The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-04
DR.. Mcferrin breaches at First
Methodist Church.
GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST"
Text Taken From Paul's First Epistle-
The Lords Teachings the Only
Remedy for Worldly lisa
Large Congregation.


modate the large congregation which as
sembled to hear Dr. J. P. McFerrin, the
new pastor preach his first sermon.
DR.. McFerrin was feeling quite unwell,
but he nevertheless delivered a most elo-
quent discourse on 1.-THE Gospel of Jesus
Christ" and his hearers were most favor
| ably impressed. Notwithstanding his ply
| steal indisposftion DIR. McFerrin was in
| good voice, and spoke feelingly and force
| fully. His text was from the 23d and 9th
| verses of Paurs first epistle to the Corin-
thians, which reads: But we preach Christ
crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingbloek,
| and unto the Greeks, foolishness; but unto
| them that called both Jews and Greeks,
Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of
Cod
The Sermon
Dr. McFerrin said in part: 1.-The theme
| of the apostles preaching was Christ cru
| Gifted. 1t is the only gospel of perpetual
| existence, the only gospel that ever was,
| now is, and ever will be. Take Christ out
| of it and it is as meaningless and as voice.
| ness as an Egyptian mummy. The gospel
| of Jesus Christ is the only remedy for the
| worlds ills; the only thing that speaks to
| human souls in distress; the only tnlns
| that ever can speak consolation to the hui
| man soul. This gospel l commend to you
| this morning.
Paul, in his epistles to the Corinthians
said: 4 know nothing but Christ and Him
| crucified.' That was the theme of all or
| his discourses. Mark We he inculcates faitn
| in Jesus Christ, and cannot look away
| from His teachings. The world had naa
great teachers before Jesus Christ came
inc mart
| larly new He came to teach me the way
| home. The world had gotten beyond the
teachings of mere men.
saw Lite in Death
I'm the death of Jesus Christ the apostles
| saw life. They were not enthusiasts or
| mad men, but they went forth to preach
| Him and His teachings. All men do not
| hear the gospel alike. dare say no two
| men here uhis morning hear it just alike
| Next to the preaching of The gospel of
| Jesus Christ is the hearing of it, The gos-
pei is The SAVIOR of life, the SAVIOR of death
| unto death. 1t is a responsible thing to
| teach the gospel and equally as RESPONSE
| ole thing to hear it,
His teachings were to the Jews Let
| me say here, never look down upon Jew,
| never despise a Jew. They were the
| chosen people of God. Remember Jesus
| was born of Jew. All their hopes were
| conferred in the coming of the Messiah.
! When He came He came a simple man.
1 am glad my Lord was man and that
| he was kin to all men; that he died to save
| all mankind
Was Stumbling Block
when the apostles went forth to preach
| Him He was more than ever a stumbling
| block. The Jews didn't understand. They
| only looked forward to external glories.
| They looked forward to ahe coming of a
| king in kingly garb. Solomon their
king, and his glory had gone throughout
| the world. When Jesus Christ claimed to
be priest, and professed to be a king,
and only dressed as man, they asked Him
| to show them some sign. They were ac-
eustomed to seeing the priest in This robe
and the king on his throne The Jew was
| blinded and couldn't understand how a
man could be a priest without robe or a
| king without throne.
The Jews were a wise people; they were
| cultured people. know that We of Amer
! lea and the English across the waters
think we are the wisest people that ever
lived Take philosophy, and Aristotle
stands out like great light; Plato forms
| great constellation of brilliant Thought
In oratory, Demosthenes is without an
| equal in the history of. the world In lit
erature, Millions PARADISE Lost and the
works of the Immortal Bard of the Avon
are matches. So when the apostles came
| preaching Christ crucifed it was looked
| upon as foolishness. They were asked: DO
| you mean to say that man crucifed ont
! yonder is the hope of the world? Do Won
mean to say Christ crucfed ds the saliva
| ton of the world?'
Solace to the Soul
researches have been made through all
| ages for something to give solace to the
soul Philosophy has never found happiness.
| Turn your eyes to the cross and there YOU
| nnd 1t In Christs suffering To those that
come, Jews and Greeks, Jesus Christ cru
Gifted there is the hope, the comforter
"A government without law is dead
| letter; man without a government is a
failure; law without penalty for its yo-
| lation is a dead letter. There is a penalty
for violating Gods law, and that penalty
is the loss of His kingdom. Gods law is an
expression of the divine will, and it ds as
| divine as Himself. While the law of God
is upheld the transgressor must suffer. God
| who Is above the law, sent His son to die to
uphold the law Jesus Christ crucified was
| the wisdom of God in solving the law
| 1.-THE wisdom of God Is more plainly seen
! than the power of God. When speaking of
| power We think of something that moves
| that has force. gaze entranced al train
moving sixty miles an hour and think of
| the wonderful power that produces such
| speed. God has but to command to set In
| motion an object, and returns centuries
| later to find it still going. The greatest
| power a human being has is to say 4
won't. His most manful is, I WILL It's
| the power of love of submission.
without Coercion
| Something in human nature wthstands
| coersion, something makes it rebel against
| force, but submissive to persuasion, to love
| God conquers the world through love, love