MISSION OF THE GOSPEL CHURCH.

"Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die: for I have not found thy work perfect before God."-REV. iii: 2.

The gospel Church was established by the Lord Jesus Christ, as an instrumentality through which the glad tidings of saving grace might be proclaimed to Adam's lost and ruined posterity. Through this medium alone God has promised to work. The Church is God's divinely appointed agency through which the world might learn Messiah's name. It is through this medium, the gospel Church, that God graciously purposes to draw the children of men to His Holy Son Jesus Christ. This is the mission of her that cometh out of the wilderness, dressed in her beautiful and blood-stained garment, shining as bright as the sun, as clear as the moon, as beautiful as the stars, and as terrible as an army with banners.

It is by her Christ-like example and influence that it is contemplated guilty sinners may be brought to Him, "the mighty to save." The mission of the Church is a noble one.

The gospel Church should have a happy effect on the children of men. Since this is true of the gospel Church, it follows that if she does not retain her integrity, dignity, gorgeous beauty and heavenly parity, she will not accomplish the good for which she was established, and will fall under censure of her Author.

On the failure of the Church to fill the sphere for which she was established, the Saviour is grieved. He most solemnly complains of her, and threatens to visit her with severe judgment. The seven Churches of Asia, save two, were the first recipients of this awful and grievous complaint.

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The Church at Ephesus was rebuked because she held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which God declared that he hated. This idolatry in the Church was very grievous. Notwithstanding she had done some good things, she was not perfect. She had again left her first love. God gives her a fatherly admonition to repent--or He would remove her candlestick.

The Church at Smyrna was faithful in all things, and received an admonition in the language of a father, "Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life."

The Church at Pergamos, though she was praised for being firm in the faith and not denying His name, had yet something against her. She held the doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans.

The Church at Thyatira was very charitable, and did a great many things which were praiseworthy; yet she was not perfect She had Jezebel, who claimed that she was a prophetess and was not, which was an abomination to God.

The Church at Sardis is solemnly complained of because she had a name to live and was dead. Churches should strive to live up to their names. They should do all the duties enjoined upon them.

The Church at Philadelphia has a pleasing record. Oh! it must please God for Churches to strive earnestly thus to fill the sphere for which they were designed. Such Churches cannot fail to exert a powerful influence in the world. In such Churches God delights to make His abode. The work of the Church is a holy one.

The Church at Laodicea has a heartrending record. She was neither cold nor hot. Because she was thus, God declared that He would spew her out of His mouth.

With these facts before us, how applicable are the words of our text!

We meet here this afternoon, to dedicate this house of worship to our God. Dear brethren, the thoughts that claim are attention are as follows:

I. The fatherly admonition in the text. "Be watchful." This is not only a duty of the Church, but of every Christian. We should try to live circumspectly as becometh followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gravity of this admonition will be more forcibly felt when we consider that it falls from the lips of Him whose 00045eyes never sleep, and who knows Satan from the beginning, and therefore best sees the necessity of giving such a command. We will see more clearly the importance of this admonition, as we follow along the channel of thought.

1. "Be watchful," internally. The mind is a door to the soul; when the mind is corrupted, the soul will soon be. They are so intimately and inseparably connected, that if the one is defiled, the other will inevitably be corrupted. We should "be watchful," therefore, as to what enters our minds, since the soul is most surely affected thereby. We are called upon to "be watchful" as to what enters the mind, since Satan acts upon the mind, by which he means to reach the soul. It is this precious and eternal substance around which should be placed every safeguard possible. The reasons are obvious when we contemplate for a moment what the soul is. It is a portion of God in man. It was for this that the Lord Jesus left heaven, veiled himself in human clay, suffered, bled and died. It was for the soul. "I saw One hanging on a treeIn agonies and blood."The soul was purchased at a great price. It required Heaven's dearest gift. The love that the Lord Jesus manifested for His Church is unspeakable and full of glory. It was for the soul that, dear Saviour, wesee thee "bathed in tears and weltering in thy blood."

There are small evils, which when accumulated, make a strong hold upon the soul, and tend to pollute it. We cannot be too careful with what our minds are filled. Drops by drops make the ocean, and little grains of sand make the land. These little parcels of evils may, if not watched, come in unobserved. The soul may gradually fall away from its first love, and be made to cry: "Where is the blessedness I knewWhen first I saw the Lord?""Be watchful," also, of your affections. Nothing needs more watching than your affections, which should be continually set upon God. It is to this portion of man that the language of the poet is so admirably adapted:

