghost,” it people of His day said that He was “a is the handiwork of God, and it is in these gluttonous man and a wine-bibber.” His bodies we are to find satisfaction, and that life was unassuming in its naturalness. means strenuousness. Every power of Read the records of the forty days after the mind and heart should go into the stren­ Resurrection, they bear the mark of superb uousness of turning the natural into the sanity. The test is not the success of a spiritual by obeying the word of God re­ revival meeting, that may be questionable, garding it. If we do not make the natural but the success of living in the common­ spiritual, it will become sordid; but when place things that make life what it is, we become spiritual the natural is shot letting God carry out His purposes as He through with the glory of God. will.

S e c u r i t y o f t h e S a i n t Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by + the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Be­ Communion Themes hold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord (v. 3 and 4). “The Church in Thy House,” by Rev. Today people are altogether ignoring the John C. Nevin. fact that God has anything to do with “Making Ready for the Passover” (Mark human relationships. If we get out of 14:12) and “The Function of the Church any setting of natural life which God has in the World” (John 20:21), by Rev. James decreed we shall not be blessed. Take Guthrie. the Commandment to “honour thy father “The Altar,” by Dr. John C. Lorimer. and mother,” and apply it spiritually. I believe that many a life is hindered from “God’s Gracious Invitation,” by Rev. entering into sanctification through not Walter Teeuwissen, Jr. being properly related in disposition to fa­ “The First Passover,” by Rev. Raymond ther and mother. It is one of the most L. Wilson. practical tests. Am I allowing inordinate “The Lord’s Supper—A Compass,” by affection in any relationship? or envy, or Rev. William Hendricks. jealousy? If so, I am certainly not finding “Till He Come,” by Rev. Gene Allen. blessing, it is getting dried up. I must maintain the spirit and disposition of my “Worthy Participation,” by Rev. Vance Lord and Master in all the ordinary rela­ Yarnelle. tionships of life, then I shall realize the “He Chooseth—for Us,” (Psalm 47:4), by marvelous security of the saint. Rev. Paul Reynolds. “ Christ and Custom” (John 18:38, 39), S u p r e m a c y o f S i n c e r i t y by Dr. E. Marcellus Nesbitt. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: “Christ, the Answer to Our Needs,” by and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem Dr. Donald H. Brush.—The United Pres­ all the days of thy life (v. 5). byterian.

