The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-30

1 q.
AZ niuht he preached at the Church
of the Good Shepherd on Judas The
| church WINS crowded and the eloquent
words Of the preacher never fell on more
attentive and appreciate ears.
olhe Son of man goeth rs it is writ
ton of him: but woe unto that man
Inv whom the Son of man is betrayed :
II had been good for that man II ne
had not been born" (Matthew AAVl',
oN we're the words of his text.
"Of NIL the cries that have come down
70 MS from the past" began the preacher
..None is louder or more despairing than
tbot of Judas. MS he falls, mangled and
broken. at the bottom of the valley ol
Gehcnna. Even tonight the echoes OF
that cry of despair reverberate around
the whole earth
"Whatever doubts we may have about
other things: whatever uncertainty may
exist as to the fate of others, there can
be none as to what became of Judas.
"The son Of man goeth. He must die.
II has been written and foreordained
from the foundation of the world-but
woe unto that man by whom he is be-
trayed. There is no escape for that
man. He, too, is doomed. From that
fatal day when the treacherous kiss was
imprinted upon Christ's forehead to the
end of ithe great stretches Of eternity il
will have been better for him had he
never been born.
"As Judas lived, so he died-an im-
postor. hypocrite, traitor, a damned
and lost soul. If you mean to be III
light when you close your career here
you must be in light now. You must
walk with Jesus. You must talk with
Him. For in heaven they need neither
candle nor light of the sun, for the Lord
Jesus Christ is the light and splendor
of heaven.
but how, you ask, Can l live nearer
TO God than Judas did? Was he not
with the Christ? Was he not among the
disciples, trusted and honored? Was he
not treasurer? Did he not walk and talk
with Jesus? And yet he fell broken and
ruined detested by all the earth and
despised by himself-a traitor and a
suicide.
"Oh, what an awful thing ia sin! How
soft, how enticing, how fair. how Sc
ductive! How one may live in the very
presence of saints and yet be hideous
monster of polluting sin! L have chosen
We twelve-and yet one of you is devil.
To the unobserving mind il may seem
fate.
Human nature. unassisted by social
requirements. is devilish The dark
places of the earth are full OF darkness.
We are by nature cruel and wicked.
You are Of your father the devil. You,
fine lady. with all that is soft and deli
cate and pleasing. can II be that you
have about you anything akin to the
II, III IN h.>Sr
remarkably short q time woman will
go from the highest heights to the lowest
depths' This is the necessary result of
sue a life as you live. Your nature win
assimilate itself to It's environments.
There is only one way to escape this
doom. Secure another nature: put off
the old life. put on new one, be born
again.
What Christ had will do for any
man. The life of an angel will not fit
people created as we are. You can to-
night assume the divine nature. AS
Jesus Christ was, so can you become.
When / would do good evil is present
with me-there is war in the soul when
the old nature is driven out and the
Christ-life comes in. When we go into
the other world we shall be living either
the old life or the new one. He that,
is born of God is without sin.
Goods great command is: My son,
give me thine heart This is a definite
action. 1t is business transaction. It'll
has a time and place. There is a giving
on one side and the receiving ON the 9TH
err. There was moment when you had
something and the next you had it not. !
Have you given God your heart?
'There is only one thing that all the
human race possesses-the power of Volt
ton, Ii you will to do a thing you will
do it; if you do not will to do a thing all |
the power of God can't make you do It. !
But you say some other day. Remem-
Der, the cry of those who have passed
away with these words on their lips
within the last six months. Let them be |
to you a warning. But if you are not
in earnest and whole-hearted
in your gift, you'd better not attemp
it. 1t will bring to you misery and, what
is worse. woe and disappointment TO !
others. See Judas, he gave up all things;
went around with the rest and worked
bard. .-e did many wonderful things,
says the Bible. He was treasurer. He
heard the last words Of Jesus which
have touched the human heart ever since.
But he fell q broken, dreadful wreck. He
had kept a part Of his heart to himself.
He followed Jesus for a selfish purpose.
He thought Christ would be an earthly
king and he could then be a prince and
reap a rich harvest. Judas ran well, but
he fell. He hanged himself and went to
his own place, place Of remorse. Hel
had followed Christ for what he could
get and not for love.
"Choose We tonight whom We will serve
Christ or self. There is no half way
ground. 1t must be heaven or hell. It'll
must be life or death-whichY
During the afternoon, at 3 o'clock, the
Dean also delighted the students of st.
Mary's School with one of his eloquent
sermons.
The revival, which has been in pro-
gress at the Tabernacle for the past two
weeks closed Sunday night with fine
gospel sermon by the Rev. DR.. Needham
and one of the most interesting meet
ings yet held.
: During DR.. Needham's stay here he