Additions to the Church

A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, APRIL 5, 1874,

BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved."
Acts2:47.

WE are just coming to the most beautiful season of the
year–Spring–when everything around us is shaking off the chill grave
clothes of winter and putting on the beautiful array of a new life. The
Church of God was in that condition at Pentecost–her winter was past
and the flowers appeared on the earth. She enjoyed the spring breezes,
for the breath of the Holy Spirit refreshed her garden. There was
spring music–the time of the singing of birds was come, for her
preachers testified faithfully of Jesus. And so many and varied were
the sweet notes which welcomed the new season, that many nations of men
heard in their own tongue the wonderful works of God!

There were, also, the spring blossoms–the fig tree put forth her green
figs and the vines with the tender grapes gave a good smell–and all
around multitudes inquired, "Men and brethren, what must we do?" And
many also avowed their faith in Jesus. There were the spring showers of
repentance, the spring sunbeams of joy in the Holy Spirit and the
spring flowers of newly-given hope and faith! May we behold just such
another springtime in all the Churches of Jesus Christ throughout the
world! And meanwhile, let us arouse ourselves suitable to so gladsome a
season. Let us rise up and meet the Well-Beloved, and in concert with
Him let us sow in hope and look for a speedy springing up. The Sun of
Righteousness is coming forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and
the weary night is melting into welcome day–let us hear the Beloved's
voice as He cries to us, "Arise, My love, My fair one, and come away."

It seems from the text that the additions to the Church which were made
in the Pentecostal springtime did not occur always in one form.
Sometimes they came in crowds and at other times by gradual increase.
Upon one day there were 3,000 added–that is an instance of conversion
in the mass, when a nation is born at once! In such a work we are bound
to believe. I mean not merely in the possibility of it, but in the
probability of it, for it stands to reason that what should convince
one man in a particular condition of heart would as readily convince
3,000 or 30,000 if they were in the same state. Granted the same soil,
the same seed, the same season and the same wonder-working God–and I
cannot imagine any reason why a limit should be set to results!

The Holy Spirit is Divine and consequently He knows how to influence
all kinds of men, and He can, by the instrumentalities now in use,
reach just as many as He pleases. I remember well, when I first
preached in London, a remark made by a friend which very greatly
encouraged me at the time, and has proved true in my experience. When
he heard that my little country Chapel had been filled by the
inhabitants of the village in which I had preached, he gave me hope of
filling a far larger place in London. "For," he said, "what will draw
200 will draw 2,000, and what was useful to a few may be made just as
useful to a multitude."

I saw at once that it was so. When we are dealing with spiritual forces
we have not to calculate by pounds and ounces, or by so many horse
power. We have not to think of quantity. As an illustration–give me
fire, I will not bargain for a furnace–give me but a single candle and
a city or a forest may soon be in a blaze. A spark is quite sufficient
to begin with, for fire multiplies itself. So give us the Truth of God,
a single voice and the Holy Spirit with it–and none can say where the
sacred conflagration will end! One Jonah sufficed to subdue all Nineveh
by one monotonous sentence often repeated! And in spite of the weakness
of our present instrumentality, if God does but bless the Gospel, there
is no reason why it should not speedily be felt by the whole of London!

The sermon preached by Peter at Pentecost was the arrow of the Lord's
deliverance to 3,000–there is no reason why the Lord should not cause
one of ours to be the same! Three thousand cannot be converted if only
a hundred are present to hear–but with this vast assembly, and
thousands of smaller ones within gunshot–why should not the slain of
the Lord be many? Assuredly the Divine Comforter can as readily bless
three millions as three individuals! But it

would appear from our text that the additions to the Pentecostal Church
were not made in a mass at all times. The Spirit of God was still with
them, but their increase was more gradual. "The Lord added to the
Church daily of such as should be saved."

