The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-07-13
REV. |. w. READ.
An Interesting Sermon i'm Chicago ON
'Perfeetion---S sketch OF the
ntsr0urse


While Rev. l. W. Read is at present
away from the city or his annual vaca-
ton, his congregation may not be entirely
deprived Of sermon, though the famil.
| lar voice is not heard in its delivery. The
Chicago Times. of yesterday morning,
contains the following
The pulpit at the Fourth Baptist church
| was filed yesterday morning by Rev. |.
W. Read, of Rock Island, who preached
an interesting sermon. taking his text
from the following passage of scripture;
Be We therefore perfect.-Matt. v, As.
The preacher said the Lord demanded
| perfection of His children. The ground
of such demand was in the holy nature
| of God. The condition of the human
heart made it necessary that such de-
| mand should be made and that il should be
| met All nature told of sin and wretch~
edness in consequence of sin. Every
holy aspiration indicated that things at
tainable in perfection might be reached.
Ii was practical truth. The Lord gave
uldu a ptltCCt law. ~ was u duetilpt
| of the divine mind. Let men try never
so hard, they could never keep the law of
God as it was laid down. After man had
wandered far away from the divine law
God loved him and gave His son TO help
man TO bridge the chasm and bring God
to man and man to God. 1t was posi-
BILE for us to attain perfect state. Be-
fore the fall, man was in state of holl
ness. After the fall he was in state of
death. Therefore there was necessity
for bringing man back. That was the
work of Christ
There were a few practical elements
that must enter into perfection. The
soul should strive continual for per
lection. Standing in Christ we were as
perfect in the sight of God MS was Christ.
When God frrgave He forgave the past,
| the present. and future sin All sin was
blotted out, and we stood as complete in
| the sight of God as Jesus did. God
| never looked at one Of His children eX-
cept through Christ. Therefore, when
| We bad accepted Christ we had put our
selves in favor with God. and were stand
| ing there as perfect as we could be. We
came into this state as soon as we were
bora of the Holy Ghost. 1t was de-
yelopment of powers that existed. There
was no new member added. No faculty
WAS added to the mind. 1t was simply
a development to the physical and men
tai organisms. We were born into the
kingdom of Christ, having all the ele-
meniS of perfection Development was
| caused BY the exercise of Gods power
The giant oak was perfec. in the acorn
When God came into the human heart
| and planted the seed, it was the germ of
life, and under proper conditions it de
veloped and grew until the pure christian
| character of years stood before the world
and challenged man to witness the work
Of God. We were perfect in Christ, and
there fore We were brought into His favor
| By battling with sir the christian was
made better. By hattlingS, warfare,
| difficulties, meetings with the enemy, al
| gained power of God Inactivity would
enervale and almost paralyze. This Wa:
true in the spiritual as in the physiCA
world. No man could grow in the
knowledge of God who would not exer'
else the gifts of God. These gave him
power to build for Christ. Victories
| gained in the name of Christ strengthen ned
| the soul.
There must be perfect faith in or0er
to be perfect life. Whatever man be
| leved would govern his life Ii was not
faith in an unknown first great cause,
but faith in u personal God that bFOught
Him every day TO the side of the weary
Christian toiler. whose soul was racked
with difficulties; that brought Him as a
sympathetic friend and said: Child, be
not afraid that made Him a constant
companion and caused Him to whisper
Fear no evil" A perfect faith of this
kindmade perfect elements in Christ.
There was the Respondent man. who
looked upon the dark side and thought
all was gone They needed hope to look
beyond the cloud. They needed hope
that said cheer up that gave smile,
that spread itself and influenced every
act. No sad Respondent could do sue,
cessful work for God. He required a
hope continually in God. Such an ele
ment was needed, IN the Christian life
They also needed love for God. which
was secondary to no other love. The
world could tell what a man loved by the
| life he lived. If We lived according to
the word of God We would show to the
| world there was a Christian life. Chris
| tianity did not favor impotence in any
! - Al o. 80 81.
destroyed Christian character. 1t tool
away loyea1lencSs of home II created
unrest aud spoiled the harmony of home
| We should be meek and show a willing.
ness to serve God We should be any
thing or nothing, if Christ would D,
honored thereby To accomplish the
greatest good for Christ we should glorify
God. We should have a spirit of perfec
forgiveness, but it was the most Difficult
to exhibit to the world There was &
natural disposition TO rebel against it.
Nothing called for so much heroism as
perfect forgiveness Of those who had in
jured us. We should have the spirit o.
forgiveness continually. ANY man could
resent an insult, but 1t took the braves
man God ever made to forgive. There
was nothing that commaneed such brave
cry. If all these elements were carried
out to tue world they would be irresist
liable. Their power would win men &c
the love of God
Noble Lodge Installation.
The following officers were installed by