The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-21
REV. DIR. RAMSEY'S
ABLE DISCOURSE.
He Preached the College Commence
ment Sermon.
A LARGE AUDIENCE PRESENT.
The Sneaker Set Forth the Strong In
nuences of Sin and Its Awful
Consequences - Services In
the Churches Sunday.
A LARGE AUDIENCE PRESENT.

/ hall was filled 10 the last seat Dy Klch-
mond congregations Several city
churches were closed TO allow their con-
greeations TO attend the services at the
| college. The service began with the sing
in of America" by the great Assembly.
NeV. ii. a. ndgby, OF CalNary bapust
church. offered the invocation. and Rev
/ q Hiden. d. D.. OF Grove Avenue
church. read the Scripture lesson.
After the singing OF hymn No. 3V
| prgvcr by DR.. /. NJ. Mercer. OF west VIC"
| church. and a voluntary by the co.'ebo
Glee club. Rev. Or George Cooper Oh lhe
tNret Baptlst church. who was master
/ Of exercise introduced the pre"che' VI
the evening Or. Ramsay.
Mr.. Ramsay g. young man or me
presence ana a magnetic sty.e Of delV-
/ ory. uc preached q spiendld seiil,V" ~,
",rbe Moral influence Of the cross
taking his text from ZachaIiah XII, lv'h
verso. The large audience greatly apPre-
ciatcd the excellent discourse ana gave
| Il the closcnt attention
| DR. Ramsey spoke in clear attrac-
/ tive manner and WAS given close a''1"
| ,ion throughout After a brief introouc-
| lion ne said that viewing Christ on the
! Cross IS the means of producing asels7
| of sin I'm humanity's dark heart rms
! IS a lost world. and II cannot De sdF eu
/ tiu the sickening weight Of SIN j. ici|
/ Sin Is not immaturity Of development. as
Matthew Arnold would have IA DeheVe'
/ nor an over-relnement of phliosoph! .
! nor "a relic OF mediaevalism. llat SIN
! is an awful fact is a truth to wnlch many
/ "a man can bear testimony who has SUI
] forcd from the insomnia Of wild ana
/ furious conscience. This sense OF SIN
| precedes salvation. No man ever says,
| Il am saved" unless he first cries,
| have sinned.' a..
| Dwelling upon the powerful and the
! great enmity Of sin the speaker SAID;
! Forecasting life, you have thousht u
! some of your foes Sin Is your greatest
! THE souls foes will be the first on the
arena the last 10 retire. and, althogeuher
| the most inveterate so far as outward
! bindrances are concerned there need ne
no anxiety for at last you VIII win an
| the territory you Will be able 10 holu'
! But here Is the important thing 10 ne
| remembered-that young man TO-
which are to be feared are those or ms
| own soul household All otncr losses
! are comedy i'm comparison with delea' III
! this inner domain.
POWER or THE CROSS.
| DIR Ramsey referred to a number OF
! historic characters who in their SINS hau
! seen Christ on the Cross, ana sald mat
! this was a sovereign remedy for iniqulty
| He dwelt at some length upon the power
| of the cross upon sin and said:
! The ability TO form and execute the
purpose of going straight on to that goal
| where lies LIES crown Is given nowhere
j save in sight of the Cross. But the
| Christian feels in himself the power or
| an endless life. and that l. enough 10
| secure any result. OF late. science mas
reduced. The sun is burning up, the
| flowing Of the crystal springs Wearles
| the mountains heart: some time the
| 1s.rrr a all
| like the light in the old mans eyes. His
| tory's voice relates the same pathetic
! story Ancient Rome. once proudly
| called "the eternal city" IS now mark
! cd by a heap OF rubbish. a Crumbling
| arch. a weather-bcaten pillar, ana rum
ed coliseum. The knowledge OF one de-
! cade Is the ignorance Of the next. But
| above the gnawing tooth OF time tho
| Christian hears the inspiring voice o. MS
| Lord, Because 1 live, We snail live also.
HIGHEST ORDER OF LOVE
IN conclusion the speaker said:
Seeing Christ on the Cross develops the
| highest order Of love ever found among
| mOrtals What, l pray you, did this
| poor orphaned worlo know about love
| when he came? one OF the tallest souls
| among the anclents spoke Of something
! which we call PlatOnlc love possessing
| something like the warmth Of moon
| beam. Have you thought OF the power
| and mission Of that sweet altruistic pos
session which lie brought? What would
! the world be a. for one day love were
| absent The sun would not rise, the
! flowers would not bloom, and the birds
| would not sing. What will love DO to-
/ morrow Tomorrow the love Of dear
| ones will make some fine LAD nobier as
| he tolls for his widowed mother, and VIII
| make some true girl more unseliish stand
/ ing on the theshOld Of the home. trans
| figuring the weary countenance OF her
/ father. But do you know the source OF
| the oil which feeds this celestial flame?
| II flows down from the Mount Of Olives.
where love was perfected. You will not
charge me with eXaggeration If you Will
| but remmeber that the most distinctive
| feature Of the teaching of Christ, as II
| seems TO me. was 90 apply the law or lhe
| Cross 10 the heart OF the disciple. SO TAR
| as 1 know. herein Christianity diners
from all other religions and precisely
| here IS its power and glory. FROM the
| first the Founcer OF Christianity said that
] man must lose his life to keep II. After
| Him the wisest expounder and most beau
| tul .exemplihcation Of the truths OF
| Cbristianity said: II am crucihed with
| Christ: nevertheless 1 live
LEARNED IN THAT SCHOOL.
If there Is anything beautiful in our re-
lgiOu ID was learned IN thdt scnool, IT
any divine fire at all ii was kndled at
! that shrine. We are learning to be tear
| full to those unfortunate brothers whose
| countenanCe may be translated, II love
| have the CIPHER into an HAD OF woes
and to be patient and pitiful toward those
who have lost the step with Jesus IN the
! great march of life. II Is blessed truth
! that the disciple IN an important sense.
may be as his lord. At last. after gaz-
| inc long at the pierced Christ and eaten
| ING His Spirit the scholarly Tholuck
! cried: II have but one passion. IL Is
| ne" For producing and sustaining I'M
! selfish love there is nothing given 10 us
| in this world but the Cross. When Han
| del WAS composing his immortal oratorlo
ne was found one day alone weeping 81
| terly. as ne studied the prophets descrip-
/ ton of the CruclilXiOn. and being asked
! why he went he pointed 10 these words:
| Gle bore our grlefs'
The exercises were brought TO close
with prayer by Dr. W. r. l. Smith, OF
! the Second church. another hymn, and
| Renediction by Or Ramsay.
Otber ministers occupying seats on the
platform. not taking part in the service
we're DR.. j. NJ. Pitcher Of Petersburg,
Or. w r. Hatcher. OF Richmond, and
DR.. r.. J. Wiringham, OF Richmond.
| Rev. Mr.. Kinks Resignation Accepted
A meeting OF the congregation Of How;
| ards Grove Baptist Church. was held
| an the service Sunday morning.
After an hours elaboration the resig-
| nation OF the pastor. Row =. -. hirk
was formally excepted % take eht'" on
'''s ''' 80 entered tho pastorate OF
! Uowrod's Grove Church on February