The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-02-02

The pastors q the Baptist ,sii ...p:
copal churches were absent -und
and there we're no services Ia tho
churches
IN THE METHODIST CHURCH.
Pastor Ryder preached at IL o'clocl
Gal. II 20, also Eph. III II.
Christ In Personal Experience, wa
the speakers theme.
Tradition has it that when Paul wa
executed his head rolled down fror
the martyrs block and bounded tnre
times on the ground. 1t is said tha
at each place where the head struck
spring of water gushed forth from tn
earth ana has continued a perennial
flow.
This tradition is at least suggestiv,
OF the beginning of the Divine life 1,
the soul. When Jesus through th,
death of the cross touched the hear
OF humanity, He became the fountain
OF "living aUater," the streams OF which
have percolated through the though
and life OF the race.
Moses smote the rock of Horab ane
there came forth crystal stream tha
slaked the thirst of small children
Jesus smote the past of the Samaritan
woman and there gushed forth a vel
OF "licsng water," which if any man
drink he shall liye forever. That Is
Christ iH Personal Experience, &c.
Life is queer thing. It battles our
power to define it. Angelo could
carve out OF crude block of marble the
face OF an angel that challenged the
admiration of the world, but be could
not make the lips speak. Raphael
could paint the face of Madonna in all
Der pristine beauty and loyeliness, but
ne could not make the eyeballs flash.
OF all the great of earth 1t can be said
OF but one-Jesus Christ: an Hin,
acas life," &c.
l hold in my hand an acorn which
has in its germ the idea OF the gigantic
oak. I have in this hand a~tlny egg
which holds in its embryo the idea of
a bird. Now how shall the idea OF the
acorn and the egg come to it's fullest
Observation teaches us that through
the agency of sunlight, heat, water,
'oll and food the idea in the acorn and
egg comes to its fullest realization in
The tree and bird. It takes life to I'M
old and crystalize the idea-that life
s something outside and beyond the
germ and embryo.
This is descriptive of our earthly
ntuation. God has created in us His
dea of a man. 1t is the function o.
ellglon and the chief duty OF the in
llvldual to develop that idea.
1t requires spiritual life to do it.
esus is that life. "W'ithout me 1e can
10 nothing" Paul said aye are COM
'lete," viz: All the higher qualities of
manhood, the possibilities of which
re created in you are drawn out In
heir completest development, SIN
7sna"-te1t. The speaker called at
ention to the facts only.
Christ incarnates Himself In the
Experience of the individual by the
reation Of a new affection. When
esus began His three years ministry
here we're opened to Him three pos
bic avenues to supremacy over the
fe of mankind-viz the Hebrews,
le Greeks and the Roman nations.
[e might have made Himself king of
,e Jews. The chief philosopher
nong the Greeks. The sole ruler
nong the Romans. But He saw that
conquest lay not in any of
lese and He proceeded On new line
conquest. When He came He found
We dominant in the life of the race.
t vas old as time, but ayas unrhaste
I'd aCanton" He made 1t the weapon
Has warfare. So He called love out
the wanton cloister and "threw
imself upon the strongest and deepest
ssiOn of human nature"
He fought His way to the citadel OF
ans being-not by sword, or system,
learning, but by love. Jesus
uched the life of the race with the
2ss and inaugurated a religion that
gins in an impulse-a soul tremor-
heart throb. The agency Jesus en-
Dyed for the destruction of sin and
9 reconstruction of human nature is
g regenerating power of Divine
re-.
One gentleman asked a very learned
mister: "Sir, how can a man get
of bcsetting sin?" The minister
olied: "By the explosive power of
lew affection"
Christ Jesus incarnated Himself In
3 experience OF the individual by the
cation of new life of faith "That
'rist may dwell in your heart by
tn"
The Hebrew religion at the coming
Jesus was perfect in form, beautiful
expression and imposing in cere-
)nlal. n
Faith was regnant in the Jewish
igion, but it was incarcerated in '
tenn. It never rose above the level I
a dogma. It was isolated from
rk, hence was without spiritual VI +
lty. |
Jesus undertook to recreate faith.
liberated it from bondage to dogma t
l resurrected it into new lite. He ~
ked faith to life and said, "He that \
;eueth IN me hath eternal Hfe." u
The speaker closed by applying the s
we two truths.
70 services Z 10 p. M, as the pastor n
not we'll. Ii
Died IN California. 1t