The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-07-13
GRANDEUR IN A SERMON.
Jfsus CHnisT THn stnJprr or
Powerful pts,uunsr.
Ruler Of the tni,,tsr aud In the
uni,erse Man and uis Duty
creeds aud Religion.

Is. i. Beardmore's sienographic re.
port, approved by Rev. d. Macarthur |
Sermon by Robert Stuart Mac Arthur,
/ u d., Pastor Calvary Baptist Church,
New York, in V. NJ G. A. Hail. July
;th, 1898.
Text: John xix. rs. "And Jesus in
the midst" Christ Me center Of aH
things"
4 need not remind you Of the tender
circumstances in which these words are
found; for | am quite sure that you are
familiar with the connection in which
they stand. We ought. however. TO
bear In mind the fact, that in order TO
show greater contempt for Christ, He
was crucified between two thieves.
When the Lord OF Glory came % earth
to seek aud save the lost the only exal-
tation which He received was on the
cross; and the only coronation was with
crown of thcrDe. In order to make IL
appear that He was greater sinner
than either Of the thieves who were
crucified with Him. He was placed in
the midst.
/ wish, however, to use the words
this morning with a somewhat broader
meaning than they are found. Permit
me then in carrying out this thought to
remark, in the first place, that Jesus is
in the midst OF ell the physical forces of
the universe. This world IN the thought
of God. This world now is Gods
thought incarnated. Once II was but
thought-now it is that thought mater
islized. Jesus Christ appears every
where as the author Of creation; lie it
was who evolved cosmos out of chaos.
1t is affirmed of Him that lie is before
all things; and the Apostle John teaches
us that all things were made by Christ.
and that without Him was not anything
made which was made. The Apostle
Paul teaches US that IN Him all things
consist, all things stand together; that
He is the head of all things, as well as
the head of the church. We make a
great mistake when we even attempt to
rule God out of His own universe. We
are wrong in Philosophy as truly as in
Theology when we suppose for moment
tnat God is conditioned, so that He can
not exercise freedom, by the laws which
He has Himself ordained. The ordain-
ment of the law leads us past the law to
the law giver. Laws are nothing but
names which we give to the manner in
which we observe certain forces to act.
Laws are not powers. Laws are pro-
cesses. Back of the process is the
power. Back OF the law is the law
giver. Back of the order is the ordainer
No! No! We refuse to be orphans in
our Fathers universe. The pierced palm
of the Lord Jesus Christ is ON the helm
of this universe; He is swinging into a
brighter light, into clearer day and
into divIner manifestation. Jesus
Christ sits on the throne OF this world.
This thought gives wonderful signiii-
canoe to all forms of scientific stu ".
We then discover the thoughts of God
as lying on the pages of the book of
nature. We then see that il we study
astronomy we are very near Jesus
Christ. Do | study star? Then
remember that it is the bright and
morning star. Do | study the sun?
remember that Jesus Christ is the sun
of righteousness. Do l study botany?
Then l remember that Jesus Christ is
the lily of the valley and the rose of
Sharon. DO l study in any other de-
partment of this great ply steal uni
verse? In whatever department are my
studies, see traces OF Gods thought.
The mountains are His majestic
thoughts; thet stars His brilliant
thoughts; the flowers His beautiful
thought. In the study Oi
chemistry l may see Gods
thoughts in every act of attraction and
repulsion. la the study of Geometry |
may discover Gods thoughts in every
J angle and triangle; and in the study of
mathematics, every sine and co-sine is II
revelation of our God. Two and two
make four and not five in heaven, as on
earth; and no power on earth can make
five instead OF four out Of two and two.
God is one and God cannot contradict
himself. Gods thoughts were in the
book Of creation, and the book Revela-
tlons must harmonize If rightly inter
preted. there can be no contradiction us
in these books.
Heaven enthroned Jesus Christ in the
midst of all the forces of this physical
universe. Let us crown Him with glory
Bring your wealth of love and learning
and lay 1t in sweet submission at His
feet. Hear the angels chant HIS name,
and in the depths OF your heart respond
with long, loud and sweet Amen"
Jesus Christ, i remark, in the second
place, is in the midst of revelation as Of
creation. He reads the Bible to but
little purpose who does not find in the
Old Testament a feature wholly without
prejudice in showing us the face and
form of the Lord Jesus Christ. From
the first ajestic words of Genesis to
the last love notes of Revelation, we
can hear the voice and feel the heart of
the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a mar
vellous unity in the Bible. IL is AS much
a unit as any play of Shakespeare, or
any poem of Tennyson, or Longfellow.
1t is as much unit as any oratorio by
Mozart, Handel, or any other great
musician. In listening to a great ora
torio you can discover the controlling
note. After little time II is lost appar
antly. 1t is then heard laundering in
the oass and then trembling in the
treble. and after a time lost again.
Again IL returns, and asserts its pre-
dominance and the oratorio ends in a
grander outbul st OF song.
All through this grand book we see
: Jesus. l see him in the burning bush
which Moses saw. see him in the un-
known wrestler with Jacob. 1t was he
who came to Gideon t, urge him to go
out against the Midianites and assure
him of victory. 1t was Jesus Christ
who went to Lot to urge him to flee
from Sodom. uere the name of the
Deity il divineiy applied TO that mes.
senger. II was no other than Jesus
Christ the everlasting God, the Prince
VI tattf the. Nitatot VI tbt thao W hht
'arth of whom Isaiah speaks. l SEE
MIN in Daniel in many forms; and we
: hear the echo OF his voice through the
centuries, until John the Baptist stood
and pointed to him, saying, ''Behold the
Lamb of God which taketh away the
sin of the world" Jesus Christ was sci
! clearly before us in these sacrifices Of
the Old Testament time. Now ii hs
were not in the midst of these sacrifices
: their meaning is lost and many of then
are without significance. Then man,
of the prophecies have never had a full
fillment. As you rightly study thess
: old scriptures, in which love and 10y
atty to Jesus Christ are manifested, h,
will appear before you, and will bring
you lovingly. to cast yourself with al
your burdens at his feet and to rejoics
In his presence, his power and his love
find Jesus Christ also in the histor,
OF this world ] am inclined to thinl
that we have made a too sharp distinct
La. l.s. hat FaA M