The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-14
IMPRESSED HIS HEARERS
REV. THEo. sBDGWICK breaches
TO CONGREGATION OF ST.
JOHN, THE EVANGELIST
HE MAY ACCEPT THE CALL
In an Address t" the Parish, the
williamsburg 81 Man Indicated
That He Felt There WAS
Great Field Here.

The members of,the parish of st. John
I the Evangelist who attended morning
service yesterdaXs heard Rev. Theodore
Sedgwick, but recently called from St.
Johns church in Williamstown, Mass.
The visit ng rector read the lessons,
preached the sermon and informally ad-
dressed the parish regarding his possible
acceptance of their call, the doing of
which created in the minds of his hearers
thoroughly excellent impression. MIR
SedgWick, a man still comfortably on the
br ghter side of middle life, possesses an
unusually agreeable personality, and in
the delivery of his sermon displayed
much vigor and earnestness, together
with a dignity at once churchly. The
sermon was able throughout and gave
Mr.. Sedgwick's hearers a most encour-
aging promise of what might be expect
ed should he decide upon coming to ST.
Paul. Before beginning it the rector
pointed out that his coming to. a new
parish meant much, both to his people
and to himself 1t meant he must get
Close to the children and close to the
hearts of his parishoners. His short
stay here had shown him there are great
possibilities in other words, much ground
to be titled. His way to this time had
always been plain to him, and it was his
duty to consider we'll the change before
taking up the new tasks. He urged there
fore that the people of st. Johns bear
with him while he returned home and
gave the matter careful thought after
having been here and after having seen
what was to Gone here. He made
pie, foc better and more active support
OF th9 bishop and his many missions in
the diocese
Mr.. Sedgwick left for home last night.
In his sermon yesterday he took for
his text portion of Revelations,
H., I: ITO =, Him That Overcometh
Win / Give tp Eat of the Tree of Life"
Ihese words of John We're he thought,
wonderfully suggeS tive written, as thev
were, toward the ciose of his long and
eventful life. He outlined in most inter
estlng fashion that to fully understand
What was meant enc must cultivate the
power to eat, Of the tree of life: to taste
OF that which IS Immortal, and further. ia
realize that the true immortality of life
IS given to him that overconeth and 10
nm that conquereth with that life which
God has given - him.
lie Is writing TO one of the seven
churches" he continued namely the
chllrch Of Ephesus, which he has known
well Tor a long time. of which he saws:
snow thy works and thy labor and thv
patience. But l have somewhat against
thee because thou has left thy first love
Let thy enthusiasm, that power of con-
duerlng which comes to a man in the be-
ginning, when his heart is full and his
fature stirred and he feels his own power
and confidence in himself-spur thee a.,
to thy best work 1t is indeed touchino,
TO near John speak thus in his latter
days. He is thinking of his own fret
loNe, and the days when he followed his
Master IN Galilee and Judea Fsrecia llv
Oh that great day when he and his com
panion, Peter-of those days-raf1 to the
tomb on tie first day of the week ana
found It empty. That day when he first
Knew the truth ot the resurrection and
first cemprehended the power of immor,
tality.- 1T burst upon his life SO suddenly
that 1t was with difficulty he could ac-
cept it, There were to him times Of mucn
persecution and much loneliness, and as
he looked back to the many strains which
had been put upon that love-his first
love.
His first enthusiasm seemed at times
to have gone, but III the maturity of his
experience, he could look back and say:
1t is to him who overcometh it is for
him who has been true to his purpose.
1t is he who has maintained his first love
Tor God to the end. To him is it given
to eat Of the fruit of the tree of life: to
have the assurance of the immortality of
life. - 30
THAT first fcve is the first fruit of the
life which ever nxeth in the fellowship
Of God.
Thus may we speak of immortality as
being the partaking of the fruit of the
tree of life and suggest directly ST. John
is recalling the beautiful story of man 8
creation in the Garden of Eden, where
AGam walked with God and held com
munion with Him. Here Immortality was
granted to him until he disobeyed Cod !
command and ate Of the fruit of the tree
of knowledge, and came to know good and
evil
''Then he was driven forth from the
beautiful place lest he, without discipline.
without overcoming anything, without
any victory, he regain his immortality.
We are told, forever this tree is guarded.
and no man, at will, may taste of it's
fruit, but that life must henceforth de-
pend upon knowledge. The learning to
Know what is good and what evil. what
is true, what untrue has been the de-
Velopment Of knowledge. 1t is science,
philosophy and religion, and it is in seek
ing the good that we seek God
Life depends on knowledge. for if is
only by knowledge that man is given to
understand the power of life The man
truly seeking this knowledge will strive
to know what is best and truest, and will
seek to know something about God. He
will then wish to taste of the fruit of
the tree of life For the life, which can
only be a life which is in fellowship with
God. Many will tell me they gain lit
tie knowledge of God, that God seems
farther away from them In childhood
God was very near; in fact, He had His
throne just beyond the moving cloud
but as we increase in wisdom God grows
farther away from us, until with many
of US God has 10 connection with our
daily life at all. Among all people are
priests who were supposed to be nearer
God, and they tell people of Him Even
idolators believed in God, but because
He was so far away. made their idol to
represent Him that they might have
some symbol of Him to worship.
Like them, some of US are seeking God
in something we can see and touch
Then, as we increase in knowledge, we