January-February, 1945 57 MISSIONARY DEPARTMENT

Pedro’s Bible in his heart brightened even his foul, dreary prison cage. Pedro was a prisoner in a dark Brazil­ From early morning, when the first rays ian prison. For over ten years he had of the sun shone into his den, until the dragged out a wretched existence. He dying day shut out the light, Pedro dili­ had been sentenced to thirty years’ im­ gently read and reread his precious Bible. prisonment, and he still had twenty years And the Holy Spirit guided him and taught to serve. The prospect of another twenty him its meaning. years’ confinement in the filthy prison After several years, the English mission­ cell he now occupied, stretched drearily ary again came to that city where Pedro before him. still lay in jail. This time he sent some One day something happened that of his helpers to the prison with tracts for changed Pedro’s entire life. An English the prisoners. When they returned, they missionary passed through the prison yard. said: He had been given permission by the war­ “ We found a prisoner there who has a den to distribute leaflets and other litera­ Bible; he spoke to us so intelligently, that ture to the prisoners through the little he must be a Christian.” barred windows of their cells. Then the missionary remembered Pedro, As he was passing out the literature, the man to whom he had given a Bible. Pedro came to the bars of his cell and He hastened to the prison, and asked per­ asked, “Do you have a Bible you could mission to speak to the prisoner. He was give m e?” taken to the barred window of the filthy While Pedro could not read, he felt, if cell where Pedro had lived for more than someone gave him a book, he might some­ fifteen years. It was the same window how teach himself to read. At any rate, through which he had given Pedro the it would relieve the awful grayness of the Bible some years ago. years that were still ahead of him, and When Pedro heard his name called, he would perhaps save his reason—many made his way to the little window. And of his fellow prisoners had lost theirs. when he saw the man who had given him The missionary was glad to find a man his precious Bible, he thrust his hand who really wanted a Bible. So, on his through the bars to thank the missionary next visit to the prison, he brought Pedro for the precious gift he had given him. one. Pedro at once set himself the task of learning to read this treasure. He made The missionary was amazed to see what very slow progress, as he had to spell out a different man reading the Bible had each word again and again. But, as he made of Pedro. His once sullen face was had nothing else to occupy his mind for lit with a radiant smile. When it was time the endless days that followed in such for the missionary to leave, Pedro begged deadly monotony, by slow degrees he ac­ him to come again; for there were so many complished the task he had set for him­ things he wanted to talk over with him. self to do. The missionary came as frequently as pos­ sible. At the end of the month he came He pored over his precious volume day to pay his farewell visit to the prisoner. after day. When he had learned to read well enough to know what the book was He found him downhearted and very about, he was gripped by its contents. much troubled. “What is the matter, “Why,” he said to himself, “ this book tells Pedro?” he asked. “This is the first time me that I am a condemned sinner in the you haven’t met me with a smile.” sight of God.” Pedro answered, “I am sad for two As he read further, he exclaimed, “God’s reasons: I am sorry you are leaving, and own Son—Jesus Christ—died for me on I will see you no more. But the thing that the cross!” is troubling me even more, is I would like How glad he was to learn that Jesus had so very much to be baptized before you died for his sins also, and that he was no go. I have read in the Bible the Lord’s longer a condemned sinner in the sight of command about baptism, and I have set God! my heart on being baptized.” Pedro accepted his Saviour in simple The missionary tried to explain to him faith; and, through the Word of God which that he was afraid this would be impos­ he read in his precious Bible, the light of sible, as the authorities would not permit God shone into his dark heart and made him to come into his cell. Pedro was out of Pedro a new creature. His dismal, heartbroken and would not be consoled, gloomy cell did not seem nearly as dark even when the missionary explained to now; for the precious light which shone him that God, who knows all things, would 58 The Preacher's Magazine understand that it was impossible for whispered among themselves. ‘Who is the Pedro to be baptized under the circum­ man with you in bright garments, and stances, and no doubt he would accept the many more around you?’ they asked. the will for the deed. He replied that there was no man with A few hours later, as the missionary was him, but with awe they insisted they making final preparations for leaving the were all about the cave. They insisted next day, a soldier from the prison brought that he should go home with them, and he him a note from Pedro. In this note was enabled to so preach Christ to them Pedro wrote him that the head jailer had that many believed.” — M r s . A r t h u r selected two prisoners to help carry the P a r k e r . sweepings from the prison to the river at six o’clock the next morning, and that he was one of the men chosen for this task. “At another time the Sadhu was cruelly Now, if the missionary could arrange to persecuted by Tibetans. They lowered be there at that time, his desire might be him into a deep well, locked the cover, fulfilled, and he could be baptized. and hung the key on the head man’s wrist. The next morning, when the little com­ The Indian saint gave himself to prayer. pany wended its way to the river, the In the dead of night the cover was raised missionary was there waiting, and the sol­ and a rope lowered, which the captive tied diers who accompanied the prisoners, al­ about him, and was quickly raised to the lowed the missionary to baptize Pedro at surface. On looking about for his de­ the river’s brink. liverer no one was visible. He walked Pedro was so overjoyed, that after the into the village, to the consternation of simple ceremony he cheerfully went back his persecutors. They found the key still to fifteen more years of prison life. hanging on the official’s wrist, and the The soldiers were so impressed, that well covered and locked as they had left later four of the five who had accompanied it.”—Selected. Pedro to the river became Christians. • Pedro not only continued studying his “A camp missionary had incurred the Bible, but he told all of his fellow prisoners enmity of the leader of a band of bandits, who would listen to him the wonderful who boasted that they would ‘get him.’ story of Jesus, who had come to save even A man was hurt by a falling tree, and poor, condemned criminals like themselves. the missionary was sent for. The path Many of the prisoners openly confessed led through a lonely wood, and as he Christ; no one but God will ever know journeyed a great fear suddenly came how much good was accomplished by the over him. He dismounted and prayed, Bible that the missionary gave Pedro.— then proceeded on his way. The next day M r s . O s c a r T r e s s e l , in Bible Society the leader was shot by one of the gang, Record. and again the missionary was sent for. The dying man confessed that he had lain • in wait to kill him the previous day, and I have always had a keen interest in asked, ‘But who were those men who the life and writings of Sundar Singh, the rode with you?’ ‘I was alone.’ the mis­ sanctified sadhu, of India, whose story of sionary replied. ‘You were not,’ the man conversion reads like that of Saul of screamed. ‘Two men rode with you one Tar.sus. He was preaching in England and either side. In all my life I never saw made a call upon a certain minister. Ar­ such horses! Who were they?”—Gospel riving at the home he knocked and the Herald. servant maid answered. She asked, when • he inquired for the minister, “What name shall I say, sir?” The reply was, “Sadhu “Bishop King of Lincoln was sent to see Sundar Singh.” The girl could not re­ a dying man. The way was dark and member the name when she went in to lonely, and on reaching the place he found the minister’s study, so she said, “There no one ill. Years passed. One day he is a gentleman to see you, sir.” “What visited a man in prison under death sen­ name?” asked the minister. “Well, sir,” tence, who asked him if he remembered she replied, “I did not quite catch the the incident. ‘It was I who thus lured name but he is wonderfully like Jesus you out to rob you. But I hadn’t the Christ.” pluck. I lay in hiding, and as you came back I saw that you were not alone.’ ‘But I was alone,’ said the Bishop. ‘No, “Sadhu Sundar Singh was passing you were not alone,’ retorted the man. through a wild part of Tibet where the ‘There was a mysterious looking stranger people were so hostile that he had to walking behind you all the way to your take refuge in a cave when they pur­ home. When he disappeared, my chance sued him with sticks and stones. They was gone, but I experienced a sensation suddenly stopped a few yards away and I never felt before’.”—Selected.

