A Lay Sermon

A LAY SERMON. BY DR. JAMES X. ALLEN. ' 'Come let us reason together." I have been talking some, of late, to those who are somewhat doubtful as to the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, and to whom I have quoted but little scripture, deeming it unwise to quote authorities for whom the reader has but little respect. I now want to say a few words to some of my friends—of whom I have quite a number—who do profess an abiding faith in the sacred book, the Bible. To such friends I expect to quote freely from the inspired writings. There are a great many good, honest souls who are trying to live, and I doubt not do live, according to the best light that is within them; many of them saying and believing that all that is necessary for a man or woman to do, in order to be pleasing unto God and to enjoy his approbation, is to live in strict keeping with the tenets of the church to which they belong; believing as they do that all the Christian churches are equally true, and sure guides in the way of life. A good lady, with whom I had a conversation recently, had no doubt but that all the Christian sects were on the road to heaven, excepting the "Mormon" Church. She did not pretend to know much about the "Mormons," personally, but from what the minister said, she could not see how it could be possible for a "Mormon" to get there. Well, after a somewhat lengthy conversation about the doctrines taught, and the lives lived, by the Latter-day Saints, she was good enough to ^say: "Well, I shall certainly expect to meet one 'Mormon' in heaven." I thanked her for the kindly hope, but I ventured to suggest that while we might hope for heaven, there was a possibility that we should not meet.

A LAY SERMON. 259 •as we read: *'In my Father's house are many mansions;" and that, "every man will be rewarded according to the deeds done in the body:" that is, according to the closeness with which we adhere to the teachings of our Lord and that of his inspired apostles. I now wish to repeat my argument: ''Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (I Cor. 3: 11). I asked the good lady who founded the church of which she was a member? The answer was: "John Wesley." I asked her if it were organized according to, or after the pattern of, the early Christian church? "Why, yes;" was the answer, "you have just read that Christ is the foundation of the church." I then read to her from Ephesians 2: 20, "And are built -upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." I asked her, "How about apostles and prophets? Are there ^ny in your church?" To which she replied that apostles and prophets are done away now; they are only to give the church a start, and that the church, thank God, is getting along very well without them! I next called her attention to the passage found in I Cor. 12: "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings," etc., etc. If God hath set in the church apostles, etc., etc., and they are a part of the foundation of God's church, and, "otheir foundation no man can lay than that which God has laid," can a body of people destitute of these officers, gifts, and graces, be, in any sense, the church of Christ? The good lady hardly knew what to answer. She disclaimed •being a theologian, but she knew that she loved God, and that Christ loved her, "Thank God." I asked her if the gifts and graces enjoyed by the first Christians obtained in her church? Answer: ^*No; indeed, I only wish they were in our church; but they are 'done away now. They are no longer needed." I told her that I feared that she was too much of a theologian; that modern theology put private interpretation upon the plain letter of the word of God. If God hath set in the church certain officers, and declared them to be, with our Lord and Savior, the very foundation thereof

260 IMPROVEMENT ERA. what man or set of men can possibly have either the right or the power to take them away and substitute others which the Almighty never called? And as to the gifts of the gospel, our Lord emphatically declared: "And these signs shall follow them that believe," etc., that is, the gifts of the gospel, as enjoyed by the disciples of our Lord, shall follow those who believe in, and live, the doctrines of Christ, as taught by the Master and his inspired apostles. Now, it is evident that where these precious gifts of the gospel do not obtain, that there is something decidedly wrong. Oar Lord could not lie, nor could he possibly be mistaken. The wrong cannot be with the Master; therefore, it must of necessity be with the servant. I quoted to her the word of the Lord to King Solomon, aa found in I Kings 6: 11, 12: "And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, concerning this house which thou art in building;, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father; and I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people, Israel." You will notice the strict injunction, "to keep all my commandments," on this condition,and on this only, did God promise to dwell among them. There must be no omissions, no additions,, no substitutions, no private interpretations. It must be admitted by every sane mind that the Creator of heaven and earth knows just what he wants as well as knowing just how to tell it. Further, in I Chron, 28: 12, 18,19, David, the man after God's own heart, urged his son Solomon to build the temple in every respect strictly according to the pattern which the Lord had shown by revelation. And, according to the record, the wise king built strictly according to the pattern. As evidence that he did so, weread II Chron. 7: 1: "Now, when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house." God accepted the house, because it was his house; built in all respects according to his own directions. Supposing Solomon had done as many ministers are doing today, putting their < private notions in place of God's word: how long do you suppose the-

A LAY SERMON. 261 congregation would have had to wait for fire to come down from heaven to consume the sacrifice? Don't you think that the priest would have had to furnish the fire himself, as the house had been furnished by man's wisdom? Herein consisted the wisdom of Solomon: he was satisfied that the Almighty knew just what he wanted, and the king was humble enough to follow divine instruction; and God graciously and publicly accepted his labors. Again, with regard to the tabernacle which the Lord commanded Moses to erect in the wilderness. Moses received full and explicit instructions with regard to dimensions, materials and arrangement of everything about it, and when it was completed (Lev. ix: 24): "And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw they shouted, and fell on their faces." It is a fearful thing for men to presume to be wiser than God! It is to be taken for granted that Moses adhered strictly to the instructions and pattern which it had pleased the Almighty to give him; and, as conclusive proof that he did so, the Lord furnished the sacred fire, and accepted the sacrifice. Does it not look reasonable to you that it would be the proper thing to do, to take the Lord at his word? accept the Church, and all the doctrines and ordinances, as God, in his word, has given them to us? Now, what do you think of your ministers? Do you think that it is at all likely that they will receive the welcome (Matt. 25: 21): "Enter into the joy of the Lord"? "And many shall say unto him," etc., "we have prophesied in thy name," etc., but he shall declare, "I never knew you." You should remember that all that Christ did and said was ^iven him by the same God who both instructed and rewarded Moses, David and Solomon, and that he is the same yesterday, today, and for ever. "For I have not spoken of myself; but my Father which sent me. He gave me commandment what I should say, and what I should speak." (John 12: 29). Seeing that the Only Begotten Son of God did not feel justified in making any deviation from the instructions given him by the Father, is it reasonable that mortal man should presume to make changes in the

262 IMPRO VEMENT ERA. laws and ordinances which it has pleased the Almighty to reveali for our guidance and for our salvation? Ogden Utah.