The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-31
TIE CRADLE, NOT THE GRAVE.
,,u,srfANITY BUT WELL STARTED
trs WORK or SALVATION.

a., Iudrpendcnt Presbyterian
,t,.rch-An Answer 90 Recent
,..rrtion That Christianity IL
DrcIIne-Thc Goddess CiVIIiSa-
linn. Of the Past Had Deen Fail
.rr.. without the VIvifyinE blood
.s ,hri~t-Dr. FRir Finds in the
r,yrricnce Of the Past Good Prom
i.e Of the Future.
De-. pr James Y. Fair preached az
a.. Independent Presbyterian Church yes
-... morning an eloquent "cnd-of-the-
...-t sermon" designed as an answer
O., .-e recsntly-made assertion that the
...r.tA century would sec the grave Of
C.r.a1ulty.
M rlir took the position that Instead
... present being the grave Of Chris
dainty. 20 is but It's cradle. and that the
..rr Years held IN store the time when
aeulng spirit should heaven the
, starting with the assumption that
......sury now about to Close has been
. rlcst in intellectual and material
ment in the history OF the world.
ID. ought TO ind in the stories OF the
,.- the explanation OF this wondrous
Growth and these wonderful accomplish
u.rts.
fU. eormon was designed 70 show that
MI intellectual accomplishments nor
rry-.li perfection would suffice 70 re-
s.m The world. and that IN addition to
those there must be the elevating and en-
rtlns aud purifying spirit Of the Christ.
U. traced the growth OF the Christian
IA,
Oh. bong yistas OF the centuries the at
..meu, OF It's perfection IN the Savior
and ts Victories since IN every quarter
ol tI. globe.
r. Fairs text was taken from Ezekiel
u.s. These waters Issue not toward the
,.t country and 90 down into the desert
.rI 40 into the sea. which being brougn,
tr,a into the sea. It's waters shall b.
h.iItd."
Auer speaking OF the beauty and moral
s.hlmitv Of the Book OF Ezekiel. Or.
Fair said there was 10 the text one Of
tte prophets nnrN images. 1t IS "a time
of universal drought all nature is drying.
The prophet represents himself as look
in- upon a dead and silent world. But
r nc gazcs. = flash attracts his eye. in
O. Oieft OF the great rock OF nj. Zion, on
ua.ch the temple stands beneath the al
Tar 81 fountain Of water springs W: @
rsckies down the mountain side. growing
Il. ssiisfue a. & golls. until y hecomes q
great river. sweeping through the land.
Wherever 81 goes life and fertility
flourish. trees fringe rs hanks golden
ntrvcsts wave la the sunlight. The dead
world OF nature D. revived into resurree-
ton beauty hy the iife-giving stream
Not only 50. IL sweeps on 60 the desert
und % blossoms rs the rose. More won
derfui stll. this stream rolls into the
It41 eaa and ffu. Faaniafa shores fnf m
With life and JOY
"Ey this emblem the poet-prophet re-
fers 60 the great stream of grace. flow
ilg through the ages"
The nrst thought DIR. Fair emphasized
was the origin OF this stream OF influence.
u sprarE up. he said. IN the temple ~
Jerusalem. beneath the altar there. en-
h'om ~ Gods presence. II ala not spring
up In Athens. az the feet OF the statue
of Minerva. goddess OF wisdom. nor ala
h suring UP Ia Rome. al the feet OF the
stttue OF Jupiter Tonans. emblem OF
physical force Thus we are taught that
Gods purpose or love flows 20 the race
through ancient Israel
Tho student OF history. said Or Fair.
VINO looks beneath the surface and traces
the low Of development Is led back 20 the
old prophets and wonders that such
priceless blessings flowed from them 90
the world In all ancient hk-
tory three cities have been pre-cui-
mont Athens gave 10 the world intelieci.
ualiy. Rome gave law and government
Jerusalem gave the idea Of righteousness.
Education D. not sufficient 20 save the
world nor can physical force stop hs
downward descent Tho dead world needs
tho stream OF regeneration that nowed
from che teaching, the example and me
death Of Christ. The beautiful stream 81
literature fhat flowed through the ayes
from Athens has never had the vivifyng
power that came from the Word OF God
br. Fair next sketched the rapid prof1-
Eution Of Christianity. Al first the man
Eer In Bethlehem vas large enough 20
contain a.. but the Influence OF Christ rap
idly extended. until II covered Asia and
Europe. and touched. with It's transform
ius power the shores OF this new word d.
lu conclusion. DIR. Fair touched upon |
the clevating power Of Christianity. |
Wherever a has gone Il has brought
'lir from the dead. schools. churches.
colleges. hospitals. have ab0undea. II
flowed through the Gentle world whose
spiritual dendness Is nty typihed b. the
sandy desert. and brilliant and abiding
oavcs OF Christian civilization have arisen.
IL transformed harharic tribes into Chris
tion nations. To-day Il Is entering the
dead sea OF heathenism changing its
Spiritual desolation into spiritual bios
SONS and fruits
"Cannlbai islands have been lifted M
20 sing the praises OF God. So potent
has been tho llfe-g giving stream thatissued
from tne riVcn side OF Christ. that n this
century we have seen the fulhlment OF
the prophecy. that nations should be
born almost IN day. And so. as we
look back 10 the past. Nc see a marble |
temple, matchiess IN is proportions, |
wherein God dwelt and whore men wor- |
SHIPPED him. We look forward 20 the fu- |
ture and we see the perfected Temple OF /
Humanity wherein God still dw@ls and /
the regeneruted world gathers IN worship /
around the altar OF one common Father" /
The music at the morning service yes |
tcrday was OF great excellence and OF /
more tain usual claborateness. For the I
closing services OF the year ana the cen /
fury. the pulpit OF the church had been 4
beautifully decorated with palms and /
flowers.