January-February, 1945 59 ILLUSTRATIONS

Walking in the Light Work Finished A woman in Palestine sat under an A minister tells of going to see a parish­ olive tree sewing handmade lace on a ioner who was in deep affliction. He handkerchief. A lady paused to inquire found her embroidering a sofa pillow the price of her work, and to have a con­ cover. He asked her to let him take it versation, “Do you live here?” in his hand. He purposely turned it on "No, I live over the hill. Last night the wrong side, and then remarked to her as I walked home a panther followed me, that it did not seem beautiful to him, and but because I carried a lantern and that he wondered why she should be walked in the circle of light, I was safe.” wasting her time on it. “Why sir,” she “You mean the panther would not attack replied, “you are looking on the wrong you while you were in the light?” side. Turn it over.” “That is just what “That is right, madam.” you are doing,” he replied, “you are look­ What a lesson is this for Christians!— ing at the wrong side of G od’s workings The Conqueror. with you. Down here we are looking at the tangled side of God’s providence but He has a plan—here a stitch and there a movement of the shuttle—and in the end She Took It upon Herself a beautiful work.”—Selected. “It has been said of Florence Nightin­ • gale that she took it upon herself. She took upon herself the tragedy, the heart­ The Disused Harp ache, and the suffering of the soldiers of A disused harp had long lain in a front the Crimean war. It is said that after room of an old house in Kentucky. No the war had ended, a group of army and one in the family could play it, but, see­ navy men met at a dinner in London. ing it was a family relic, care was be­ They talked of great leaders and officers. stowed upon it, and its parts were kept Then one asked the question, “Who of all bright and clean. the workers in Crimea, will be the longest Sometimes, indeed, it had been deemed remembered?” Each man wrote one name in the way, and there had been talk of on a slip of paper, and these papers were throwing it out on to the dust heap. But collected. There were many papers but still it remained in its place, no one liking only one name, the name of Florence to do the deed of destruction. Nightingale. A weary man on his journey stopped Today calls for women who take upon at the house, and was granted hospitality themselves the concern for children. This for the night. concern leads to labor and services in Supper was over, and he found his way their behalf. In Christian service for with others into the front room. There children Christ wants your best.—Quoted. he noticed the old instrument, and, tak­ ing it up, looked carefully upon it. At 0 oncc he became deeply interested, and be­ There is an account of an infidel Swiss gan with masterly skill to tune its strings. artist who was converted by merely study­ Then, most lovingly he swept his hands ing the faces of a very humble band of across them and produced the loveliest Christians. He was commissioned to make music. All who heard were entranced a caricature of a Salvation Army meeting with the sweet sounds, and for a long in Sheffield, England. time he kept them silent and absorbed He went there on that errand, and with the rapturous strains. When at last scanned the faces of the people. He (with he ceased, and all were expectant that his heart like the troubled sea that cannot he would say something about it, he re­ find rest, tossed and driven by tempests marked, “This was my grandfather’s harp. of passion and tormented by a conscience His mark is inside. He gave it to me as burdened by sin) looked on the assembled a boy and taught me to play it. M y grand­ worshipers, and saw peace written on their father played for the king in the old faces, and an inward joy beaming from country. During the great Civil War the their countenances. The sight convinced enemy raided our home, and our harp was him of his sinfulness. He saw that those never seen again.” people had what he had not, and what That instrument, made for a musician, he needed—and their faces were the had been silent for years. At last it was means of leading him to Christ and to the found by its owner and used with great peace which Christ alone can give. effect. 60 The Preacher's Magazine You were made for God’s glory. You He then gave out his meager supply of were designed that upon you there might Testaments in Russian and Ukrainian. be played the music of the praise of God. One big Russian soldier stood up and Is this music being played in your life, or started to tear his Testament apart. The are you silent? speaker thought, “Yes, this is the kind of Oh! put yourself in His hands. Power­ opposition I could expect.” Then he saw less in yourself to produce a single note that the prisoner was not destroying the aright, He is all powerful and can make Testament, but that he was keeping Mat­ you of use for His glory far and wide.— thew for himself, giving Mark to another Publisher Unknown. man, Luke to another, and John to an­ other. The other men started to tear their • Testaments apart, and before long every man who could possibly get his hands on A Holy People Must Live Right it had a page out of the New Testament. One evening in a parlor at a summer Before the week was out, these men were watering-place the young people were saving their small rations of food and dancing. One young lady was not taking trying to tempt some man to part with the part. “Does not your daughter dance?” page from the New Testament in exchange asked another lady of this young lady’s for two days’ food! mother. “No,” was the reply. “Why, how “Man cannot live by bread alone.”'— will she get on in the world?” “I am not Selected. bringing her up for this world,” was the quiet answer. That young lady is now a woman, and the influence of her con­ secrated life is felt in many of the Chris­ Walking with God tian interests of a great city.—Words and This is the Old Testament way of de­ Weapons. scribing a holy life, and it is worth remem­ bering. Enoch “walked with God,” and he walked with men at the same time. He didn’t leave the earth to do it. He didn’t The Law in the Heart leave his family, nor shut himself out The time of Christ’s ministry was a time from all the activities of men. We cannot of changing from “thou shalt not,” “thou imagine that he failed in any of these shalt,” as an expression of obedience to things—and yet he walked with God, He the commands of God, to the outer life simply found God's way in the forest and being the result of the law of God written in the field, in the market and in the home, on the heart. In this dispensation man’s and he took it. He found out where God obedience is due to being filled with the was, and he went with Him. He became Spirit. It is Christ in you; the fullness God’s man, and as such he shared the of the law, that enables you to keep the peace of God, the joy of God, and finally law.—Exchange. the rest of God.—Christian World.