You have seen a heavy shower of rain in the Spring–in a moment a big
drop has fallen upon the pavement and before you were ready to escape
from it, a deluge followed, so plenteous that you half suspected a
cloud had been torn in two right over your head! Such a sudden and
impetuous shower may serve for a figure of the conversion of 3,000
souls at once. But at other times rain has fallen gently and has
continued to descend hour by hour–a soft, warm, Spring watering–which
in its own way and fashion has done its work of blessing quite as
surely as the heavier downpour. We must be very thankful if we do not
see 3,000 converted in one day. If we see 300 every day for 10 days, or
if we see 30 every day for a hundred days, we ought, indeed, to be
grateful for all success so long as sinners really come to Jesus.

Whether they come in troops, or one by one, we will welcome them! The
woman who lost her money was glad to find one piece, although she would
have been even more glad to have found a purse full if they had been
lost. I want you to think about additions to the Church as they used to
occur among the early Christians. Certain people are always talking
about the "early Church," and very strange notions they seem to have of
the aforesaid early Church. Their early Church was very different from
anything we meet with in the Acts of the Apostles, for it was very
particular in its architecture, millinery, and music. Their "early
Church" could not worship at all unless it had a visible altar, with
reredos and frontal, at which gentlemen in gorgeous attire of blue and
scarlet and fine linen made many postures and not a few low bows.

The "early Church" of which they speak, it seems, believed in baptismal
regeneration, transubstantiation, priestcraft and sacramental efficacy.
Well, that may or may not be, but there was an earlier Church which had
no such notions! And it is for us to get right away from any such early
churches to the earlier Church or the earliest Church, and there, I
guarantee you, you shall find no priestcraft nor nonsense of
sacramental efficacy! There was but simplicity, Truth of God and the
power of the Holy Spirit! The early Church, so much admired by
Anglicans, was a degenerate vine, a field of wheat and tares, a mass
leavened with antichristian error–in a word–baptized heathenism!

After its own fashion, it set up, again, the many deities of the
heathen, only calling them saints instead of gods– putting the Virgin
into the place of Venus and setting up Peter or Paul in the niches
formerly occupied by Saturn or Mars. Our present "revived early Church"
is only paganism with a border of crosses! We are resolved to return to
the primitive Church of which we read, "then they that gladly received
the Word were baptized, and they continued steadfastly in the Apostles'
doctrine." In connection with this Church we shall handle our subject,
trusting to the Holy Spirit to be with us as He was with them.

I. First, then, ADDITIONS TO THE CHURCH, WHAT ABOUT THEM? "The Lord
added to the Church daily of such as should be saved." It seems to have
been the custom in the earliest times for persons who had been
converted to Christ to join themselves with the Church of Jesus Christ.
From that fact, I feel persuaded that they did not conceal their
convictions. It is a strong temptation with many to say, "I have
believed in Jesus, but that is a matter between God and my own soul.
There can be no need that I should tell this to others. Can I not
quietly go to Heaven and be a Nicodemus, or a Joseph of Arimathea?"

To which I reply, Yes, you can quietly go to Heaven, and we hope you
will do so, but that is a different thing from being cowardly and
ashamed of Christ! We shall not object to your being a Nicodemus if you
will go with him when he carries spices to the grave of Jesus. And you
may be a Joseph of Arimathea if you will attend him when he goes boldly
in unto Pilate and begs for the body of Jesus! Neither of these two
Brothers were cowardly after the Cross had been set up before their
eyes. Neither were they ashamed to identify themselves with Christ
crucified. Follow them, not in the infancy of their love, but in its
mature days! Remember, dear Friends, the promise of the Gospel runs
thus–"He that with his heart believes, and with his mouth makes
confession of Him, shall be saved."

