The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-04
'THE PERSONALITY OF CHRIST"
A Great Sermon by DR.. Kilgo at the
Edenton Street Church.


1t has bene long time since there
has been, on a Sunday evening when
there were services at all the other
churches, such congregation in Eden
ton Street Methodist church as assem-
blcd there Sunday night to hear DIR.
kilgo preach on the Personality OF
Christ" The building, floor and gallery,
was packed with people. Every seat was
occupied, and many were turned away.
1t was a great sermon-full of vigor
of Thought and rhetorical beauty, ap-
proprate to the occasion and listened to
by the great audience with the closest
attention.
1.-The basis Of all Christian faith is a
knowledge of the personality of Jesus
Christ This is the unique feature Of
Christianity and makes it distinct from
all other religions
There was no man that ever talked as
much about himself as did Jesus Christ,
and yet no one ever charged him with
concert. Joseph Parker says a man
may talk about himself so long as he
tells the truth. 1t is only when we sus-
pect that man is not telling the truth
about himself that we charge him with
conceit. SO when man tells you he is
conceited he also tells you that you have
told falsehood."
"All the force in our religion comes
out of the personality of Jesus Christ.
He that believes not on me is con-
demned Already Christ has put himself
back of every prophecy, every promise,
every statement. Take out Christs per
sonality and the New Testament is des-
troyed.'
1.-THE man who begins to talk about
his little doctrine and little creed has
lost his moorings already. Every doc
trine He laid down has been tested
every one of these truths were in opera
tom before God ever uttered them. Then
they came hot from the Godhead.
Its not matter as to whether you
feel like you'll get to heaven or not, it's
a question as to how you stand toward
the personality of the Son of God"
Whatever made this universe did it,
best work when it made man. There are
in him chara cteristics and aspirations
and high scale of operation that Goo
has not worked at i'll anything else
There is enough III a man to strike hin
dumb in admiration OF himself Ht
made man on high scale and He is
eternallly pledged to give him everlasting
life. He cannot now desert him. All the
universe contributes to his life, his pleas
ure, to satisfy his longings and aspira
ton"
The life of Jesus Christ is the despe
ration of God Almighty. His birth was
the act Of a desperate God-desperate il
his efforts to save mankind. Born in pow
erty, harrassed through life, betrayed il
his career, tainted and Knocked, spit upon
and insulted, and crucified between tive
thieves-yet brave, patient, fOrgiving t.
the last Then you tell me there is nt
sincerity in Christianity"
MANY of us seem to think that so long
, as we keep out of hell we are getting
about all we have right to expect out
of religion. A lost soul is worse thai
hell itself. There are souls walking these
streets every day who are lost-lost
They have no faith in God, no confidence
in their fellow man. The mothers lido
has been crushed, the wife's love ha:
been betrayed, forfeited, lost"
"There is an empire in every man-an
empire of impulses. In his bosom has
been born enough to ruin a whole nation
To root out these evil impulses and put
good ones there-that is the work OF
redemption. Only Jesus Christ can dc
it, You can't do it. No wonder the Mas
ter said my kingdom is within YOU It's
not trouble of little bit of crooked
conduct, it's a trouble of life-deep as
life itself, as lasting as eternity
Before you can be an infdel you've
got the life and experience of Cody
mother to trample under your feet"
None Of us are as smart as we think
we are The fellow who stands on the
street corner as a sort of champion re-
ligious debater, ready to argue with any
little smart Alex, will soon find himself a
football for ridicule. The best argu
ment against infidelity is a pure Chris
tan life. The best thing you can do is
to go down the streets and pay some OF
those old debts you owe. Some of you
sit here and sing, throwing back your
heads far enough almost to make your
necks crack, and yet perhaps in the next
seat is some poor woman you have been
sllndering or some man that You viii
not speak to- The best argument in the
world is a spotleSS life
There are a great many people IN the
world who have just enough religion to
be mean. They worry the life out of the
pastor and then never amount to any
thing They will neither get any more
religion nor give up what they have.
Either one would be relief. There is
no reason why man should not be as
positive about his religion as he is about
his politics. He should be just as sure
that he is Christian as he is that he is a
Democrat, Populist or Fusionist. l
believe in the old old-fashioned way
the Methodist way-of keeping at it IN
til you know something"