The age-herald., 1900-01-08
SUNDAY AT FIRST METHODIST CHURCH Sacrament Was Administered at the Morning Services DR. M'FERNIN'S SHORT TALK Devotion to Christ the Theme of the Dis course-Disciple of a Personal Re-
 ligion He Lives in the
 Holy Ghost
DIR. M'FERNlN'S SHORT TALK


 First Methodist church yesterday morning, and on that account no regular sermon was preached.
 Dr. J. P. McFerrin, the pastor, made a short talk on Devotion to Christ" of which the following is a brief synopsis:
 Jesus has brought the whole world un- der lasting obligations for what he did for 1t. 1t was not a few friends here and there Who shared in His love while He was on earth that He appeals to for love and devotion, but to the whole nace unto which He had come and which he ever carried in His heart. No one ever made such sacrifices for men, and no one ever made such demands upon men.
 "1e gave Himself without reserve, ex- pecting until the end of time that men would give themselves. to Him. His re- liglon is therefore personal. 1t is that nothing. St. Augustine has well said: Chnist is not valued at all, unless dIe be valued above all.' Jesus cannot be classified among men as a mere man. He is greater than the greatest, and to deny Him a place in the heart. or even to adjudge Him to a subordinate place is far more foolish than If one should rate the diamond with the common Cuartz.
 Devotion to Jesus
 Some mistake religion for a creed, a school of morals, a system of speculation. It is devotion to Jesus. His religion is A power because it Is Himself What He said was forceful, because He did as He said. His gospels were but the expression of His inner life. He was the sum of all lie taught. He was the only teacher who could say: Believe in Me- Come unto Me- Without Me ye can do nothing He invites to goodness and truth by inviting us to Himself.
 Have you though -r ha -a8n7-1 -,~ religion on personal I... Hr5aHe j. fs f.. cause abstract ideas .. I. t=Ia= Hs-a ... power in themselves . fight for principle, m -rust be capable of being ..ar-lr of being made inca . .u q l fmrsr- sonated in a leader who can inspire ana whom we can follow. Suppose Jesus Christ had simply portrayed the ruin of sin and l had discoursed upon great truths and prin- ciples? What would have been the result? He would have been only teacher with | few followers for a generation or two. But he began by forming personal relations with men; capturing them with the majes- | ty of his person, and inspiring them with | love that was more than human. This per- sonal attachment would last after he was gone. The cross could not quench it, and | so the power of attaching men to him | would be perpetuated through generations l and in every age men and women would be l devoted to him. His departure from the | world did not sever his relation with it. l His going was the signal of the coming of the Holy Ghost, who should abide with his l people forever. The Holy Ghost is here to l make Christ a real presence to every be- l liever.
 How to Serve Him
 "How can we show our devotion to | Jesus? First, by our obedience. If ye love me- says Christ, keep my command
 ments.' Not few. but all of his command ments. his command concerning the sacra- ment: Do this in remembrance of me-
 Second, by diligently serving him. The Christian ds a servant ready for every good | word and work. He is meet for the Mas 1 ter's use.' Which means that he is not l only fitted for service, but ready at all | times to engage in it. Paul, in most of his | epistles, opens them with the expression: | "A servant of Jesus Chrst-a slave to do | his bidding. Are we servants? How much are we worth to our Lord? It is not service | to say, Lord, Lordr but to do the will of
 our Lord. It is not what we feel but what we do for Christ that counts: not how l many tears we can shed, but how many we can wipe from the cheeks of sorrow; mot what raptures we can enjoy, but what 1 self-denial we can practice, what duties we can perform; not how far we Calf gsse upon earth towards heaven, but how much of
 heaven we can bring down and cause to | shine upon the wretchedness and misery of l earth.
 ''There is but one thing that can make l life mighty and worth living: 1t is love for | Christ, devotion to him and the ability to | say at last, My meet is to do the will of l Him that sent me-"
 DECEMBER WEATHER