T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S quently delivered, th a t a t its close sug gests, or even allows, th e question, “Well, what of -it? Cui bono?” P reacher, do not forget to “make de ’rousem ent.”—W atchman Exam iner. Three Classes of M inisters In a Conference address given many years ago by th e venerable and beloved Principal George Rogers, he began w ith th e following strik ing comment on the words of the great Apostle, “ I laboured more abundantly th an they all: yet not I but the grace of Godvth a t was w ith me.” “The m inisters of Christ’s Gos pel are here divided into th ree classes. I.— Those who say ‘I.’ II.— Those who say ‘Not L ’ III.-—Those who say ‘I yet not I;’ In the T class man alone does the work. In th e ‘Not I ’ class the grace of God alone does the work. In the ‘I yet not I ’ class the grace of God in connection w ith human in strum en tality does th e work. ‘I la boured more abundantly th an they all.’ T hat is self-commendation. ‘Not I.’ T h at is self-negation. ‘I yet not I,’ th a t is self-renunciation. How to P reach W ithou t R esult The following rules were given by Charles G. Finney a half-century ago. Do they not hold good in o u t day as in his? 1. Let your supreme motive be popularity ra th e r th a n salvation. 2. Study to please your congrega tion and to make a reputation, rath e r th an to pleage God. 3. Take up popular, passing and sensational themes to draw the crowd, and avoid th e essential doctrines of salvation. 4. Denounce sin in th e abstract, bu t pass lightly over sins th a t prevail in your congregation. 5. If asked, “ Is it wrong to dance, play cards and attend the th e a tre ? ” answer very pleasantly, “Ob, th a t is a m atter for private judgment. It is not for me to say you shall or shall no t.” 6. P reach on th e loveliness of v irtu e
491 and th e glory of heaven, bu t not on the sinfulness of sin and th e terro rs of hell. 7. Reprove the sins of th e absent, but make those who are present pleased w ith themselves, so th a t they wili en joy th e sermon and not go away w ith th eir feelings hu rt. 8. Make th e impression on worldly church members th a t God is too good to send any one to hell, even if th ere is any hell. ?■ P reach the universal F atherhood of God and brotherhood of man, so as to show th a t no second b irth is really needed. 10. Do not rebuke th e worldliness of th e church, but fall in w ith th e amusement policy. Instead of meeting -for prayer, let th e people “sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play.” 11. Avoid seriousness, alarm , and earnest efforts to pull sinners out of th e fire, and th e old-fashioned idea th a t th e church is a rescue mission. These principles and practices have been tried and the resu lts are sadly apparent. During a season of much rain, when th e Brazos river th reaten ed to over flow its banks and flood th e eastern section of th e city of 'Waco, guards were stationed along the levee to watch th e low places, and give the alarm should a little stream trick le over the embankment. All th rough the dark and rainy night men stood in careful vigils protecting the property and lives of th e people against th a t first little^ harm less stream th a t m ight venture- to break over th e danger line. I t was. not th e little stream they were afraid of, but the g reat flood of which the- little stream was a forerunner. The sins to be most carefully guarded are- th e little ones, th e first one, th e seem - SERMON WINDOWS Fo rerunn ers of Sin
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