Do not, I charge you, neglect one half of the command! The Gospel
commission which we have received is this–"Go you into all the world
and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believes and is
baptized shall be saved." That is the message as we find it. We did not
insert the clause concerning Baptism, neither dare we leave it out, or
advise you to neglect it. I give you the very words of the Savior. Do
not, therefore, divide the Gospel command in order to throw half of it
behind your back, but both believe and acknowledge your belief, and be
added to the Church. It is quite clear, too,

that Believers in those days did not try to go to Heaven alone. There
has been a great deal said in these latter days about being simply a
Christian and not joining any particular Church–a piece of cant
mostly–and in all cases a mistake.

In the name of unity this system is preached up, and yet it is clear to
all that it is the reverse of unity and is calculated to put an end to
all visible Church fellowship. The good people mentioned in our text
joined themselves with the Church of God in Jerusalem at once. I dare
say that even in those days, had they criticized the Church, they would
have found faults in her–certainly within a few weeks great faults had
to be remedied–but these converts felt that the society at Jerusalem
was the Church of Christ and, therefore, they joined themselves to it.
All of you can meet with Churches of Jesus Christ if you choose to look
for them. If you wait for a perfect Church, you must wait until you get
to Heaven! And even if you could find a perfect assembly on earth, I am
sure they would not admit you to their fellowship, for you are not
perfect yourself.

Find out those people who are nearest to the Scriptures–who hold the
Truths of God in doctrine and in ordinance, and are most like the
Apostolic Church–and then cast in your lot with them and you will be
blessed in the deed. Consider the matter, and reflect that if it would
be right for you to remain out of Church fellowship, it must be right
for every other Believer to remain in the same condition. And then
there would be no visible Church on earth at all and no body of people
banded together to maintain the Christian ordinances. Christian
fellowship, especially in the breaking of bread and the maintenance of
an evangelistic ministry, would become an impossibility if no one
openly avowed the Savior's cause. Act, then, according to your duty.
And if you are a Christian, join with Christians. If you love the
Master, love the servants. If you love the Captain, unite with the army
and join that regiment of it which you think cleaves closest to the
Master's Word.

Observe next, that the persons who were reached at Pentecost were added
to the Church by the Lord. Does anybody else ever add to the Church?
Oh, yes, the devil too often thrusts in his servants! Who was it that
added Judas, Ananias and Sapphire, and Simon Magus and Demas to the
Church? Who was it that stole forth by night and cast tares among the
wheat? That evil spirit is not dead! He is still busy enough in this
department and continually adds to the Church those who are not saved.
His are the mixed multitude which infest the camp of Israel and are the
first to fall a lusting. His the Achan who brings a curse upon the
tribes. His are those of whom Jude says, "certain men crept in unawares
who were before of old ordained to this condemnation." These adulterate
the Church and by so doing, they weaken and defile it, and bring it
much grief and dishonor. When the Lord adds to the Church, that is
quite another matter!

Moreover, the Church, itself, cannot avoid adding some who should not
be received. With the greatest possible care and prudence we shall
still make mistakes, And some are thus added whom the Lord never added
to the Church. You have heard Mr. Hill's story of meeting a man in the
street one night, who hiccupped up to him and said, "How do you do, Mr.
Hill? I am one of your converts." "Yes," said Rowland, "I should say
you are, but you are none of God's, or else you would not be drunk."
Converts of that sort are far too numerous. Converts of the preacher,
converts of friends, or converts of a certain fashion of making
profession–but not true-born children of the Lord.

Dear Friends, I invite all of you who are thinking about joining the
Church to search and see whether you are such as the Lord would add to
a Church. If you are, you have been converted by the Lord. You have
been wounded by the Lord and you have been healed by the Lord. And in
the Lord is your righteousness and trust. It has not been man's doing,
whoever may have been the instrument. The Holy Spirit has worked all
your works in you. You must have been the subject of a Divine agency.
Something more than you could do for yourself, or any man could do for
you, must have been worked in you by the Lord. He who made you has made
you new. Oh, dear Friends who love the Lord, join in earnest prayer
that the Lord would add to the Church daily the saved ones, for we long
for such.

