Middletown transcript., 1886-03-19
Rev. MFR. Adams, First Sermon.

Rev. Mr.. Adams First Sermon
Rev. r. I'll. Adams, recently appointed
pastor of the NJ. E. Church, occupied the
pulpit of his new charge on SUNDAY
morning. A large audience composed OF
his own people and some from other con-
gregations welcomed the new preacher
He is of good presence and an excellent
end at times eloquent speaker, and
preached a good gospel sermon.
The reverend gentleman said In part
and substance, that it belongs to the soul
to hope. Hope is one of the inoorn
qualities of the human mind and at all
times of life it is the anchor of the SOUL
The child, the youth aud the man eacn
look forward to the future in expectation OF
better things. With few more prellmln-
ary remarks be launched forth on the
grand topic of his DISCOURSE: God's
objects of hope, and the hope OF the Chris
tian, sure and steadfast. in which he may
travel zion-ward. 1t does not consist In
the furnishing wealth of the world, nor
any of those things which rust and fade
away. 1t is hope of salvation eternal
and unchangable. Salvation always
means deliverance, and deliverance
means deliverance from peril of eternal
punishment, from fear of death, from fear
of loss, from the fear of the grave, from
fear of the judgment. This salvation is
not only deliverance from ali
these perils, but makes the faithful ones
partakers OF the divine nature, and the
soul is also fashioned in spirit according
to the image of the Divine. In view OF
these promises this life may be one OF JOY,
but there is something better and loftier
beyond toward which the soul should look
with longing: life with God forever.
All should have clear and we'll defined
hope of this through this salvation.
Language is too tame to describe this
glory with the father. These light af1ic-
tions which endure but for moment are
not to be compared with the glory which
is to come. Earth's laurels are wet with
tears, but in the possession of those pro-
missed in the hereafter we shall have none
but unalloyed happiness.
This hope is based on good founda-
tion. First the promises of the gospel.
To these you are limited. In the COM
mandments therein contained must the |
true child of God find his rule of conduct |
and must not place before him any rule |
If conduct not comprehended in them. |
In these promises we have hope,-the |
anchor of the soul. In them God has |
sworn by no less parsonage than himself
hat every soul that calleth upon him. and
-epents shall be saved. Second, we are |
lot limited as foundation to the mere
,romise. In the atonement we have an
additional ground. In the cross we find
he central object of all hope in the world,
round the cross all truth spins. See
Abraham and all behind the cross look
ng forward to it and all those ahead
ooking back to it as the foundation of all
ope and the anchor of the soul. This
7orld has never been without the COM
rehension Of the cross, hence Jesus Christ
lain from the foundation of the world.
+od is spoken of as being angry with
He is not angry in human
ense. Anger in God is only the effort Of
oliness TO destroy sin. In Jesus Christ
united both natures, the divine and
uman. On Calvary the divine hand
nd the human hand came together. cit
a faithful saying and worthy of all
kI,ok CD iT,fn /
Ie world to save Sinners"
We are directed always to be ready to
We reason for the hope within us. 1t
the duty of all Christians to
miliarize themselves with the rea-
ms for the hope that is within
em, and be always ready with
ese reasons to give them to inquir-
g ones. The inquirer wants these rea-
ms, and they should be presented to
m intelligently and convincingly, and
ith no uncertainty or ambiguity. Mr..
dams closed with few earnest words,
'ging his hearers to greater effort in
ell doing and more earnestness in the
use of the Master.
The sermon was one of unusual interest, J
1t on account of the preacher and the {
casion but because of the clearness and I
rec Of the argument, and its true gospel
ng. For our own part we must say
at the new preachers effort was a most
lppy one and our good Methodist friends {
I'VE cause for congratulation in securing
excellent substitute for the ministra- {
ons of Rev. Mr.. Stengle who was so I
liked here.