The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1895-01-02
Outline of Sermon Preached by Rev.
w. G. Schoppe, Sunday Evening,
Dec. 80, 1894.


TEXT, John 1: 80. alt was about the tenth
hour"
Experience is the surest human guide. The
past tinstructs thefuture. Memories pictures,
bright or pensive, produce divinest thought. |
The unthinking, alone, are light hearted. |
The deepest life is tinged with sadness. In |
the past stands the CLINT of an ideal. Moth |
ing saves from dismal disappointment but |
loving consecration to Christ. and enthusias- |
tic sacrifice for humanity. John was dis |
clple of the Baptist Jesus was pointed out
to him, as the Lamb of God. He and An. |
drew went with him, and abode with him
that day, for "it was about the tenth hour"
This Gospel was written in his old age.
He looks back over sixty years, and remem-
bers the VERY HOUR when he met Jesus. It
was one of LIES MEMORABLE HOURS.
The first memorable hour we will mention
is the hour of temptation. At life's thresh
old question must be met: Shall life be
| earnest or trivial Shall DUTY or PLEASURE
| be chosen? Shall it be present choice of the
highest in life, or distant castle-building
One form of the story of the Holy Grail
the cup from which Christ drank at the last
supper illustrates one point. To drink from
that cup, would completely satisfy the crav-
ing soul. Ayoung man starts in it's pursuit.
At the beginning of his journey he passes
an aged man by the wayside, who requests
him to dip some water with a small tin cup,
from the bubbling stream, to quench his
| thirst. He has no time, and passes on in
pursuit of the Holy Grail. Through distant
lands he wanders. 1t sometimes seems just
within his grasp; then it vanishes away. He
touches the Elusive in life-a universal ex-
perience. In despair of satisfaction, he re-
turns to his early home. There he finds the
same aged, dying man, and decides, if it be
his last deed, to quench the old mans thirst.
He takes the tin cup from his hand, dips the
water from the spring, lifts the aged mortal
on his arm, and puts it to his lips. And be-
hold THERE sPARKLEs THE HOLY GRAIL.
Satisfaction is not in distant lands not in
the present performance of our Christian
duty. Christ met temptation at the thresh-
old of life. 1t is one of LIES MEMORABLE
HOURS.
The second memorable hour we mention
is MARRIAGE.
/ Love is not subject for merriment You
see in another ideal beauty and goodness
Another sees in you your highest self-not
in fact yet not what ought to be fulfilled in
your individual life. Another anticipates
tho ultimate perfection of your nature Such
experiences are not delusions they pene.
trate failures, and see the only divine idea
of man. This ideal beauty seen in another,
is next to revelation of God. Alas that
the vision ere fades.
Marriage teaches the unselfsh life it rests
on the mutual self-surrender, to each other,
of man and woman on the perfect blending
OF life and interest, and the strength and
blessedness that come from it. 1t is intend
ed to resolve two individual lives into high
er, though complex unity. The strong, man
ly qualities, and the tender, womanIy quail.
tiles, blend in one.
When the early Theology took on the he.
roic, Roman type, expression of the tender
side of life was found in the elevation of the
Virgin Mary. At the heart of an error that
has entranced masses of mankind, there is
ever an element of truth. All virtue blended
in Christ. Johns Gospel reveals the heart
of Christ. What influence had the Virgin
Mary IN his home, on his type of thought
In the far East there is bird with one
perfect wing; the other formed for union
with similar imperfect wing of its mate
Alone, it tries to futter Heavenward, and
falls to earth united, it rises to the skies
So, as rule, is the life of man. The hou,
of marriage is a MEMORABLE HOUR.
3rd. The hour of birth in the family. Il
introduces new care ; it binds man to loca
ton and responsibility necessary for the bes
development; it necessitates life of sacri
hce; it unifes the family, and produces di
vinest joy. 1t cultivates the divine feeling
: God is paternal. None have appreciated
child-llfe like Jesus. He saw in 1t the germ
OF immortal possibility. What other influ
ence eau SO open the closed affections of the
human heart?
Lowell says,
Men think it an awful sight
To see soul set adrift
On that drear voyage from whose night
, The ominous shadows never lift.
But it's more awful to behold
helpless infant, newly born,
, Whose little hands, unconscious. hold
The key of darkness and of morn.
Mine held them once; 1 flung away
Those keys that might have open set
The golden sluices of the day,
But clutch the keys of darkness yet
hear the reapers singing, go
Into Gods harvest; that might
} With them have chosen here below,
Grope, ,shuddering,at the gates of night, ,
Another MEMORABLE HOUR in the family
is DEATH.
There is no freside however defended,
But has one vacant chair"
But what an educating influence is tha
vacant chair!
Death is an outlet into larger life. No life
seems great until it passes into the invisible
The thought of your mother in the invisible
world, cultivates in you the Heavenly mind
Earth's broken friendships are preparation
for belief in Immortality. The only certitude
is the resurrection of Christ from the tomb
Theories, intended to explain this away, fail
one after another. The present one, that il
was legend that grew around the early story
IN the dawn of the second century, has nc
support. L mention three objections.
lst. Something occurred on that Easter
morning which made timid men bold, anc
turned upward the current of life. 1t chang
ed the Sabbath to the Lords day, in com
memoraton. What was the cause of thi
historic effect
End. If, as claimed, these men taugh
only continued spiritual life, and not res
direction from the tomb. where did simpl,
fishermen get clear, positive idea of flu
ture life, when, on that point, the Who'll,
world in which they lived was dark?
3rd. Paul's four EpistIes- Romans. Gal
lat1ons, 1st and End Corinthians-are ac
knowledged by all German skeptics to hav,
been written by himself, before the year 81
A. D. These assume that the resurrection
OF Christ from the tomb was then the com
mon faith of the Christian Church there
fore it was believed and taught by the earl,
disciples. The legendary theory fails. The
faith OF the fathers stands. Christ rose. ani
man will live forever. Departed friend
are stars in the crown of night-opening
into the better land.
Another MEMORABLE HOUR is the HouI
n fYSNN