The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-13
AN ELOQUENT SERMON.
sev. William layne LeavelI Delivers an
Able Discourse.
SERVICE At FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Lord for the Service OF All,
However Humble,


The Loud tlth need of him" lie spoke in
substance as follows:
1T was the custom with Oriental mon
archs 10 make a triumphal entry into the
capial OF the kingdom after a victorious
war. And when this was done, the beast
chosen % Ds-r the CONQUER was al avs
as ass colt. which had never before heen
ridden.
Christ, therefore. was merely follow
ing out the custom of kings in riding
upon the colt Of an ass while he male
his triumphll entry into his own capital
Jerusalcm-the capital Of Jehovah But
to all outward see ming, this entry Ct
Christ into Jerusalem was nothing bu,
an almost immediate failure Yet
reality it was triumph. the lustre o.
whoee brightness would never dim.
IL was fitting then that the Lord
should make his triumphal entry into
Jerusalem in the manner OF the kings So
he sent his disciples TO a certain spot to
hnG ne colt I an ass. Wleu ney we're
loosing the colt the owner asked why they
ala hf and they replied IL tae words
Christ had told them--the words of our
GeXt: The Lord hath need OF him. This
was the signal The owner made no fur
ther objection. And when the disciples
had returned, Christ. amid the loud huzzas
OF the people rode in triumph upon the
colt into Jerusalem.
The words and he act viewed from
a narrow standpoint seem at FIRST to
tell us little, but looked at in larger
way. both the deed and the words are full
OF wide significance. At first slight, in
deed it seems amazing 10 us that If Iesre
be truly divine If he be very God Of
very God the creator of all things. omni
potent In heaven and earth, he should
have need Of anything, But even If he
should need some agents -lustrumentali-
tc--i' remain r'H oct ntonIr shensihle
to Us that he should need so humble an
fundamentally as an ass colt
1t Is perhaps possible for ms 20 under
- stand more easily why the Lord should
need more imposing Instruments to carry
: out his purposes Thus we may he able
TO understand why the Lord should need
man like Moses % lay down those great
r principles of morality which have never
T. been outgrown and which never shall BIO
4 ouTgrown
= 'Or take the case of David, the heautl-
= full. attractive and powerful. Some one
was wanted to unite the scat cred tribes
of Israel to revive their courage aul to
> inspire high purpose into the disheartened
people and Law broad and deer ne foun.
da'ions OF an enduring national lie, And
God raised up David 10 NEE this grave
emergency in the life Of Israel
- Even Caesars being needed to carry
. out the purposes of God is comprehensive
b, to Ne For IL was necessary that tha
. nations of the world should ne united
y under one powerful rule iS e:icr nat
= the spread of Christtanly might pc given
- wide. opr rtuEitS,
~ "And then we may he aisle to see the
"a reason why the Apostle Paul should De
A. needed to organize the Christian church
alonE the imperial lines upon Whlcn
Caesar had made Rome the mistress OF
~ the world. At.
90 tory of the Eotherland in those later
L., Years of the eighteenth century when II
~ Law all disunited, without unity OF purpose
40 or of National life, | could UNDERSTAND
IN why Napoleon was sent from France &c
eft trample under foot the petty principal
n ties of Germ3ny. to place his foot upon
n. the neck OF the HNpsburE ruler oil AUSTRIA
of and to wiring Prussia like a rag FOL
thus Napoleon, making margraves, dukes
and princes circle around him. ns stars
around the sun reused the German ma
tional spirit and prepared the way 10
he that united Germany which has now beer
for three decades an accomplished tact'
he so too Cromwell in England wa
-. needed that the people might be free'
~ from the old fear OF the divine right o.
~ kings.
Der LAS am an American | can understand
to why Washington was needed 10 puilu al
in America u commonwealth which car
rled TO even greater extent than in Eng
u land the application OF great principles
90, in the government and in the life OF the
ed people.
1--WE can see, then, that the Lord does
= have need OF great personalities as IN
mt struments in the execution of his purpos
'h' es But to see him need the colt OF al
Ia ass. an humble little Insignificant thing
OF thus It is difficult for us to comprehend
u 1T is not always safe. however to judge
Oh a thing by its outward appearance. For
We take the case OF love. Apparently it is
OF the weakest thing in the world; veal
that often 1t stands in the way Of the eX
ecution of justice, But in reality love II
the strongest OF all things, for it don't
mates heaven and earth.
Id Some things, however, are really hum
BILE as they seem. When Christ sought in
lal struments to effect the spiritual redemp
ey ton OF the world he did not choose thu
- great ones of earth; the Caesars, tbs
al Cromwells, the Carlyles, the Hegels. No
re he chose far different messengers-a few
or simple, clear grained fishermen, and upor
70. these humble men he poured the power o
the spirit end sent them forth to subduo
les the world.
r. There once lived In a communit,
IN, where Spiritual atrophy prevailed a Chris
tian woman who prayed that the vote
and fo3tstep OF the Lord might be fel
egsin in that place. The Lord heard her
as and Others persuaded ny her earnest ef
fcrts Joined her until at last the refresh
ne ling from his presence came.
pr The Lord does need humble inStru
an ments II any here feel that there is NJ
,ai work for them. let them ask themsolve,
'ad whether they can do nothing rs citizen
~ in this community; as makers Of pure ant
on ePN'uhs homes as uutHhl chhnren, am
he es members OF The organized chrIstta
,s church. No matter how high we are. n
q, matter how low, Col does need YOU
nn Through you, II YOU obey him. his purpos
es will he wrought out Thus the viii o
80, God VIII be accomplished In the world
"u and that sun will rise whose rays are 20
the heeling Of the nations"