The herald., 1893-02-13
Rev. Howard's Sermon.

Rev. B. F. Howard of the First Pres
byterian church delivered an able and
comprehensive sermon yesterday morn
ing. There was large congregation
present, and his remarks were closely
followed.
The text was taken from the fourth
verse of the first chapter of Paul's epistle
to the EpheHians: "Even as He chose
us in Him before the foundation of the
world"
Christ is more than the world has yet
conceived of. His relation to the race is
closer than has entered into the thought
of men, or even their hopes. There 10 a
largeness OF conception that men have
missed because OF its very immensity.
Christ is known latter the flesh" We
are nrnna tn no hsnh ta Tho b;t ~f b:~s--
ply between the gaep of the infant
Jesus at Bethlehem and the long sigh of
the Cruciied at Calvary for all our facts,
and to leave out of our thinking the
eternity out of which the Christ burst
on the worlds vision, and the eternity
into which He passed from the hills of
Bethany. The words we have received
for our study this day will correct our
view if we grasp their meaning in any
degree of fullness. Before the genius Of
science had discovered the telescope the
heavens were thought of as crystal
dome hung like an inverted goblet,
jewell fecked, above the earth. Whole
systems of worlds moved in their noise
less orbits and great Atars poured forth
their wealth of golden glory, but mems
eyes were holden and they did not see
them. Then came the revelation through
the glass, and out of the enlarged heav-
ems, whose radius stretched away under
the lengthened vision to the infnity of
space, vast central suns took shape,
wondrous harmonies and relations never
dreamed of grew plain to the awe-struck
mind, and the earth itself wns invested
with q dignity that trAns6gured it as it
took its place in the mighty family of
the heavens. As / look into this word
of the mighty preacher the short radius
of conception that limits the Christ to
His earthly life, and humanity to the
generations of it's earthly history, pushes
out into the eternal past. I see the Son
of God, the Word that became flesh and
dwelt among us, in the beginning with
God. see humanity, passing behind
the date men have stamped upon it,
chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world. l see with wondering
spirit an eternal fellowship, from before
the birth OF time, established between
the Son Of God and the sens of men, and
then great mysteries are solved. see
why the Son of God is also son of man.
see why the Christ was born of vir-
gin, the cross grows luminous, and life's
riddle is interpreted.
There is running all through these
words the teaching of marvellous fel-
lowship between Christ and the sons OF
men, chosen in Him before the founia-
tion of the world, designed as sons of
the Father also through Christ, blessed
with every spiritual blessing as we find
them in Him, and obtaining Gods
grace only as it is freely bestowed on us
in the Beloved. The history of human
ity is inseparably bound up with Christ.
Apart from Him man has no ground for
existence and human life is an unguessed
conundrum. Creation is not the product
of whim. The world, the things of the
world, and the man who has dominion
in the world exist only because Christ
has q vital relation to them. There is
no other explapation that explains their
purpose. 1.-THE Father hath life in Him
SELF" What follows? Life constantly
desires to impart itself, therefore "as
the Father hath life in Himself even SO
gave He to the Son to have life in Him.
self" This Son who has life in Himself
desires also to impart it.
/ know that this is a broad concep-
tion, but it is no broader than the reve-
lation. Christ is more to the world than
the world has had the faintest idea of.
His work as redeemer does not begin to
to compass the fullness OF His relation
to men. Before sin entered into the
world the fortunes of the race were
wrapped up in Him, and He was part
ner in the experiences OF humanity.
He came in the flesh not to establish
This fallowuhin hut hacausa of IL no