Then, additions to the Church of a right kind are described in the text
by the words, "such as should be saved." Only those words are not quite
a correct translation of the original. I suppose they were borrowed
from the vulgar Latin– they are not in the Greek. The translation
should be either, "The Lord added to the Church daily the saved," or,
"The Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved." Saved
persons were added to the Church–and only such are fit to be added. We
are not authorized to receive into our number those who desire to be
saved, as certain Brethren do–I commend their design in so doing, but
I am sure they have not Scripture for it. Those who are being saved, in
whom the work of salvation is really begun, are the only proper
candidates–and these are spoken of in the 44th verse as

"Believers."

The proper persons to be added to the visible Church of Christ are
those who believe to the salvation of their souls. They are they who
are, from day to day, experiencing the saving power of the name of
Jesus by being delivered from sin. They are being saved from the
customs of the world and are being saved in the sense of sanctified
from the various corruptions and lusts which rule among the sons of
men. These are the sort of persons who should be added to the Church.
So let the question go round–Am I saved? Have I believed in Jesus? If
I have, the process of salvation within me is going on. I am being
delivered from the reigning, ruling power of sin each day. I am being
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation and I shall be
kept and presented, at last, spotless before the Presence of God with
exceeding joy! We set the door wide open to all who are saved, however
little their faith may be.

The Church has no right to exclude any of the saved because their
knowledge or experience is not that of advanced Believers. If they
believe in Jesus and are saved, the babes are of the family and ought
to be received. The lambs belong to the flock and ought not to be kept
outside the fold. Church membership is not a certificate of advanced
Christianity–it is simply the recognition of the profession of saving
faith in Jesus Christ. May the Lord add to this Church many of the
saved! And may we sit at the Lord's Table together and sing of
redeeming Grace and dying love, as those who love the Savior. Come
here, you who are the Lord's little ones, but stay far from here you
unbelievers and unregenerate!

Again the text says, "The Lord added to the Church daily such as should
be saved." They were really "added" to the Church. I am afraid certain
persons' names are added to the Church, but they themselves are not!
They increase our numbers. They are added like figures on a slate, but
they do not augment our strength. The Church is a vital body and to add
to a vitalized body requires a Divine operation. The Church is like a
tree–if you want to add to a tree you cannot take a dead bough and tie
it on–that is not adding to it, but encumbering it. To add to a tree
there must be grafting done, which requires skill–and the branch,
itself alive–must be knit to the living trunk by a living junction so
that the vital sap of the tree flows into the grafted bough. A true
Church is a living thing and only living men and women made alive by
the Spirit of God are fit to be grafted into it–and the grafting must
be made by the Lord Himself–otherwise it is no true addition to the
Church of God.

Some members are only tied on to the Church–they are neither useful
nor ornamental–as a dead bough fastened to a tree would add no beauty
to it and would certainly bring forth no fruit. There must be a living
union, so that the life which is in the Church shall join with the life
that is in the man–and the one life of the one quickening Spirit shall
flow through the whole of the body. When I hear professors railing at
the Churches to which they belong. When I see disunion and disaffection
among Church members, I can well understand that the Lord never added
them! And it would be a great mercy to the Church if the Lord would
take them away. When the Lord adds them, added they are for time and
for eternity, and they can say to the Church, "Where you dwell I will
dwell; your people shall be my people, for your God is my God."

One more point in the text is this, that "the Lord added to the Church
daily such as should be saved." There were additions to the Church
every day! Some churches, if they have an addition once in 12 months
make as much noise over that one as a hen does when she has laid an
egg! Now, in the early Church they would not have been content with so
small an increase. They would have gone weeping and mourning all over
Jerusalem if there had been additions but once in the year. But, cries
one, "If we have an addition every month, is not that enough?" Well, it
is enough for some people, but when hearts are warm and full of love to
Christ, we want Him to be praised from the rising of the sun unto the
going down of the same–and we long to have added to the Church daily
of such as are saved–and why not? "But," you reply, "we are not daily
preaching." That may be, but we ought to be! If not daily in the
pulpit, there should be the daily preaching of the life, and if all the
members of the Church were daily teaching of Jesus Christ from house to
house, a daily sowing would bring a daily reaping!

