Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-07
HAS A NEW PASTOR
Rev. D. g. Bevan at Main Street M
e. Church.
DELIVERS AN ELOQUENT SERMON
Comes to ottumwa From Fort Madi-
son-Was Elected to Passionate of
Main Street Church at Recent Con-
ference-Entered Ministry in 1870.

|
ference-Entered Ministry in 1870.
From Mondays Daily.
Repentance cannot save you, refor-
nation cannot save you, the white
wash of outward morality cannot take
away sin, neither the pains of earth
nor he'll can remove sin. What can?
Behold the Lamb OF God He is the
universal Savior" These words were
spoken in the sermon delivered
| yesterday by Rev. D. G. Bevan,
who last Sunday took up the work as
pastor of the Main street Methodist
| Episcopal church, to which he was
| elected at the recent Iowa conference
of the church. He entered the minis
try in 1870 and has served as pastor of
various churches. He comes to the
city from Fort Madison, where he was
| located last year, and, with his family,
will reside at It's East Court street.
Rev. Bevan's text was taken from
! the twenty-ninth verse of the first
chapter of st. John: Behold the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sin of
the world" the salutation with which
John greeted the Savior. Referring
to this passage of scripture, Rev.
Bevan began mis- sermon, speaking
in part as follows:
This voice ought to be stamped in
great golden letters On the memory of
every accountable person. All the
stars of heaven are bright and beauti-
full Yet some stars are much more
beautiful than others, for one star
differeth from another star in glory.
All mountains are grand but some
mountains tower above others in
their sublimity till they become
shrines whittier every traveller must
: visit. All texts of scripture are inspir-
ed, and all profitable. Yet some are
. more glorious tan others. There be
some that tower i'll sublinity high
above others. Such an one is my text.
Never was there fuller testimony
borne to Christ on earth than is here
: borne by John the Baptist, Behold
the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world
Look at the title John gives to
Jesus the Lamb of God John calls
l Jesus Lamb, not the Lion of God.
The lion is ferocious animal The
thought of ferocity is here excluded
and nat of gentleness predominates.
The Lamb, what does he mean?
} Lamb, Symbol of Gentleness.
First, the lamb is the symbol of
: gentleness, and when John the Baptist
spoke these words he probably had
the same feelings, the same inspira-
2 lions as the one who wrote Gentle
Jesus, meek and mild The gentleness
OF Jesus takes hold on our innermost
natures. This gentleness is seen in
f the way he used his power. The enem-
; les Of Jesus constantly gathered about
him, yet never once did he use his
5 power to harm them. Once in defense
, of his Master, Simon Peter drew his
sword and with an awkward stroke
cut off the ear OF an enemy of Jesus.
{ Did Christ applaud him? No. He babe
him put up his sword. and reach G
) forth with a hand of infinite gentle
| ness put the ear back and healed the
; wound.
1--WE see the gentleness of Christ
: in the way he endured suffering.
Look at the Son of God, in that mock
on Him in dension. They blindfold
f Him, strike HIM stunning blows, and
then demand that he prophesy who
!, His lips This is a test and proof of
His gentleness.
"They bring Him to Calvary, nail
Him to the cross. hang Him. imagine
Him as He hangs thus between heaven
and earth His lips are open, what
will be His utterance? Father, for
they do. Gentleness infinite.
No lor 10 l>o1 lP
cence. Jesus Christ was either sin
less or sinful Between sinfulness
and sinlessness there is 10 middle term.
The quantity of sin is not the question
1t is its existence. Christ was abso,
boundary lines between sin and holi.
ness, often to us more or less obscur.
ed. were to Him as clear as noon
When we speak of innocence we thlnk
: OF the bloom and fragrance of child.
hood, that childhood that the Master
: was pleased to make type of re.
gained paradise when He said, Eek.
cept We be converted and become as
little children We cannot enter into
the kingdom of heaven, This spotless
childlike innocence Jesus, the Eternal
Child, kept to the last
: This innocence was not an untried
: innocence. The innocence of child
hood is The innocence OF Adam and
: Eve in the loneliness of their Eden
: home was an untried innocence. They
had not met the devil in deadly con
t flict. They did meet him. The battle
! was fought, and Eden and innocence
were lost.
Jesus Chrct Was Tempted.
"Many a youth today, sheltered in
a Christian home, bears stainless
reputation because they have moi
been exposed to the fierce storm oil
temptation. But Jesus Christ was
: tempted. The devil hurled all his
: fury darts at him. Hell spent its fury
: on Him as the ocean waves roll and
break into pieces against the rock
1 bound shores. Yet Christ remained
as pure as the snow after the shadow
!. of a cloud had passed over it,
John called Him the Lamb Of
God-God's Lamb. III broad sense
all 1,Yo IN, ha1ppp IN Eod h,,, +bonz 3,