ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH AT CAMBRIDGE. Mr Spurgeon's Inaugural Sermon.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1444, 4 October 1881, Page 2

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH AT CAMBRIDGE.

Mr Spurgeon's Inaugural Sermon.

If an impressive opening, especially one made memorable by the discourses of an able and talented man, gives an impetus to the welfare of any established religion among Christain people, the inauguration of the Baptist Church at Cambridge .should be~blessed' with prosperity indeed. Those wio have from time $o time urged the planting of the Baptist form of Divine Worship in the Cambridge district very wisely embraced the 'oooasion of the visit of Mr Spurgeon, a gentleman father is well-known throughout the entire world as the champion expounder of Baptist principles. The sermons delivered in the Cambridge Public Hall in the morning and afternoon of Sunday last, were in every respect among the most impressive and memorable discourses ever delivered in this district, and we are sure will have the effect which they were intended to produce. Both the Presbyterian and Wesleyan Churches were closed on the occasion, so as to enable all to have the gratification of hearing the youthful speaker, and this to some extent accounts for the exceptionally large number of people, probably 400, who filled hall," A very good choir, both in respect to number and the quality of 'the singing,' rendered their services both morning and afternoon, Mr Evans, jun ; or presiding at the harmonium. Those who went to hear Mr Spurgeon speak in the morning and who had came from long distances, either remained in town for the evening service, or returned from their homes so as to avail themselves of hearing a second discourse, such as they had in the morning heard. The hymn, " Before Jehovah's Aw hxl Throne" haviug boon sung, and prayer being joined in, Mr Spnrgeon began his sermon. He took for his text, 11. Kings, 6fch Chap., and last clause of the 6th verso, " And the iron did swim." Elisha was the founder of a college m which he educated the sons of the Prophet. So many sons of the Prophets came hither to be educated, an enlargement of the colleire was suggested. These young men were so much under their master, that they never did anything without getting his advice. Thua they paid the proper deference to age by following the advice of their tutor and by being guided by him in matters concerning their temporal and spiritual welfare. The woik of enlarging their college which I they undertook to perform, was undertaken wjth a spirit of readiness and love. It was not that some should go and cut the wood and others stop at home to prosecute their studies. They said that if the work were to be accomplished every one must do his share. Before entering on the work, the young 1 men sought the permission and advice of the Prophet ; and he answered them that they might go. And this should be the case with all mankind. We should always ask through prayer the permission and assistance of Crod and take His advice aa to what we should do and where we should £0, and thus get his Divine approval for all we did. With these young students of the good Prophet their first question was a good one ; their first request was praiseworthy, and their second one was better still. They wore not content with the Prophet's permission but they wanted his presence too. This we all should make as a rule of conduct throughout life — asking God's permission to do certain things and to go certain places and te ask his presence. We wanted His divine presence to keep us from harm and danger. By asking God to come with us everywhere wo went we would thus know wheio it was proper and legitimate for us to go. We could not a^k God to f^o to the racecourse with us nor to a f nicy areas b.ill, for how could we expect Him to accompany ua to such places. And if people cannot expect their Cieator to be with them at such places they have no light there. Because they should be ashamed timer* to go and bo whcic God cannot be. " But attend I pi ay Thee to go with thy sciv.mts, and ho ausweic-d, I will go" mo he went with thorn ( Isaiah' h studpnts) to tho wood when they played that lie might accompany them. Ho had answeicd them, Certaiuly I will go, and His proiuibes weie not like human promises ; they were made to be Kept, not to be bioken. The .students wont to work with axou in their lrmds,having gone to the woods expressly to cut wood. Tho simple fact that they hid cut down w ood had been recorded, and in this there was a. Ic-^on. How many people make resolves and purposes, that aio but m.ide resolves, ami aie never carried into effect ? It would be well for us in all our unrlei takings for God's Glory if we made resolves and abided by them. When fulling a beam one of tha young men knocked th 3 head off his axe, which fell into the water. Ht then cried and said " Alas master for it was borlowod." Thus in doinir God's work; LToiny about it with Oorl's permission, ami .iccnmpaniii'l with His presence, we aio even th'-n n'>t fieo fiO'n accident, disappointont, or (liseonrjgoinent But we can always put up with discouragement or any othei disadvantage if the Lord be with us, and t-o tl.e difficulty which was occasioned tho .strident by the loss of his axc-hend was M)on nveieome. The axo was bm led m tho mud at the bottom of the water and. jot because the Prophet was with them they weie helped out of the rtiffisulhy. How grateful, therefore, should we be when we can as^ God to be with us at all times to watch over our actions, and assist u.s rhrough all our woildl} 7 vici-bitudo". "And tho man of * God cut down a .stick jnd cast it in the • river, and tho iron swam." The young man stretched out his hand at the bidding *~ of the piophet arid got the axe. He was rejoiced, and when he found the axe in his hand again he was then able to go on with his work. lie commenced work again and >rot his beam down as soon as any one of them because he found the Lord had been wi'h him in hia dish ess, and he went at it with lcnewed energy. Therefore we should begin again to-day to consecrate ourselves to God, and do His work with delight. "The iron did swim." These words were taken as a kind of epitome of the whole text. Several great lessons were to be deiived from these words. The first was one that applied to all Christian people, that we all should be careful of borrowed property. The world judges Christian people by their everyday actions and troubles. If we are not careful with small things now, this means carelessness by and by in still more weighty affairs. A feather best tells the way in which the wind blows, as does a straw how the tide runs, and it is therefore those small incidents which creep up in everyday life that form the best tests of Cluistian character. The world does not judge people by going to church. We can therefore never be too particular either in business or at home, or when enjoying the pleasures of the world, whether ©n week-days or on Sundays. Speaking of his father, the speaker said that he was in the habit of asking people questions who were desirous of joining the Baptist Church. He on one occasion asked a girl why she wanted to be converted, to which she replied, "I think I am converted, because now I sweep under the door-mats." This was a very strange reply, but yet a very beautiful one to his (the speaker's) mind. Before her conversion the young girl had been in the habit of doing things in an off-hand manner, no . conscience being ever brought to bear in the matter, but when the change touched her it not only affected her heart, but it