If we were daily praying with earnestness, and daily using every effort
we could by the power of the Holy Spirit– and if daily the Church
abode in fellowship with her Master–we should soon see added to it
daily of those who are saved. "Why do we not see it," asks one, "in
many Churches?" Why? Because many Churches do not believe in it! If
there were many converts added to them, they would say, "Yes, we hear
of a great many additions, but what are they? We hope they will hold
on," or some such ungenerous remark. If to some Churches there should
come a large increase, there are Brethren who would not believe it to
be genuine and would despise the little ones!

God will not cause His children to be born where there are none to
nurse them–He will be sure not to send converts to Churches which do
not want them. He will not have His lambs snarled over as if they were
so many young wolves, and kept out in the cold by months together to
see whether they will howl or bleat. He loves to see His people
watchful for new converts, and watchful over them. The Good Shepherd
would have us feed His lambs, gather them in from the cold field of the
world and carry them to some warm sheltered place–and nurture them for
Him. When He sees a Church ready to do that, then will He send them His
lambs, but not till then.

II. That brings me to the second point, which is this–ADDITIONS TO THE
CHURCH–UNDER WHAT

CONDITIONS MAY WE EXPECT THEM ON A LARGE SCALE? Turn to the chapter,
again, and we shall have our answer. We may expect additions to every
Church of God on a large scale when she has, first of all, a Holy
Spirit ministry. Peter was, no doubt, a man of considerable natural
abilities. He was also a warm-hearted, fervent man, just such an one as
would have power over his fellow men because of the enthusiasm which
dwelt in himself. But for all this, Peter had never seen 3,000 persons
converted until he had been baptized with the Holy Spirit! After the
tongue of fire had sat upon Peter's head, he was another man from what
he had ever been before!

If, dear Brothers and Sisters, we are to see large multitudes
converted, the power of the preacher must lie in his being filled with
the Holy Spirit. I fear that many Churches would not be content with a
ministry whose power would lie solely in the Holy Spirit. I mean
this–that they judge a minister by his elaboration of style, or beauty
of imagery, or degree of culture. And if he is a man of such refined
speech that only a select few can understand him–he is a favorite with
what is considered to be "a respectable Church." Many despise a
preacher whom the common people hear gladly–who uses great plainness
of speech and discards the words which man's wisdom teaches. They
complain that he is only fit to address the ragtag of the people, and
for this they turn their backs on him. They want not the fire of the
Spirit, but the flash of oratory! Not the rushing wind of the Holy
Spirit, but the perfumed zephyrs of "high culture!"

The jingle of rhetoric has more attraction for them than the certain
sound of the trumpets of the sanctuary. May God have mercy upon the
Church that has got into such a miserable state and is so lacking in
true education–for where a Church is educated by the Lord she
understands that salvation is not by might nor by power–but by the
Spirit of God! Plainness of speech is the perfection of Gospel
utterance, for the Master Himself so spoke. Men of studied elocution,
who can pile up a climax and cap it with a dainty piece of poetry, are
not the men whom God the Holy Spirit honors to be soul-winners! Have
you not heard fine orations which have perfectly charmed you by their
beauty, and yet after you have heard them you have felt that if the
Lord did bless such sermons to the conversion of anybody it would be a
novelty upon the face of the earth, for there was little of Christ in
them and none of the unction of the Holy One?

