Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-29
JOURNEY TO EMMAUS.
DIR. wHyTsITT SAYS MANY TAKE 1T
THESE DAYS.
An OLD RICHMOND BOY HEARD.
Rev. Charles Williamson Prenches
on the Christian Inheritance mt
scventh-street Christian Ch"rch-
Mr.. Benucbamp's Three services.


an able and interesting discourse to a
fine congregation Sunday morning In the
First Baptist church. The distinguished
preacher and scholar used the simple
narrative Of the evangelist to Illustrate
the different phases Of human life and
| character At the outset he drew strik-
| ing picture of the disappointment and
| despair that fell upon the disciples Of
the Saviour after His crucifxion. Think
| ing It was all over with them and their
Master, the two who lived at Emmaus, a
small village about eight miles from
Jerusalem, determined 10 return home
They could not meet the jeers OF the
people and the scorn of the priests at the
apparent failure of the mission of the
Messiah: they could give 1t up and go
back home.
"Where is Emmaus?" asked the speak
err. 1--WE know that 1t was near Jerusa-
lem, but archaeologists have not yet
discovered its site. And yet the road to
Emmaus is a much-travelled road; many
people still go to Emmaus." Here the
preacher described the various classes Of
Journey of the two despairing disciples to
Emmaus. IT is a journey not conducive
to faith, nor TO hope. nor 10 knowledge.
On the way to Emmaus Christ appeared
TO the disciples. walked beside them,
talked with them. yet they knew Him
not. They ina gincd that they heard
familiar voice, but they did not know
their Lord. Doubt is not conducive 10
knowledge. The loss Of faith kept these
disciples from recognizing the risen LORD.
The people who travel 10 Emmaus are
those who give up too soon, who lack en-
durance and perseverance. Learn to Ia
Dor and to wait" is very pretty poetry.
but II Is not easy to practice. The peo-
pie who Journey TO Emmaus are those
who are always expecting the worst TO
happen; they are the calamity howlers,
the worst enemies OF the human race.
These two disciples did not recognize
their Master till He sat down TO meat
with them, and as soon as they recog-
nized Him He vanished. Ideas make their
way slowly into the minds of men. Rarely
does man past 80 years acquire any
new ideas, and few past 20 open their
minds to new ideas. especially when old
ones have found a lodgment therein The
great truth which the narrative of this
journey is intended 10 teach, said the
speaker, is the resurrection of Christ,
which he contended is as well attested as
any fact in history.
The music Of the quartette was Of
high order, and Captain Frank Cunning
ham sang a beautiful solo.
An Ola Richmond hoy breaches.
The subject of Rev. Charles p. William
sons sermon at Seventh-Street Christian
church Sunday morning was Our Chris
tian Inheritance" The text was taken
from Paurs letter 10 the Corinthians,
where he taught the Corinthians and all
other Christians that "All things are
yours" The speaker introduced his
sermon by showing how eXceedinly hu-
man the Corinthians were: how their
carnality in dividing over preachers such
as Paul. Apollos, and Cephas had pre-
vented them from receiving the strong
meat" of the Gospel because they were
yet but babes in Christ: that many Chris
tians cannot get the best food, because
OF their weakness and lack of growth,
and such weakness is manifested by
devisiye spirit. The Apostle shows the
folly Of such a course by assuring the
Corinthan Church that all things be-
longed to them, whether Paul, or Apollos
or Cephas or the world or life, or
death, or things present or things TO
were theirs and they were
Chrsrs and Christ was Gods" He
urged his Christian hearers never to be-
come discouraged, never 10 feel poor,
never 10 be downcast, but look up, feel
strong in the Lord, and know that the
richness of the Divine Inheritance was
theirs. He drew two lessons from the lat
ter part of the text which said, "Ye |
are Christ's." The first was, that we were |
not our own; that every power Of mind, |
body, and soul belonged TO Jesus; that |
here was no true happiness outside the |
service of Christ, which was, |
indeed, the largest possible liberty; that |
only when professed Christians should |
realize in some degree at least their abb
solute surrender to Jesus could they ever |
richly enjoy their sweet and holy rela ton |
ship. The second simple and helpful |
lesson was that Jesus would take |
care of His own; that His followers could |
not really suffer for underneath every |
true child Of God Were the Everlasting
arms"
The speaker alluded, in conclusion, to
the fact that thirty years ago he had |
broken away irons his home in Richmond,
with all its sweet and tender assoc
and had gone West to learn to
preach the Gospel of the grace IF God. |
He assured his hearers that in all the |
thirty years of his life that God had |
verified to him all His promises providing |
him abundantly with homes and |
friends and giving him in the joy of SER |
vice the sweetest of all possible eX- |
which could not be measured |
by any human neasuring-rod, nor weigh
ed by any earthly scale, nor valued
by any possible amount of silver and
gold. He eXhorted his hearers, in con-
,luslon, to lean hard" upon the Divine
promises, which could never fail.
The Poet Prophet.
Three sermons. each one of a high or
Ter, was the record made by Rev w b.
on Sunday. In the morning
he young minister preached for DR.. Tu-
dor at Centenary; in the afternoon he
conducted services and preached at the
Home for Incurables, and at night de-
ivered one of his delightful discourses
on the minor prophets at ST. James
Methodist church. The subject on the lat
er occasion was "Habakkuk. the Poet,
Prophet, and His Message of Faith" The
text was 1.-THE just shall live by his
aith." "These words" said the preach
r. "came from God in answer TO Habak-
Iuk's prayer and did not emanate from
he prophet, as so many people errone-
,usly supposed" After pronouncing this
prophecy one Of the finest pieces Of
in any language Mr. Beauchamp
.lucidated in an interesting manner the
doctrine OF justification by faith. The
DID Testaments idea OF faith was a life
# suffering and endurance. The New
idea. and the one so forcibiy
aught by st. Paul. was larger and more
Faith was the condition
If a pure life; faith in God, under all
is the sweetest posses
ion Of mankind. 1T is the cornerstone
mon which ara constructed magnificent