The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-13
A UNANIMOUS INVITATION.
DIR. PEYTON II. HOGE AT THE IN
DEPENDENT CHURCH.


He Preached 10 One of the Largesl
Congregations. of the season Yes
terday MOrning-His Topic ths
Mission of ChriSt-He Came Not GO
Elevate or Change the Standard OF
Morals or Religion, But to Aid HUI
mainly in Living III TO That
which Has Always Existed-He
VIII Remain in the City Until
wednesd< evening.
Rev Peyton H. Hoge. u. D., Of the First
Presbyterian church of Wilmington, y. c.,
preached TO one Of the largest congrega-
lions of the season at the Independent
Presbyterian church yesterday morning.
DR.. HOge took his text fTom Mark y: is,
why callest thou me good2 There is none
good but one, that is God"
DR.. Hoge preached "a magnificent sermon.
and one which more than delighted his
large congregation. Among other things,
he said:
I'VE must not understand our Lord in
these words TO deny either his sinlessness
or his divinity, but rather to assert that
his sinlessness and his divinity stand or
fan together so that one cannot rightly
ing the other The reason, however, that
he interrupts this earnest seeker after
eternal life with this objection, is the rad
deal difference between the young mans
conception Of goodness and his own.
THE young man. reared In the schools
of the Pharisees. had no conception Of
goodness, except the doing Of acts Of right
euosness. and so accommodating merit be
fore God. He belonged to that class of
whom an ancient rabbi tells us that they
went from teacher 10 teacher 70 learn
some new precept 70 observe. Good works
were matter Of debit and credit IN &C
count with God. II they accumulated "a
sufiiciency OF good works IN this bank,
they could draw upon God for salvation.
1.-The goodness of Jesus consisted not in
doing but In being His goodness distills
from his life like dew from the atmOs-
phere. or dropped like rain from the cloud
Il grew out of His heart like the beauty or
the lily and eXhaled like its fragrance; II
gave forth its light like the sun or the
star. If We should praise any of these for
their goodness, they must say, why call
est thou me goodY do but give what /
receive; there is none good but one. that
Is God" SO with the highest archangel-
he but reflects God s glory. 80 with the
human Jesus. He drank hl goodness from
communion with God, and gave 1t out in
deeds of love and righteousness.
This shows as the true mission of Jesus
in the wOrld--.t was not to give us high
or and purer code Of morality. He is alone
thing else, but II every moral precept lie
has taught could be found in the teachings
of others, His unique glory would still be
untouched. His mission was not necessary
for such a purpose. II Ee was coming for
other reasons we would expect so we fnd
that He gives the highest expression OF
human morality. But His life and work
We're surely not necessary 10 give the posi-
tive side of the Golden Rule Of which Hillel
and Confuscius had given the negative;
nor 10 tell us that love to God and love
of these precepts are found in the Old
Testament Whatever was lacking in
mans knowledge Of duty, God could have
communicated by holy men moved by the
Holy Ghost. Nor was a new revelation of
duty what man needed. The trouble with
our poor humanity was not that
We needed a higher standard,
but ability to live up to the standard we
had. Men needed not more law, but more
life; not a new teacher, but a Savior. And
it was because Jesus Christ was "a Savior
that his message was a Gospel, and his
coming the coming Of the kingdom of God
in the world. BY the law is the knowledge
of sin, and the wages of sin Is death; but
the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord"
The speaker then eXpounded this right
eounsness that comes from God, both as
Gods law is fulfilled for us by the work
of Christ, and as it is fulfilled in us by
the gift Of new heart and the indwelling
of Gods spirit. Thus the goodness Of the
new heart is a spontaneous spirit, freed
from the selishness that posons all works
ables the humblest believer. like the Gal
ilean fishermen that surrounded their
Master, to do what the proud young dis
ciple of the Pharisees could not do-leave
all and follow him.
DR.. Hoge attended the Sunday school
In the afternoon and preached again in
the evening. He will remain in Savannah
until Wednesday night the guest of Mr..
Randolph Arson, at Hail and Barnard
streets. Tuesday evening, beginning at 8
o'clock, a reception will be given DR..
school a
which all members of the church and con-
gregation are invited and where they viii
have an opportunity of meeting him.
DIR. HOge has not yet decided whether
he will accept the call TO Savannah, but
will probably make known his intentions
in the matter within a few days. The
invitation TO him from the Independent
church congregation was unanimous,
though he had never appeared before them
until yesterday, ana none of the con-
gregation had seen or heard him. The
congregation acted altogether on what
was known of DIR. Hoge as a man of
renown and a minister of ability and
after hearing him they were satisfied
they had acted wisely.
Ten years ago last December DIR. Hoge
was called to Wilmington in very much
the same manner, none OF the congrega-
ton of the first church there having heard
him prior to the time the invitation was
extended. He is nephew of DR.. Moses
D. Hoge of Richmond, Va, prominent
minister in the southern church. He is
a son of Rev. DR.. William Hoge, who
at one time prior to the war assisted DIR.
Ting in what was known as The Brick
Church in New York city. Dr. William
Hoge died in Petersburg, Va, during the
war
The members Of the congregation of the
Independent church express the hope that
DR. Hoge will consider faborably the
invitation that has been extended him,
and announce his Intention of returning to
Savannah at an early day
To REoUIRE FIRE ESCAPES.