The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-08
- sToRY OF MARY MAGDALENE.
,.,. Robert Kerr's sermon at the
independent Church.

independent Churcn.
Robert T. Kerr of Richmond, Va,
.,,ed Yesterday morning and last night
Tndependent Presbyterian church.
=. Kerr's evening sermon was from the
Z "Jesus saith unto her. Mary" John
IA He began by saying that we should
s.pin our power to clear the reputation
=. noble character. No person in his
has been more greatly slandered than
nv Magdalene, said MIR. Kerr. She
I, baen identified with the fallen woman
M went to him and was forgiven. In
ss said Mr.. Kerr. She was not the
.ns woman and no sufficient grounds for
.,h a belief can be advanced. Mary
-. possessed of seven devils, and 1t was
s.se that were cast out and she was made
ts noble woman and true character that
he apostles paint.
Mr.. Kerr said the world should love
NARY Magdalene because she loved the
Lord and ministered to Him. Her devo-
shown at the cross and also after the body
If the Lord had been taken to the sepul-
cher. 1t was there she went to get the
hody and annoint it. but, when
mo looked into the tomb 1t
Tas gone. She thought the body had
leen taken away, and that his slayers,
NOT content with the noble life they had
aiken wished the further satisfaction of
venting humiliation upon its earthly tenn
pe. Grieved and distressed that her
wishes to pay the last tributes that love
and devotion would inspire had been
hWarted. Mary looked up and saw the
two angels who said unto her, woman,
vhy weepest thou?"
The words of the angels were of no com
hrt to her, Mr.. Kerr said, for what she
mjwanted was to perform the last duties
FOR her dear Lord She did not understand
had Christ had risen, and the words of
he angels were incomprehensible. But
when He appeared and asked the same
tuestion and then called her by name,
s,e received that comfort
hat was not conveyed by the words of
ihe angels.
It is Christ who gives us comfort, said
The preacher. The angels cannot give
COMFORT They can pity but comfort is
left for the Saviour. To comfort they
must have experienced sorrow, but the
angels in heaven have known no trouble
and know not penitential tears. The
Christ has known the sorrows of the
world. He has walked among its peoples,
Ien subjected to its tempta-
TONS suffered it's trials, felt
hunger and thirst, been racked
with pain, and the human cry to Him
meets the sympathy that one who has ex-
mnenced the woes bewailed knows. Com
fort is sweet, said Mr.. Kerr and it is pre-
aiOus to know that we have one to whom
these sorrows can be taken, one who has
never sinned, one who has been tempted,
but never given way.
Just the one word, Mary" her name,
said the preacher, was worth more to her
from the lips of Christ than all the angels
might have said, and he said that one
word from Him is worth more to the suf-
fsrng human heart than those of any
other comforter.
The story of Aurelius Augustin's con-
version was related. Augustin heard
Bishop Ambrose, the greatest preacher of
the age, at Milan, and his mind was stir
red by his sermon. He read the Bible
and professed Christianity, but he declar-
Cd that Ambrose had not converted him,
but that it was Christ who had whispered
% him to read the Word of God 1t is
Jesus who converts sinners, the preacher
does not: he shows the way, and Christ
then manifests Himself