The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-06-27
DIR. CHAPMAN'S SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE BY The NOTED
PAsToR.EvANceLlsT.
Subject 4 Man without . Country-A
TeIt which 10 the ssddest EIpression
Possible I'm Human Lsnguage-fity
For Those without = God.

bur Chapman, the noted pastor evangel
ist, continues 10 excite popular interest
by the series OF remarkable sermons ne v
/ delivering IN the Fourth Presbyterian
Church Apropos OF patriotic celebrations
he has prepared the following discourse
I for the press. entitled "A Man Without
! Country" IL - preached from the text
Ephesians 2: u. Having no hope and
without God in the world"
This is one Of the saddest texts in the
New Testament, for while IL describes our
own condition when We were aliens from
| Christ and strangers 20 the covenant and
promise Of God. yet ! take u in my pre-
sentaton Of this subject 10 describe those
who have wilfully rejected Christ and
who have deliberately decided that they
I will not accept Him as Saviour. With
/ this Interpretation put upon the Scripture
We have in the text the saddest expression
! possible in human language. ] suppose
/ there is no one OF my hearers 10 whom the
words may be strictly applied. for If We
| take hone ont OF a mans life ~ - not
worth the living. The young man may
! have failed Yesterday. hut he has hoped
/ that he may succeed tomorrow; the bust
| ress 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 70 DelnR 0epTlNei OF nope We
have no God we are not only hopeless for
time, but hopeless also for eternity, for
since we were made 10 be filed with God
ard all our being was so adjusted as 10 be
al tune 10 His nature, there Is no sadder
picture tnan 10 be without Him. Some
wears ago I came across that interesting
and pathetic story written bvrfdward Ev-
erett Hale entitled "The Mar Without
Country" and it has furnished for me an
illustration OF this text 10 which your at
tention is invited. I found in the man
who drifted everywhere across the sea
without being able 10 enter harbor
presentation OF many a man who has bur
led Christ out OF his life. The man was
Philip Noland by name. Whether the
story he truth or fiction IL does not mat
ter for the illustration is the same. This
Young lieutenant in the armv had come
rnder the influence OF Aaron Burr, and he
had fascinated him. The young soldier
wrote 10 Bur- long letters expressing his
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 upon him
was complete. The regular life Of the sol
der 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-
sol or another escaped sentence. but
Philip Noland was pronounced guilty.
He was asked bv the Judge ii he had any
thing 10 say why sentence should not be
passed upon him because he had been
false 10 his country and had sinned against
the United States. His reply was an
oath, and in the presence of the court he
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 at shall be az you
say. and subject 10 the approval OF the
President Of the United States, YOU shall
never again hear of your country" At
this Philip Noland laughed. but no one
else did; there was deathlike stiffness
over the court. He was taken 20 New Or
leans, given over into the charge OF
commander Of one of the vessels. with the
distinct understanding that no one was
ever again to speak 10 him of the United
States, and he was TO be allowed to speak
TO no one of his old home. He was at
last put upon n Government vessel and
given quarters hefitting his late rank. IL
was expressly Stimulated that he was 10
be exposed TO no indignity; he was not to
be reminded OF the fact that he was
prisoner. and while he could wear the uni.
form vet he must not have the buttons ot
the United States Government upon this
uniform. Indeed he was TO be a man
without n country from this time on. He
was permitted once each dav TO dine with
the officers. but they did not care TO have
him. because when he was present they
could not tail, of home under no circum-
stances was he 10 ever see his country
again and never was he 10 hear of it. He
was not permitted 10 go on shore wher.
ever the landing might be. If he read
books at all they must contain no refer
ence 10 his home. and il he read the for
eign papers IL was only after some one
had carefully cut out every reference to
the United States II the vessel upon
which he was a passenger came near
his country il must wait until il would be
overtaken bv another vessel going sea-
ward Philip Noland became o passenger
with his face set away from his home. 1t
has ever been 10 Inc one of the saddest
illustrations know, and yet a perfect pic
ture OF the man who has deliberately re-
iectcd Christ has said. "1 will not have
this man to rule over me-" and who is,
therefore. described bv the words of the
text as having no hope and without God
In the word"
We have rejected Him. Tie has said in
His word. He that is not with Me rs
against Me-" and not 10 accept is 10 re-
ject. II is true we have never said in go
many words that we would not have Him
as our Saviour. but we have resisted the
entreates of the minister and spurned
the prayers Of our loved ones. and what
we have not been bold enough 10 say with
the hps we have said in our hearts, and
God kuoweth the language Of the heart
as men know the language OF the lips.
am very sure that Philip Noiand did not
mean what he said. He had spoken in
passion. and ! am perfectly positive that
no one here could for a moment reject
Christ il he felt that Christ would take
him at his word. and possibly he might
never have a chance again. Mr.. Moody
used 10 saw that no one wanted TO be ex
cused. Would YOU sign letter like
this" he said. Sitting in the house o'
God this Sunday evening | received a
ants 10 be present at the Marriage Sup
per of the Lamb. pray thee. have me
excused" No one would sign il. Then.
would YOU sign thisg Sitting in the
house OF God this Sunday evening I re
ceived a pressing invitation from one Of
your servants TO be present az the Mar
Tiage supper OF the Lamb. BY the grace
of God | will he there II you could hut
sign that there would be Joy in heaven
and JOY IN your own heart.
ii.
We arc by nature afar of. Our hearts
are deceitful above all things and cesper
ateiy wicked Our minds are carnal and
therefore az enmity with God our wills
are stubborn and viii not yield 20 the
touch of His power: we are in midnight
darkness. and IL is in this condition that
He comes 20 US. In the 18th verse of the
second chapter Of Ephesisns We read.
But now in Christ Jesus, ye who some
times were afar of are made nigh by the
blood Of Christ" and 70 all the unsaved
IL is nv privilege 10 say that by the grace
Of God You are hrourh nigh 10 Christ