The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-26
BISHOP JOHN F. HURST.
WISHINGTON PREACHER IND
SCHOLAR IN TRINITY H. Il. CHURCH
The TimeItness of Gods Gifts-The
Greeks Spread Their Language and
the Romans Built Their Roads TO Pre-
pare for Christ's Coming-Fhe Signs OF
Our Own Times.

our own Times.
! Bishop John F. Hurst of Washington
preached yesterday morning at the
Trinity Methodist Episcopal church on
The Thickness of Gods Gifts" The
text was Galatians w.. 4, But now
when the fullness of the time was come
God sent forth His Son" Bishop Hurst
said in part:
Just at the proper time in the de-
velopment of the worlds history God
sent forth His Son. 1t is remarkable
fact that at no time in the dispositions
of God toward men is there mistin-
ing, miscalculation, a misjudgment
In the attitude of God. Not an hour
too soon or too late do we find God act
ing. Everywhere and under all circum-
stances is the timing of events arranged
to suit the occasion.
so in Christs coming to the world
at the proper moment the worlds faiths
had by this time proven their failure,
and the time was ripe for Christ's COM
ing. Until these faiths had proven
themselves without substance or virtue
there was no need of a Redeemer. 1t is
true that the old mythologies had long
before died out, and that the pkiluso-
plies had taken their place. But these
PHILOSOPHERS had also by now become
corrupted into sophistry, and people
We're without hope or faith. A Christ
was expected. 1t is a matter IF history
that there was now a widespread yearn
ing and expectation of the Christ, and
that Jesus was Himself the answer to
these expectations Of the world,
Then for the spread of this religion
the army of the conqueror Alexander
had prepared the way by introducing
the beautiful, perfect language of the
Greeks. The language which was to
contain the revelation of Gods truth
was spreading VIGOROUSLY in wider and
wider circles through the barbarous ma
tons of Europe. The soldiers by car
rying the Greek language with them
thus made way for the powerful and
effective propagation of the gospel. The
great Roman roads that were built to
bind together the provinces of the en-
pre were built really as providence
of God for the spread of the gospel
yet the people themselves did not
know or understand these means for
their enlightenment in truth. 1t was
Christ and His contact with men out
side in the open air that was the direct
means of conveying the truth And
Christ achieved this by His supreme
of human character lie
made no mistakes. 1t will be remem-
bered that His treatment of the woman
who was taken in sin, when He wrote
on the ground, Let him who is without
sin among you first cast stone is the
keynote of His treatment of all who
are in the wretchedness and humilia-
ton of their sins. Christ spoke the gem
arous word and under all circum-
stances He in like manner showed His
and generosity and love to-
ward the suffering"
Applying the text of the sermon to
our own times, and more especially to
The present history of our nation, Bish- |
,p Hurst said: I'm this time of world |
and of civilization the |
character of Christ becomes more at |
ractive. In the growing greatness of |
our own country is noticeable growing |
hirst for the knowledge of Christ's |
eachngs. 1t is a fact that three-fourths |
If the fiction writer's of to-day are vie
ng with each other in trying to under
stand and interpret the character of |
Shrist. Now that this country has ac-
tuired it's recent possessions and wild
ned it's power and influence, again has
,ome the fullness of the time for the
building of roads and spreading our
language to convey the truth that is in
christ. Twelve millions of people are
ome to us from the Philippine Islands,
md they have come as an incentive to
make us hunger and thirst after the
of this religion of Gods Son, so
hat we may become equal to our des-
inv and to our new responsibilities.