Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-21
EXPANSION.
A Sermon Last Sunday by Rev.
Ben Herr.
The Pastor of Freemason Street Church of
Christ Discusses Expansion From the
Standpoint OF Religion and Draws valu-
able Lessons From 1t.

Rev. Ben c. Herr. the pastor OF Free
mason Street Church of Christ (Disci-
ples), spoke on Expansion" last Sun
day evening 10 an attentive congrega-
ton. He said:
In presenting the subject. "Expan-
sion." no reference is had to the much
| discussed political issue which bears
this title. The word is used to express
the ideas of religious enlargement con-
tanned i'll the parallels OF the Mustard
Seed" and the ''Leaven"
Practically viewed the gospel seems
to meet all varieties of demands. 1t
meets the demands of time. for it never
grows old, and is equally fresh in all
ages: OF race, for no nation is of such
peculiar mental and moral structure as
TO be beyond its power to save; OF
climate. for it takes root in Iceland or
at the Equator. This is true of no
other religion Some will not stand the
test OF time for men outgrow them;
others never pass beyond the limits of
the nation in which they are created.
These faiths are thus dwarfed by their
Inherent inncXibility. They are COM
posed of laws, rules. ideals and rites
Thai are local, national and lcgalistic.
Ihey are fitted for certain ages or GER
tain races and when these conditions
disappear the religions become obsolete.
The consummate wisdom OF Christ is
displayed i'll that he saw that his gos-
pei. If 1t would become universal, for all
nations and every age, must be stripped
or all that is national, local personal
or leSalstic. SO that the gospel equals
religion disenSaged from the national
and transient.
Nhan La.
he found the worship of The true God
cramped and pinched in rules and ccre-
monies and traditions that were rigidly
national Religion could grow only as
The nation grew. II was filed with
rites and localisms that We're jewish
| only Jewish and always Jewish. II was
the triumph of Jesus that he cleared
religion of these outSrown shells and
lifted IL above nation. place and rule.
The steps by which this was done are
plain.
He stripped the faith of its national
husk when. through John the Baptist
he Snid Begin not to say to YOUR
selves we have Abraham for our father
for God is able Of these stones to raise
UP seed unto Abraham"
He lifted religion above everything
local when he said. THE hour comcth
and now is when neither in the noun
| tain nor Yet ut Jerusalem shall We wor-
i ship the Father for God is Il
spirit and they that worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and in truth"
He cut off all that is personal. all cccle-
siastical royalty when He said: Who
ever doeth the will OF my Gather who is
In heaven the same is my brother and
sister ana mother"
I'nt above all he delivered principle
from the bondage Of rule \ rule is in
/ flexible and adapted only TO certain
conditions. \ principle is elastic. eter-
nal. mpcrshable cannot become ohso-
letc. That men should worship God is
an eternal principle which cannot be
superseded. That they should Worship
Him at Jerusalem is IL rule. From this
and all other bondage to mere rule
Christ freed religion. He made 1t to
consist of deathless principles which
apply 10 all men and ages. Thus love
service sacrifice. temperance are made
the fundamentals.
This exhibits Il power that rivals His
miracles that Il young man from MAJ
areth having never learned" surround
ed by mmemorial national pride to say
nothing OF bigotry and Intolerance
should conceive of religion MS universal
extending even 10 the Gcntiles. Go We
into all the world" is sublime
1t is only when Christ conceived OF
religion thus free could be set forth the
PARALLELS. the Mustard Seed and the
"Leaven," which furnish the text OF
the hour
These TWO parallels are charged with
the idea of expansion. The Mustard
seed represents the visible progress
of the Gospel, its geographical and
| numerical growth 1t starts from n
small beginning, the Babe in the man
ger, or at most Christ and 1.-The twelve"
From this it grows. And how UNI
friendly the soil! The hatred of the
priests. the persistence of tradition, the
ancient temple. city and ritual, the
4 hoary customs and moral blindness Of
the people. And now hardy the riaut!
E3ten at the heart by the worms IF
corruption scorched by persecution.
Yet to-day it stands with its branches
spread abroad and beneath ;:s CRATE
full shades the weary. the sad aud the
forsaken find rest and the peace that
passeth understanding.
The "LcaVen" expresses the secret.
permeating growth.
The visible growth Of the kingdom of
God is but half the glorious story. Not
alone the churches. asylums. hospitals
and schools. not the multitude of con-
verts But far down beneath the sur
face hidden is the gospel leaven at
work. It's inscrutible power is digging
| at the foundation of vicious customs,
and many have already crumbled; ii Is
secretly sweetening the fountains of
Legislation. and the laws of men are
gradually becoming more just: 1t is
working in the home ennobling father.
eHalting mother and protecting child.
and down deep in every heart it is
spreading more OF love and more OF
hope and more of joy
May the precious kingdom grow. un-
ftttcred by all that is human and fra:l
and trancient and narrowing. and may 1t
spread to every nation and to every
man and may its secret power
transform us from glory to glory until
the kingdom is come and Gods will
is done on earth as 1t is in heaven.