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"Hark, my soul! it is the Lord-'Tis the Saviour, hear His word.Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee:'Say, poor sinner, lov'st thou me?'"How often do we find that our affections are set too much upon things that are perishable--things that are not pure and holy--and when once they get a strong hold upon us, what efforts are required to get rid of them! To this, brethren, I cannot too earnestly invite your attention. It is at this door the Lord Jesus stands and knocks. We are commanded by the blessed Saviour to "watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation." Our minds are too much disposed to wander from God. Grace too often decays and comfort dies, leaving our heart in pain. This is what David prayed for. "Purge thou me from secret faults," was the oft repeated prayer of this humble patriarch. God desireth truth in the inward parts. Of this Paul speaks. When I would do good, I do it not. This is the warfare he speaks of--wars within. Satan is attempting to lead off our affections by his stealthy and fascinating charms. Watch and keep thyself pure, is the admonition of the Bible. When Satan has filled the mind and affections with vanity, we begin to feel like crying. "Often I feel my sinful heartProne from my Jesus to depart."The affections are what God acts upon. When a man is converted, his affections are simply changed. This is what makes things appear so new to him. His affections are improved, and he loves as he never did before. He feels renewed. Ask a child of God what is his greatest evidence that he is a Christian, and he will tell you, that because he now loves things which he once hated. O, the change of the affections, where one is made to cry, "What wondrous love is this, O my soul!" For this angels in heaven rejoice, because the poor sinner loves as he never loved before. This joyous love is unspeakable and full of glory. We hope the importance of watching the affections is clearly seen.

2. Watch as to our Christian duties. Many little duties may pass by unnoticed, if we do not keep on the watch. There are many duties that devolve upon us, which we must not fail to obey. 00067The first of these that I shall mention, is Self-denial. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. "This strikes me, my brethren, as being the first duty of a child of grace. "He that will not forsake father and mother, wife and children, house and land, and even his own life, is not worthy of me." Man may at times find himself inclined to get proud and selfish, but when such feelings crowd in upon his soul, he should pray God to make him humble. He should remember that God brings low the proud and haughty, and exalts the humble and lowly. When we get puffed up and higher in mind than becomes disciples of Jesus, we should not forget that it is our first Christian duty to deny ourselves. We should watch those inclinations which tend to make us think more highly of ourselves than we ought. They are they which injure our Christian influences. Never, my brethren, has there been a Church or people who promoted themselves but that God has brought them low. Let a Church forget that God is her helper and fall into condemnation and the snares of Satan, and great is her fall. Let the Church forget that the Most High reigns, and you will see one without power and influence--you will see one that is dead to every good work.

Another of our duties is Prayer. How delightful is this duty. "Prayer makes the darkened clouds withdraw;Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,Gives exercise to faith and love,Brings every blessing from above.Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;Prayer makes the Christian armor bright;And Satan trembles when he seesThe weakest saint upon his knees."It is this music of prayer that God loves to hear, and praying souls He will crown. Christians should love to pray. Prayer is a medium which brings man into sympathy with his God. At a throne of grace, soul communes with soul. God the Creator communes with man His creature. Prayer is to the soul what water is to the system. The animal life is sustained by animal food; so is the spiritual life by prayer. Christians should pray for the conversion of sinners--for the advancement of God's Zion in the earth, and for the spread of the Gospel.

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We should "be watchful" so as to "let our lips and lives express the holy gospel we profess," and our conversation prove our hearts to be sincere. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Let us fear to do wrong and dare to do right, for we have a work that no other can do.

The text supposes that some things are undone, and asserts that they are upon the verge of death. We are therefore solemnly commanded,

II. To strengthen the things which remain. It is remarkably true of Churches that they too often fall from their first love.- They are too apt to leave of the duties that once they loved to perform. Let us see what the Church was to do, what she has done, and what she is doing. Then we may clearly perceive what remains to be done.

1. What the Church was to do. The Church was to exemplify in her character, daily, the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Her power was to be felt for good in the world. From her all that is good, peaceable, loving, virtuous, pure and holy, were to come--which Christian graces are absolutely necessary for the accomplishment of the desired good. The Church was to be the agency thro' which the missionary cause was to be advanced. It has always been God's plan to work through instrumentalities to reclaim the erring, to cheer the faint, and to raise the fallen. The Church was to be a medium through which education might be promoted. It was, I believe, intended that the Church should see to it that the world should read the Bible, in which alone is God's revealed will. The Church was to be the very fountain of temperance. She should preach temperance. The Church was to live in unity. Each should "feel his brother's care and with him bear a part." She was to work together. In unity there is strength. The Church was to protest against sin in every shape and form, and send the gospel to the perishing millions of earth.

