The record-union., 1898-11-01
'lOST SILVER, SILVER Still"
SERMON ON THE DIVINITY OF
HUMANITY.
Interesting Discourse Delivered by
Rev. j. B. Si1cox at the Con-
gregational Church.

gregationa1 Church.
At the morning service at the Con-
Rregational Church on Sunday the pas
tor. Rev. J. B. Silcox, delivered a very
thoughtful and interesting sermon.
Speaking from the text, Rejoice with
me. for 1 have found the piece which
/ had lost Likewise, say unto you
there is joy in the presence Of the an
gels of God over one sinner that re-
penteth. Luke XIV, $40. Mr.. Silcox
said:
There are some things Of which we
never tire. We never tire of pure air.
of wholesome food, or good health. We
never tire of the kind face and cheerful
word Of the friend we love. There are
songs we sung in childhood, and we
love to sing or hear them sung now.
Among the things of which we never
tire is the Gospel. We never tire OF
the sayings and sermons Of Jesus. They
possess a perennial freshness and force.
They retain their hold on US all through
life They charm us in childhood. They
cheer us in manhood. They comfort US
in old age. The Gospel is always news,
and it is always good news. The glad
dest hours of my life are those when
stand before my fellowmen proclaim
ing the Gospel Of the grace Of God.
love to tell the story of Jesus and His
great salvation. When a man breaches
the Gospel he is addressing his fellow
men on the highest theme that can
engage their intellect or conscience.
Tonight I bring you this old parable
in the hope and prayer that it may
open windows through which you may
look into. heaven and learn truths that
will bind you to God and help you in
holy living. The three parallels of this
chapter are in reality one. They We're
spoken by our Savior at one time. They
have been called the crown and pearl
of all Christ's parallels. The Gospel OF
recovery from sin and restoration to
holiness and to God is revealed here
by our Savior in the most felicitous and
forceful imagery.
If you ask me what is my theology,
I answer my theology is the theology
of this triune parable. With the au-
thority of the fifteenth chapter OF
Luke's Gospel, I will preach the per-
sonal, universal and inexhaustible love
Of God TO man. When you think of
God, think of Him as He is revealed III
this parable of redemption. Think OF
Him as a shepherd seeking a lost sheep
Think Of Him as a father welcoming
home a long lost and much loved, way
ward son. The relation of God to man
kind is that of fatherhood God will
never cease, can never cease, to be a
father to the children Of men, His love
to man is as eternal as His own ma
ture.
The first two parallels of this chap
ter-the shepherd seeking the lost
sheep, the woman seeking the lost coin
show US the divine side of salvation
They show us God seeking man. The
last parable, the repentant, returning
prodigal, shows us the human side II
shows us man seeking God. We need
to hold fast both truths. We must per.
sonally, for ourselves, seek God. For
our encouragement let US ever remem-
Der that God is seeking us.
The Gospel Of Jesus is a double rev.
elation 1t is g revelation Of the d.
vine and the human. The Gospel re.
Yeals God to man. It also reveals mar
TO himself. Jesus is the incarnation
and manifestation Of godhood and man.
hood In Him we see the humanity
of God and the divinity of man. Jesus
is a revelation of God. he is also q
revelation of man. Jesus came to re-
veal the divinity of humanity to lis
His perfect divine humanity is the type
and model Of our humanity. His SON
ship to God is the type and model OF
our sonship. The crowning purpose ot
the Gospel is to bring humanity up tc
His divine level. we shall be like Him
The hope held out to us is that we shall
at last be perfect men, according to the
measure Of the stature of the fullness
Of Christ
The Gospel that teaches me what God
Is, also teaches me what man is. Jesu:
gave us true and noble conceptions OF
God. He also gave US true and noble
conceptions Of man. He was Himself
the son Of man as well as the son o.
God. He taught us to love and rever.
ence God. He also taught us to love
and revere man. Reverence for man /:
as much part Of the religion of Jesu.
as reverence for God. No religion:
teacher ever taught the worth and sa.
credness Of man as Jesus did. He mad
1t emphatically clear that every man
woman and child stood in intimate re-
lation to God, He taught that there
was something sacred, something di
vine in every human soul. He empha.
sized anew that primal Fundamental
truth Of revelation, namely, that mar