The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-09-10
DIR. CHAPMANS SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE ~ THE NOTED
PASToR.EvANcEuSr.

Subject: The Seeking Saviour and . SseH'
Ing s.nnsr.rhs Son Of Man. with Tears
In His Eyea and Sorrow In HIS Heart
10 Trying to Save Every One OF %.
new YORK CRY The sermons OF the
Rev. Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman are now
heard and read by more people than ar are
those of any American pulpit orator. his
style secms to have made n deep. impres
likes TO read its discourse in the weekly
paper. For these admirers Dr.. Chapman
has prepared the following sermon. enti
tied "The Seeking Saviour and Seeking
Sinne-" 1t is preached from the texts:
"Zaccheus. make haste and come down.
Luke 10: S. "The Son of Man is come tn
seek and to save that which was lost,
Luke 10: 10.
These two texts form a part Of the story
# the meeting of two men: each very dif'
ferent from the other The one is Fac.
cheus. the publican, rich man because be
was the tax 1atherer and had defrauded
the people. The other is the Son OF God
who was rich. yet for our sakes became
moor. The one comes from the presence
OF God and the company OF the angels.
the other down from the sycamore tree
and from his doubt. and the result OF the
meeting of the seeking sinner and the
seeking Saviour was the salvation OF the
sinner. This has ALWAYS been the result.
II any one reading this message Is not
Christian to-day it is simply because No
has not sought Christ in the rignt way.
Ye shall Iseek NJ. and shall find Me when
Won search for Me with all your heart. In
the hook of Proverbs when men seek for
God as they seek for silver or for any hid
den treasure then He will be found for
them.
It was my privilege once n Colorado I"
enter what is called Docket mine.
saw man engaged in work there who was
pointed out to me as graduate OF Har'
yard College, vet he was toiling away 50
industrious,y that he did not hear nv ap.
preach in the mine. and when asked him
why he was thus working he simniy
s.ooped down and gathered up handful
of dust ard held it out at arms length 90
that the light in his miners hat would
strike upou it. and there I saw the glisten.
ing particles OF silver. This was more eio
auent than ANYTHING he could have said.
and the wise man spoke truly. Put two
locomotives upon the same track. both
going IN the same direction and at the
same rate Of speed. and IL the track is long
enough ono cannot overtake the other eI.
ccpt in case OF accident. but u they are on
the same track headed toward each other
and one Of them il going with the speed OF
the wind. while the other travels with the
nroyerbial snaips mace. it will be but e
short time before they will come together.
The Son OF Man has been a seeking Sa.
v:nu- alwavs. with tears in His eyes AND
sorrow in His heart He has been seeking
every one of us. The very moment we
turn toward Him that moment He will
claim us rs His own.
The division of the New Testament INTO
chapters is sometimes embarrassing. Not
infreauently the division is in the midst OF
a story. Sometimes between an introduc.
ton in the story "a ia the case here. Turn
back to the close OF the eighteenth chapter
OF Luke and YOU read the story OF Barti.
maeus. Mr. Moody used to describe one
os his friends stopping to say, Il have good
news for you. | have seen the Galilean
prophet. and saw Him cause a man blind
as Yourself to see. and He is coming this
way speedily" We can only imagine how
Bartimaeus listened for the approach OF
the Saviour. but finally when He did come
near enough he began to shout. Jesus
Thou son OF David. have mercy upon me"
and the Master gave him his sight instant.
". Following this healing Of the blind
man certain rich man in the city hearing
of the approach OF this notable character
determined to see Him. but as he passed
out of his Office and mingles with the
crowd he realizes that the task is hope.
less. He is man small OF stature and the
others tower head and shoulders above
him. but suddenly bright thought strikes
hin. He will 60 out along the highway
and climb some elevation and then behold
ca kA Alss ha hn
celebrated sycamore tree and waits for the
approaching multitude. At last his eye
lights upon the Saviour. A strange fascin.
alton must have held him until suddenly
Jesus standing underneath the tree lonks
up and says. "Zacchcus. make haste ano
come down. for to-day must abide a: thy
house." and he made haste and Samt
down, confessed that he vas sinner, and
Immediately the Saviour said. THE Son
of Man is come TO seek and to save that
which was lost "
He u the Son of Man Whatever other
Interpretation may be given to this ex.
preston in Scripture this at least is true
He is presented to US in such a way that
no one ned shrink back from Him. car
we'll understand how men could be afraid
of God. He holds the winds in His fists
and in the hollow Of His hand the seas
wash to and fro. but we need not b. afraid
of the Son of Man Homer tells US that
when Hector was parting from his wife
With all his armor on he walked by her
side through the streets OF the city unit
he reached the gates. Following them
came the nurse with the soldiers little
child in her arms. and as he turned to
leave them putting out his arms. having
kissed his wife he would take his little
child to his heart and say goodbye. Ths
little fellow looked just an instant ther
burst into tears. threw his arms about hi
nurses neck and refused to be comforted.
Hector had fathers instinct. Lifting
his hand he removed the helmet FROM.
which the plume was flying. and when the
child could see the face Of his father he
smiled through his tears. sprang into his
arms, and Hector kissed him and wss
gone. So Jesus comes not simply m the
Son of God. but as the Son of Man, or, a.
it were, with the helmet and the plum,
laid aside. He was the Babe OF Bethle
hem, the man OF Nazareth. the carpenter
laboring at the bench. He was tempted
in all points hike Is we are that no ono
might shrink back from Him. Then let ii
not be forgotten that He came to seek. II
would be a great thing that He simply
came from the lost to seek them. but tina.
is not Scriptural, and it would be good
news if we could say that He came simply
to look for the lost. but that is not accord
ing to the word of God He is the seekiue
Saviour by day and by night. With tears
in His eyes and blood upon His brow IL.
seeks the lost. and as they make their wa!
finally out toward Bethany where He l.
to ascend from them all He tells them tha,
they must begin their message Of the risen
Christ and His forgiveness at Jerusalem
This must have been startling news to His
disciples. for HIS enemies lived at Jerusa
lem. hut the message of the Saviour wa.
that forgiveness should be proclaimed to
them first. This has always been His
an,rit Then He came To saYe the lost.