The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-08-09
THE TRANSFORMING STORY
ABLE SERMON BY hEV. Il. n. moor
YESTERDAY.

Christianity Weak and Tottering Unless
Jesus Divinity he True-Man's Excuse
of No Avail for Christ Lived Blameless
Life-His Sufferlngs and Temptations
Made Him Perfect.
In the absence Of the pastor, Rev.
DR. j. K. Twitchell, at Dwight Place
Congregational church, Rev. E. Tai
madge Root of Providence, r. Lf
preached yesterday morning. The as
sistant pastor, Rev. A. p. Johnson, in
rroduced him to the audience with
few we'll chosen remarks, in the course
of which he took occasion to say: Il
would only say what Is in your hearts
to say-that we are very glad to well
come Brother Root, and glad to thank
him that while he is away on his Vaca-
ton he is nevertheless willing to speak
to u.s."
Rev. Mr.. Root took as his text He
brews 2:10: "For it became him, for
whom are all things. and by whom are
all things, in bringing many sons into
glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings.'
He said:
This is the story that has trans
formed the world, yea, and will trans
form it. 1t is not a system OF phlloso-
ply, nor a code Of ethics, nor any line
of moral teaching, not even the teach-
ing of Him who spoke as never man
spake, nor that of the man VINO Went
about doing good unto his felloWmen,
not that but it is the story OF the
worlds most terrible tragedy, the story
of the agony in the garden. thae
shameful betrayal, that farc1cal near
ing before the high priests, that mock
cry Of trial before the Sanheorln'
that disgraceful scene and plot Oh w.
man Justice, the sentence OF the CROSS
the bearing of the heavy beam, ana the
stripping, the scourging ana Wouhuias
of those patient hands, and then that
terrible strain on every nerve ana pam
of every muscle and fibre OF the ooay
when finally the cross settled III the
socket prepared for it; it Is all that
and the agony that ended IN the
words, My God. my God! why mast
Thou forsaken me?' That is the story
that has transformed the world 1t is
a story that is all the more remarka-
BILE because it was the one that nm
dered the universal acceptance OF HIS
teaching. His match1ess life, spotless
in it's beauty they could receive, put
not that story The Jews could nave
received allbut that; that splenalo
majesty Of love they could receive,
but when the messenger added that
this Messiah was the one that was de-
liberately rejected by the people,
scorned by the people themselves, When
this was added to the Jew about to &C
cept Jesus Messiaship he stumbled and
arose only to turn away therefrom.
The Greek could have believed That
the God of heaven had come down 10
earth He would gladly have received
god like that of his own people, but
when he was told that his god whom
he was about to receive had been selE-
ed by human hands and led to the
slaughter, crucified as a malefactor,
then he, too, turned back. The most
irresistible proof of the inspiration of
the New Testament is that the apos-
ties persisted in putting the teaching
of the cross pre-eminent.
"There are three reasons, three facts,
which have indicated the wisdom of
God in letting Christ suffer the death
of the cross.
sFirst-In bringing many sons unto
glory.
Secondly sufferings making Him
perfect captain of salvation; and
"Third-In that it has vindicated the
Justice of God by whom and in whom
are all things"
Rev. Mr. Root elaborated and ably
and eloquently dwelt on this triple
dogma. He held the attention of the
audience closely throughout, drawing
beautiful illustrations from many fields
of history and literature. In conclu-
sion Rev. Root spoke Of mans mfr
nifty and utter inability to attain unto
Gods law of holiness. He said that
natural religion cannot explain it. He
said that Christianity says that God
Himself has come and put Himself I'M
der all human limitations and tempta-
lions. Christ has come and gone
through the bitter opposition of the
world. He has let it roll in mighty bill
lows over His head, and henceforth
mans excuse is of no avail, for Christ
has lived perfect and blameless life.
If we can prove the falsity of Christ's
divinity the whole fabric of Christian
teaching tumbIes into chaos.