The herald., 1896-11-30
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL.
DR.. Colcord of Claremont Occupies the
Pulpit in the Pastors Absence.

Owing to the illness of the pastor,
Rev. DIR. Day, the pulpit was most ac-
ceptably filled by Prof. d. H. Colcord of
Claremont. Divine Ownership was the
theme, the text being chosen from l.
Corinthians ill.,, 90: "Asrd We are
Christ's." This truth" said the speaker,
is introduced by another declaring the
which results from the ownership of
Christians by Christ. By your union with
him, you are heirs to all his possessions
joint owners with him. Not one
truth, but all truth Is yours; not one
church. but the whole church; not one
thing for your comfort and peace and
Joy Sst truth all h4gs yas sde by Side with this
-'Ye are Christ's'-is the truth to lay
closely to our hearts with all its blessed
ness and comfort, while we reverently
seek to solve the two questions which
arise in the mind, how and for what pur-
pose is this mutual ownership? First
There is the ownership of creation. He
created man in the image of God, and
the world, with mountain and plain,
lake, river and ocean, with power, beau
ty, majesty, strength, nspiration-God's
world-for man to use, to stand upon
and reach nearer to heaven and to God.
Science, with reverent eyes, reads the
laws Of God, written in the rocks and
SdnQS anu tOSStii6 pntONo d AiA ShS AAAS -
plant and animal and man. 1t is Gods
world for the intellect of the scientist,
for the Christians heart. The ownership
by creation is never lost Raphaeps
Madonna, the child face. with. those
wonderful eyes, whose soul-depths you
cannot fathom; Da Vincfs marvellous
Last Supper, or Guido's Aurora, though
grimy and discolored by years, though
forgotten in the rubbish of a garret. or
dishonored by having place in some
drinking hall, are the creations OF their
artists, whose ownership cannot be de-
stroyed. Herein is warning and COM
fort Christ does not deny his work.
manship, and we have no right to sell
ourselves to sin, and every fallen soul
may be restored to the ownership OF
Christ.
"Second, there is the ownership by
purchase. redeem, purchase ransom.
These are the words Of the gospel: He
came to be ransom for many; christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the
law We are not concerned to note just
what the transaction was, what the
price, to whom paid, we cannot know.
OF this we are sure, God. for Christ's
sake, forgives the penitent. The ran
coined soul belongs to Christ; Gods word
offers full pardon, release, liberty, to all,
because of Christ's death. But though
every life on earth has been redeemed,
though Christ owns every soul by crea-
ton and by purchase, some still pre-
fer bondage-sin is their master. But
sin has no rightful claim, for Christ
has redeemed them from its power and
penalty God emptied Heaven of it's
grandest glory to enrich the sons of men,
and he claims tthe lives for which he died
as his own possession.
Third, there is the ownership of love.
The life of Christ lived it, the words of
Christ tell it, the death of Christ has
an eloquence of love well nigh resistless,
drawing men unto himself. The human
will has terrible power of resistance,
and it can put beneath it's feet that
measureless, perfect love of Christ, and
then sin becomes q thing of awful ter
ror.
Fourth but there is the ownership Of
responsive love and choice when the
soul recognizes the ownership of God,
acknowledges 1t and gives the living
service which is due. Through the his
tory of these nineteen churches have
come down the words of hearts loyal to
this ownership, even amid the fires of
fierce prosecutions. we are his'-his by
self-surrender, acknowledging his own
ership by creation, by ransom, by love.
the pains of sacrifice lost in the blessed
joy of a new love, Heaven born, which
Christ has sent down, and which throbs
responsive to his touch. Through the
channel of our self-surrender our love
makes Christ's ownership in us abso-
lutte and eternal and blessed.
For what purpose? That we may be
his witnesses, his representatives. his
co-workers, to glorify him here and in
Heavens eternity"