The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-12
Leads all North Carolina DailiesmNews and CircG9n
Two Sermons by D.. Kilgo.

DIR. John c. Kilgo. president of Trinity
College, preached at Edenton Street
church twice Sunday-the pastor, Rev.
G. F. Smith. being absent. At both SER
vices large congregations attended and
heard fine sermons.
On Sunday night DR.. Kilgo preached
from the text, For | am not ashamed OF
the Gospel of Christ for it is the power
of God unto Salvation
Dr. Kilgo said:
The Apostle Paul, when he wrote his
letter to the church so far as he was
concerned was merely writing a pastoral
letter for the purpose of correcting their
faith. 1t never occurred to him that he
was writing scripture. Very much of the
scripture is individual experience. The
penitential psalm, was nothing but the
penitential cry of David's own heart. but
Gods spirit gave it sweep of appli-
cation that made it the chorus of every
penitent soul.
And so Paul in this text is not doing
more than making an avowal of his faith
in Christ. Yet in his individual confess
sion he has poured a type of courageous
faith and brave loyalty that is a type Of
every Christian believer.
The full weight of this utterance must
be measured up against the people to
whom he wrote. To write it to a Roman
was to make declaration in the very face
of all that could commend him to them. 1t
Was an apparent challenge. The gospel
TO the Roman was a contemplate thing.
1t came from the Jews, and that gave
it bad start, but it was also a gospel
that had on it the sign of ignominy and
defeat Triumph was peculiarly appealing
to Roman. There was nothing glorious
behind this religion, so far as the Roman
could see. And yet Paul came to
the Romans with this religion, and
avowed that he was not ashamed of it,
contemplate though 1t appeared. 1t was
worth a mans life to have written this
passage.
christianity cannot be put into forms
that commend it to men. Signalize it
with the most impressive and stupendous
forms and key it to the most magnificent
ritual: you may put on the parapherua-
liza and march before the altar with we'll
ordered steps, but you can't commend it
to humanity by any such means. The
approval lies in the essence of it. when
is it's power.
There is nothing about which we
know more, and of which we know less
and of which we are striving to know
more than of power. 1t is universal-~in
the pulse, on the brow. in hair through
out all the world-every where But when
you undertake to define it you, cannot
tell what II is. You may classify it-you
may say there is power mechanical.
spiritual or otherwise, but you canot de-
fine it.
Every manifestation of energy is a
manifestation Of a single power. The
power that binds the rock in the midst
of the mountain is the same that pulsates
the life OF an archangel and buoys his
wings around the throne of God Only
one power, but ten billions of different
manifestations. and all of it Gods power
But over and above every energy in the
universe there is another-the power of
this gospel God could not have made him
self If God had never been and he could
not have made the power OF his Son. He
could not have saved the world through
All angel, because angels have not this
power. Jesus Christ cannot be illustrated
by any means we know. He is an addi-
tional energy to the forces of the uni
verse.
The salvation of mans soul cannot
be accomplished by any coarse power
You cannot educate a man into saliva
tion, or do so by changing his environ
mont. You can't save people by giving
them free libraries, aud putting flowers
on the window and pictures on the walls.
In Athens artists were as plentiful as
carpenters arc in Raleigh. Rome went
to pieces in all of her splendor, and
Babylon became Sodom.
10 save a mans soul requires an
energy peculiar to our gospel There is
an inclination to substitute something
else for the gospel but you had as well
try to build house by thinking about it,
as TO save man in any other way than
by the power of the Son of God. Men
ask: is the gospel of Christ equal to a
power like this?' Well you tell him it
does save. The only proof necessary for
The suthciency of such a power is, it
does do it and has for 19 long centuries
"Will it save. From the hour of the
crucifiction until now thousands of mil
lions OF souls have landed safe beyond the
veil | commend the power of the gos-
pei to you and not its beauty Out of
defeat Christ brought victory. out of
ignominy He has brought glory. and out
OF weakness he has brought power. I
commend that to your faith