Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-10-17

tional church on Sunday morning in
place of the pastor, who was absent on
vacation.
His discourse was in the nature of an
educational dissertation on the advanced
lines of biblical knowledge, the text
being from Luke "a 10, and in these
words: "And, behold, two of them
went that same day to a village called
Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem
about threescore furlongs." The nara
tive refers to the apostles who left Jeru-
salem and while iourneying thitherward
were Overtaken by the Saviour, after he
had risen, and was appearing to various
of his followers, to convince them that
the words of the prophets had been full
filled, in his death and resurrection. 1t
had been one of the expectations of his
disciples that Christ was to be an earthly
king and ruler, and His life work would
be the redemption of Israel. The Saw
Jour Travelled with his disciples incog-
nito for quite distance, hearing their
opinions, and it is recorded in the con-
text that He upbraided them for follow
ing their own bent of thought instead of
relying on the teachings of the word of
God. so fools, and slow of heart
to believe all that the prophets have
spoken" The great Teacher explained
to them what was contained in the
Scriptures concerning himself The
speaker used the incident to illustrate
how growth of knowledge imparts
growth OF grace. and cited some of the
biblical statements of an historical
nature, made by the primitive writers.
that more enlightened age had proven
fallacious. The record. that God made
the world in six days was accepted by
earlier Christians as a truism. The
writer may have meant six periods for
six days. The fact is that geological
research and Investigation have shown
the statement to be an impossibilitv,
and that the earth's formation was, the
work of almost countless ages. Thou
sands of years were consumed in the
incongruous mass becoming self.sustain
ing, and its surface made capable by
atmospheric conditions of producing
verdure and vegetation.
As the spiritual nature of Christ was
] uiiSuhHVlo toou W HIS ulsClplPS, so MANY
things that come into the Christian life
have been misunderstood in later DAYS.
The great truths of the Bible, however.
are not affected by the mistakes of
either the earlier or later teachers and
actors. Christ sought to conquer bv
lessons of brotherly love. not by The
sword. Disappointment come into the
re ligious life of thoughtful men of TODAY.
Every human mind may be enlightened
and strengthened by a prayerful study
of the Bible. Early ideas of Christian
duty and Christian life are often child
like. Truths are seen through a glass
darkly. But the knowledge of spiritual
things is no less imperfect than that of
material things. A photograph of a
person not yet personally viewed often
falls far short of the actual facts ascer-
tanned by individual contact. Much a.
is known of electricity, the stndy of lis
mysteries is yet in its infancy.
Study of the Bible and explicit faith
in its great truths are the only infallible
guides. Improbable creeds are only
conceptions of the human mind. The
Sermon on the Mount is conception of
subllmty that Is of great value to the
seeker after truth, and the book of Job
should be an incentive to every Christian
to hold fast to his faith in God.
The TEST of Obedience" was the
theme chosen by The Rev. f. j. Guern-
sey, pastor of the Methodist church. for
his sermon on Sunday morning. The
text was from John If :2l: He that
hath my commandments, and keepeth
them, he it is that loveth me; and he
that loveth me shall be loved of nv
Father, and | Will love him, and will |
manifest myself to him."
The speaker said, there has been much
discussion in the pulpit as to whether
salvation is by faith or works. Two
ideas illustrating these extreme views |
were manifest in the time of the apostles. |
In James 2 IA, it is recorded, "What doth
1t profit my brethren, though man say
he hath faith, and have not works? Can |
faith save him." And IN the 18th verse. |
the writer says, Even so faith, if it hath |
not works, is dead, being alone" Further
illustrating the contention the writer
says, "Show me thy faith without thv |
works and | will show you my faith by |
my works"
In the period preceding the Reforma-
ton, by Luther, the church had employed |
works as saving cause of salvation. |
Hence the thesis of the great reformer |
was, Salvation by faith alone. The |
N'N' W nav III SicSttu W tHID1ldslZp III ltS |
Importance the necessity Of good works. |
Pardon is by faith. The speaker brought |
out Inmber of illustrations of this con
tention, among them the undisputed |
statement, "Believe-On the Lord Jesus |
Christ and thou shall be saved"
Good works are the evidences of faith. |
and faith may be regarded as the test of |
obedience. The renewed heart shows |
the change from the natural bent to |
spiritual regeneration by implicit obedi-
ence. The affectionate child obevs its
parent because of its affection. The re-
generated heart may not always realize
the fitness, design or reason of a COM
mand, but he should remember our COM
parative ignorance and the undoubted
wisdom of the Great Teacher. The
obedience of the true Christian will he
universal, having respect to all of Gods
commands, keeDinU i'm mind tho nronisa