Great sermons are often great sins–and "intellectual treats" are
frequently a mess of savory pottage made of unclean meats. A Holy
Spirit ministry, if Peter is the model, is one which is bold, clear,
telling, persuasive–one which tells men that Jesus is the Christ and
that they have crucified Him–and calls upon them to repent and turn
unto the Lord! The truly sent preacher speaks out straight, plain and
home to the conscience, whether men will hear or whether they will
forbear. The Holy Spirit minister chooses Jesus for His main theme, as
Peter did. He did not speak to them about modern science and the ways
of twisting Scripture into agreement with it. He cared nothing for the
maundering of the Rabbis or the philosophies of the Greeks. He went
right on setting forth Christ crucified and Christ risen from the dead!

When he had preached Christ, he made a pointed personal appeal to his
hearers, and said, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you." He was
not afraid to give such an exhortation! He was not like some who say,
"We must warn sinners and then leave them. We may preach Christ to them
but may not bid them repent." Peter came boldly forth with the Gospel
exhortation and left it to his Master to send it home by the power of
the Holy Spirit! That was the sort of sermon which God blesses. The man
was full of God and God shone through the man and worked with him!
Remission of sins was sought for and was found through repentance and
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by a vast number of souls. May God send
to all His Churches a Holy Spirit ministry!

But if there are to be many additions to the Church it must, next, be a
Holy Spirit Church. Note that! What is a Holy Spirit Church? Well, it
is a Church baptized into His power and this will be known, first, by
its being steadfast. Read the 42nd verse–"And they continued
steadfast." He will not bless a Church which is excited and then
relapses, is carried away by every novelty and does not know what it
believes. A Church which abides in Jesus and in His Truth will be

blessed of God. They were steadfast in four points. In the Apostle's
doctrine. They were a doctrinal Church. They believed in being
steadfast in fixed truth–they did not belong to the shifty generation
of men who plead that their views are progressive and that they cannot
hold themselves bound by a plain creed.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, never give up the grand old truths of the
Gospel! Let no excitement, even though it is the whirlwind of a
revival, ever sweep you off your feet concerning the great Doctrines of
the Cross. If God does not save men by truth, He certainly will not
save them by lies! And if the old Gospel is not competent to work a
revival, then we will do without the revival. We will keep to the old
Truths of God, anyhow, come what may! Our flag is nailed to the mast!
Next they were steadfast in fellowship. They loved each other, and they
continued doing so. They conversed with one another about the things of
God and they did not give up the converse. They helped each other when
they were in need and they continued in such liberality. They were true
Brethren and their fellowship was not broken.

Next they continued in the breaking of bread, which is a delightful
ordinance and never to be despised or underestimated. As often as they
could, they showed Christ's death till He should come. They delighted
to enjoy the dear memorials of His sacred passion, both in the assembly
and from house to house. They remained also steadfast in prayer. Mark
that! God cannot bless a Church which does not pray–and Churches must
increase in supplication if they would increase in strength. Sacred
importunity must besiege the Throne of God and then the blessing will
be yielded. Oh, children of the heavenly King! You hamper the Spirit
and hinder the blessing if you restrain prayer! Here were four points,
then, in which the Church was steadfast–and God blessed it.

Note next that it was a united Church. We read of them that they were
so united that they had all things in common and they continued daily
with one accord in the temple. There were no parties among them, no
petty strifes and divisions. They loved the Lord too well for that. The
Sacred Dove takes His flight when strife comes in. If you divide the
Church within itself, you also divide it from the mighty operations of
the Spirit of God. Be full of love to one another and then you may
expect that God the Holy Spirit will fill you with blessing. They were
a generous Church as well as a united Church. They were so generous
that they threw their property into a common stock lest any should be
in need. They were not communists, they were Christians–and the
difference between a communist and a Christian is this–a communist
says, "All yours is mine," while a Christian says, "All mine is yours."
And that is a very different thing.

