The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-07-09
DIR. CHAPMAN'S SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
PASToR.svANceuIST.

Subject: A Man without . Couptry-A
Text which IL the ssddsst Expression
Possibls In Human LanEuags-Pity
For Those without . God.
New YORK CITY.-The Rev DR.. ]. Will.
bur Chapman, the noted pastor-evangel-
ist, continues to excite popular interest
by the series Of remarkable sermons he u
delivering in the Fourth Presbyterian
Church. Apropos OF patriotic celebrations
he has prepared the following discourse
for the press. entitled "a Man Without a
Country" It is preached from the text:
Ephesians 2: y: Having no hope and
without God in the world"
This is one Of the saddest texts in the
New Testament. for while it describes our
own condition when we were aliens from
Christ and strangers to the covenant and
sentation OF this subject to describe those
who have wilfully rejected Christ and
who have deliberately decided that thev
will not accept Him as a 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 to whom the
words may be strictly applied. for II we
take hone out Of o mans life it is not
worth the living. The young man may
have failed yesterday. hut he has hoped
that he NAV succeed tomorrow; the busl.
ness man who has lost his fortune in the
wreck OF past days is not discouraged be-
cause hope buoys him up. and he is conn.
dent that prosperity will he his once
again. Take hope from our lives and We
are of all men most miserable and If in
addition to being deprived Of hope we
have no God we are not only hopeless for
time. but hopeless also for eternity. for
since we were made to be filed with God
and all our heing WIS so adjusted as to be
at tune 10 His nature. there is no saddcr
picture than to be without Him. Some
years AGO I came across that interesting
and pathetic story written nv Edward Ev.
prett Haze entitled "The Man Without
Country" and it has furnished for me an
Illustration Of this text to which YOUR at
tention is invited. I found in the man
who drifted everywhere across the sea
without being able to enter harbor a
presentation Of nanv a man who has bur.
led Christ out Of his life The man man was was
Philip. holland by name; Whether the
ter. for the illustration is the same: This
Young lieutenant in the armv had come
under the influence Of Aaron Burr, and he
had fascinated him. The young soldier
wrote to Burr long letters expressing his
homes 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
wss complete. The regular life of the SOL
dier became tame; be was utterly un'
fitted for service. There came a time
when in company with others who were
also under the influence OF Burr he must
h>fo ha n tried
for misdemeanor. The Others for one rea.
soh or another escaped sentence. but
Philip Noland was pronounced guilty
He was asked bv the Judge il he had any
thing to saw why sentence should not te
passed npon him because he had been
false to his country and rad sihned 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
so.,nd of the name United States: that he
hat; - native land. The judge. with q
viii e. answered. 1T shall be as you
say. subject to the approval Of the
Presto OF the United States. you shall
never n hear OF your country. AT
this Ph,np Noland laughed; hut no one
over the court He was taken to New Or
leans, given over into the charge OF a
commander nf one Of the vessels. with the
distinct understanding that no one was
ever again to speak 20 him OF the United
States, and he was Ia he allowed to speak
to no one of his old home. He was at
last put upon a Government vessel and
given quarters betting his late rank. II
was expressly stimulated that he was ia
be exposed to no irdignity: he was not to
be reminded Of the fact that he was q
prisoner. and while he could wear the uni.
form vet he must not have the buttons o'
the United States Government upon this
uniform. Indeed he was to be q man
without q country from this time on. ne
was permitted once each day to dine with
the officers. but they did not care to have
him. because when he was present they
could not talk OF home; under no circum
stances was he to ever see his country
again and never was he to hear Of it. He
was not permitted to 60 on shore wher,
ever the landing might he. II he read
books at all they must contain no refer
ence to his home. and il he read the for
cign papers it 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 it must wait until it would be
overtaken by another vessel going sea
ward. Philip holland became a passenger
with his face set away from h!s home. II
has ever been to me one OF the saddest
illustrations know. and yet perfect pic
ture OF the man who has deliberately re
iected Christ, has said. 81 will not have
this man to rule over me-" and who IS
therefore. described by the words OF the
text al having no hope and without God
il the world"
We have rejected Him. He has said in
Els word. He that is not with Me il
against Me-" and not 20 accept IS to re-
ject 1t is true we hive never said in So
many words that we would not have Him
as our Saviour. but we have resisted the
e-treaties of the minister and snurned
the prayers of our loved ones. and what
the lips we have said in our hearts. and
God knowe,h tine language of the hear!
as men know the language OF the lips.
arl very sure that Philip No!and did not
mean what he said. He had spoken in a
passion, and am perfectly positive that
no one here could for a moment reject
Christ IL he felt that Christ would take
hir, at his word. and possibly he might
never have a chance again. Mr. Moody
used to saw that no one wanted to be ex
cused. Would You sign letter like
this" he said. Sitting in the house o!
Col this Sunday evening received a
pressing invitation from one Of your serv'
ants to be present at the Marriage Sup
per of the Lamb. pray thee have me
excused" No one would sign it. Then
would you sign this? Sitting in the
house OF God this Sunday evening re
ccived a pressing invitation from one oi
your servants to be present at the Mar
riage Supper of the Lamb. BY the grace
OF God / will be there" II you could but
sign that there would be Joy in heaven
and Joy IN your own heart.
H.
We are hy nature afar of. Our hearts