The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-24
THE SERMON AT THE GRAND
THE SPECIAL RELIGIoUS SERVICES
 YESTERDAY AFTERNooN.

Address by Rev. W. l.. Phiilips-A Large
 Audience-we Are Yet Like the Pharisees
 The Great Teaoher-Lessons of the Hour
 --Iiev. pr. Masden to Speak Next sunday.
 The second of the series of Sunday afternoon meetings to further the work begun in this city by Rev. B. Fay Mills was held at the Grand Opera house at S;S0 yesterday afternoon. After a song service by the large choir and the sing ing of a selection by a quartet of the Yale Glee club, Rev. Dr. Phillips de- livered the sermon, taking for his text Mark 7:17. He said: Passing from the city of Capernaam to the sea Jesus had gone through the custom houses of the port and in one He found a man Levi by name, to whom He said: Fol low Me-, and Levi at once did so. Soon after Levi gave. dinner. Jesus was there and record says many publicans and sinners were also there and that the scribes and Pharisees were aston ished that Jesus should eat with publi- cans and sinners. The religious men in Capernaum felt themselves above the tax collectors of the Romans. They could not understand how Christ, who declared Himself the way and the light, could associate with such people. We would probably have the same trouble if Christ came to our city to-day and passing by representative Christian men should single out sinners, drunk ards and the men who supply the means of destruction to drunkards, and all those whom we consider sinful ac- cording to both human and divine law If Jesus did this and dined in the homes of such people, our astonishment would be as great as was that of the scribes and Pharisees.
 Christ gave as an explanation of His action that He was after that class of people to speak to them words of life and salvation, to place before them an example of true manhood and lift them from darkness. On many other occasions Christ said His mission in this world was to the lost. By the | word sinner" He meant the man who | realized that he was a sinner, and not those who made flippant confessions of l sin, He meant those who had a deep | conviction of their sinfulness. He says that those in good health do not need | a physician, but only those who are convinced that they are sick. When you force a man against his will to ac- cept something which he don't want, l you violate the right of free will God don't do that. He leaves the choice or l rejection to men, The success of the devils work in the hearts of men is shown by the fact that spiritual pride is the most common malady with which men suffer. If a man makes a confess sion to Christ because he thinks it 8 good business venture, because he has conceived the notion that church mem bership is the way to heaven, he will get little out of his confession and it will be impossible for Christ to use him in the establishment of His king dom in this world.
 | How can a man realize that he is a | sinner and in need of Christ? Perhaps | you are an average man absorbed in business, a respectable man, one who has done nothing to bring eondemna- ton from your fellow men, then study your motives and tendencies in the | light of the teachings of the New Testa- ment A man must be clean at the very source and fountain head of his be- l ing. You must get down to this and 1 scrutinize your heart, in the innlost recesses where none but the eye of God can ever look. Christ went through the whole field of human conscience and changed the tendencies of men. When you have looked in on your heart shut your ear to human estimates of yourself and think of your relation to Gods perfect law and let that which is best in you speak to you of your needs. Failures to.change your life by resolutions are scattered all along the way. You need a higher strength to accomplish that which you cannot do by yourself. After having looked in and listened to your conscience and seen the failures to heal yourself, you will know that Jesus Christ has a mes sage for you because He is the only one who has come to men saying He 1 could and would help them. Others offer to you counsel and instruction by which you can make a reasonably safe passage through this world, but Christ says: T am the way, the light, the truth which you need.
 "A converted Chinaman once. describ- ed the difference between Jesus and other teachers He said that he was in a pit and Buddha came along. He said he was sorry to see the man in such predicament and passed on. Then Confuseius came along and said if the man got out he would be care ful and not fall in again. Then Jesus came by, and expressed sorrow for the mans condition, but more than this, He stretched down His long strong arm and lifted him out and planted his feet on solid rock. This is the difference between Jesus and all other teachers who have come into the world and because He does so much for man, we need Him. There is no other aid under heaven by which we can be saved God the father across the body of the dead Christ, stretches the hand of reconciliation to US. Will you take that hand to-day?"
 Rev. Dr. Masden of the First Meth odist church will preach at the opera house next Sunday afternoon.
 CONSOLID fTED ROAD.
 The Prospectivs ease ofthe New England.