The sun., 1900-12-29
SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE
What Has Become of Our Christi
anity?
This Inquiry is Answered by an Able
Sermon by Rev. VIM.
w. Campbell.

The following is an extract of the
excellent Christmas sermon delivered by
Rev VIM. w. Campbell on last Sunday
in the First United Presbyterian Church.
His text was in Matt. XX:2S, and
Philippians III, 5, with Peter III, POPS.
His subject was Hrhe Spiritual Signifi-
canoe of the life and Death of Jesus
Christ with the inquiry What has Be
come of Our ChristianityW
He said in part: "Some may ask
what other significance besides spiritual
does the life and death of Jesus Christ
have? With many Jesus Christ is but a
historical character, as Caesar Napoleon,
Washington, Lincoln and others. Jesus
Chrisc is not merely a historical person
age.
His whole history from His birth has
a spiritual significance which that of
no merely human being can have. And
His death on Calvary was followed by
an event unparalleled, as His life was,
in the career of any human being, to witt
His resurrection, and a subsequent So
journ on the earth for forty days.
1--WE find in His history: A volun-
tary humiliation. He was born in the
flesh. The great God dwelt in Him on
earth as never in any other human be"
| ing. This itself was humiliation to
take the form of a servant in the likeness
of men.
HE spent thirty years in obscurity
preparing for three years of activity
which for lustre exceed the brightness OF
the sun when he shineth in his strength.
% In His life we find an unremitting
unselfish beneficent activity furnishing
il complete original for the picture drawn
BY Paul i'll Corinthians, XIII. That
original was the inspiration of the cell
turtles. 1t led up to George Eliot's ques
tion What do we live for, il it is not
to make life less difficult for each other?
1t was the foundation for Chief Justice
Lore's recent public utterance i'll an ad
dress, Life is alone to be used i'll ac
cordance with the Divine will. 1t is sc
used when expended for the good o1
others, and not when expended for sell
alone
"3 We find a voluntary self sacrifice
eliminating in a most excruciating ant
ignominirus death.
''Christianity, therefore, is not =;
human monarchy for personal aggrandi
cement for individual eclat and power
procured at the expense and by the eX
f tinction of countless myriads of equal
or interiors. Nor is it an oligarchy o
z human potentates with human statute
| for sceptres. Chlist's realm is a Divin
. kingdom Of transformed hearts unde
! the sway of that Divine Spirit which lift
+ up the lowly to the plane of Heaven
. and makes of men kings and priest
/: unto God.
. "What principles control in this king
: dom? The same as those which shon
!. in the life and death of Him who's
Il matchless beauty of character battle
!. full description and charms by its splel
J. dor. See how tender He was to publ
h can and sinners-lnen and women. Not
the sweep Of His forgiving spirit. Sc
how storms dissolve in His immovabl
calm, how hatreds are confronted wit
love, emnities met by forgiveness, an
4 even blows and rcviling calls out il
: compassion and resignation and moy
/" Him to pray for His implacable foe
e These are some of the fundamenti
= principles spiritual and permanent
+, christianity as illustrated in the life nj
:. death of Jesus Christ. A5 We look
i. ourselves how can we answer, What b;
r. become of our christianity ?i"