• • The Antidote Soid Hunger for a Clean Heart Not many months ago a Christian worker A sister told me of her father’s experi­ went to a camp for Russian prisoners ence in his last illness, when she was a somewhere in Germany. His going to this child of twelve summers. camp of a thousand Russians was a kind He was a saved soul among a people of test. Fearing that violent demonstra­ who lived the first work of grace but knew tions might follow the announcement of nothing of the second work. his topic to so many young Communists, He lay sick for some months, died; or the speaker was given a bodyguard of appeared to; but revived and lived some two officers and a detachment of soldiers. weeks. While he was unconscious to When he ascended the high platform, the things of time and sense, yet he was Red commander gave the order, “Caps thoroughly conscious to things of the Spir­ off,” which in old Russia was a sign that it communing with the Lord, repeating prayers were to be offered. When the scripture and praying for a clean heart. speaker announced that he was going to He would plead and pray with the tears give a religious address and that anyone rolling down his face, “Create in me a who did not want to listen could leave, clean heart, O God.” only twenty of the thousand men retired. Like any child perplexed, she said to Then he spoke about the storans of life and her mother, “What does Father want?” the unfailing Christ who is the sure way Her reply was, “He wants the Lord to out. At the close of the address the invita­ give him a clean heart.” “Why doesn’t the tion to accept Christ was given and vir­ Lord give it to him?” “He will,” answered tually every man raised his hand. the mother; “now you watch over him,

January-February, 1945 61 while I work.” “I did watch over him,” Jeremiah’s Prophetic Call she went on to say, “Very closely indeed, (Jeremiah 1:4-10) for if God was going to give him a clean heart I wanted to see when He did it, and When God called Jeremiah to the pro­ I did; I surely did. phetic office He assured him of two things: “My father had been praying and plead­ that He would be with him, and that this ing the promises until his pillow was wet was the divine purpose for his life. These with tears. The eagerness of his soul, I are the important things in life— to know shall never forget—when suddenly there that we are fulfilling the divine purpose was a wonderful change. His face lit up and to be assured of the divine Presence. with ‘a light never seen on land or sea,’ “The failings of life come—and it is easy and heavenly radiance and simultaneously to see they must come—from putting our praise burst from his lips and he shouted own purposes athwart the settled purpose and praised God with all his limited of God. We may rebel against the work strength. I ran out to Mother saying, ‘He’s which He calls upon us to undertake, but got it, he’s got it. The Lord did give it to it is very certain that any work put in its him,’ as happy as I could be, and great place must end in disappointment and dis­ joy beamed upon my dear mother’s face, aster. It is an awful thought for sinners, as she saw the reflected glory, and listened in the collapse of their own plans, that to those words of adoring praise. He they might have been successful and re­ lingered still another week or more, prais­ joicing, if only they had been from the ing God with every breath, but remained heart obedient to the plans of God.”— utterly unconscious to the most tender Gospel Banner. solicitations of loved ones, or any effort • to win his recognition.” It was one of those strong proofs of the Triumph Through Resurrection undeniable argument of the human heart hungering for holiness. (I Cor. 15:50-58) —B y M rs. K a t h r y n E. H elm . Last evening’s paper carried a picture of a design for a stained-glass window • for the chapel of “Our Lady of Victory” at the U. S. naval base, Norfolk, Va. In Jesus and the Law the window, a warship replaces the Christ- “In order to awaken a desire for im­ child in the arms of the Virgin Mary. On provement, we need to see ourselves as we either side kneel figures of a sailor back­ are. If many could realize what a hideous grounded by naval and aircraft equipment. moral impression they make on others, Over these fly guiding cherubim. Here they would try to straighten up. What we is an expression of the hopes of this world: need is a mirror which will faithfully re­ triumph and victory through military veal our faults. A faithful friend, or a might. Men have replaced the Christ- wise father or mother is such a mirror, but child with implements of war, forgetting the Word of God is one still better. Look that “they that take the sword shall perish into that carefully and with the determina­ with the sword.” In contrast, for our tion to be unsparingly honest with your­ triumph we Christians look to the Christ self and see how manifest your faults will who is able to bring us forth from the be.”—Selected. grave thus giving us final and complete victory over death.—Selected. • • “Holy Money” David in Favor with God Dr. William Mayo, world-famous sur­ geon, speaking for himself and his equally (Psalm 89:19-28) famous brother, Charles, said, “The ‘Holy “When God looked upon David’s broth­ Money,’ as we call it, must go back into ers, giants of strength, Apollos for beauty, the service of that humanity which paid gifted with every personal grace and charm, it to us. If we can train five hundred men of clear eyes and clean hands, He pairs of hands, we have helped to hand passed them all by and chose David, the on the torch. From the year 1894 onward ruddy-faced boy with a shepherd’s crook we have never used more than half our and the boy's sling in his hand. A t the incomes on ourselves or on our families; same time he pronounced this verdict: latterly, much less. My brother and I have “Man looks on the outward appearance, both put ourselves on salaries. We live but God looks on the heart.” David’s within them. My house is turned over to heart was set in God’s direction. David’s the Foundation for the service of others. choice of God was absolute. The over­ I would not want my children deprived mastering affection of his soul was given of the fun and benefit of wanting some­ to his God. That constituted a relation thing and going out to fight for it.—Se­ of holiness unto the Lord which God pro­ lected. nounced perfection.”'—M assee. 62 The Preacher's Magazine BOOKS

