The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-09-03
DR. CHAPMANS SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE ar THE NOTED
pASToR.EvANcELiST.
sabfeet: A Lost ssviour-A Comrsose"
Picture to . Mastsrpieee. Wh'cn DF.
Chapman suxgests-The Awfuiness OF
Rsipe without Christ.

Picture to . Mastsrpi-ce. which DR..
Chapman suxgests-The Awfuiness OF
Being without Christ.
NEW York CrrY.-The Rev. ]. Wilbur
Chapman. D. D.. the popular pastor OF tns
Fourth Presbyterian Church, who re-
markably successful as an evangelist, M mas
prepared an interesting sermon upon tns
snb;ect "a Lost Saviour" 1t is preached
from the text. They have taken away NY
Lord" John 20: II.
One of the masterpieces in the Louvre
presents to US a picture Of Christ upon the
rross His head is upon His breast; I'M
derneath His arms the little birds are n.y.
ine for a place of refuge, and IN the deep
enine shadows there il seen woman
kneelinr with loving lips and hands
pressed against His bleeding feet. Travei.
ers stand before this painting with tear.~et
checks and 90 away with burning hearts
(f were an artist / should paint com
pa,ion 1ieee With this text as the theme.
I would not put tears upon ner shceks
who speaks the word because the & flowing
of tears would prove relief. When We
cannot weep our grief il severest. but l
would represent her with agony in her
ewes and deepest sorrow in every expires.
sion of her face. II could would paint
the sob as she cries out. ''They have taken
swav INV Lord" I have seen the distress
Of a mother bird when her little one was
zone, the despair of-the deer when It's com
panion was killed. the agony OF the wife
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 = story which can
not be expressed in words:
The speaker is Mary Magdalene. one OF
the Inhabitants of Magdala, she who was
oosseased of seven devils. She was the
sinner IN the house Of Simon. the Phari.
ace, who washed the Saviour's feet with
her tears, anointed them with precious
ointment and covered them with kisses
When Simon objects the Master rebuEes
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 to the scene of the crucihxion.
Early the third after the cruci6xion. with
the wife of Cleophas. she goes to the sen
slcher to see His body. She finds the tomb
,mpty. and then cries out in agonr They
have taken away my Lord. what 4
change there is wrought in MARY Magda.
!ene. She has been sinner OF the worst
sort. Tradition makes her servant IN
the house OF sin in the place where she
wherevcr the gospel has been preached her
story has been told. What a Saviour we
have: One who calls out the best there is
in ma ALWAYS. Saul. OF Tarsus, by nature -
bitter and cruel but he catches a vision Of
Christ and becomes gentle az a woman, de-
liyerinp his message with tears OF real sor.
row because Of the lost condition OF the
world. Peter is an ignorant fisherman. but
catches vision OF ms Master and becomes
,ne of the greatest preachers in the worlds s
history. The thief on the cross is profane:
and doubtless causes Christ new pang. OF
agony with his profanity. until turning his
head he catches vision OF that blessed
face and cries out lord remember me-
Kindred texts. have been looking mp
greatly interested to see how many kin
dred subjects to this are to be found in
Gods word.
First, Adam and Eve. They are in para.
disc; everything about them is beautiful.
Even God Himself saw that it was very
rood. The music OF the birds il the sweet
eat. the fragrance OF the flower is the best;
there is no curse upon Eden. when sudden
" the cloud appears, the moving OF the
serpent Ii heard and there is . great
change. Adam and Eve are driven thither
from the garden. Genesis 3: 1924, There
fore the Lord God sent him forth from the
Garden OF Eden TO till the ground from
whence he was taken. So He drove out
Garden Of Eden cherubim and flaming
sword which turned everv way, to keep
the way OF the tree Of life"
Second. the Ark OF the Covenant. This
was a small chest overlaid with gold. four
and a half feet long. two feet nine inches
wide and the same measure in heighth.
Within it were the tables OF the law. II
was carried by the priests as occasion re-
quired from place to place. So sacred was
il that it was death for any one to look
upon it but the priests. and so 1t was care
fully covered. 1t represented to them the
visible presence OF Jehovah. It was car.
ried about BY the children OF Israel on on
their travels through the desert as they
entered the channel OF the Jordan, and
was taken thirteen times around Jericho
in six days. but now the Philistines have
come ND against the children Of Israel and
the ark 10 taken. Old Eli is waiting for
tidings of the conflict. His seat is by tie
road side that he may hear the more
speedily At last there is q great shout OF
horror, and man OF Benjamin is seen run
ming, with his clothes rent and earth upon
his head. There is trouble. but who can
imagine the extent OF it. Lister 20 him as
he cries out. Israel has fled before the
Philistines." and the face OF old Eli pales.
Hophni and ph,nehas are slain. and the
old man begins to shake in an agony. but
horror of horrors. the ark OF God is taken!
I. Samuel 4: Is. And it came to pass
when he made mention of the ark OF God
that he fell from of the seat backward to
the side OF the gate, and his neck brake
and he died: for he was an old man and
heavy. And he had judged Israel forty
years." Tell US that the sun will not shine
again. that the rain will not fall, that the
stars are dead. that the moon will refuse
to shine, but you will bring to Us no such
tidings as came to Israel when the news
was carried that the ark was taken. 1t Is
as il God had departed from our own land.
1t Is an awful thing to be without hope
and without God in the world:
Third. the Lost Bible. During the reign
of Josiah who began to reign when he was
eight years old. the repairs to the temple
were begun. and in the midst OF this work
the book OF the law was found. 2 Kings
q: 8, And Hilkiah, the high priest, said
unto Shaphln. the scribe. have found the
book of the law IN the house OF the Lord.
And Hilkah gave the book to Shaphan
and he read IT. This was doubtless the
very book which Moses had commanded to
be placed in this sacred spot. Deutero-
nomy 81: 20, "Tlke this book OF the law
and put it in the side OF the ark OF the
covenant OF the Lord. your God. that IT
nav be there for l witness against thee.
It might have been carelessly mislaid or it
may have been milcious:y concealed. but
what a narrow escape. However. We need
not tremble. TOR He who cared for Moses
when he Wa in the ark and for His own
Son when He wa, Graded in the manger
will care for His book Heaven and
earth shall pass away, but Ny word shall
never pass away" However, some Of lis
-. L., >,- O;hIa We have lost IL be-