The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-08-14
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Rev. a. NJ. Ayeriii, Baptist; oceu-
pied the Methodist pulpit of this city
last Sabbath, and while we have lis-
tened TO several fine sermons from him
the one delivered on this occasion was
especially eloquent and forcible. Some
of our people may not be aware that
In Mr.. Ayerill Emporia possesses .
minister of rare intellectual attain
ments. He is gentleman of great ma
tive ability, OF culture, education and
extensive travel. He Is not now regu-
larry engaged in the ministry we be-
lieve-that is, he is not located Is u
pastor He is man of deep piety and
of great force of character. As a
| speaker he Is earnest, forcible and con-
vinciRg. His sermon on Sunday lett
lasting and good impression on his
audience. We wish the entire COM
munity could have heard it. Notwith-
standing the disagreeably hot weather,
it was listened 70 with marked atten-
tIon and aE the end of the 10 minutes
occupied IN its delivery there was no
evidence OF WEAKNESS oa the part of
the congregation. This sermon so i'm
pressed us that we give extensive ex-
tracts below, being favored by the au-
thor with the manuscript at cur re-
quest.
The reverend gentleman took his
text from Matt. p :1s-l9, which re-
late the incident OF the whitening of
the fruitless fig tree which stood by the
road side, by the Savior. He said the
miracles of the Son of God were for
the most part unlike those OF Moses
and other Hebrew seers. Tbs latter
summoned 10 his aid mostly destrnct-
i've agents, while those of the Savior
were In the main mid, benevolent and
humane. He cane not to destroy but
TO save life. He did not commission
the pestilence to walk forth and smite
in the darkness; did not oyerwhelm
his foes with fire from heaven, nor did
he smite with the sword of the destroy
ing angel. His miracles agreed with
the spirit OF his gospel. The blasting
of the barren fig tree was an eXcep-
ton. Here was no creating, no nour-
ishing, no restoring work. Sand when
He saw fig-tree in the way He came
to it and found nothing thereon but
leaves only, and He said unto it, 'Let
no fruit grow on thee henceforward,'
and presently the fig tree withered
away"
After description of the fig tree OF
those days, and its nature, he proceed |
ed to apply the lesson of the whitening
Of the fruitless fig tree to nations,
churches and indiYiduaIs. the act of
might mean much, little or
nothing, Just as we may view it. II
symbolically, Us he had no
loubt it should be, the act was full OF
Acts may be more signi1-
sant than words. lie regarded the
blasting OF the fig tree as an act conf
ng under the law of moral symbolism.
It had then a moral significance. What
vas it? 1t teaches Gods adherence
# unfruitfulness. And not only does
lie abhor it; there is 4 point where He
that adherence by a pre-
yentive visitation. This is true of ma
ions, of churches and ofindividnals.
I.-OF NATIONS.
Mr.. AverilI proceeded in Il most
orcible manner To apply the lesson to
Iations. TO be fully appreciated he
ught to have been heard. \ printed
can give but poor idea of
he effect on the audience, even that
Iot day lie said in substance that
ation was IL mass of people brought
ntO organic relation to each other,
aving government, national do
main, civil and religious institutions
he means of subsistence, of wealth, of
and moral Developments
5 an ordination of God. So Gods
word teaches. Government is not Il
hing OF chance, or of mere convent
nee. 1t exists by necessity of our
nature and has divine sanction. Thus
he fg tree, the one in the miracle and
he one one in the parable may sym
,olize nation adVantageously situat-
ID for moral and religious purposes.
These were not for sFnament; brtzfruit
bearing. We quote:
The Hebrew Commonwealth was
,nh fraa MI ta1 ht-F -T,1 "a - Il
because of unfruitfulness. Like good
y tree they had been taken from the
wilderness and planted IN goodly
and. The soil was enriched through
The Divine bounty. Heavens sun
shine, heavens rain and heavens dew
went down upon its boughs. Bat how
barren of fruit and how full of leaves
stood this Jewish fig tree. Now and
then there was gOodly prospect of
fruit, and here and there fig might be
found, but when the time of figs was
come there was nothing, nothing hut
leaves. Nor is this all. Those who
live to no good purpose usually live to
. bad one. That which is fruitleSS OF
good is fruitful of evil. And so was it |
here. They numbered the ground, eX-
hausted the soil. Beneath the shadow /
of this planted tree mildcw, wasting, |
deadly miasma congregated, and its |
leaves was a lodging place |
for every foul and uEclean bird. AT |
last the Divine forbearance reached its |
limit. The tree was blasted and the |
Romans came and cut it down and de- |
stroyed it root and branch. Other ma |
tions raised up in the providence OF
God, to whom great moral and social |
problems were committed, proving |
lruitless in the main nave shared the |
same fate. Where are Niniveh, Baby |
lon, the glory ofthe Cilaidean's excel |
lency, Egypt, Tyre, Greece, Carthage, |
Rome, those children of 4 former civil
izasion: They were weighed in the
balance and found wanting. Hence
God numbered their kingdoms ana
them. And nations there are
born OF our modern civilization To
whom the Almighty5ilas cOHIHutle'lii
splendid opportunities, but whothayesI
grossly misused them aud are now, on
the road 70 decay aildruin, because tile
decree has gone forth "Let no frmt
grow on thee henceforward foreverr'
Says an impassioned friend of Amer
lean nationality: stWho can estimate
the value of the American Union ?
Pronii, happy, thrice happy America
The home of the oppressed, the asylum
of the emigrant! Where the citizen of
every cline, and the enid OF every
creed may roam free and untrammelled
as the winds Of heaYen! Baptisea az
the fount of Liberty in fire and bieofi.
Cold must be the heart that does not
thrill at the name of, America -
But, friends, let America bewarye..
II. the worm of avaricc-is allowed TO go
on gaawing ut the root of this gOodiy
tree; ifvile men, debauehes and drunk
artls are the only ones who have q