The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-06-03
SECRET OF CHRISTIANITY
Snna1y Sermon BY Rev. DR.. Lyman
Abbott.
ruf Fine Wind ows AMI Music, But Making
the Wo-l1 Wiser ard Bet er-A
Christians Duty.


OF Christianity He tool, for his text
luke ii: il: "Unto you is horn, this !ay,
IN the city OF David. a Saviour, which -
Christ the Lord" and said
In the Anglo-SaXon version OF the New
Testament the word Saviour" Is rem.
dcred for the Anglo.Saxon word 'helper"
You know also that the word Christ -
uot proper name. bur a title equVa 'ens
su The Messiah'--the Lord
Every great movement has at the heart
of 1t some secret. which if we can discover
ut. viii disclose to Us tho secret OF that
great movement, What is the secret at
the heart OF Christianity, which has made
at the great power that it isy In asking
Won TO consider this question You will un.
derstand, of course, that l am not under.
taking in half an hour to answer the entire
question; | am only going to try in that
half hour TO Indicate the essence OF Chris.
tianitv-thc secret OF its vitality The
"a vecul'ar peonle.' Among other things
IN the; That their f,ces were turned TO.
warl the future. All other nations lool;
backward for their golden age but these
"pecuiiar peop,c' looked forward for theirs
They believed that time was coming
when there would be peace instead CT war
AMI Tor themselves prosperity Instead OF
universal poverty. They believed that this
great time would come through their own
nation and that Jerusalem would become
the hoiv city and the mistress OF the world
and their prophets even pointed forward
10 this. divine consolation. and they indl'
called that it wodld come through some de.
ttvcrr-. Sometimes they regarded the ma.
tion Itself as that deliverer; sometimes a
succession of prophets. sometimes single
prophet: sometimes a single man. as king
SIT UrInce, rs 4 teacher as a priest, as
NAV OF Sorrows. and acquainted with
grief However different or ncongruOus
fraNpxiataf,f 4i,p.a frpplt1ztas u,tgrl,f lp
they oointed the minds OF the people for
ward 20 great delivery and delivered So
the shepherds perfectly well understood
the angels when they said "The deiycrer
has come: the helner is here. You will find
Him Graded in the manger." When jesus
bevsN His ministry His first sermon. of
which we have \ record was preached in
the synagogue at Nazareth. He went into
1he synagogue. roll was open before Him
and He read one Of the prophecies of the
grpat dciverer who was coming and then
SAID: This dav Is this Scrinture fulfilled in
your nnrs 7 have coWe. ! an that deliv-
erer." Having begun His ministry in this
way He went ont to he helper aud fed
Vhs hungry, taught the ignorant and healed
The sick and di-nensed the gospel Of hope.
Once John the Baptist, nerpleved to know
II this was the Messiah, for things went on
much the same and no great thing seemed
TO be accomplished. sent Him a message
s.tving. art Thou the Messiah:" and
christ Said to the messengers, wait here.
sec what you will see. and then 70 and tell
your master" The waited and saw. and
rhen Christ tod them: go your way and
tell John what things We have seen and
heard how that the blind see, the lame
'SEaEs. the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear.
.she dead are raised, to The poor the gospel
rs preached"
No man can undertake to help his fellow
men really sincerely. on a large scale. with.
on. coming in contact with men who do
no. want the help. those who are making
ssoraPthing out of the misfortunes of their
Fellow men. Christ came in contact with
such. and thcv leagued themselves together
70 DESTROY Him. He was arrested and
brought before tine Jewish tribunal and
ssked, :. Are iou the Messiah?" And un-
Sier solemn oath He said. 81 am" PLATE
gaid; Are You king. He. said. "I am"
To both the Jewish tribunal and the Ro-
Tnan, He said, II am and for that He was
condemned TO die and for it He died.
When He died the hopes of His disciples
dissipated. They said 1--WE thought He
was TO be the great deliverer, but evidently
He was not" Rumors Of His ascension be.
Fan TO circulate, and. little by little they
- AZ. He is the deliverer, after all" II you
win turn to the Bool; of Acts and read one
OF The sermons there YOU will see that was
xhe burden Of all the apostolic ministry
No new Theology. ethic or law. Their mes.
sagcs were all the same: "The deliverer is
Somro.. lie is here; the de!iverance has be.
gun"
Tn the first century rule was by absolute
dcspDtism Gradually government has been
transformed, until now it is completely es.
tablished. and there ia no government il
Europe west OF Russia that does not nj
ieast recognize the fact that government i.
hot ior ne government, but for the gov
Srned. All industry was servile. Half the
homan population were saves. aud the
other hall We're on the edge Of f,rnine and
Gnly kept alive by the largess Of others
W hcreyer Christianity has gone the chain
nas dropped from tho slave and labor has
bern emAnclpated. There were no schools
IN Rome and none among the Jews. except
rhnse connected with the synaroyie but
wherever Christianity has gone il h,s %.
1aOhshed schooS and wealth has been dif.
fused among the people This i called an
age oi concentrated wealth That is not so
lhcrr never WIS an age, and that j. espe.
ctaly true Of America when wealth was
mon distributed. There ere CHARITIES
everywhere. The chprrh has also changed
Sns conception Of punishment so thet lt,r.
!shmcnt has become reiormatory. The Oh.
Iert OF the old pagan religion was rot 10
neln man u was 20 apuea-p tho wrath Of
,iod or 10 nur'hase the favor of n corrupti.
ole No'. Chr7tianItv has altered n, That
church
81 hrist Is engaged lu the w1rl; OF lifting
tHe burdens oi men, in Inspiring them with
SUuTayt and nob.er pur0o.es. Christiarity
"a not n mere sum OF doctrines. a new
Irethod oi worshl" or a new law OF morals
~ " = Trcat historical movement
Esowing down through the centuries with /
ert= widening and doerening current bicss
an" every land IL has touched and CARRYING
win II some measure OF helpiulncss. Chris
ti,n,ty has done. throu,h Tho centuries.
Nrat hfist .i1 M those four shor. Years
Il he' helped the he,p'oss. feJ The hnngrv
gAnght the ignorant given cour,ge =, The
'desnairing and Brought sad tidinrs To tho
DON. The secret of Christianity the, !. ii
reipiilness. TNis It is that distiD,,,,.bcs
'tne theo ogy of the Christian rrliyion ir,,,
The theo ogy Of all other religion. H. t,s,
new do@trine respecting Gol-not a1so'u,e.
~ -: but still new co1trastcd wih the
'teachings oi other rc,igiOns. Fveryvacre
~ the globe men believe in the nd M
Sod and m tho n,yyer Of God The di,
eiurtfrn between the jewish re,igion and
Pacani4n was not that one called God
-s,hsyah and the other Baal II was th7t
~0Ft vo-lhicCd Justice an tl.a other
sowrr. me rnr-ssge OF the Iag1n re,ili0u
ems OF m omnipotent power baa, Of tho
affairs Of nature and life. The message Of
8udalsm was that God is q righteous God
and demands Righteousness OF His children
still we need 10 understand thar God OK
poets righteousness from Us, and nothing
-ess VIII satisfy Him. In later .fudaism
the-e cane the greater message No longer
yod as a powerful. Just God. bur God az a
,soh who viii helm yon 10 be righteous.
hhc message OF the later nrophpt was
ineTcy. hercy. go barlS 10 Homer. Conu.
cirs Seneca. Marcus Aurelius: do YOU find
u 'sreF No. Some time ago made that