The one is for getting and the other for giving. These Believers acted
in such a generous spirit, one to the other, that it seemed as if
nobody accounted that what he had belonged to himself, but generously
gave of it to the necessities of others. I do not believe the Lord will
ever bless a stingy Church. There are Churches whose minister has to
anxiously inquire how he shall provide food and raiment for his
household, and yet these churches are not very poor. There are Churches
where more is paid per annum for cleaning the shoes of the worshippers
than they spend upon the cause of Christ! And where this is the case,
no great good will be done. The Lord will never bless a synagogue of
misers–if they are churls they may keep their worship to themselves,
for God is a generous God, and He loves to have a generous people.

Again, these people were in such a condition that their meals and homes
were holy places. I want you to notice this, that they were breaking
bread from house to house and did eat their meat with gladness and
singleness of heart. They did not think that religion was meant only
for Sundays and for what men, nowadays, call the House of God. Their
own houses were houses of God, and their own meals were so mixed and
mingled with the Lord's Supper that to this day the most cautious
student of the Bible cannot tell when they left off eating their common
meals and when they began eating the Supper of the Lord. They elevated
their meals into diets for worship–they so consecrated everything with
prayer and praise that all around them was holiness unto the Lord! I
wish our houses were thus dedicated to the Lord, so that we worshipped
God all the day long, and made our dwellings temples for the living
God.

A great dignitary, not long ago, informed us that there is great
efficacy in daily prayer in the parish Church. He even asserted that
however few might attend, it was more acceptable than any other
worship. I suppose that prayer in the parish Church with nobody to join
in it except the vicar and the beadle is far more effectual than the
largest family gathering in the house at home! This was evidently his
lordship's idea and I suppose the literature which his lordship was
best acquainted with was of such an order as to have led him to draw
that inference! Had he been acquainted with the Bible and such
old-fashioned books, he would have learned rather differently. And if
someone should make him a present of a New Testament, it might,
perhaps, suggest a few new thoughts to him.

Does God need a house? He who made the heavens and the earth–does He
dwell in temples made with hands? What crass ignorance is this! No
house beneath the sky is more holy than the place where a Christian
lives, eats, drinks, sleeps and praises the Lord in all that he does!
And there is no worship more heavenly than that which is presented by
holy families devoted to His fear. To sacrifice home worship for public
worship is a most evil course of action! Morning and evening devotion
in a cottage is infinitely more pleasing in the sight of God than all
the cathedral pomp which delights the carnal eye and ear! Every truly
Christian household is a Church–and as such it is competent for the
discharge of any function of Divine worship, whatever it may be! Are we
not all priests? Why do we need to call in others to make devotion a
performance? Let every man be a priest in his own house! Are you not
all kings if you love the Lord? Then make your houses palaces of joy
and temples of holiness! One reason why the early Church had such a
blessing was because her members had such homes. When we are like them
we shall have "added to the Church daily of the saved."

I have already mentioned that they were a praying Church and that
accounted greatly for the increase. They were a devout Church, a Church
which did not forget any part of the Lord's will. They were a baptized
Church and they were a bread-breaking Church, so that they were
obedient to Christ in both ordinances. They were also a joyful Church.
We find that they ate their meat with gladness. Their religion was not
of the somber hue which comes of doubting and fearing. They were
Believers in a risen Redeemer and though they knew that they would soon
be persecuted, they so rejoiced that everybody could read Heaven
shining on their faces, and might have known that they believed in the
blessed Gospel, for they were a blessed people. They were also a
praising Church, for it is said they "praised God, and they had favor
with all the people." Oh, may the Lord make this Church and all the
Churches around us to be as holy and joyful as that Apostolic
community.

