The morning call., 1893-11-13

Ness avenue and Sacramento street,
preached upon the above subject to a large
congregation last evening. taking as his
text, Mark VA, Neither could any man
tame him."
The sermon was in substance as follows
My announced theme is not extravagant
or nwarrantable language. 1t is the
exact thing that was done in the miracle,
for which my text is representative
passage.
| call your attention first to the features
of this mans Madness. He dweit among
the iombs of Gadara. And those rocky
sepulchers are there still as testimony to
the truth of the gospel story. Here in the
depository of crumbling bones and putri-
flying bodies he found home. We are
also told that men could not keep him
chained or do aught to tame him. lie
would break his letters and resist all
efforts to bring him under control. Be-
sides this he was naturally hostile to Jesus.
as is evinced by his SHOUT. What have
TO do with thee, Jesus, thou Son OF the
most high Cod"
Now. is he not good representative OF
the sinful man, the spiritual demonlac?
When one is completely under the power
of the devil he loves to dwell IN places
that are well symbolized by tombs.. lie
haunts the rum hole and the br0thel ana
the gambling he'll. And, like the mad
man of Gadara, he cannot be tanned OF
controlled by the influence and letters OF
men. Read Farrar's Seekers After Cod
and see what moral chains. what strong
precepts were given to the Romans by Sen
eca and Marcus Aurelius. But they dld
not tame the people and make them good
husbands and fathers and sons and cltl-
ZenS.
They were still without virtue and
lu IL
our present day Christian influence we
have our textbooks ON ethics and moral
philosophy, but does any one believe these
are sufficient 10 properly control the man
crazed by sin? The sinner. too, is natur-
ally hostile to Christ, even as the mad
man Of Gadara. In literature and lectures,
in human conduct and human speech peo-
pie OF the day are often showing them
selves the enemies of the church, the Cos
pei. the worker for Christ in the different
fields.
But Jesus tanned the mailman of Gadara.
Mark the features of his transformation.
His neighboTs came and found that he
who formerly went naked was clothed
that he was sitting as disciple at the
Savior's feet: that he was willing even to
go home to his friends and tell them how
great things Jesus had done for him.
Can Jesus do as much for the spiritual
mailman? He can. He does. He clothes
them with the garment of his righteous
ness. He causes them to sit at his feet to
learn like children OF Gospel truth. He
fills them with a willingness to go 10 so near
and so humble sphere as their own home
or circle of friends and tell them what
Christ has done for their once mad souls.
I'm glad Jesus gave this tanned mailman
such simple commission. 1t encourages
US. God does not want apostles 10 write
epiStles like Paul and Peter. Only pecu-
liar crises in the doctrine or the life Of the
church require reformers. Not every one
can be minister or an evangelist. But
all who are willing to work In the unhe-
roic field of their home and neigh bOrs can
spread the gospel and serve their Lord.
And this is the real substantial way of
building up the kingdom of truth and
righteousness.