Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-09-03
"POWER OF RELIGION"
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By Rev.
-. =, 4. :, .
Henry Knott. !,
Remarkably Stroug DelIverauce On the Sub'
ject Of the Moral and Intellectual
Force Of Christianity.

fofee Of SufISuauIty.
| PARIS. KY.--The Rev. Henry Knott,
rector of st. Feters u. f. Church IN TINS
city. preached a strong sermon on Inc 6
| Moral and Intellectual Power of Religion.
| The text was chosen from Matt lew V: AZ:
"Bc We therefore perfect even as your
| Father which is i'll hcave" Is perfect.
| Mr.. Knott said:
| The Sermon on the Mount contains the
sum and substance o. Christianity. In
| other Words we find 1t to be the very
heart of the Gospel: its divine, precepts
| transcending in moral grandeur the Hottest
| conventions e n thought or spoken by
mortal man. Great souls atiame with the
! sacred fire of inspiration have but MIR
| rored the shadows OF the tremendous real
| tiles of the future. and the mind of genius
searching for truth apart from revelation
has failed to discover the meaning and the
end of life. Here we have command ut
| tered by One who gave to humanity the
| kew to perfection. The Christ has drawn
the veil aside and disclosed the WV, the
| truth. the lie. by revealing the character
| of Coda holiness radiant with love-wt
| are brought face to face with he possible
ty of attainment through the Jaw and the
| shirt hid in Calvary's cross. by initiating
| the example of holy sef-sacrih"e we shall
grow into that glorious pcrfeo ton OF the
rather uaIii'St'u /" lis VII. ''h''~
| Son.
do not wish you to misunderstood the
! inference Just quoted. Man shall never at
| tain the absolute perfection OF God. for
| there is an mpa ssable gulf between the
| Creator and tn" created In being. for
mans Immortality had starting point
while God has even been in an eternity OF
| time. In space. man subject to iocaI'za
| tor. here or there-thc infinite Father ON
nprcsent ever where. IN power man 3
| creature of environment circnmScrlhed by
| laws whether natnral or spiritual. free vet
| not free. a mysterious paradox. his sou the
| battle ground 'twiXs wills ..Mman aud di
vine: while God is the source of creation.
| the A'uh, and Omega ri al things in heav.
en- and earth even holding in His almighty
! hand the first link of that wondrous chain
| of cauSaioH.
God is perfection: Al! His love and
mighty attributes blended together in one
| harmonious Whole. interchangeable in wis
| dom. Justice and truth. Nan. fallen. per
vertea possessing no natural worth. bear
| ing always the curse of sin, a subtle tend
cncv to thwart right that supreme law OF
spiritual life Ry Nature prom to evil. cor
/ rupted. hc'nCss. his only virtue that which
j. derived through grace. No. he can never
I've perfect as God is perfect, hut through
| the intellectual and moral power of rchG
ion and obedience to its commands he can
relatively ciir'h undreared heights of spir
! i,uai manhood. and hv the evo'ltion of his
| immortal soul in Christ win that glorious
crown OF destiny which the heavenly Faith
CT has wicd all born OF woman should
| throrrh obedience acquire perfection Thus
we derive tho full wcAning ni tho text:
wonderful in its imp,icatio'. giving us the
| assurance OF success: divln" IN its com
| mard disclosing the possib ltics Of our
| nature that we "a { hriStiars have divin
! itv stirring within Us the source OF a glor
! i0rs power to press toward the mark for
/ the Oriyc:" liz" complete il its fu'hl'ment
nf that end which God Intended il to at
! tain. to lie perfect in obedience 10 the sill
! lrcme Jaw Of its existence. even a. it,
| trcHtNr IL perfect.
| Without religion a man can never real!
| i've tho possibilities ai his spiritual nature
! With natural tendency toward the pass
| ing. the finite and the rhanceah'c. he need.
| IN Influence To call him to a scnse Of the
! internal and infinite Many ncop'e take a
! s;ircrhciai view OF Christianity and never
| really understand what blessings it con.
