The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-09-09
SERMON AT UNITED CHURCH
DIR. MUNGER's FIRSTSERMoN SINCE
HIS FACTION.


The Introduction to the Book of John to be
Read Simply and Naturally-The Value
of Grace and Truth"-obedience Alone
TO Law is Not Enough-Nature a Good
Guide to Follow.
At the United church yesterday morn
Rev. DR.. Munger preached the first SER
mon since returning from his summer
vacation. He spoke from the text John
ILL, For the law was given by Moses
but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ and said that the introduction
to the book of John should be read
simply and in a natural way. 1t is
written as a protest AGAINST specula-
ton. The word iogos is neither He
brew nor Christian, it is from the old
Greek philosophy, 1t is full of mean
ing, but with vain notions, not Chris
tan. 1t brought the invaluabrs revela-
ton of man to God, and by means of
this We pass from what is seen and
known to the incomprehensible God.
When we better understand creation
and humanity we shall know better
what Christ and logos is. The whole
creation is the expression of God or the
word of God just as the spoken word is
the expression of the thought in the
mind of the speaker. There is no SIM
pier conception of humanity and per-
feet Christianity than that its perfect
expression becomes known in a per-
feet man. Christ is the perfect embodi-
ment Of eternal God
y Some received the revelation of To-
g'os to men, and by it became true sons
of God, full of grace and truth. The
writer struck the Keynote in che two
words, grace ana truth" grace
Astounding and truth overlooking.
These we have from the hand of Christ
as if from the hand Of God. They are
redeeming and develop the forces by
which man is to be brought out of
darkness.
Moses gave the law and asked for
obedience to it. BY law is not meant
the ritual of the temple, but rules gov
erning the relation of men to each
other We are so accustomed to place
obedience at the head of divine law
better. Obedience to the law while of
Importance, is not sufficient to save
humanity; something else is necessary.
Obedience is the first and most neces-
sary duty of man. never to be lost
sight of, but there is, however,
something to be added of
greater Importance. The principle
Of obedience has been carried so
far and has been so perverted that
it has been found necessary to counter
act it. Obedience cannot take one a
great ways beyond what it is in itself,
1t does not enrich the virtue of honesty.
1t conduces to good conduct, but does
not increase with the expansive nature
of man. Christ saw the mistake and
tried to overcome it by teaching and
protest. He became the light for those
in the darkness of superstition. If,
then, we wish to get. the meaning of the
text, we must read it in "a simple and
natural way. Christ brought grace on
earth by teaching men gracious ways,
to feel kind and generous, and to let a
lovely spirit pervade their lives The
plan of God is to lead men to higher
way of thinking and living, and the
making of better men of them. The
principle of Christ's teaching was that
He taught according to the nature OF
things. 1t might be said that Christ
placed great stress on truth because 1t
conduced to morality, the Greeks be
cause it led to duty. The blessed mar
is he who is humble, with heart full
of righteousness. The whole sermon
on the mount is a rational thought
touching ON every point the bed rock
of human nature. What is in nature is
put there by God and the chief reason
why we believe in the parable is be-
cause they are founded on nature
Truth is light in itself by which we
must walk. 1t is the main hold God has
on us, and there is no other path
Christ says He is the truth, and wher
we have enough OF this truth in us t.
understand we are saved. The grea
necessity of the day is better thinking
We have not yet learned to speal
from the laws of nature. Our living il
cluttered with superstitions. Wha
is needed is right feeling and RICH
thinking.