548                   A. M. E. REVIEW.

  The effectual gospel must be preached to all men, till the
whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of
God. Men must hear the gospel and enjoy its rich provision.
The following timely bit of advice is from a Denver religious
paper: "Don't stay away from sermons: Faith comes from
hearing; how can we believe if we do not hear? We see from
the wonderful growth of Christianity in its early days what a
power was in the word, and may we not ask why is it not so
now? The reason seems to be that sermons are not listened
to in the proper spirit. It is not eloquence we are to seek, it
is the Word of God. The sermon must be heard for instruction
and edification, and not pleasurable sensations produced by
graceful delivery, a musical voice, or brilliant rhetoric. These
arts are fine and noble, but the substance is what is to be sought
in the sermon."  We are to show results of our belief, results
are what the people of this country are after. In religion as in
business life, this is true of them. It is of small value to say
you are methodists if you do not show results. The influence
which Bernard exercised by his letters and burning words was
effectual, so irresistible, that he was surrounded by a company
of young men, who not only changed their way of life, but
bound themselves to him to follow the holy path which he
traced out for them. The eminent theologians of Roman
Catholicism, Anslem, Albert the Great, Thomas Aquinas, and
Bonaventura taught that each human soul is from the moment
of its creation in care of an angel. They maintained that the
evil spirits are constantly on the alert to vent their hate upon
man even before his birth, and that therefore their machina-
tions must be met by the efforts of intelligence and wills of
equal ability and perseverance. The doctrine of Methodism
shows that all men are conceived and born in sin and by their
nature cannot besaved,but by those five points-rich legacies
of priceless value to us--from Holy Writ: conviction, conver-
sion, faith, sanctification and the witness of the Holy Spirit.
By these all men can be saved. Methodism further believes
   in the final perseverance of the saints.  This is the doctrine
you are to preach and defend with your lips and godly lives.
This through your influence and action is the leaven which




			

OHS/National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center Serial Collection

African Methodist Episcopal Church Review, Vol. 28, Num. 2

Volume:  28
Issue Number:  02
Date:  10/1911