The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-09-02
POWER OF RELIGION"
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By Rev.
Henry Knott.
Remarkably Strong Deliverance on the Sub
ject Of the Moral and Intellectual
Force Of Christianity.


city. preached strong sermon on The
Moral and Intellectual Power OF Religion"
The text was chosen from Matthew v: As:
aBe ye therefore perfect even as your
Father, which is in heaven is perfect"
Mr. Knott said:
The Sermon on the Mount contains the
sum and substance OF Christianity. In
other words, we find it to be the very
heart of the Gospel; its divine precepts
transcending in moral grandeur the loftiest
conception, ever thought or spoken by
mortal man. Great souls ahame with the
sacred fire of inspiration have but mir.
rored the shadows of the tremendous real.
ites 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 a command ut
tered by One who gnve to humanity the
KEY to perfection. The Christ has drawn
the veil aside and disclosed the way, the
truth, the life. By revealing the character
of Coda holiness radiant with love-we
are brought face to face with the possibil-
ity of attainment through the law and the
spirit hid in Calvary's cross. BY initiating
the example of holy self-sacrifce we shall
rrow into that glorious perfection Of the
Father manifested in His only begotten
Sen.
do not wish you TO misunderstood the
inference just quoted. Man shall never at
tain the absolute perfection Of God, for
there is an impossible gulf between the
Creator and the created In being, for
mans Immortality had starting pont
while God has even been in an eternity Of
time. In space, man subject to localiza.
ton. here or there-thc infinite Father ON.
nipresent, everywhere. In power man
creature of environment circumsrribed by
laws whether natural or spiritual free. vet
not free a mysterious paradox. his soul the
battle ground 'twixt wills Luman and di
vine; while God is the source OF creation,
the Alpha and Omega Of all things in heav.
en- and earth even holding in His almighty
hand the first link of that wondrous chain
OF causation.
God is perfection All His love and
mighty attributes blended together in one
harmonious whole, unchangeab'e in wis.
dom, justice and truth. Man, fallen. per
verted possessing no natural worth. bear.
ing always the curse of sin, subtle tend.
ency to thwart right. that supreme law OF
spiritual life. BY nature prone to evil. cor.
rupted, helpless, his only virtue that which
is derived through grace No. he can never
be perfect as God is perfect, but through
the intellectual and moral power of relig-
ion and obedience to its commands he can
relatively climb undreamed heights of snir.
itual manhood, and bv the evolution of his
immortal soul in Christ win that c'orors
crown of destiny which the heavenly Faith.
er has willcd all born of woman should
through obedience ACQUIRE perfection. Thus
we derive the fnTl meaning Of the teyt:
wonderful in its implication civinr us the
assurance Of success: divine in its com.
mand disclosing the possibi tiles OF our
nature that we as Christians have divin.
ity stirring within us the source of a gor.
ious power to "press toward the rark for
the prize" life complete in its fu'iment
of that end which God intended it to at.
tain, to be perfect in obedience to the s,,
preme law of its existence, even as its
Creator is perfect
ize the possibilities of his spiritual nature
With a natural tendency toward the pass
ing the finite and the changeabie, he needs
an influence to call him to sense OF the
internal and infinite. Many peoplc take a
superficial view of Christianity and never
fers. Man was not created to be the play
thing of the Almighty, but for A purpose--
to be son, worthy to stand before his
Fathers face and to live with Him in low
ing communion.
You are all familiar with the story oi
Adams dreadful fall into disobedicnre and
sin. Through the marvellous faculties OF
the soul MANY Christian men have. at one
time or another. experienced a momentary
consciousness of what then was lost To
enable MS to regain much OF that pristine
state Christ came into the world. lived,
suffered. died and made il possib,e for us,
by making known its s!ores in His own
perfect life. to once more become the sons
and daughters Of God Religion leads us
back from wor,diress to se1f.recoaction
and gives to souls ieyered with sorid de.
sres ouickening princip,c of n higher and
nobler life: inspiring intellect with truth
and the heart with n rure and exalted
love. II animates conscience with y 81.
nreme serse of duty and pls-es thought in
juxtaposition with the will OF God. c.oshing
every aspiration with n nurifviny virtue,
thus LEADING all the faculties Of orr being
upward and onward toward pprfection.
The immortn, loppirgs Of the soul can
only be satisfied by God. Every facu,tv
we possess leads MS to His feet, There i,
no real banpno,s apart from that which
comnrebends His love and finds its al.
preme good nv a steadfast 1eyotednpss ia
the nrecents Of His law rnfo-t",rteIv,
there are men and women who hook upon
religion as means 10 conciliate the divine
nower which tbrough ain thev have of.
Tended They IMAGINE il r'aces them in a
conc;liatorv attitude with Deity and tha.
bv its medium tbev will Obtain in the fu
ture some ;ndefn,ble reward forgettipo
that rcl;,;on Ia n lie n state which calls
into oneration all the spiritual rotentiaH
ties ~ the;r olorious nature and Though
temntat;on sorrow and snffsrinr crowns
tben, AZ Last with victory over the word
and seli
Thus we ncrce;ve that Christ came anon
the earth 70 save sinners. giving tb.p .
power Of endless life ReyeaIi,g the char
actar of Cod He made II nossih,e for men
to conform 10 that nerf,ct original, Ir
His Gosnel He laws down a code OF morals
so sublime tnat II we would absorb ther
into Thought and action we should fulfil