The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-09-17
ALL IN NEED OF
CONVICTION,
Not Sufficient for People to
Simply Believe In God.
so SAYS REV. C. {. ST. JOHN.
Secretary Of the American Unitarian fssc-
clatlon Preached 10 Large Congregation
ln Westminster Church Yesterday.
so SAYS REV. C. {. ST. JOHN.

The services yesterday forenoon at the
Westminster Congregational CUnitarian)
church were conducted by the Rev. c. T..
st. John. OF Boston, secretary OF the
American Unitarian Association. who
ofiiciated in place OF the new pastor. Rev.
q. w. Kent. who occupied the pulpit for
the last time at his former pastorate in
installation here.
The congregation, which. considering
the storm, was large. was treated to a
sermon both powerful and impressive.
phe subject was "A Missionary
Church., and the text taken from John
X, TO- was. II am come that they might
have life. and that they might have it
more abundantly."
He said in part: without doubt we all
believe that the Unitarian church was
brought into being In the name and spirit
of Jesus Christ, but any church TO be
worthy of His name. must have that
spirit, not in name only, but in mind and
soul.
IF. in times past the Unitarian church
has not been distinctively a missionary
church, ii has been because they were
lacking In the true spirit. false TO kindred
ties and unfaithful 10 Jesus Christ
What constitutes lifeT was answered
thus: The people need God 1t is not
sufficient TO simply believe in Him. Ity-
cry individual needs conviction OF the
nearness of God and must draw consola-
tion from it, They need visions of person
al success. Not one person in ten ever
fulfills the visions of his youth -..e 4 ~
ly missionary religion must lay out 10
every individual visions of success TO kill
dependency.
Conviction of the Immortality of souls
and moral purpose are also necessary TO
happiness, belief in the everlasting con-
tinuity OF the soul adding to moral dig
nifty.
MANY who only believe are not 81 nor
al as some unbelievers
mo one" continued Rev. Esr. ST. John
has the right to compare men and call
one better than anctner. No man is so
good but that with perfect truth IL may
he said to him, you can be better man
than you are
''Some who believe. or think they be-
lieve. do nothing toward convincing their
fellow men of the eternal light and i'm
mortality of their souls. while IL is often
the case that the unbeliever-the man
who frankly says so and means it--does n
brotherly and Christian act which shows
the true spirit
lMPART TRUTH TO OTHERS
"The person who feels within him the
spirit OF Christ is impelled to impart to
others the truths and bring to them con-
yiction of eternal light moral strength
and spiritual growth. This is the miss
ionary spirit.
81 would appeal to the possibilities OF the
soul and not as the text says. life
II would appeal to a mans ambition
and not to fear
OF holiness and not to the conviction OF
sin
would convict OF the power o. s>ht-
eousness by the power of holy living
ITO become noble, engrossing ard a tue
Christian demands the service If mind
and heart"
Rev. Mr.. st. John then went o. to say
that not long ago after preaching In a
new Unitarian church I'm a small western
town. he was approached by man who.
grasping his hand, exclaimed, sir. YOU
have shown me how to respect myself"
That man who could not respect him.
self had no right 10 expect the respect of
others. was obvious. he stated. and IL is
also every mans duty to cultivate self
respect among MS fellows.
eve know" said the preacher. that
there is life eternal. not because II is
written in the Bible. but because we see
its proofs everywhere about us.
THE RESULTS OF TRUTH.
"Only truth could bring about the beau
tful results i'm Jesus life. We see II
truth i'm the blameless lives and self sac
rifice of people about us; I'm the Innocence
and trust % childhood. i'm the patience Of
the sick; in the splendid work of nurse/
and I'm the soldier who leaves all for his
country.
at is a sacrifce-claiming heart. mind.
soul, allegiance, service money and life"
Continuing. he said that the cross was
coming TO be considered less and less the
INSTRUMENT OF crucfixion and more and
more the symbol OF self sacrifice.
The more the preacher went about
among the different churches, he said, the
more he was impressed by the beautiful
sacrifice OF Christianity.
That Rev Mr. st. John delighted his
listeners was evident by the number OF
| persons waiting to offer congratulations,
I nearly causing him TO miss the train for
| Boston where he returned immedia tely
| after the service.
Thrilling tales OF adventure are always
| interesting. but FEW can equal THE
DanverS levels" !" a story by Mary -.tol-