D.D.’S FOR MINISTERS, by William The catalogue of “Don’ts” is just as Anderson Elliott, D.D. The Judson Press, helpful: “Don’t Whine When It is Possible $1.50. to Whistle,” don’t “Waste Ammunition on This book, as its title suggests, is one Dead Game,” don’t “Mistake Elocution for intended primarily for ministers. But Unction,” don’t “Be Slovenly Either in it is definitely not a “Short Course lead­ Speech or Dress,” don’t “Substitute Read­ ing to the Honorary Degree of Doctor of ing for Thinking,” don’t “Get in the Way Divinity,” it is rather a book of funda­ of Your Successor,” and don’t “Let the mental “D o’s and don’ts” without which Fires Go Out.” success in the ministry is impossible. An excerpt from 'don’t “Mistake Elocu­ While a “ Short Course” such as mentioned tion for Unction”—“Conquest of the soul would likely be far more popular, this is rarely made by elocution. The ‘over­ book and its treatment of the subject is flow of soul’ expressed in glowing speech far more profitable. is the highest form of pulpit eloquence. We have no quarrel with elocution, but the Dr. Elliot is serving in his thirty-seventh method of the schools must be supple­ year as pastor of the First Baptist Church mented by the spirit and soul of the in Ottawa, Kansas. He was honored with preacher, if preaching is not to degenerate the Doctor of Divinity degree by his Alma into mere vocal genuflection. Given a Mater, Ottawa University. He is a min­ trained voice, a warm and glowing heart, ister whose experience and proved ability a great message, and the preacher has fit him eminently for just this type of in his possession power that the angels book. Besides serving as pastor in Otta­ of heaven might covet.” wa, he has been in various responsible positions in his denomination, and was at Reading the book will cause many an one time president of the Northern Bap­ older minister (and those not so old) tist Convention. He is a friend to young to wish with Dr. Elliott that such a book had and old alike, is active in community af­ fallen into his hands years ago with such fairs, and is in demand as special speaker “homely counsel as is herein contained.” in many types of religious gatherings. To those just in their beginnings it will be worth many times its cost; for Dr. The book itself is the outflow of a suc­ Elliott is a true “lover of ministers and cessful man, giving advice to those the ministry.”— L. W ay n e S ears. “pluming their wings” for flight. The catalogue of “do’s” is a message of posi­ tive interest along practical lines. Such headings as, Take Time to Get Ready, Clothe Yourself in the Garments of In­ RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN LATIN AM­ dustry, Culture Your Inner Life, Have ERICA? By George P. Howard. The West­ a Personal Experience, Be Sure of Your minster Press, $2.00. Call, Select Your Sermon Themes Early, Here is one of the timeliest books in the Write Much, Think for Yourself, Know current scene. Its author, Dr. George P. When to Quit, and Be Fearless in the Howard, was born in Argentina and edu­ Preaching of Truth, are developed in a cated there and in the United States. He unique way that will shatter those of op­ sees Latin America through the eyes of a posite inclinations and at the same time native, and not as a citizen of the Colossus build for constructive progress. of the North, the United States. This In the chapter, “Do Know When to makes his book doubly significant. Quit,” these words stand out: “There is For some years there has been a cam­ one good thing that may be said in favor paign afoot to embarrass the work of of jazz music—I can think of only one— Protestant Christian groups in these Latin when the idiotic disturbance gets ready to American republics; a campaign made in stop it just quits. There are no signs and the United States, sponsored by the Roman signals, no promises, no lastly, no instru­ Catholic hierarchy in this country and mental perorations—it just quits.” And aided and abetted by the Catholic Church again, “Determine the length of your ser­ in Latin America. The chief allegation mon, not by your powers of endurance, of these opponents of evangelical work in but by the waning and rising interest of the countries south of us is that the pres­ your people. When your audience has ence of Protestant missionaries in Latin quit listening that is high time for you to America is a most serious threat to the stop speaking.” “Your pulpit reputation Good Neighbor policy. The most unfor­ will suffer less if you suddenly quit.” tunate factor in this whole situation is “Some will think it was the best thing that that the State Department of the United you did that morning.” States has been completely taken in by

