The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-08-06
REV. E. R. EVANS SERMON
POWERFUL DISCO URSE 1T DWIGHT
 PLICE CHURCH.
Large Congregation Hear the Eloquent Words of the Young HTiMtster-Tiac Thing Depends OH Conditions.

l
 Secret of nm Abiding Faith Every | Thing Depends OH Conditions.
 Rev. Edward Russell Evans, pastor of the Bedding (Conn) Congregational church, preached an eloquent sermon in the Dwight Place church yesterday morning before a very large congrssa- ton. Rev. Mir. Evans is a graduate Of the Yale Divinity school in the class of 1899 and of Amherst college in 1881. lis sermon yesterday was most interest," ing one and was one that was greatly enjoyed by all who heard 1t. The text was taken from John viii, IT, the first shall know of the doctrine .'
 The preacher followed the Greek translation, If any man is determined continually to do his will he shall know of the preaching The speaker spoke In substance as follows:
 Christ has set forth that the reveln tion came to man from God on the con- dition of implicit obedience. Christ Himself received the revelation in this way, and any man as truly obsdient as He might receive as complete revela- ton.
 The preacher then spoke under three heads along these lines. They were: First, "The Conditions; second, ITO Whom 1t Applies" and, third, "The Re- suit of its Fulf1liment." Under the first head the preacher said in substances: Everything that happens in nature de- bends on conditions, This is equally true in the spiritual world. The an- swers to prayer depend on conditions. We ourselves constitute one of the con- ditions, and our act of prayer brings us into an altitude with God that will SUD- ply the conditions heretofore lacking. | Obedience is that condttion-there Is no substitute for this. The study of the Bible Is no substitute, for the devil quotes scripture; prayers are no substi- tute, for the pharsee made long pray CTS; church attendance is no substi1ute, for there Is no better place to take l nap or to show off a ne Wdress or bon net; religious worship is no substitute, for our Lord rejected even those who cast out the devil in His name. Obcdi- ence is the only key that unlocks the storehouse of religious truth, for t eh- ables us to feel the truth, to know it, rather than to know about 1t. Religion by derivation means bound back" namely, to God. Obedience Is the bond of connection and therefore the essence I1f irriA ie,t ty, lat tt1rt, O itual intuition Godward--a transcend ent effinity generated through obedi- ence. It is a spiritual, wireless telegra- phy between God and man. | Two lake poets, Wordsworth and Coleridge, would call on each other and though no audible words were spoken during the calls, they would feel inspir- ed through the interchange of thought. Suppose a soul in such relation to God or seeks to enter through obedience. Then if doubt as to some doctrine arises that man obeys the truth as he knows | 1t and later the doctrine before confused becomes clearly delineated. | The Old Man of the Mountain Is not visible from every point at the foot of | the mountain, but walk along the edge | of Profile Lake and soon the profile of | the Old Man comes out in full relief. Do you have a doubt as to some course in life? Obey your best impuse irres- plution begets lethargy; lethargy begets | decay.
 Under the second head, that of For Whom is the Condition?'' Rev. MT. Evans remarked in part: You can't be theologian without the most liberal | rJ.oct or,IHi but the most ignorant man may know the teaching through obedience, Chris tianity is the only religion truly cosmo- politan. All men everywhere obedient to the best that is in them, or that is obtainable, are helpers in the kingdom. One service of humble heart May teach it more of right Of God, of truth of duty's part, Than all the sages' might. | Under the third head, '"The Result of | the Fulfillment," the preac cher said in part Abiding faith shall know of the teaching. The scientist says, "1t is not God in nature." No, of course not. It is the obedience in the condition of spir- itual revelation. But Mrs. Browning says:
 "Eartl1's crammed with heather,
 And every common bush a fire with God"
 | It is commonly said that scepticism results in religious indifference. No rather religious indifference results in scepticism. Whatever men may say, they generally make their creed square with their lives" not their lives with their creed"
 A life of obedience will not issue in an erroneous creed; rather in a view of the truth, noble, liberal, beautiful, tram scendent. Every soul sooner or later must encounter a storm in life that threatens to wreck the soul. The sheet anchor that will save the soul from be- ing dashed on the rocks of atheism Is a firm belief in God which rests back on constant proof of His love furnished in obedience,
 The secret, then, of an abiding faith is found in an increasing faithfulness to duty.
 Every mason in the quarry every
 builder on the shore,
 Every chopper in the palm grove every
 raftsman at the oar,
 Hewing wood and drawing water, split ting stones and cleaving sod All the dusty ranks of labor in the regi- ment of God
 | March together toward His triumph do the task His hands prepare