The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-18
THE WORK OF CHRIST.
THE ELo0UENT SERMON or REvsSs
MsTfrON sUyDfr MORNING.
10 Says Christ Was Not "a fromulzascr 81
Theories -Eevereneed Because hs
Was Nota Phi,o ophcr.

Rey. J. Al. Scaton. the Unitarian min
ister. took for his text Sunday morn
ing. these words, from the gospel accord-
ing TO ST. John: 10 this end was !
born. and for this cause came INTO tna
world. that 4 should bear witgcss unto
the truth" lie spoke, IN part. as fci-
lows:
Christ was net promulgator OF ihco-
rics. and yet lie had theory OF ethics
that was wider than ali the simple theo-
ries OF ancients or moderns. 1t was
theory. not only broad enough to include
man. but IL reached from man. by means
of the cords of pure affection which 10
held for man. His brother. 10 the power
and presence OF His infinite Father. whos
lie felt. was willing and able 10 guide
all in the path of NE, Il they who are
astray will only return and trust to the
divine guidance.
NOT \ PHILOSOPHER.
All that has made Christ remembered
by the millions who reverence Him to-
day arises from the fact that lie was
not "A philosopher. Greece and Rome
had many philosophers. The ethics OF
Epictetus, Seneca. Marcus Aurelius. and
Hypatia, had but few followers. and yet
those philosophers promulgated some Of
the purest truths. Tno ethics OF Christ
were not made by rule. lie sent Ills
truths broadcast into the minds OF MS
hearers Like the 's0wcr that went
forth TO SOW" he took the seed OF ethlca
truth. ripened in His own mind by thirty
years Of contemplstive thought, and scat
tered it. expecting that some would ran
upon stony ground. some among thorns,
some upon good ground. Christ failed,
or. rather. refused, 10 formulate sys-
tenn OF ethical rules. on account OF us
intense hatred of Journalism.
The first great truths that seem Ia pre-
sent themselves as embodied IN His teach
ings appear, I think. in the parable OF
the lawyer who said unto Him: Master,
what shall | do TO inherit eternal lifeT'
Jesus saith unto him: what Is the lawF
How readest thou?" The lawyer. answer
ing. said: Thou shalt love the Lord Thy
God with all thy heart. and with All
thv soul. and with all thy mind. and thy
noighbor as myself" Jesus. answering.
said unto him: Thou hast answered
right. this DO and thou shait hNe'
Here Is recognition OF power IN IMP
ethical teaching OF Christ which IL wholly
lacking in the teaching OF ali othcr W.
ical schools. unless, indeed. these sc1oois
are founded upon Chrlst's fteacn-
irc. and this recognition is. TO my mihd'
the grand controlling influence which
has made the ethics OF Christ so eIecuNe
I'm the lives of men. and which was the
handspring OF the sublime life We HIM
self lived. Two fundamentals are. them
outlined i'm the feginnirg OF christs
othics-love 10 God and love TO man.
WORK or THE FATHER.
The Father was one OF the prime fac
tors in christs .rcat power. lie moved
on earth controlled by AN unseen ior.''
In the stiffness OF Gethsemane on ina
mountain side preaching TO the muir
tude. in the desert fasting, upon the cIoss
itself. his trust was anchored III tod.
He impressed the dependence OF man
upon God In all His discourses, Whs1
callest thou me goody phero IL honeJ
GOOD hut the Father" Even the hairs
80 vour head are numbered Looking
upon the lilies of the Held. lie Thought
how God cared for them. BeholdlnS mo
birds of the air. lie speaks OF Gods care
I'm providlng them nests. All these
thoughts are indicative of me condolences
lie felt I'm that divine foresight winch
would not allow single sparro" 10 ~
main unaccounted fora single Quo -.
Ills children to suffer harm-and haNing
this overpowertng confidence ana behei
in God himself Christ s,roNe 10 lmpar'
IL to those who heard Him.
Turning now from Christs coinHaho'
"Thou shalt love the Lord, TO ms COM
mand. Thou shalt love they neishDor a.
thyself." we find IN the Sermon on INC
Mount. and elsewhere IN the New iesea-
mont. many maxims when shoulu l.s~,
iatc thn character OF our treatment OF
those around as.
HE TAUGHT sELF-sACRIFlcE.
Christ taught solf-sacriiice and self
| denial. and spirit OF non-resistahce' *
| any man would come after me, Jet h'"i
DENY himself. take up the cross ans}
| foIiov, me. for whatsoever Will save III /
| M. shall lose IL, but whatsoever VIII ios1
| his life for my sake snail hnu H. 10
what is a man advantaged IL ne sai
| the whole world and lose hlmseit OF
cast away" But ascetc ana coh'cInp'~y
tive exclusion was not the END 'hilse na'
| in view Indeed. Ills Whoie NJ ""~
refutation OF this position. Nh" was
e,,er more free in his intercourse WIN
n,en9 Who was ever more negligent o.
conformitv to trivial rites and ceremonies J
rrsn the Sabbath day lost for hin US
| u.,,n sacrcdness when the comlet oi
| s,1i,,iduals came between It's observance
| and its neglect. The ethlcS Oh c",'..
| toach self-denial, but not set-apnesa"Ik
not purelv egoistic contemplatiVehc
bar a broad humanitar'@msm, W. .,a,
| ,Iaces man i'm the closest ana most VIVA
| relations with all around him.
Ist ms 50 live that the purpose reaiize1
ia the lie OF Christ may hnd an Scn1
in our own. rhat the stature o.
perfect Man may be the measure ~
| own attainments should be the a"D''io1
~ oyerv truly Christian soul. mat ouI
,,,, sbouid he the reflection OF Christ
~. e,en as HIS was the reflection 81
,re rather. should be at the bottom %
-, endeayor after the perfect me- an
:, a. only a. our Ire Is so made periecI
hat we enter into the JOY ana pea01
,shich come from a knowledge OF "oo'