The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-08-22
DIR. CHAPMANS SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
eASToR.EvANcsuST.
Subject; A Lost saviour-s Companion
Picture to . Masterpiece. which DIR.
Chapman suggests-rhe Awfuiness of
Being without Christ.


Chapman. d. d.. the popular pastor OF the
Fourth Presbyterian Church. who Ia re
marksbly successful as an evangelist. has
prepared an interesting sermon. upon the
subject "A Lost Saviour IL - preached
from the text. They have taken away my
Lord" John 20 l3.
One OF the masterpieces IN the Louvre
presents 20 ms a picture of Christ upon the
cross. HIS head is upon His breast; un'
derneath His arms the little birds are ty-
ing for 4 place of refuge and IN the deep
ening shadows there Is seen woman
kneeling with loving lips and hands
pressed against HIS bleeding feet, Travel
ers stand before this painting with tesr-wet
cheeks and 60 away with burning hearts.
Ii were an artist | should paint COM
panion piece with this text as the theme.
I ! would not put tears upon her cheeks
who speaks the word because the flowing
OF tears would prove a relief When We
cannot weep our grief - severest, but L
would represent her with agony IN her
ewes and deepest sorrow IN every express
sion Of her face. II | could | would paint
I the sob as she cries out. They have taken
! away my Lord" | have seen the distress
/ Of mother bird when her little one was
/ gone. the desnair oi the deer when its com
/ panion was killed. the agony OF the vile
+ when her husband was taken, the sorrow
| of a mother when her baby was dead, but
/ this text represents all these distresses put
! together. and we have q story which can
not be expressed IN words.
/ The speaker is Mary Magdalene. one OF
l the inhabitants OF Mlgdals, she who was
/ possessed Of seven devils. She was the
sinner in the house OF Simon. the Phari-
see, who washed the Saviour's feet with
/ her tears, anonted them with precious
ointment and covered them with kisses
/ When Simon objects the Master rebukes
him with the story OF the two debtors
one forgiven much. of the other little. She
became one of the attendants of the Mas
ter She followed Him from Calvary TO
! Jerusalem 10 the scene OF the cruclhNIon.
Early the third after the crucifXion, with
the wife Of Cleophas. she goes 90 the sep
/ ulcher TO see His body. She finds the tomb
empty, and then cries out IN agonv They
! have taken away my Lord What \
change there Is wrought IN Marv Magda
| lene She has been a sinner OF the worst
sort Tradition makes her servant IN
| the house of SIN IN the place where she
| lived. but she has become saint, and
wherever the gospel has been preached her
| story has been told. What 4 Saviour we
have: One who calls out the best there ~
in us always. Saul. of Tarsus, by nature ~
/ bitter and cruel. but he catches a vision of
| Christ and becomes gentle a. a woman, de-
I livering his message with tears Of real sor-
| row because of the lost condition of the
, world Peter rs an ignorant fisherman, hut
catches a vision Of ms " stcr and becomes
one OF the greatest preachers IN the world :
history The thief on the cross ~ prolanc,
and Doubtless causes Christ a new pang OF
agony with his profanity, until turning his
/ head he catches vision Ot that blessed
face and cries out, Lord, remember me-
Kindred texts I have been looking mp
the Bible these past dlvs and have been
greatly interested 20 see how many kin
dred subjects TO this are 10 be found IN
Gods word.
First. Adam and Eve. They are in para.
disc. everything about them is beautiful
Even God Himself saw that IL was very
good The music Of the birds is the sweet
est. the fragrance Of the flower is the best,
there is no curse upon Eden, when sudden
ly the cloud appears, the moving OF the
serpent ia heard and there IL n great
change Adam aud Eve are driven thither
from the garden. Genesis 3 1924, There
fore the Lord God sent him forth from the
Garden Of Eden 10 till the ground from
whence he was taken. So He drove ou,
the man, and Hc placed NJ the gate of the
Garden of Eden cherubm and a flaming
sword which turned everv way, TO keeI
the way of the tree OF life
Second, the Ark OF the Covenant. This
was a small chest ovcraid with gold, -four
and a half feet long, two feet nine inches
| wide and the same measure IN heightb
Within il were the tables Of the law. il
was carried bv the priests IA occasion re
quired from place to place. So sacred wa'
IL that il was death FOR any one 20 lool
upon 10 but the priests, aud so it was care
fully covered. IL represented 10 them tn,
visible presence Of Jehovah. u was car
ried about by the children of Israel OF
their trase,s through the desert as they
entered the channel OF the Jordan, anC
was taken thirteen times around Jericho
in six days. but now the Phlistlnes have
come up against the children OF Israel ant
the ark - taken. Old Eli IL waiting foi
tidings of the conflict. His seat is by th,
road side that he may hear the more
speedily. At last there il n great shout %
horror, and 4 man OF Benjamin is seen run
ming, with his clothes rent and earth upoI
his head. There IS trouble, but who car
imagine the extent Of II. Listen 90 him az
he cries out, Israel has fled before the
Philistnes," and the face OF old Eli paes
Hophni and Phinehas are slain, and tn
old man begins 20 shake m an agony, bu
horror Of horrors the ark Of God ls taken
/ Samuel 4. IS, And 10 came % pas
when he made mention Of the ark Of GoC
that he fell from of the seat backward g
the side OF the gate, and his neck hrak'
and he died; for he was an Old man anl
heavy. And he had judged Israel forty
years Tell Va that the sun vii. not shInt
again, that the rain win not fall, that th
stars are dead. that the moon viii refds,
to shine but yOu viii bring 10 Us no sucl
tidings as came 60 Israel when the new
was carried that the ark was taken. IL D
a. II God had departed from our own land
II IL an awful thing 20 be without hop,
and without God IN the world.
Third the Lost Bible. During the reizr
Of Josiah, who began o. reign when he va
eight years Old. The repairs 90 the tempt
were begun. and IA the mIis. Of this wOrl
the book Of the law was found ? King
p. 8, And HiIIuah the high priest, sai'
, unto Shaphan, The scribe, / nave found th
, book Of the law In the house of the Lord. .
D And Hikiah gave the book 90 Shaphai
and he read it This was doubtless tn
: very book which Moses had commanded 4
] be placed IN the sacred spot. Deutcro
g norny 81 26, Take this book of the lav
and put ~ IN the eide oi the ark Of tn
covenant OF the Lord, your God, that J
u aiay be there for d witness against thee. >
p IL might have been oare.,TIy misl1Id or .
: / may have been mliIciOIz.v concealed bu
what a narrow escape However we nee,
not fremble for He who cared for Nose
when he was in the ark and for His owl
Son when he was Graded IN the mango
will care for III, book. Heaven am
earth shall pass away but Ny word shaI
never uasa away However, some o. 10
have lost our Bible We have lost u br
cause We have been absorbed by fiction o
w0rldhncss, Or ug have permitted som
sin % Joy hold upon VA. We have lOst on
Bb.r and if vc hove our pJsition is o. sa