2. What the Church has done. The Church in her early ages spread the gospel, notwithstanding she came through many horrible and bloody scenes. When we look back and see the rage of persecution against the early Church, and think of the countless number 00089of Christians who suffered martyrdom for the truth they believed and preached, we can but rejoice at her triumph. All the power of the papacy could not prevent her final spread. The finger of God was in the matter, making it graciously result in the salvation of many precious souls. The brethren, wherever scattered, proclaimed the good news--preaching salvation only through Jesus Christ. They established Churches wherever they went. When we reflect on those awful persecutions, we wonder how was it possible for the Church to exist through them! Then it is that by faith I fancy I see a hand rent and torn in which is a blood-stained banner, under which the Church marched. The banner has this inscription on it: "Thy saints in all this glorious warShall conquer though they die;They see a triumph from afarAnd seize it with their eye."They are cheered to go forward under all circumstances. Go forward! if through the Red Sea. Advance! if to the lion's den. Push onward! if at risk of fiery furnace. Like Constantine, there shall appear before you a bleeding cross with the inscription, "By this sign conquer!"

Many Churches even in our day have planted other Churches in heathen lands. The Church used to contribute to the necessities of the poor saints, and they used to delight themselves in spreading the gospel. The early Christians seemed to have delighted. --"to tell the story of unseen things above,Of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love."Among the early Churches there was but "one Lord, one faith, one baptism."

3. What the Church is doing. Many Churches in a great measure retain that missionary spirit which once characterized the Church of Christ. Many are taking up collections for foreign and domestic missions. Many noble preachers have been and are now beneficiaries of some humble Church of Christ. Many Churches are nobly aiding institutions of learning. But many Churches are spending hundreds of dollars uselessly in erecting houses of worship at enormous cost. It strikes me most forcibly when I pass 000910through our cities and behold such costly churches, and then go through the country and see log churches, and sometimes no churches at all. It looks as though one had in waste and another is starving. I sometimes think that this is not the spirit of Christ, neither is it the spirit intended for His children. If ten percent of all the money spent in erecting those very costly buildings, basements, galleries, and the superfluous matters about them, in the cities, was appropriated for the purpose of building churches through the country, I believe it would throng the country with comfortable houses of worship. This is something that many of our Churches are doing which they ought not to do.

Let us ask ourselves the solemn question, Are we as a Church doing what God would have us do? Are we supporting the mission cause? Are we willfully refusing to do the part assigned us in the Master's vineyard Have we, to the detriment of the cause, failed to promote education? If we could answer these questions as having fulfilled our duty, I fancy that God would be better pleased with our works. The mission cause claims the prayers, sympathies and support of every Church of Christ on earth.

We can but believe that it was the design of the Author of the Church that she should advance His Zion in all those things necessary to exemplify the life of Christ. Our text calls upon us to strengthen the things that remain, or they will die entirely. The more we leave them off, the more we are disposed to neglect them. The less we do, the less we feel like doing. They will become so that you will think that they are not duties at all.

III. Notice the solemn and awful complaint laid at the feet of the Church. You have done many things, saith the Lord, but your work is not perfect. "How careful, then, ought I to live,With what religious fear,Who such a strict account must giveFor my behavior here."If the heavens themselves are not pure in the sight of God, how carefully should we approach Him! with what fear and trembling! Consider that He cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance, 001011and then hear Him declare that our work is imperfect--it is enough to melt the hardest heart. God cannot be pleased with imperfect worship. God cannot be pleased with a worship that He has not commanded. All that God intended for us to do by which we would render an acceptable and perfect worship to Him, has been shown us in the Bible and through Christ His Son. When we deviate one iota from the path which He has marked out, He is not pleased, and declares our work imperfect.--How many Churches have this complaint thrown at their feet?

Let all ask, Lord, is it I? We should try to be like Jesus more and more in service and in song. Let us cry, "O for a closer walk with God!" This we must do if we would have our works perfect before God. How can we be at ease and treat the complaint with indifference? When we consider from whom this complaint comes, our hearts can but melt to tears. It falls from the lips of Him who loves the Church and gave himself for the Church. It comes from the lips of Him who cannot lie. It issues from the lips of Him who would not treat His Church wrong or see it imposed upon. It emanates from Him who delights to make the Church His abode.

When we consider these striking and stubborn facts, how can we refrain from crying,"Return, O holy dove, return,Sweet messenger of rest;I hate the sins that made thee mournAnd drove thee from my breast!"Let us ask that God may make us more faithful, confirm us in faith and perfect us in love. We are told that the house of God should be a house of prayer for all people. When Solomon had finished the temple, he dedicated it to God. The Church should have a house of worship. We have been speaking thus far of the members who are the Church. We will now speak very briefly of the church-house. The Bible tells us not to neglect the assembling of ourselves together. We should therefore have a house in which to do this. It is our duty to build "a house for God." If we should refuse to do this, hear Him ask, "Where is the house that ye builded unto me?"

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We should dedicate our houses wholly unto God. Panoramas and other worldly things should be kept out of the house of God, as it was certainly not erected for them. Many a wicked announcement has been made in the church. This was not the object for which the house was built. In many places the church--house is a kind of post-office-which is not its design. We would with all our soul oppose a political meeting in the house of God.

We now, dear brethren, dedicate this house wholly to our God, who delights to receive offerings at the hands of His children.