The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-10-02
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
A DISCOURSE ON THE GROUND
OF CHRISTIAN CERTAINTY"
The Rev. Reginald John Campbell reiis
In Beautiful Lsn<usy, OF the Assar-
ances % Divine Mercy Which Buoy
the Heats OF BeIievers.

PIC filled the Auditorium here sunday
morning ~ listen 20 the Rev. Reginald
John Campbell pasto- Of the City Ten
pie, London. His subject MAS The Grouad
af Christian Certainty He said:
iy text, or rather. INV tso texts. wlll be
found. one in the third chapter aud foar-
tenth verse ald the other in the fourth
chapter aud nineteen tn verse OF the First
Ep.sGe OF 81. joan: We know that we
have passed from death unto life. because
we love the brethren. he that ioveth not
has brother ahdetk for death" We love
HIM because Tie tirst loved us
The thought is not Que ot simple grati-
tIide. The text teaches AS hat the power
OF loving comes from the fact that God ls
love. The writer OF the fourth gospel,
whether he ~Ss or VAS not the Apostle
John. was prob, olv one OF the greatest
theolocians that ever lived. because his
spiritual ins.ght Is So pro- end. and the
inwardness OF his mNster mind so COM
pete. The writer OF tlia Fourth Gospel is
plainly the writer OF these epist,e-. lie
was undoubtedly John the Divine. lie
never refers TO himself by name. bat only
AZ the disciple whom Jesus loved. None OF
Us would he willing 20 spare out Of our
Christian experience the fourteenth chap.
ter of st. John. In this the disciple sets
forth what We believe TO be the profound
est and most beautiful truth concerning
| the relationship of the sancti;ied soul 70
the Redeemer. What q beautiful phrase
| il this: The discipie whom Jesus loved +"
| This man of wonderf / ability. who 70.
members all that Je NJ SAID and writes 1t
| down Tor our benefit. Ry that he did not
! mean that he was the only isciple whom
/ Jesus loved. but he meant TO say that h.
! cot his own spirtCal experience from the
same foundation that we get ours.
There are signs in the New Testament
! that the disciple whom jesus loved was at
1 go
| Mark that occasion when James and John
were called the Sons of Thunder; when
| they came to Christ. and said, Master.
! shall we command fire to come down iron,
! heaven and CONSUME these adyersar,es.
| yours and ours" Aud Christ replied.
! We know not yet what spirit Ye are OF.
! Again. the mother of James and John
| comes TO the Master and says. Master.
/ grant that these. my two sons. may at the
! one on Thy right hand and the other on
! Thy left, when Thou contest into Thy
| kingdom" she thought. and tdey thought.
and they All thought that the kingdom,
Was 90 be an earthly one; that Christ was
TO grasp the sceptre OF the Caesars and
! r,,c over the world. aud that those who
| stood nearest Him would occupy the
places of greatest honor IN His kingdom
Without rebuking them the Master turned
! to the two men and said: Are you abe
! , drink OF the cup whereof | shall drini,
|
| whereof | am baptized" And they an-
swered eagerly and with confidence. I'VE
nre." Then said the Master. "Ye shall IN.
| deed drink of NJ cup. and he hantiIed
with the baptism whereof | am baptized.
The other disripl.s were mucn tisplessed
with James and John. Thy could have
spared themselves the trouble. The Master
knew at once--comlng as a Master OF the
| truth He very weli knew-what was IA
their hearts. The one was seeking the
/ crown that was corruptible. and that fad
| eth away: the other was to live 10 history
az the apostle of love. What long way
John must have travelled before this pas
sionate. ambitious man was abe 10 de
serve this title. "the Apostle OF Love
John gave the greater part OF his youn0
life 20 the preaching Of the gospel of love
Toward the close ol that Ibng and wonder
full career the beloved discipk was carried
me Sunday morning to the congregation o
the faithful. 1t was his Last appearanc,
at any earthly gathering. His parting
benedction to tie little flock comes down
to- us through the history OF the ages
| Little children, love one another
We know that often the words Of out
text were on the lips of the Apostle John
"We know that we have passed from
death unto life. because we love the
brethren And again. the higher cxper
ience whica makes possible the other. "w,
love the brethren because Christ frs
loved US
This is not the only experience Of th'
/ kind Some OF you might be inclined e
say: This is all well enough in its place
10 talk about the Apostle John "a hein,
the aposlle Of love" But We are not John
There are some other people who deserve
the title. What about Peter, the impul
sivc fisherman, Peter was undoubtedly
impusive and selfish and not without hi
ambition. too. Listen to- the conversation
m the upDcr room. after the Master ma
performed The foot washing He begins Il
| prepare Iiis disciples for His coming in
| lie snys: "Yc shall all be confounded be
cause of Ne tins night" And Peter re
plies: Though All should bctray Thee
yet will not T." What he meant To AZ,
was this: You have made a great deal o
thi4 man. who - allowed to lie on You
| breast. Perhaps ii crisis came he Nigh
not be as much Use AZ ' would. If thes
| time came when john admitted Peter &
| Plates hall. John stood silently by
| ready perhaps TO die for his Master. Pete
| was hiding somewhere IN terror because o
the Jews and Christ WAS dying. And the
after the resurrection Christ came TO hin
in secret. Peter wept out his penitcnc
and the Master lifted him up again. Tbrc
times he was asked. Simon. Simon, so
OF Jonas, lowest thou Me" Peter an
swered, "I'ord. Thou knowest that I lov
Thee" The last time. grieved because q
the question, he replied, with deep eolo
ton. expres-ivc only OF the love IN bi
heart, "Iord, Thou knowcst all thing.
Thou ltnowcst that 7 love Thee" Whe
vas given 10 this fisherman the gran
promise. "Ye are Of Christ" And the ar
swer of Christ was. "If I will that Y
strive and rchleve and he stand and vaL
what is that ~ thee, follow thou Ne.
, Thee two men, not long since rivals. cam
together 30 witness for the Master. Pete
does the taking and John o, silent Bot
are prepared % suffer 10 the name of Jesu
Christ Of 1,areth.
The grand certainly 10 tho heart q
every one of these men was that they bs
passed from death unto lie, through bcin
made capable of loving. Rnd they wcr
cZrab'e &C loving because they loved th
, brethren Now brethren, IN every ~,
since John wrote these words for ~. th
same thing h1s beld true. The ground \
Christian certainty has bcr1--tIrOBgh tb
, love oi God. There IS no other ground q
, certainty today.
And the witness of the spirit a seen +
nothing more than tbs: that those Wh
are the sDns of God show ~ in their d.
4 mea1or
The ,ore of Jesus, what IL ia. none hu
His loved ones know, and your America
. Whistler. writing yesterday, as It .wei'
. ssys for ~ this morning: immortal .oy
forever: fall forever, flowing free
But. brethren. John Nesey was one ,
: the greatest preachers the word bas eve
= known. the qreltest preacher Of the CrO-
a.nec tic Apostle Peter. There never va
q msn fuller a love fo- The Master. fuls
OF insDir8tion than John Nes eY. How
it With Bsth1d'sm to-day We vii max
the question bigger, Hog 9 u with IN
clurcn 81 Christ to-day, What - OAR n
4 - a., l.,T Ta-dav / nrtira o~ -aor1