The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-04
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Rev. Robb White breaches His First
Sermon as Rector of Christ Church
Rev. o. p Fitzsimmons at st. Johns
Church-Rev. Charles b. Strong on
the Work of the Episcopal General
Convention.
Savannah congregations listened TO two
new mir listers yesterday, Rev. Robb White,
the new rector of Christ church, and Rev
o. p Fitzsimmons, who will be associated
with Rev. Charles II. Strong in the parish
work of St Johns and in charge of st.
Johns Mission chapel.
Rev. Mr.. White preached his first SER
mon as rector of Christ church yesterday
morning, and celebrated the holy com
munion Notwithstanding the rain the
church was comfortably filed. The
preachers text was: "For l determine not
to know anything among you, save Jesus
Christ and him crucified. u Cor. Ii, 2
The sermon was an appeal to the people
for Christ-like living. The preacher alluded
to the visit Of st. Paul TO Athens before his
Journey TO Corinth and to the religious COP
dition of the city and the people. St. Paul
sought to bring the people Of Athens to the
knowledge which they longed for. The
people in their ignorance, however, were
worshiping at the altar of the unknown
Gao&, and when Paul preached tine resurrec-
tion they would let him bring them TO that
knowledge which they desired, and they
dismissed him. No church was founded as
the result of his preaching, and no epistle
was ever addressed to Athens; but, despised
and ridiouled, and a failure, St Paul
learned that the secret of success in preach
ing was not to take natural theology as his
theme, and he recalls the failure of his
journey to Corinth in the words Of the text
He did not know the people and did not
preach to them in the right manner. To
preach Christ and him crucified is the sure
way to reach the hearts of the people.
The preacher referred to the redemption.
''The blood of Jesus Christ cleansetn US
from all sin" Paradise may be regained
by faith in the Son of God. 'He loveth
us and gave himself for u.s. Self-sacrifice
is the great truth that the cross of Christ
should teach after the atonement for sin
was made.
'It is a mysterious and fearful thing"
says Robertson, ito observe how all of
Gods universe is built upon this law. 1t
penetrates and pervades all nature, SO that
If it we're to cease, nature would cease to
exist Except a corn of wheat fall il
the ground and die it abideth alone, but il
it die it bringeth forth much fruit"
the law of natu to be the law of his own
sacrifice, for he himself represents it as
parallel. The mountain rock must have its
surface rusted in putreScence and become
dead soil before the herb can grow. The
destruction of the mineral is the life of the
vegetable The corn and wheat dies and
out of the death more abundant life is born.
Out of the soil in which deciduous leaves
are buried the young tree shoots vigor-
ously and strikes its roots deep down
in TO the realm of decay and death.
Upon the life of the vegetable world the
myriad forms Of higher life sustain them
selves. As often as man sees his table COW
cred with flesh of animals, does he behold,
whether he thinks of it or not, the deep
mystery and law Of being. The anguish Of
the mother is the condition of the child's
life His very being has its roots in the law
of sacrifice, and from his birth onward
instinctively this becomes the law which
rules his existence
There was no blessing ever enjoyed which
does not come through self-sacrifice There
was never country cleared for civilization,
scarifed of its swamps and forests, but the
first settlers paid the penalty of that which
their successors enjoyed. There never was
a virtue that grew or grace that flour
ished whose roots were not fed by dead
vices and the decay of selfish motives. Self
sacrifice is the essential condition of the
development OF all that is truest and best
and highest in the spiritual nature of man.
Christ predicted that thus crucified he
would draw all men unto him. "And has
not this prediction come trueW the preacher
asked. us not his name above every name,
his enemies even being his judges Is it not
20 the lives of self-sacrifice that the world
owes its greatest blessingsl And are not
those who follow his example the worlds
greatest heroes! From St Paul, who fought
with the beasts at Ephesus, counting not his
life dear unto himself and the monk Tele-
machus, who died beneath the swords
of the gladators in the Col
iseum, and dying stopped forever
the gladAtorial games, to the humblest
martyr or missionary who forsakes self to
make the world better, self-sacrifce has
enriched the world. Christ is drawing
mankind to higher and holier life."
The preacher alluded to Livingston in the
heart of Africa, to the English martyred
bishops, to Chinese Gordon, to the gallant
captain of the Danmark, as heroes of the
hour. ''Such men," he said, ''are doing
honor to their race by their deeds, and their
lives are inspiring in others the same spirit
that makes mankind immortal. The temple
of fame hath no niche for the
idle and unfruitful. The kingdom of
Heaven has no place for drones ''Is the
determination of the Apostle Paul in any
sense a determination of our nvesP' asked
the preacher. as the example of Christ
tine highest ideal of humanity and are we
following it with mind and heart and soul,
conforming our lives to the divine stand
ard?' Is the chief aim of our lives the
pursuit of truth, the truth as il is
in Christ, the truth good for you and
for all men, the proper and only food for
an immortal souls Do we realize that there
is none other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved,
and are we placing our hope Of salvation
nowhere else9 If so, what effect have such
ton. Are they leading us to the beautiful
p life of self-sacrifice sthat makes US deny
ourselves, and take up our cross daily aud
follow Christi