affected the broom-handle. The world watches us closoly, and when we have borrowed other people's property it is best to be on the safe side, acting as God would have us act, and accomplish that and only that to which God accorded his approval. All that we have is borrowed, the young man had said the axe waB borrowed when it fell into the water, just like our time was borrowed, God having only lent it to us. The breath we breathe, the physical powers we are continually using, the faculties that belong to our mind, and everything connected with our person, estate, or family ; all these things are but lent out at interest, and God demands them both in time and eternity. How many of these powers have been spent to no purposes? And when that day shall come, the laafc great day when the judg- j xnent throne is filled, mid we are marshalled in array before that dread tribunal, memory, bringing back to us the recollections of misspent days, then wo will cry like the young man who had lost his axe, " Alas master they Were borrowed." Wo should therefore consecrate ourselves to God and devote the powers and faculties which he has bestowed upon us to his service and divine praise. Another lesson was, that when wo got into any trouble wo should take our difficulty to one who could help ns. The third lesson was that God could perform impossibilities. Here the iron did bwim, and he (the spe.iker) believed it, because it was in God's word, and ho believed that God alone could do it by performing impossibilities. Ihe sun stood still on one occasion at tho bidding of Joshua, but it was not Joshua, it was God who made tho sun, and it was not Joshua who made the <mn .stand still, but God at his bidding The last lesson was : That although Christ saves us and has done everything for our salvation that he can do, there is still something for us to do. We must share the benefit of the life and death of Christ ; until we put our hand and take the salvation which is thus offered as an act of faith we will avail nothing by it. Tf vc suppose a stranger walking from Hamilton to Cambridge happening to be on tlie right load but not knowing it, he asks his way from another peison passing, who, perhaps, rather astonished will say "Tins road takes you right into Cambridge." Could there be anything more absurd than the traveller sitting down on the loadside in the expectation of the load bunging him on to Cambridge without any further effort on hi& part? Jesus had said "I am the way ; I'll take you to salvation," and consequently if that toad is not embraced balvation will never be achieved.

Afternoon Service. In the afternoon the hall was again crowded, and another eloquent and effective sermon was ju'oached.