January-February. 1945 63 this Roman Catholic contention. As a the millennium will find this book in­ result, it is becoming increasingly difficult teresting and helpful. (Bible Truth De­ for Protestant workers to get permission pot). Paper bound, 64 pages, price 40c, to enter Latin American countries; and plus postage. for an American citizen engaged in evan­ gelical work in these countries to get the support and protection of the consular GOD’S WAY OUT, Volume Two of an authorities representing the United States. Exposition of The Heidelberg Catechism, Dr. Howard’s answer to this underlying by Rev. Herman Hoeksema. (Wm. B. Roman Catholic propaganda is to interview Eerdman) 217 pages, price $2.00. the leaders in various fields—journalists, teachers, statesmen, jurists, authors, and in some cases liberal Roman Catholic YOUTH CONQUERING FOR CHRIST, bishops—in virtuallly all of these Span­ Inspirational messages for young people ish- and Portuguese-speaking lands. The and program material for workers with statements of these representative Latin Intermediates and Young People, by R. L. Americans are the chief item in the vol­ Middleton, Superintendent, Intermediate ume; printed in most cases between quo­ Department of the Sunday School, First tation marks and with the name of the Baptist Church of Nashville, Tenn. There person whose statement it is. The result are twenty-one of these “conquering” is conclusive evidence that these twenty messages, each of which has much good republics place the highest possible value illustrative material and helpful sugges­ on evangelical Christian work and desire tions for workers with young people; also its continuance and extension. The book pastors will find many good illustrations is “must” reading for everyone who is in this book. (Broadman) 201 pages, vitally interested in the evangelization of price $1.50. this hemisphere.—J. G lenn G ould. GREAT INTERVIEWS OF JESUS, by DORAN’S MINISTERS MANUAL, A Dr. Clarence Edward Macartney, Minister, Study and Pulpit Guide for the Calendar First Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa. Year of 1945. The twentieth annual issue Many of the most profound truths and the of this “Minister’s Working Tool.” Com­ greatest messages uttered by Jesus were piled and edited by Drs. G. B. F. Hallock given in personal conversations with in­ and M. K. W. Heicher. Most ministers are dividuals, some of whom we would assume familiar with these Ministers Manuals, and were not worthy of receiving such truths, appreciate the many helpful suggestions nor were they capable of understanding that each volume brings. The authors’ them. Dr. Macartney, in this volume, statement of purpose is: “Not for one in­ gives fifteen messages based upon Jesus’ stant is the volume intended to take the interviews with individuals, and in his place of any minister's own thinking, but own skillful manner makes these incidents on the contrary to promote it, to be an as fresh as some current event and in­ incentive. Every page aims not alone to terprets the messages of Jesus as a chal­ bring fresh grist to the mind but also to lenge to people of today. Those of our be a challenge to more extended study and readers who have copies of Dr. Macart­ thought.” The Managing Editor’s apprecia­ ney’s other books will want this book. tion for the suggestions found in these Those who have not become acquainted Manuals is demonstrated by the fact that with this outstanding preacher’s and he has in his library a copy of each of the author’s works will be profited by pur­ nineteen volumes which have been issued. chasing and reading this book, for it is 295 pages (Harpers), price $2.50. said of him, “His sermons are as readable as fiction, but as helpful as a Bible Com­ mentary.” (Abingdon-Cokesbury) 190 THE MILLENNIUM, What It is Not, and pages, price $1.50. What It Is, by George B. Fletcher. A book­ let in which the author discusses the millennium generally from an Amillen- CHRISTIANITY AND MODERN nial or Nil-millennial point of view. He CRISES, by Dr. Harry Rimmer. It is not takes the very scriptures from the Old often that an ardent believer in Pre- Testament used chiefly to defend the pre- millennialism undertakes to present a millennial theory and discusses these as somewhat comprehensive discussion of having historic fulfillment; also such modern problems and to offer constructive themes as the throne and covenant of suggestions for their solutions. Dr. Rim­ David, the binding of Satan, and the first mer has undertaken such a task in this resurrection are considered. The author book. His purpose is to bring to the at­ is a Calvinist of the old school which of tention, and expose, to the leaders and the itself is of interest, for most Calvinists masses the pitfalls into which organized are premillennialists. Anybody interested Christianity of today is fast falling. In in investigating the various theories of this book he raises and discusses four 64 The Preacher's Magazine most important questions now facing the IT ALL HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE, Church and nation. They are: Where by Dr. Roy L. Smith, editor of The Chris­ does the Church stand with regard to tian Advocate. Here is a most interesting organized labor? Should our national de­ book. The author, a very able and fas­ fense program disturb our Christian con­ cinating writer, endeavors to draw a par­ science? What hope have we for lasting allel between the events and times of the peace at the end of this war? What will Old Testament prophets, the issues which be the place of Christ in the new world they faced and the ideals which they order? In this discussion the author states sought to implant in the minds of the the warnings set forth in the Scriptures people, and the events and issues and and applies them to these modern-day elements of tragedy in ourown day. Dr. problems. (Eerdmans) 136 pages, price Smith says, “The Old Testament writers, $1.50. being intensely practical men, undertook to solve the pressing problems of their own times...... Once we work our way JESUS THE CHRIST, Events of the through the peculiarities of their speech Gospel Story in the Words of the King and understand the social and economic James Version Selected and Illustrated conditions in the midst of which they by Charles Cullen. The publishers say