Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-12-14
REV. SUMMLY'S SERMON.
At THE PR PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH YESTERDAY.

rhe Eloquent Doctor breaches
From the rext "And Rend Your
Heart" at the Morning Hour
Large Congregations Hear Him.
Rev. Geo Summev, D. d.. of Chester
). c., who is in Ashcville on visit,
preached at the Presbyterian church yes
crday morning ana night. At both
,ervices the eminent divine was listened
o by large congregations. Atthe morn
ng hour DR., Summey preached from
he text And rend your heart"-Jocl
!:13 In the course of the sermon he
aid:
"lnhdelity is most deplorable. 1t
strikes at the roots of religion. 1t under
mines the foundations of faith, 1t justi-
ies not oply itself but every other species
of sin. 1t taken away the Sense OF re-
sponslbility, 1t offcrsa premium upon
CRIME. 1t arrays itself agn'nst ruth and
sets up mans judgment sainst Gods.
1t denoralizes all whoE,H.r touches. 1t
makes angels weep and fiends rejoice.
But there's another evil, closely related
to it, more common, more insdious,
more destructive; an evil .effecting people
in the church and people out of the
church; an evil that lends infdelity its
power, 1t is indifference. As well defined,
the one is rejection of the claims of re-
Iiglon upon mans perceptions of truth;
he other is a negative condition of un-
concern as to whether these claims be
true or false. The one is of he head. the
other is OF the heart. In the strictest
SENSE 'inildelity is the result of mental
process: indifference is a moralcondition.
lntdeIity, if honest, has at least gwen
some thought and study to truth; indit.
t'rTncc studies nothing lnhdelity does
not believe; indifference does not care.
"lad ference is deep seated. 1t abides
III the heart. Out OF the heart are the
issues OF lite What a man wants he
wills and does. 1t is proverbal that
where there's will there's way. The
heart rules the head and controls the life.
That which men love. is that which
they believe and do A striking illus
tration is seen in the lover of strong
drink or AN opium user. All the argu,
mrnrs and logic appeals in the world
cannot restrain him when he has the op.
portunity to indulge. His will is in the
grasp OF his desire, The only hope OF
any permanent good is in change OF
4 l..
outward life, radical change, change
gong into the roots OF his being, such a
readJustment OF the springs OF life as will
change the very nature. The doctrine OF
regeneration is profoundly philosophical
aud practical. 1t has been well said that
all the angels III heaven cannot subiue
the heart OF a sinner that heart work is
Gods work; that the great heart maker
must be the great heart breaker. lndit-
terence is OF the heart. To get rid OF it,
the heart mus be rent.
Let indifference be ruled out, and in.
fidelity will 90. lnhdeltv is the mental
out-cropping of indifference. 1t is in
difference seeking to justify it.
SELL Get rid of it, and the right faith
will come. The drinking man, until his
love for strong drink is rent out of him,
is an inhdel. an honest inhde as to all
the truth concerning the danger and
power OF the drink habit. So the indff.
crent man is an inhdel as to religions
truth and claims. lnhdellty is antffect
not Cause. Ii is the heart that moves,
not the head. The desire celors the per.
ception and thought, determines the
Judgment, moves the will. No wonder
God SAID, Give me thine heart!' Rend
your heart from earthly loves and life
set it ON high, as the mariner on an iron.
laden vessel carries his compass alott, out
of reach OF the alteration of the meta
below.
THE command is to people in the
church as well as to unbelievers. Wo,
to them that are at case in Zion! Indif
ference on the part of Christians to tn,
Christine IN themselves is fruitful cause
OF inhdeily outside. 1t was SO in Ioel'.
day; 1t is SO now. Let the people oI Goo
mount upon wings as eagles and fac,
the SUM- and bear and reflect His light
Let Christians who are in doubt o,
trouble look into their hearts tor tn,
cause, not into their heads. Ii any MAJ
will do, or as there are two verbs in th
Greek, will be willing to do, his will, h
shall know vi the doctrine. TIL. way tt
stop walking III your own shadow is t.
turn towards The light. Turn your fac
and heart towards the sun of righteous
ness, and walk in that direction and al
the shadows will fall behind your with
out an effort on your part.
Nv hat all OF us usually need is more G
religion and less of argument more c
life and less of logic; more OF heart an
less of head. A broken and contrit
heart God will not despise."