! f"r<. Nav was Nn' created tC be the play
/ thing OF the hlmightv. but IN purpose 80
! to he son, worthy to stand before his
/ Father. tac" and to live with Him in low
/ in communion.
/ Won arc Ill ta"i ian with the story of
/ Adams dreadful fall into i,,oh"dcncc and
| s'N. Th"on.h tie marve 'oI> ta'u.tirs OF
| the soul may Christian men have, at one
/ time or another. e~rerie"cel a nomentlrr
/ cnrs"iouSnrss OF what th"n "Ns lost. To
! enable US 10 regain n,uch ~, that pristine
! st?'e CHRIST cam" into tho word. lived.
suffered. diel and made il uos>'h'" 'nr ~.
/ hv making known it, . ores III US own
! rCrfect li'e TO o"cr wore hoeoue the sous
and daughters Of God E"'iroN leads ia
! back from wor'hh"eS. II sore o''e"ti"n
! and gives to sous i"vcrel WITH sn"'iid de-.
! sires q ouirkaning nrin"ip'" ~ higher and
! noh'cr life: inspri"g intellect w''h t,N'l.
and thr hear; with pure and exalted
love. 1t anmatcs conscience with 81
IRENE sense Of duty and places thorght in
! iuxtaposirjon with tho will o. Cod. c'othuc
/ every aSriratioH with > purifying virtue,
thus leading all tho faculties of orr being
inward and onward toward nerfection.
/ TIL" immorth; 'ongi"GS OF the soul can
/ only I've satisfied hv Col E"ery faculty.
we possess le,i, us to His feet There il
! no real haNpi~rss apart frow that which
! comprehends His love and finds It's sill
! rrcme GOOD hv steadiast drvotcdpFsS to
| the Drecepts Of His law. Unfortunately,
| there are men and women who look upon
! religion as mrsns II "oncihate tho dlvlna
mower. which through sin they have of
! Tended, They ,maGire IT p;aces them IN
, Co1rillatorv attitude with Deity and that
| br ts medium they will obtain in the fu
! ture some indeinahIc reward. forgetting
! that religion is y l'fe. a state. which call,
| into ooeraton al tho spiritual rotentah
| ties OF their g'orious nature and through
! temptation. SORROW and suffering crowns
them ~ last with victory over the word
| and self
Thus we perceive that Christ came upon
| the earth to- save sinners. giving them a
! power Of endless lie Revealing the char
/ c,'tcr OF God, lie made it possible for men
| t. conform to that perfect original. In
! | i, Gospel He laws down \ cote OF mora.s
! So sabine. tnlt Il W" would absorb them
into thought aud action We should fulfill
/ white here our DESTINY. Religions blessing
is the surr,rc good lor every man to at.
! tain. 1t is not IN emotion. or mercy be.
| lief. it is a vita,l7ing energy in the deptnS
! OF the human soul Suhdui"g to God all the
| powers ri being. iHcarnatng IN III" heart
! q consciousness OF magnificent future.
: cuickcnirG the intellect. CONSCIENCE, atfeC.
! tons md will iuto vigorous and HOLY ac-
! ton. INSPIRING the mind with a profound
love of truth and flooding the soul with Il
| prnce which tho crash OF words cou'd not
disturb. Re.icinn. then, i necessity of
| life. Without it existence is de!uS!on, n
shadow. lacking substance and meaning.
70 grow into the stature and fuiucSS of
| Christ in other words. to become a Christ.
| man. is the design Cor which we are en-.
dowci with certain faculties. Man ia pre-.
! erinrntly moral being This Is his nature
! and the path OF hi, life winds toward th"
| perfection of those qualities which Cow.
| tute the e sscnce OF his snir,tual life. His
| true hapuincsS consists in b, irGinc himself
| into rc'at'on. into uH'on wish 20 Cod
is holy. the source ci al perfection. H.
the heart of man He has p,a"ed deep and