of lived, we discover they were courageous this volume: “Devout artists through the and adventurous souls immersed in na­ centuries have striven to translate into tural and political tragedies, and that they ...... So it pictures the old, old story were bending every effort to the task of is with this series of forty striking pen making life more abundant and civil rights drawings of the chief events of Christ’s more secure for their countrymen.” Much earthly sojourn...... Each of these pic­ valuable and helpful information is given tures expresses not so much a fact as a in this book that will be an aid to any feeling, with its suppression of digressive Bible student in understanding the Old details, its focusing on the Christ, and Testament prophets and their messages, its upward sweep of line lifting the spirit but the author accepts without question with the eye.” (Abingdon-Cokesbury) the findings of the higher critics on so 88 pages, 40 drawings, price $2.50. many of the Old Testament issues that the book must be read with discrimination THE HALL OF FAME SERIES of Bio­ and by readers who are sufficiently in­ graphical Sketches of Outstanding Reli­ formed on these subjects to detect these gious Leaders. John Wesley, A Great matters in question. (Abingdon-Cokes­ Leader, by Rev. R. A. Beltz; George bury) 136 pages, price $1.00. Washington Carver, A Great Scientist, by Mel F. Rothwell; Charles Spurgeon, A Great Preacher, by Bessie Olson; Charles THE MEANING OF PENTECOST and Finney, A Great Evangelist, by R. A. Beltz; The Spirit-filled Life, by Dr. J. A. Huff­ John Fletcher, A Great Saint, by Bessie man, Dean of Religion, Taylor University. Olson. (Boone Publishing Co.) Each a Here are two very helpful messages which paper-bound pamphlet of 48 pages, price emphasize in a most illuminating manner thirty cents each. the doctrines of the holiness movement as found in the event of Pentecost and in the THE WONDER OF GRACE, by Dr. Her­ scriptural teaching of the Spirit-filled man Hoeksema, Professor of Dogmatics life. (The Standard Press) Paper bound, and New Testament Exegesis in the Pro­ 48 pages, price 25c. testant Reformed Seminary, Grand Rapids, Mich. Fifteen messages on the subject of grace. (Eerdmans) 129 pages, price GOLDEN VESSELS, Missionary Stories $1.50. by Ruth Stull, Missionary to South Am­ erica. (Zondervan) Paper bound, 47 THE MYSTERY OF BETHLEHEM, by pages, price 35c. Dr. Herman Hoeksema. Twelve messages based upon texts and personalities promin­ WHILE CHINA BLEEDS, by Duncan ent in the first Christmas story. (Eerd­ McRoberts, China Native Evangelistic mans) 118 pages, price $2.00. Crusade. The author who has had some wonderful experiences in China in con­ PEACE LIKE A RIVER, by Vance nection with this present war gives a Havner. A series of thirty devotional heart-rending true story of the sufferings meditations by this well-known Baptist of the Chinese, also an account of many preacher. This, the third collection of marvelous deliverances in answer to meditations by the author is patterned prayer. The book is a testimony to the after his other books, “By the Still Waters” matchless grace and providence of the and “Rest Awhile.” (Revell) 96 pages, heavenly Father. (Zondervan) 165 pages, price $1.25. price $1.25. JanuaryTebruary, 1945 65 BETWEEN ETERNITIES, A new volume Holy Days, seven sermons suitable for of poems, by the well-known poetess, the outstanding Sundays of the church Grace Noll Crowell. (Harpers) 56 pages, calendar. Most pastors are looking for price $1.00. suggestions and sermonic material for these special days; for that purpose this book will be very helpful. (Eerdmans) WAR, PEACE AND NONRESISTANCE, 200 pages, price $2.50. by Guy F. Hershberger, Professor of His­ tory and Sociology, Goshen College. Dur­ ing recent years the subject of pacifism GREAT ILLUSTRATIONS, by Fred Fuge, was given considerable emphasis, especi­ one of our own evangelists. Here is a book of ally among the advocates of the social illustrations gathered from the author’s gospel. Much that was taught and ac­ experience, mostly from his ten years’ cepted by these pacifists was found im­ experience as a sailor on the seven seas. practical when war came upon us as it did, These forty illustrations tell of great peo­ so all but very few of them have given ple, great places, great events—and most themselves to helping in the war effort. of all—our great God and the great sal­ But there have been some religious groups vation which He provides through Jesus. who throughout their entire history have (Zondervan), price 1.25. held to the principle of nonresistance, among which are the Mennonites who WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT trace their beginnings back to the time of TOBACCO, by Frank Leighton W ood, M. D. the Reformation. This book is a discus­ Irving Fisher, professor emeritus of econo­ sion of the Mennonite position on nonre­ mics, Yale University, says of this book,* sistance. It is written not only with the “I do not know of any other work on hope of assisting the Mennonites to under­ tobacco that is as interesting or as valu­ stand their historic position, but also that able from both the educational and the the general public may be informed. These general reader’s standpoint as this book. nonresistance groups have a right to be .... The evidence now exists sufficient heard and this book is an excellent dis­ to show that no one who smokes can cussion of their position. (Herald Press) achieve the best of which he or she is 415 pages, price $2.50. capable.” There are sixteen chapters in this book of 147 pages. (Zondervan), HEAVENLY DAYS, by Dr. John A. price $1.50. Dykstra, Minister of the Central Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Mich. A book OSWALD SMITH’S SHORT STORIES, of sermons for the special days of the by Oswald Smith, popular evangelist and church. The three divisions of the book pastor of The People’s Church in Toronto, are: High Days, presenting sermons for Canada. Nine interesting stories, each hav­ Mother’s Day, Graduation Day, Rally Day, ing a missionary note prominent; suitable etc.; Holidays, seven sermons for such for personal reading and excellent for al- days as New Year’s, Memorial, Indepen­ lustrative material for sermons. (Zonder­ dence, Labor, Thanksgiving, etc., Days; van), price $1.50.

