The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-08-09
PREACHED A GOOD SERMON.
Rev. r. M. Dougterty Of Cfaymont, Dellv-
cred an Eloquent Discourse ut st.
PauIs n. e. Church.

Rov. Franklin NJ. Dougherty of Clay
mont, preached an excellent sermon in ST.
Paul's M. Z. Church OH Sunday morning,
from this text:
"When he the Spirit of Truth is como he
will guido you into all truth" ST. John
XVII3
Natural truth, he remarked, is gained by
natural means, tho Spiritual only by tho
mipistration of the Holy Spirit. We gain
knowledge by natural means, there being
no royal road to learning. The farmer,
the tradesman, tho business man, tho pro.
fessional man all gain their knowledge
not by Inspiration, but In natural way.
The human mind is ineant to be filed with
knowledge that may germinate like good
seed. and grow into fragrant blossoms and
fair fruit, and scatter far and wide, per-
fume, beauty, seed and nourshment.
There are dangers Of knowledge but they
are not to be compared with the dangers
of ignorance, for man IL moro likely to
miss his way in darkness than In twilight,
and in twilight than Mt monday. 1t Is
knowledge that mainly distinguishes
man from biuto.
What makes the vast difference between
savages and civilized people? knowledge.
What raised Franklin from tho station Of
printers boy to tho first honors OF his
country? knowledge.
What raised Hcrschell from being poor
paper boy in the army to station among
the first astronomers? knowledge.
knowledge is the sceptor that gives us
dominion over nature, the key that un
locks tho store house OF creation and opens
to us the treasures OF tho universe"
A strict trans Station of our text would re-
qllire tho article ''the" before the second
word truth" The Holy Spirit does not
guido us into scientific and historical
truth. The Scriptures were never inspired
to teach astronomy, geology or history but
wore to guide tho people into oil the truth
tho deep spiritual truth of the Scriptures
--and "As the light of day guides the late.
ly benighted traveller in the forest" so the
lightlof Tho Son Of Righteousness-the
Holy Splrit-risen Ia the soul, guides us
into ali the truth. There is difference
between practicing moral duties and being
u Christian. Many persons practice Tom.
perance and other virtues which Christian.
ity inculcates and 1t Is as absurd to ascribe
the knowledge of Mechanics to savages be-
cause hey employ the lever, and the prin.
ciples of Astronomy to brutes because in
walking they preserve the centre of gravi-
ty, as to call morality Christianity.
The chrlstianis Is one whose motive Is
christian. One who Is baptised with the
: Spirit of Truth.
You have substance which you say Is
phosphorus for the following reasons
In the first place trusty boy brought 1t
for you from the chemist who said it was
phosphorus, this is the historical evidence.
In the second place you examine 1t, its
color and form agree this is to internal
evidence. In tho third place you try it,
it burns with most vivid flame, this Is the
experimental evidence.
80 it is with the Spirit Of Truth, We
have loved one-perhaps mothor-who
tolls of God and of His love in the gift Of
His Son to die for u.s. We seq her life, how =
pure and bameless and good, but this
does not suffice US, wo must have the in
dwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hoarts
to have the experimental evidence within
US that we are Christians, then will the
Spirit guide us into all the truth The
Holy Spirit gives to us true happiness, joy
and peace.
We. guided by this Spirit of Truth, will
be rs it were llght-thut others will be
led to feel their neod of Christ and their
need Of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.