The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-11
DISTINGUISHED DIVINE
REV. DIR. STARK or BELMONT
CHURCH, ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND.

The Guest of Rev. Mr.. Mutch-Occupied
the Pulpit of Latter in Howard Ave-
nue. Congregational Church Yesterday
His sermon on Gods Love of Man.
AT the Howard avenue Congregations
al church yesterday morning the pulpit
was occupied by the Rev. James Stark,
ID. d., pastor of Belmont church, Aber-
deem, Scotland, a cultured and very able
preacher and scholar, who delighted an
unusually large congregation With a
sermon of remarkable power. He comes
to this country to read paper before
the International Congregational coun-
Gil and to study New England life and
character, from his observations of
which he has already prepared an ar
tlcle for one of the Scotch magazines.
He is the guest while in this city of the
Rev. Mr.. Mulch.
DR.. Stark's text was Philippines iii, 10,
and his sermon was in part as follows:
Paul is here defining his position as
Christian believer He tells us he is
not at the goal but is on the way to it,
He would like it to be already unders ODD
that the goal is not the friendship and
acceptance of God. That has already
been reached. The goal now before him
is likeness to Christ, the perfection Of
His own God given Christian life. He is
not now striving that he may receive
heavens favor, but that he may be
worthy of it. He is working not for, but
from acceptance. He has been saved by
the graces of God in Christ, but know
ing in himself now, measure of the
spirit and purpose of God, the one great
over mastering, overshadowing aim of
his life is to be perfectly conformed
to the image of Christ.
This aim is quite compatible with
the possession of many things in life. 1t
is manifestly the desire Of Him, who
put us where we are, that the life we
are to live here should not be narrow,
stunted or impoverished, but broad and
varied. AS it has been thinkingly put,
man is born within a palace which is
evidently furnished for his use, He
alone can use the varieties of food which
the earth produces. In every part Of
the world there is a garden in which
some plant grows, some nourshing root
is found or some luxurious fruit hangs,
all for Him. What creatures are con-
tributed for His food from earth and
sea and sky! What materials are pro-
duced by plants and trees and even
worms for his clothing and colors to
beautify it. For whom, if not for Him,
are those stores of coal and iron and
all other ores laid up? Who can meet
and mould them but man? Who but he
can quarry stones and precious marbles
to rear into palaces? Take man out of
this world and let all other eXistenceS
remain and the world becomes a mag
furnished palace without an
No home was ever built or
furnished with greater reference to its
future inhabitants, to their conditions,
callings, habits, needs than has this
world been prepared for man. 80 that If
God was forming it during millions of
ages, and if it's climate, its mineral |
store, and toll were even then being
slowly arranged, it follows that for
those immense periods God was think
ing about man.
I'm mans taste or sense Of the grand |
and beautiful, how he is separated by |
great grief from all other animals. For
whom. If not for man, are those pictures
nung up on earth and sky. If men were
not, of what use would all this splendor
BE- A day in this world is something
20 be thankful for, What a joy to see
he sunshine and feel it's warmth, to
ook upon the different forms of life and
beauty. There are times in the exper-
ence of nations and of individuals
when all these things are as if they were
not. and the one supreme aim of moral
ife insists upon everything else being
sacrificed for it's sake-all that is fair
md dear in the present life being as
30 much fuel for the altar fire; but such
S not the normal experience of man and
such certainly is not the design of God.
t is mans inhumanity to man which
makes countless numbers mourn"