The Atlanta constitution., 1902-12-22
DUR WEEKLY SERMON
The WAY of the Lord.

o, &c tha caII to the world by
Iobn the Baptist and the signincance
Of - has never ceased to be paramount
those who adhere to the reli-
gion of Jesus
r,,o wav of the.Lord into the hearts
of men must be prepared Dy lhat
on,ntving which results from an hon
ost and hearty repentance OF the SINS
that have leavened the life with un-
.inb+aousness. The surest and only
satisfactory repentance is that "hich
makes a complete qulttance Oh SIN.
The whole gospel on that point Is
cummed up in the plain words: Let
the wicked forsake his WY, and the
,,nr;ebteous man his thoughts, and
Lot him return unto the Lord,
The man who insists upon following
his own way in life has not prepared
a way for the Lord TO enter lilto ms
liz and lead il in clean and holy
maths. He warns us clearly thal Our
ways are not His ways. Loglcaily,
then a man cannot walk In Doth ways
Of once. Physical science agrees with
divine truth upon that nropositlon
Hence the selfish. self-wilisc and
nroud are necessarily out OF the way
and all sinners belong to one or the
other of those classifications. so we
must each of us lose our life TO gain
the life that is after the spirit OF
Christ.
To make His paths straight is the
dutv of His followers. To them IS
committed the work of renoVating the
wavs of human existence, substituting
good for evil. leveling mountains oI
uurighteousness filling up valleys Of
ininuity and casting up the highway of
holiness upon which nothing unclean
NAV come. These are all works com
petent for human energies and posi-
BILE to be completed by the enthusiasm
of righteous generations.
In aid of this divine programme Tor
the perfecting of human character
churches have been instituted. Orig
iDalIy they were but voluntary and To-
cal associations of those who had
taken up the way of Christ. Gradual
ly they were extended into sympa-
,hetic relationship by the progres-
sive Iabors of the evangelists, led by
the apostles. until at last from Jerusa-
lem outward they have covered the
earth with the sign OF the cross and
the camps of Christians
That the Christian propaganda has
added tremendously 10 the methods
of human development toward ideal
character an. amended the living -e-
esses of nations by the substitution
of diviner standards OF conduct goes
without the saying. Ii is easy 10 spec
ulate on how much more could have
been done. but it is safer and more
consistent with philOsophic truth 10
say that what is now exant is the best
that circumstances have allowed 10 be
ACCOMPLISHED. Instead of lamenting
about what might have been, it is
wiser and more helpful TO rejoice
over the things that remain as the
achievements of all past effGTts in
Christian endeavor
1t is a hopeful thing that the Chris
tlan spirits Of the age are not satisfied
with present results. These, most
happily put fresh pressure upon the
enthusiasm of earnest Christians 10
increase the aTdor of their faith and
inject more spiritual vigOr into their
struggle for the establishment of the
universal dominion OF their Master.
But the paramount question Of the
age i'm Christian endeavOr is how 90
simplify the religion of Jesus 20 its
divine and exact terms and thereby
increase it's power to draw men 10
Him? The expansion of Christianity
as a personal cult must cOntinCe al
ways in the future. as in the past 10
be counted by the conversion of units.
Therefore any system of propagan-
dism aimed at the mass instead of the
individual must largely disappOint the
hopes founded upon it.
Jesus was the supreme indiridn-
alist of human history He came 70
save His people from their sins HIS
mission was not to redeem them rom
Roman dominion and burdens rom
poverty. or any other incidents Of the
national organism. but 10 redeem
them from sin and thereby from us
consequences. Hence He saved them
not in bulk. but one by one. Many
believed because of Lazarus and
many because of the case Of Bartm-
Gus. and of Zaccheus. and OF Jalrus
daughter. and so on TO the end OF MS
ministries and The elimination OF His
His own death. resurrection and as
cension. because OF when millions
upon millions Lave since believed
In this very day. this sabbath morn
ing. there are untold millions OF sell
conscious spirits waiting and yearn-
ing To believe on Him and be saved
WHY are they not saved? Because Of
the confusions which fill the world
concerning the way of the Lord
Instead of that way being in better
preparation than in the first century
of Christian history. 1t is in the very
worst of conditions Instead Of His
natb having become straight. visible
and easy for men TO enter upon. it is
warned and perverted almost beyond
racoonition-the result. indeed, not Of
a wilful desire on the part of Chris
tians 10 confuse the way" but be-
causa OF excessive and fatal zeal 10
establish ways that magnify cTeeds
and minimize the personality and ex-
emplarship of Christ.
The wonder of the world is that
tho enlightened Christianity of the
twentieth century cannot eXalt Christ
and make the four gOspels-"the rec
ord God has given us of His Son''-the
sum and finality of the faith that
d,,,,fnateS life and determines deS-