The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-20
CHE STOOD ON THE PLAIN.
Rev. DIR. Fairs Sermon at-the Inde-
pendent Church.


At the Independent Presbyterian Church
yesterday morning the pastor, Rev. Dr.
Fair, preached from Luke 6:17: "He came
down with them and stood in the plain"
The reference, is to the Mount of Bea-
titudes Christ had just called his twelve
disciples and appointed, their work. He
had given the revelation of Christianity
Alter a night of prayer He had selected
HIS disciples; then in the dawn of the new
DAY, while it was fiingng its light across
the dark valleys and the great world was
stirring from its sIumber to take up the
burden of life, Christ led the disciple band
down through the vanishing mists to the
plains where their work was to be- He
first led them up to the level of deity, and
then He led them down to the level of
humanity.
This incident, said Dr. Fair reveals the
scope of discipleship. 1t teaches that re-
llgion has Its luminous hours, its radiant
experiences on the Mount of Beatitudes
where the soul communes with God; but
the disciple is not to abide in the mount
Even in It's stiffness and sweetness
there he is to hear the worlds
great cry of pain and fly to its
relief. Christianity consists not only
of worship, but also of work: 1t is to be
not only creed but deed The disci-
1oyment of his light but carry it to others.
If the church is to do Christs work, then
1t must follow His methods; IL cannot
dwell on che nights of exclusiveness, but
must go down and work among the lowIy,
and strive by personal effort to uplift and
save. The world is to be regenerated, not
by beginning at the top and working
downward, but by beginning at the bottom
and working upward. We cannot sit in
our comfortable pews and say to the world,
come, We will be glad to have you Christ
did not tell his disciples to say, come: He
said TO them, go-go out into the highways
and compel them to come in; go preach
the gospel to every creature. That was
His way-nights of prayer on the mount,
days of work in the plains. This was the
secret of His incarnation. He felt He must
descend from the infinite nights, become
human, stand side by side with men, bear
their burdens, look al life from their stand
point, enter into all their temptations.
"He was not always TRANSPORTED" said
DIR. Fair, NOR were His garments always
white and clustering, but covered with dust
of service and blood of sacrifice So the
disciples must learn to be sympathetic and
helpful If you stand above men, look
down on them and lecture them, they are
repealed; but if you stand by their side,
put your hand in theirs, help them bear
their burdens, then they gladly listen TO
you
Out in the ocean the ice bergs float; The
strongest ship is destroyed if 1t collides
with them; they are born in the Arctic
regions, the land of midnight gloom and
storm and cold. Legislative enactments
cannot prevent their formation or remove
them out of the track of navigation; but
they come under the influence of the tropc
sun, 1t focalizes its light and warmth into
the frozen heart. and soon the great enemy
of the sailor melts into the ocean, bears
on its helpful bosom the commerce it des-
troyed.
"Wsvlook out into the world,'' said DR..
Fair, land we see paupeTism, anarchy and
nihlsm; these, TOO, are born of ignorance
and the black gloom of renury and want;
men say they are menaoes to society, ard
must be suppressed by force. But if we
could only focalize upon them The love
of God, the power of Christian kindness,
personal influence, wise, patient, practical
and prayerfuf work. then the germs of
these and all social and moral evils could
be eradicated. That IS what the world
needs, not q Christ on The nights. not
Christ yelled in the mists of theology and
science, not a Christ for the high only,
but a Christ for all, a Christ that stands
on the plain, in the midst of the suffering
and SHINING, Christ that is TRANSPORTED
and a Christ that is crucifed, a Christ
that bears on highest the worlds WOO.
and washes it away with His sympathetic
tears"