The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-23
DR.. RAMSEY'S SERMONS.
Are Causing Much Interest at First
Ia atist Church.

Baptist Church.
Both the afternoon and night services
at the First Baptist Church were we'll
attended yesterday. The meetings have
made a very gratifying start. The in
terest and attendance are limited to no
one church or denomination. The SER
mon last night was one of great clear
ness and force. 1t was really a SER
mon of sweeping power and produced
a profound impression upon the con-
gregation.
Waiting With Jesus; Couldst Not
Thou Watch One Hour?" was the
preachers subject.
There is sentiment" said DR.. Ram
sey, 'in localities which ofttimes impel
to noblest endeavor. While we who
live in old and cultured cities should
be careful not to make too much of
sentiment. allowing it to usurp the
place of directive principles, still we
must not make too little of this most
potent factor When a famous Ameri-
can orator, on being told that it was
impossible to keep the crowd back
from the platform at Bunker Hill, ex-
claimed: Impossiblel Nothing is inn
possible at Bunker HILL he made the
proper use of sentiment. We are on
sacred ground in this text, here in the
Garden of Gethsemane. Who does not
feel the mystic. power? Not strange
that a calm American scholar should
go into that garden on moonlight
night and bow in prayer in many
places, hoping to place his knees where
Jesus knelt.
I'm the first place. we have here in
this question of the text a service
craved. 1t was very practical
and much needed service which Jesus
asked his disciples to render 1t is
not saying too much to affirm that his
human nature was shrinking from inn
pending death. He was either much
less than mere martyr or else vast
ly more. There have been better mar
tyrs for mere endurance it would
seem; but he was bearing the burden
of sin of the world. The duty which
Jesus asked his disciples to perform
was that of being ordinary watchmen.
The plot to capture him was already
laid. LSeathless, listening for the APP
proach of footsteps, now bending the
ear low to the ground TO catch the dis
tant sound, straining the eyes peering
through the trees-that was what he
wanted them to do.
"Alasl how often do we fail" said
Mr.. Ramsey, ito render him to-day the
very simple everyday service which
he asks for! We fail to understand
that life is made up of little unre-
membered acts of kindness and of
love- l dreamed that life was beauty,
| awoke to find it duty.
1.-THE task of giving sympathy was
also involved in the request at the
garden gate. It was the young man
of Nazareth about to die so
young asking for little touch
of human sympathy. 1t was Mary s
a
ness. the stretching out of the hand in
silence. The struggle, the agony the
making up of the mind to suffer-to
die were His alone, but oh, how His
heart sighed for little sympathy!
Is 1T saying too much to say that Jesus
wants that sort of sympathy from us
in His vast work of saving this poor
lost world? Are we giving what He
asks or are we sluggish and indiffer-
emit?
Mote. in the next place." said DR..
Ramsay. how a great opportunity
may be forever lost. Sleep on now.
says Jesus. What those disciples did
for one precious irreparable hour,
thousands are doing to-day. The
young Christian goes into worldliness
and his unsaved friend who truly de-
sires to be saved stumbles into eternal
night. The young minister hesltates TO
talk to the graN-neaQeu sinner, lnlilh-
ing that tomorrow VIII do, but at day.
light the doomed spirit is snatched
away At the beginning of any day
we never know what is before us, what
danger turks ahead, what sin crouches
at the door. Go not forth unarmed
with the sword of the spirit.
Further observe here the great prin-
ciple of life that if we fail help will
come from another source. An angel
came from heaven and strengthen
Jesus The angel came to do what
the disciples refused to do. Some day
some one is coming along who is sent
of God to make up for your failures
and mine. God forgive the past fail
ures and help us to be good and true
for the future
But finally here is a word of en-
couragement-a new chance is offered.
Rise up says Jesus, Let us go
hence The past is gone forever. but
all is not lost, there is a future. So
to all of us he would say do not grieve
over the irrevocable past. but be up
and doing. Let the past suffice for
idleness. for sin and folly. There is
another chance. Napoleon coming on
the battle field as the sun was setting
saw that the day was really lost for
his troops, but with that alertness and
speedy power of meeting the demands