Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-02-14

That heavy piece of ordnance in the
Unitarian Church, Rev. James Free
man Clark, Of Boston, filled the pulpit
yesterday morning Of the Church Of
the Messiah, corner OF Park avenue
and Thirty-fourth street. The house
was very well filled, and his sermon
on the 'Divinity of Christ, " q subject
coming home to the hearts and
bosoms of all Unitarians, was both
eloquent and earnest and listened to
with the most earnest attention. His
text was John tx. $50 long as l am
in the world / am the light Of the
world.n The nature and office OF
Christ was one of the first questions
discussed after the institution Of the
Christian era. For three hundred
years the question whether Christ
was human or divine was the all
absorbing one. In later days the
question has been revived. One
branch of the question lately revived
is whether Christ is always TO be the
light of the world-Or, in other words,
whether Christianity is to be swallow
ed up in something more universal,
something deeper. broader, greater.
After further Introductory remarks
he proceeded to unfold his own special
views. He referred to book which
he had published during the past year.
This book had been freely criticised,
but he had seen no answers to his
arguments in regard to the divinity
of Christ. He enforced that, though
change seems TO be the all-cOntrolling
element of the various so-ealled reli-
gions of the world--Mohammedanism,
Buddhism and the llke-that Christi
anity was destined to be eventually
the all-eontrolling religion OF the
world. Next in order he reviewed
the mission of Christ on earth he
was not sunk in God. He did not go
into the wilderness like John the
Baptist and lead a life of aseetism.
He offered TO all not only the helping
hand, but the heart of brotherhood.
In turn all the leading incidents OF
Christ's career were reeited, and from
that was insisted that such a life of
heavenly perfection lifted up human
nature to an altitude of great capacity
of moral victory. In the picture by
Raphael, in the Vatican at Rome, OF
Christ. the Jesus is represented with
His disciples about Him, and some of
the old prophets. In the life to come
he believed that gathered about the
Christ would be Socrates, Confucius !
and all the ancient and modern ex-
ponents OF progress toward higher |
and better life. The work Of Jesus |
was exhaustive and universal. He is
as much to-day the personal friend.of I
thousands as He was of His disciples.
To those who have not experienced |
this feeling it seems painful, sent-
mental, unreal. We have no such |
personal feeling toward Lord Bacon,
and MiltOn.l-They have |
given: we have received. We drink /
in the fruits Of their culture. We
are, so to speak, in their lecture rooms. |
1t is far from the feeling we have
toward Christ. We lean on CHRIST /
there is q reciprocity between US.
The meaning of the Lords supper
was centralized in this deeply mutual
feeling. We cannot know Christ
unless we love Him. The great /
matter-of-fact man, Martin Luther,
said he did not care TO see Christ DE
had felt the power Of His name In his
had felt the beatitude OF
this divine friendship. I
twas equally so with the humblest,
They leaned on Jesus as a friend.
They had more courage for their work.
They could do more, endure more.
There is nothing that gives such an
assured idea of Immortality as this
with Christ. Jesus says,
I live, and ye shall live also. Some
NAV think that this shows Christ to
be divine. Not so. It only lifts up t
the divine platform. His great soul
was a mediator. Every great soul was
a mediator. 1t is for US 10 be where f
Christ is, partakers Of the divine
nature. If He said, Christ Is God,
He lost both His divinity and His
humanity. The whole matter then
became an inexplieable mystery.
He corld receive all the Christian
experience Of Wesley, Fenelon and
Luther, but He would eBnOble their
experiences into o liberal, all-Dervad-
ing Christianity. Christ was not
orthodox. He did not go the popular
church, but out OF il. This was Uni
tarianism-aC Christianity Of universal
brotherhood. What they wanted to
do was to find those outside tie
churches. Aslong rs there were those
without God and without hope OF
there was work for them
10 do As' the hand OF helpfulnesS