66 The Preacher's Magazine ^FUNERAL AND MARRIAGE MANUALS. ETC.

Pastor's Calling Card

A convenient card for the pastor to leave when members are not at home. Hofmann's picture in colors of "Christ Knocking at the Door'' is printed on the card together with a helpful message. Size 2Vfex4% inches.

.60 per hundred 5.40 per thousand

• Cokesbury Marriage Manual Reproduced are the historic Protestant marriage rituals, several more recently developed services in general use. A section is devoted to the pronouncements of the churches on marriage; remarriage; another to a bibliography on the manysided aspect of matri­ mony; still another to a digest of the marriage laws of the states. Timely hints on The Minister and Marriage conclude the book. Bound in black limp moroccotol. 1.00 • Handbook of Dedications This is an invaluable book that every minister needs. It has suggestions for dedi­ cation services for infants, an organ, hymn books, parsonage, church flags. Also a mortgage burning service, an anniversary service, an installation of teachers and of­ ficers, etc. 150 p ages paper covers. .60 • Minister's Manual, A Manual of Forms for Ministers Rituals for marriage ceremonies, burial, baptism, the Lord's Supper, dedication with scripture, selections for the hour of trouble, the house of mourning, the sick bed and the funeral service. This is quite a comprehensive volume of material comprising 238 pages bound in black, imitation leather. Just a few of the forms pertain to practices of the Christian Church but by far the most of the material is of value for any Protestant minister. 1.50 • Manual for Funeral Occasions The most complete funeral service equipment published. The manual is a handsome volume of two hundred and sixty pages, containing Scripture selections, poetical quo­ tations, sermon outlines by fifty authors, committal services, scriptural benedictions, etc., including seventy-eight pages of choice music from "Hymns of Hope," all elegantly bound in durable, flexible morocco. The Manual separate, flexible, morocco, 260 pages. 1.50 Hymns of Hope, separate. .25

• The Pastor's Ideal Funeral Manual By NOLAN B. HARMON, JR. This volume contains historic liturgies and other materials to be used at funerals, carefully selected and arranged, with adequate provisions for different age-groups and with valuable suggestions concerning the conduct and duties of the minister both during and after the funeral. 1.50

• Pastor's "Ideal" Pocket Record A simple, practical, well-arranged, and permanent church record that contains specially ruled and printed pages for keeping records necessary to the pastor. Special pages to record—Marriages, Funerals, Special Sermons, Prayer List, Receipts, etc. Will relieve the pastor's mind of many details. 96 pages. Sizes 3^x5 Vfe inches. .35

• Pastor's Pocket Record Used by the pastors of all denominations and acknowledged as the best and most thorough record published. It is an indispensable book for every pastor who values method and thoroughness in his work. Leatherette. 1.00 (See also outside back cover page)

Naxarene Publishing House, 2923 Troost Avenue, Box 527, Kansas City 10, Missouri PHELPS FOR FUNERAL

A Living Hope The Loose Leaf Manual for Funerals. Arranged by Jesse Halsey. A book that is not a book. Helps for funeral services printed on loose leaves and to be arranged in a pocket-sized binder provided for the purpose. Here you will find services for all manner of people in all conditions of life. Completely indexed and boxed for your convenience. 5.00 Christ and Human Suffering By E. STANLEY JONES. The book is replete with incidents culled from history as w ell as from the author's experience. It will be helpful to those in despair and sorrow, in pain and distress, for in simple style the author reminds us again that a loving God still reigns. 1.00 The Funeral By ANDREW W. BLACKWOOD. Published to ease the hardest part of a pastor's work, this source book meets a real need. It is not a book of plans for "ready-made funerals." Rather it provides insights which will enable the pastor to chart a course which he may follow for any funeral. Dr. Blackwood, who knows the problems of the small town pastor and of the minister in the city parish, writes from a rich background of training men and following them in their work on the field. 2.00 The Funeral Message By EARL DANIELS. This is not a Funeral Manual. It is an analysis of the funeral mes­ sage also an appraisal of the significance of the funeral service to the minister, to the be­ reaved family, and to the church. Different types of funeral sermons are considered. The closing chapter gives Ten Commandments for Funerals. 1.00 Funeral Sermons and Outline Addresses By W. E. KETCHAM. Material for every type of funeral is provided and the entire col­ lection is carefully indexed for ready reference. 1.00 Gleams of Immortality By W. B. WALKER. "If a man die, shall he live again?" queried Job. Multiplied thou­ sands have struggled with this question. The author answers it briefly yet adequately in this booklet. The chapter titles are: The Question of the Ages, The Answer of Nature, The Answer of Instinct, The Answer of Justice, The Answer of Hope, The Answer of Revelation and The Answ er of Christ. The book is attractively printed and enclosed in white envelope ready for presentation. We especially recommend that pastors purchase quantities for distribution to bereaved ones. Single copy .35 12 or more .18 each, postpaid In Time of Sorrow By WILLIAM J. BONNER. A most helpful book for ministers who are called upon to conduct funeral services. The author has carefully arranged groups of scripture texts, sermon outlines, poems, etc., for the funeral service. Suggestions for the conducting of services for children, young people and elderly folk, both the saved and unsaved. 1.25 (See also inside back cover page) Nazarene Publishing House, 2923 Troost Avenue, Box 527, Kansas City 10, Missouri Printed in U.S.A.*