III. I must conclude with a word upon that which I wanted most of all
to say–WHAT RESPONSIBILITIES DO

THESE ADDITIONS TO THE CHURCH BRING TO US? To you who are to be added
to the Church tonight, and I

thank God you are so many, it involves this responsibility–Do not come
in among us unless you are saved. Judge yourselves with honesty.
Examine yourselves with care. And although you have gone as far as you
have, yet tonight, before I give you the right hand of fellowship, if
you are conscious that you are not what you profess to be, I do beseech
you stand back! If you are the weakest of the weak, and the most feeble
of the feeble, yet, if you are sincere, come and welcome! But if you
are not sincere, do not add to your sin by taking upon you a profession
which you cannot keep up, and by declaring a falsehood before the
Lord–for if you do so, remember you will not have lied unto man, but
unto God, Himself–in daring to declare yourselves Christians while you
are unbelievers.

Come and welcome if you are Believers! And when you come, remember that
the responsibility which you undertake in God's strength is that you
live to prove that you have really given yourself up to the
Church–that you mean to serve Christ with all your heart–that you
will seek to promote the holiness and unity of the Church which you
join and will strive to do nothing to dishonor her good name or to
grieve the Spirit of God. In joining the Church, pray to be continued
steadfast in doctrine and fellowship. Pray for more Divine Grace, that
you may be filled with the Spirit of God. Do not come in to weaken
us–we are weak enough, already. Do not come in to adulterate our
purity–we have enough impurity even now. Pray that God may make you a
real increase to our prayerfulness, to our holiness, to our
earnestness, to our higher life–and then come and welcome, and the
Lord be with you!

As for us who shall receive the converts, what is our responsibility?
First, to welcome them heartily. Let us open wide the door of our
hearts and say, "Come and welcome," for Jesus Christ's sake. After
welcoming them we must watch over them. And when so many are added,
double care is needed. Of course, no two pastors can possibly watch
over this vast assembly of 4,500 professed Believers. Let the watching
be done by all the members–by the officers of the Church, first–and
then by every individual. I am very thankful that out of the cheering
number to be brought in tonight the larger proportion belong to the
families of the Church. My Brothers and Sisters already in Christ, it
is fortunate for these young people that they have you to watch over
them! Never let it be said that any parent discourages his child, that
any guardian discourages the young after they have come forward and
acknowledged their faith!

If you notice faults, remember you have faults, yourselves. Do not
tauntingly throw their failing in their teeth as some have unkindly
done. Guide them and cheer them on. Help their weakness. Bear with
their ignorance, impetuosity and correct their mistakes. I charge you,
my beloved Sisters, be nursing mothers in the Church! And you, my
Brothers, be fathers to these young people that they may be enabled by
your help, through God's Spirit, to hold on their way. It is an

evil thing to receive members and never care for them afterwards. Among
so many some must escape our supervision, but if all the members of the
Church were watchful this would not be. Each would have someone to care
for him. Each one would have a friend to whom to tell his troubles and
his cares. Watch over the Church, then, I pray you.

And you elder ones, myself chiefly among you, let our example be such
as they can safely follow. Let them not come into the Church to find us
cold. Let us try, as we see these young ones coming among us, to grow
young again in heart and sympathy. In receiving these new members we
ought to have, dear Brothers, an access of new strength and a more
vigorous life. The Church ought to be giving out more light, for here
are fresh lamps! She should be doing more for Christ–here are new
workers! She should be herself stronger, more daring, more useful–for
here are bold soldiers newly enlisted! I think, as I see new converts
brought in, I see the Lord lighting up new stars to gladden this
world's night! I see Him swearing in new soldiers to fight Christ's
battles! I see Him sending out new sowers to sow the plains of the
world for the ever-glorious harvest–and I bless and praise and magnify
His name with gladness of soul!

Heavenly Father, keep them, yes, keep us all, lest any of us, though
added to the Church on earth, should not be added to the Church in
Heaven! Keep us so that when the muster-roll is read for the last time,
we who have had our names inscribed among the saints on earth may find
them written among the blessed in Heaven! May God grant it, and He
shall have all the glory. Amen.

PORTION OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON–Acts 2. HYMNS FROM "OUR OWN
HYMN BOOK"–96, 451, 972.
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