The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-06-26
Man WITHOUT GOD.|
DR.. CHAPMAN'S SUNDAY SERMON
Pitiable Condition of rlan Without
aCountry-.Beauties ola Christian
Life.

New YORK CIrY.-The Rev. DR.. J. Will
bur Chairman, the noted pastor-evangel-
ist, continues to excite popular interest
by the series OF remarkable sermons he Is
delivering in the Fourth Presbyterian
Church. Apropos OF patriotic celebrations
he has prepared the following discourse
for the press entitled "a Man Without a
Country" 1t is preached from the text.
Ephesians 9: u. Having no hope and
without God in the world"
This is one of the saddest texts in the
New Testament, for while it describes eur
own condition when we were aliens from
Christ and strangers to the covenant and
promise of God. yet I take it in my pre-
sentation of this subject to describe those
who have wiltully rejected Christ and
who have deliberately decided that they
will not accept Him as a Saviour. With
this Interpretation put upon the Scripture
we have in the text the saddest expression
possible in human language. l suppose
there is no one OF my hearers to whom the
words may he strictly applied. for If we
take hope ont of mans life it is not
worth the living. The young man may
have failed Yesterday. but he has hoped
that he may succeed tomorrow; the busi-
ness man who has lost his fortune in the
wreck of past days is not discouraged be-
cause hope buoys him up. and he IS conf
dent that prosperity will be his once
again Take hope from our lives and we
are of all men most miserable. and II IN
addition to being deprived OF hope we
have no God we are not only hopeless for
time. but homeless also for eternity, for
since we were made to be filed with God
and all our being was 80 adjusted as to be
ut tune to His nature. there is no sadder
picture than to be without Him. Some
years ago I came across that interesting
and pathetic story written bv Edward Ev-
erett Hale entitled "The Man Without a
Country" and it has furnished for me an
illustration of this text to which your at
tention is invited. I found in the man
who drifted everywhere across the sea
without being able to enter a harbor a
presentation Of many man who has bur-
led Christ out of his life. The man was
Philip Noland by name. Whether the
story be truth or fiction it does not mat
ter. for the illustration is the same: This
young Lieutenant in the armv had come
under the influence Of Aaron Burr, and he
had fascinated him.. The young SOLDIER
hopes and his desires that he might serve
him, but had no letters from Burr in re-
ply. At last he came one dav to see the
Young man. and then his hold rpon him
was complete. The regular life OF the SOL
dier became tame; he was utterly un-
fitted for service. There came time
when in company with others who were
also under the influence of Burr he must
appear before the army court to be tried
for misdemeanor. The others for one rea.
so1, or another escaped sentence. but
Philip Noland was pronounced guilty
He was asked hy the Judge il he had any
thing to say why sentence should not be
passed npon him because he had been
false to his country and had sinned against
the United States. His reply was an
oath. and in the presence, of the court ne
cursed his country and said that he
wished he might never again hear the
sound OF the name United States; that he
hated his native land. The judge. with
white face. answered, "It shall be as you
saw. and subject to the approval of the
President of the United States, You shall
never again hear of your country" AT
this Philip holland laughed. but no one
else did; there was deathlike stiffness
over the court. He was taken to New Or
leans, given over into the charge OF a
commander of one Of the vessels, with the
distinct understanding that no one was
ever again to speak to him OF the United
States, and he was to be allowed to speak
last put upon a Government vessel and
given quarters beftting his late rank. 1t
was expressly stipulated that he was to
be exposed to no indignity; he was not to
be reminded of the fact that he was a
prisoner. and while he could wear the uni.
form vet he must not have the buttons OF
the United States Government upon this
uniform. Indeed he was to be man
without a country from this time on. He
was permitted once each day to dine with
the officers. but they did not care to have
him. because when he was present they
could not talk of home; under no clrcum-
stances was she to ever see his country
again and never was he to hear of it. He
was not permitted to go on shore wher:.
ever the landing might be. If he read
books at all they must contain no refer
ence to his home, and il he read the for
eign papers it was only after some one
had carefully cut out every reference to
the United States. If the vessel upon
which he was a passenger came near
his country it must wait until it would be
overtaken by another vessel going sea-
ward. Philip holland became passenger
with his face e'set away from his home, 1t
has ever been to me one OF the saddest
illustrations I know. and yet perfect pic
ture of the man who has deliberately re-
jected Christ. has said, II will not have
this man to rule over me-" and who is,
therefore. described by the words of the
text as "hayiirg no hope and without God
in the world"
We have rejected Him. He has said in
His word. "He that is not with Me IS
against Me-" and not to accept is to re-
ject. 1t is true we have never said in so
many words that we would not have Him
as our Saviour. but we have resisted the
entreaties of the minister and spurned
the prayers of our loved ones, and what
we have not been bold enough to say with
the lips we have said in our hearts, and
God knoweth the language of the heart
ae mon know the LANGUAGE of the lips |