Morning journal and courier., 1888-08-20
AHAnrFoRp Divine.

Ae the Omitted Church Yesiefday-A
Discourse by the Eloquent DR.. e. r. |
Parker-The Marks OF the Lord Jesus.
Tne Rev. DR.. Parker, of the South church,
Hartford, preached to large congregation at
the United church yesterday morning. The
doctor preached a short but admirable and
forcible sermon from chapter VI, verse II of
st. Paul's epistle to the Galatians, t'From
henceforth let no man trouble me, for bear
in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus
4 portion of what the speaker said in SUBJ
stance was: st. Paul, we should understand
was the object Of very dark criticism from
Jewish christians who thought that christian
ity must have its development within the
ritual of the Jewish church. In the
day of Paul il was somewhat as it was
with the Wesleys, in the days of their
preaching, when they asserted that one
might become a christian without becoming
a member of the established church. Paul
wrote the epistle because the christians there
had been disturbed in this way. He vindi-
GATED his doctrines and then closed his letter
with the remarkable words eff the text, "from
henceforth let no man trouble me. for I bear
in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus"
Certain stigmata, st. Paul says, bear in my
body, showing that belong to the Lord Je-
sus, therefore let no man trouble me, every
man or woman, no matter to what
communion they belong, who bear these
marks belongs to the Lord and should not be
troubled. These stigmata were marks of the
suffering Paul had borne. A slave in Corinth
or Rome would have blushed at these marks,
but Paul considered them glory and honor,
and SO they were. We have seen men bear
ing in their bodies the marks of their coun-
try's service. Let man stand up with these
marks and who would Question his patriot
ism. We almost envy Paul the marks of his
scourging, we more than envy these veteran
soldiers the marks of their patriotism. But
these could not be bought; to possess them
danger must be undergone. suffering endured.
And yet there are those who have gone
through the struggle without the marks of
conflict. Those who show the marks of the
spiritual struggle are worthy our unbounded
respect and affection.
You see CROSS surrounding an edifice and
you know it is christian place of worship.
The cross within them becomes the outward
signal OF their faith. The marks which we
are to bear for Christ are the outward marks
of resemblance between him and us. The
men who strive to live in this world accord
ing to the dictates of righteous spirit are
honored by their fellow men for their efforts.
Suppose it possible that by vigil and prayer
we could reproduce in our flesh the marks on
the body of Christ. What would they sig
nifyg They would be as naught in compari-
son with the marks on Paul's body. st.
Francis D'Assissi went about like Christ do
ing good, and his figure is enc of the sweetest
in history. They said of him that he bore
the marks of the Lord Jesus. In his life of
christian toll he had suffered in his efforts
for christianity; he had been crueified with
Christ; his kindly brow was furrowed; he
bore in his body the marks of Christ. I love
to think of the marks of Christ, the sign of
the cross placed on the forehead of every
christian as a sign of his character.
The difference between one who goes about
waving a proclamation Of light and one who
carries in his body the light, diffusing it
wherever ne goes, is a difference not of de-
gree alone but of kind. In our time and
conditions the surest way by which man
may rise above the plane of petty criticism
into the region of peace is by living the life
of the true Christian. Now, neither learning
theology ov orthodoxy can shield one from
the darts of the adversary. The unques-
toned Christian man or woman is enveloped
in public opinion in something of the sancti-
ty belonging to Christ. Not only is this
Christian consciousness an armor against
which the arrows of evil break harmlessly,
but it is one of the most indubitable marks
of the Lord Jesus. In many of Us I fear the
marks of the master are faint and hardly
visible to those about us. Let us try to Gull
tivate his spirit; let us take up his cross and
follow him, doing it 80 that at length we
may bear in us some marks of the Lord Je-
sus that shall be visible, not only to our
selves but to those about us.