The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1890-03-04
CHURCH AND THE WORLD.
AN ELOQUENT SERMON BY
THE REV. BRYAN.

- ~ osssN NAOX~ -
THE REV. BRYAN.
"They are not Ofthe world Evel
as L am Not Of the wOrld"-A
Good Report of q Good Ger
mon.
The severe cold wave experienced OF
Sunday deferred many from attending
the services at the various churches il
the city, and the congregation at th'
Presbyterian church was consiherabl,
below the average in size. 1t is to be re
GREETED that a larger congregation wa'
not present to listen to the eloquent ant
,mincntly scriptural address delivered b,
the pastor, Rev. W. S. P. Bryan. Mum
erous expressions Of approval and appre
citation were heard as the congregation
dispersed. The more observant Chris
tians are impressed with the increas' 'nl
disposition manifest on the part Of thu
protesting church at large to act mor'
and more in harmony with the worlc
and its maxims, and faithful pastors ar'
often heard sounding a note Of warning
in that direction.
The sermon to which we refer was pre-
faced by brief description Of the churcl
from scriptural standpoint, based upor
the words in "the Lords intercessor!
prayer" recorded in the gospel by Johr
1916: "Thcy are not Of the worlt
even as am not of the world"-word.
of prayer addressed with filial reverenc.
and confidence to God the Father, afford
ing US an idea oi the intercession whcl
lie is continually making on behalf o
His followers. Their burden is concern
ing
VERY DEFINITE CLASS,
those whom the Father had given Him
In n previous verse in the chapter is re
corded the fact that II pray not for tn,
world. but for them which thou hast
given me; for they are thine" OF this
class He says in the words Of the tex'
they are not Of the world even as an
not of the world"
Gods love to mankind was set forth il
the provision He made, that Christ's
blood was enough to atone for the SIM
ofcvery man; so that there is no charg.
possible against the love of God; but tn,
number of those who actually have eter'
nal life is the same rs the number wh'
believe upon Jesus with the addition O.
children and incapablcs, for "he that be-
licvcth on the Son hath everlasting life
and he that bclicveth not on the Son shall
not see life; but the wrath OF God abidetl
on him." 1t is the
SEPARATION OF HIS PEOPLE
from mankind at large, which Jesus ex.
presses in the text. and that the world a,
large in the sense of the text is made "
of the mass of mankind that believetl
not upon Him. "A man of the world,
then. is simply one who, for any reason,
is not follower OF Jesus, the Divine So,
of God. This definition is contrary to a
popular impression, for when men SPEAK
Of the world as class Of men, they meal
as a rule. the gay world Of society. and Il
man Of the world" is one familiar with
the habits Of good society and the rehn.
,ng intercourse of the well bred. with pos
sibly n suggestion Of the frivolous dissi'
pations which are called pleasure. But
On the contrary "a man Of the world
may be very serious and very correct in
his habits, blamelcss in his morality, n
model in his family. liberal in his bencvo.
lencc and even regular and methodical in
the discharge of certain outward rclig,
ious duties. Thus many who look with
contempt upon such petty superficial
lives as is manifest in the daily walk o'
"the man OF the world" in the ordinary
sense Of that term. and devote themselves
to the more serious pursuits Of earning n
livelihood or winning fortune or bene'
filing humanity--thcse useful and excn,'
plary persons fall under Christ's dehni'
ton Of worldlincss, unless they are keep
ing the Fathers word and have received
Jesus as their Lord and are being sancti'
fed in the truth.
1t mny be profitable to consider the
PECULIAR FEATURES or THE WORLD,
as class or body Of men. Its hostility
to Christ and His Word is deeper than
mere arbitrary rules can measure; It il
more than mere matter Of certain
amusmcnts which are called worldly. and
which are given an exaggerated import
ance as distinctivcly worldly. The mark
Of that separation and hostility ar,
clearly indicated in scripture. The worlt
Is independent Of Christ in that II has
ITS OWN GOD.
Satan is the god Of the world and he hatl
blinded the minds Of men that they bc
iicve not. lie is the god Of the world be
cause he exercises over men the powcI
that onl, n god would have and beeaus'
he receives from men such scrvilc obcdi
icnec, and he hns nothing In Christ be
cause Christ has no sympathy with hi
objects. no acknowledgement Of his SOY
ercignty, no subjcction to his demand
and christs people are like Him in tha
they worship not the god Of this worl'
but the Lord Jehovah who made tn
heaven and the Garth.