The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-11-14
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ON THREE
WAYS OF TREATING A SINNER"
The Rev. DIR. j. Wilbur Chapman Tells OF
the Worlds Treatment. The Laws
Treatment and the ssviour's Treat
ment of the Erring.

man, has prepared the following sermon
for the press. IL Is entitled Three Ways
OF Treating a Sinner and was preached
from the text: Neither do i condemn
thee; go, and sin no more" John S: IL.
There is something exceedingly pathetic
in the beginning OF this chapter where we
read Jesus went unto the Mount OF Olives.
/ know the critics say that this story does
not belong 20 the New Testament, but did
you ever see a better representation OF
Christ. first, IN His going out 10 the
Mount of Olives as He was accustomed 10,
secondly, IN His rising early IN the morn
ing that He might come again IN touch
with the great throbblng mass OF people so
much in need OF His service. Thirdly, in
His sitting down and teaching, showing
that He spoke with authority. Fourth. in
the scorn with which He treated the Phar-
isees as they condemned this poor, unfor.
tunate woman. when He said, He that is
without SIN among you let him first cast a
stone at her" and finally in His tender
treatment OF the sinner herself when He
said, Neither do / condemn thee; 60. and
sin no more" This is all very like Him.
and somehow ! cannot get il out OF my
mind that il belongs just where we have
ever found II. and that anything which
has so genuine q ring as the must have
been given 70 us by inspiration of God.
But the pathos Of the first verse comes 10
us when we connect II with the last verse
OF the 7th chapter OF John, And every
man went unto his own house" Jesus
went unto the Mount Of Olives. They all
had houses. His commonest accuser had a
home. The people that helped Him all bad
lodgings somewhere, but the Son of Man
had not where 70 Law His head. He was
rich, but for our sakes lie became poor, a
homeless wanderer, although the cattle on
a thousand hills were His aud the very
world in which He lived had been only, as
II We're, His tootstool. Ii Is really touch
ing 70 see Him going 70 the Mount of
Olives. 1t may be that He went to lodge
with a friend. possibly 10 sleep out in the
open air, with only the blue sky above
Him; perhaps He went 20 pray, for again
and again do we find Him in communion
with His Father on this mountain side, and
BE NAV have gone just 20 wait upon God
that He might have some new message
from heaven or that some new direction
might be given 20 His life OF sefsacrihce.
He was always going in the direction of
this mountain, and II is for this reason
that Christian travellers always are ever
delighted 10 do the same thing, but at this
particular time He was up early in the
morning. What a worker He was. The
most tireless servant the world has ever
seen was our Master, BEGINNING in His
childhood when He said "Wist We not that
j must be about NV Fathers business"
going out in His ministry when He de-
clares, 81 must work the works of Him
that sent Me while it is day, for the night
cometh when no man can work" saving as
He said on the well curb. my meat is to
do the will Of Him that sent Me" and
then stepping into a boat and pushing off
from the shore when the crowd is too great
to make His ministry helpful, thus using
the boat for His pulpit BY day and by
night He toiled. in heat or in cold He la
bored. with the multitudes following Him
shouting hosanna, and the mob close
tracking after Him, let Him be crucifed
He did nothing but work What a JOY il
was 10 Him TO say as He came up 10 the
cross, 81 have finished the work Thou
eavest Ne to do" How few men can say
it. Most men fee as if they were but at
the beginning of their lfe's journey when
they stop it, and say with regret, if !
could but live my life over again | would
do something worthy OF note, hut Jesus
finished His work / like 10 picture Him
rising in the Mount OF Olives. The scene
must have been most beautiful. There is
the city of the king lying at His very feet
the city. He loved with passionate devo-
tion. That valley yonder IS the Kidron
between Him and Jerusalem, and that
stretch of hills in the distance with the pc
culiar haze of the Holy Land upon them
looking more like n string Of jewels than
anything else, are the Mountains OF Mohab
Looking off in the direction in which Jesus
must have ever turned His eyes. that glis-
tennC light in the distance comes from the
Dead Sea. but He cares not for beautiful
scenery, although He was in love with all
nature He taught all dav yesterday and
He must teach to-day, so down the mount
ain side He goes, past the garden where
later He is to suffer. over the Kidron. in
through the gates and He is at the temple
and takes His seat. with the people throng
inc about Him. The DAVIS work is begun
7 shall never take this story out of my
Bible, and if others remove it ! shall keep
it ever in my heart till | see Him. find
In i three ways Of treating sinner.
First. the worlds way, which is cruel in
the extreme.
Second. the laws way, which is as re-
lentless as death
Third. the Saviour's treatment. which
presents TO US q sublimer picture than any.
thing the world has ever seen.
The worlds treatment OF n sinner. "And
early in the morning He came again into
the temple. and all the people came unto
Him, and He sat down and taught them.
And the Scrbes and Pharisees brought
unto Him woman taken in adultery, and
when they had set her in the midst they
say unto Him, Master, this woman was
taken IN adultery, in the very act" Verses
"a. Sin is an awful thing. You do not
need to turn TO the Bible to understand
this; read the daily newspapers. keep
your eyes and ears open as you walk the
streets of the city; but still you may read
\ 1t in this account, which Is almost 20O0
years old. IL is n woman the mob has
taken and hurried into the presence Of the
Master. You can understand how a man
could sin, but not a woman, vet il our
hearts were known how many OF US with
out respect 70 sex, would stand con-
|,demned in the presence of Him who has
| said that anger is murder and an evil I'M
aglnation is sin.
The other day in a place Of sinful resort
q man suddenly stood up and rapping on
the table with revolver said. Hear me"
and when other men with frightened faces
would have left the room he commanded
them 10 stop and said. II used 10 have
happy home, wife and children; now look
at me, horrible wreck, my family gone,
| my situation taken from me, my friends
have forsaken me-" and before they could
Istop him he had sent his soul into the
tDresence OF his maker This story OF a
man is OF common occurrence, but know
almost identicaliy the same wretched story
concerning a woman. Satan has no respect
Tor sex, and since women seem 10 fall from
greater heights than men. somehow, alas,
hey seem 20 90 20 greater depths / suppose
that we all of us fall because we come %
| rifle with sin. You avoid the house that
has the mark or a contagious disease upon
I. and vet you can scarcely read a news.
oaDer but IN u you VIII see the awful de-
ails Of some heartbreaking scene. and be-
ore YOU know It YOU are as familiar with
he circumstances a. II YOU had lived IN
hem yourself. and you place yourself IN
Hanger OF being inocuated with the virus
II a worse disease than the world has ever
cen. Possibly we fail all Of ne because we
How some sin 90 tarry IN our hearts. and
With deadening influence which may be so
M grrarfr.in AZ fret ~ h|fuNa nur gvea ~