The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-03-15
SUNDAY SERVICES.
PREBLE CHAPEL,

The following is an abstract of sermon
preached by the pastor at Preble Chapel yes
terday:
The preacher took his text from John X-lo,
81 am come that they might have life and have
it more abundant'y." He first considered the
higher life and some of its conditions Theie
is not to be found in the Gospel so grand
and comprehensive q statement of Christs ad-
vent into the world, as that implied in the text.
1t is rot life in the low, ordinary sense, but 1t is
life in the highest and grandest sense as per-
tanning to the realm of the moral and spiIitu-
al. 1t is not the life of the body of the per-
ishab'e man, but the life OF the soul that
Christ came to supply. Christ came into the
world to supply those conditions by and
through which alone any true life can be at
tanned. He came that man might be man &C
cording to the divine plan and purpose. All
life is bounded by fixed conditions. 1t is I'M
der the control of laws as sure as 2raVltaton
And this same law holds, only in far higher
reference to man and the unfolding OF his
spiritual nature as truly as to all the forms
and grades of the lower and physical lite.
Christ came 10 bring within mans reach the
means and instrumentalities through which
the higher life may be attained.
Under PaganiSm life is dark and degraded,
and is hardly worth possessing. 1t exalts the
few and degrades and brushes the masses. Ii
has no grand inspiration or sacred uplifting mo-
tiyes for the heart. Its small narrow minded
ress precludes everything like prayers. Itdoes
its utmost to crush all true manhood out OF
men. 1t stands directly between man and his
true development. Under Paganism man is
enveloped in the darkness OF ignorance. NO
blessed light of heaven shines on his pathways
but all is thick darkness
At, h oil Int n Il
lent in it, has naught but radical defects, 1t
had hardened into a lfeless shell OF rltuaiism
at the time of Christ. The Jews substituted
rtualism for religion. They invited ana per-
verified this religion until it had become as de-
void of life and forms as mummy. Like
Paganism 1t neglected the poor masses. 1t had
no healing virture for the needs of humanity.
For men it had little thought or care. 1t was
aptly represented as a whlted sepulchre.
These surely are not the conditions through
ed. Men needs befriending and help,
not crushing and hindrance Under Chris
tianity alone that divine help is fully
supplied. Here all the conditions and instru-
mentalites of the best and truest life are FUR
nished. Christ stands alone in his methods
and in the line of conduct which he pursued.
He went down to the very lowest Strata OF
humanity and began his glorious mission OF
life, giving reform at the lowest point. His
appeal was made to the very heart OF the PEG.
pie. he says Il am cOuo tHdb lucy mlShc
have life and have it more abundantly."
God is no respecter of persons, All !, who hS. 40
golden chain OF sympathy binds earth and
its children to God the Father h Christ ss tells
become. He pours a flood of divine light upon
his pathway He tells and Of tns esIog
are the only conditions, OF forgiveness.
Christianity removes every obstacle that stands
between man and bis true development. 1t
bears tender, helpful sympathy for all who
need it, Thus it is that Christ opens the great a
that Christ came to impart has cen slowly but
surely unfolding through the centuries: 1t Its IS
visible in the new vigor, higher and tr1er GIVE
lization that springs up in the faith of Christian
progress, in the improved condition s Of soelety
and nations, in the diffusion OF higher intelll-
yence, truer customs and more humane laws.
Life IN this grand sense has always been and
is still the great want of the world. The
Christian church has suffered more from moral
deafness than from all else combined. A
Christian church is not walled fortress for
protection and defense, not an insurance, but
ife.giving, life-infusing, life-dispensing power.