Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-11-25

Sunday evening Rev. G. Lowther delivered an
excellent sermon, of which the following is a
synopsis:
Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ "a Pet. Ill; IS.
Parents look with pleasure upon the growth Of
their children. They remark each new develop
ment of power and wisdom, and are sad when they
observe that the child is making no advancement.
These feelings your part may suggest the
emotions Of our Heavenly Father, when we, his
children measure up to the demands Of christi
an life or lnger along for years in the A. b. c..
principles of Christianity.
Some persons lave beea Christians for twenty
years and no larger nor stronger in the chris
tian graces than they were the day they were born
into the kingdom of God.
One OF the laws of cur being is growth. To my
mind there are two most gloomy thoughts. One is
that / shall cease to be. Another, that / shall
cease to grow Iprefer 10 believe that eternity is
an eternal growth. That may forever advance
toward infinite wisdom and love. With this in
view desire to bring all the energies OF my soul
into active exercise.
TO grow in grace is to grow in love. This love
may be cultivated by doing acts which love de-
mands
It's Cots merciful law that feelings are in
creased by acts done on principle. If a msa has
bE little love- let him act with such as he has, and
his heart will grow warmer while he acts. lou
may love man merely because your have done
him good, and so become interested in him. iii in
tercst passes into anxiety and anxiety INTO atEcc-
ton.
a second yav CT cultfvating this love is By con-
templatng the love cf God Love begets love-
Love believed in produces return of love. II Is
unnatural to hate one whom we believe to love rs
truly. This is the central truth OF the gospel 'We
love him because he first loved u.s. Beloved
God so loved us we ought also 10 love one-anotn-
er" ''Gtoti is love-
Love is mighty force in tie soul that needs in
tel;gcnt direction; therefore, the command to
grow in love is coupled with the commend TO grow
in knowledge. A symmetrical christian character
is one in which learning delights the mind ana
love fills the heart. To make the most OF life there
must be the proportionate development of all the
pCwczs. The mind must be taGght to reason, the
heart to feel and the body 10 act.
We may either over-estimate or underestimate
an education which is merely secular. There is
bnt little in the nature OF d secular education 70
reform the life. Young man who IS liar ard
profane may be taught Hebrew and Greek and
Latin and German and French, but this viii rot
make him truthful Or less profane, and his learn
ing has only made it possible for him TO lie and
in six different languages instead of one. If
he is dishonest, TO teach him mathematics only
makes him the more powerful in carrying out his
dishonesty.
But to hold up Christ before him until he sees
true character. spOtess and pure, and sees himself
III contrast with it, until he loathes himself on &C
count of his own sin is to correct the life. TO the
fallen woman who bowed at the feet Of Jesus and
washed his feet with tears and wiped them with the
hairs OF her the words, ''Thy sins, which are
many ARE all for2iven,'' sweeter than all The
philosoi HES of the world The knowledge of Christ
is the best knowledge. 1t has done to reform
humanity, to make glad sorrowing hearts, 10 com
fort the bereayed, and solace the dying than all
others combined When tsis knowledge delights
the mind ard love fills the heart. man ceases 10
browse along like the beast of tie stall, but is far
nished With lever By which he may lift himself
up TO the Heaven when God writes his name in the
sky.