The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-09-04
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"poWER OF RELIGION"
A Remarkably strong Deiiverance on the
subject OF the Moral and intellectual
Force of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Gives
al Ideal. and an Incentive To Reach lt.

q
city, preached strong sermon on lhe
Moral and Intellectual Power ot Religion:
The text was chosen from Mathew V: ~;
BE We therefore perfect even as your
Father. which is IN heaven Is perieet.
Mr.. Knott sand;
sum and substance of Christianity. In
other words, we mud II 10 be the very
heart OF the Gospel Its divine precepts
transcending IN moral grandeur the iott!est
conceptions ever thought or spoken oy
mortal man. Great souls ahame with the
sacred fire OF inspiration have hut mir
rored the shadows OF the tremendous reai-
titles of the future. and tnc mind OF genius
searching Tor truth apart IRON revelation
\ has failed 10 discover the meaning ana TIE
end of lie Here we have 4 command nj
tered by One who gave 20 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 10 face with :he posslbll-
ity OF attainment through the law and the
spirit hid in Calvary's cross. BY Initiating
the example of holy self-sacrihce we shall
grow into that glorious perfection OF the
Father manifested IN His only begotten
Son.
] do not wish you 10 misunderstood the
inference just quoted. Man shall never at
tain the absolute perfection OF God tor
Creator and the created In being, Tor
mans immortality had starting point
while God has even been IN an eternity ot
time. In space, man subject TO localiza'
tor. here or there-the infinite Father ON
nipresent, everywhere. In power man
creature of environment circumscrIbed by
laws whether natural or spiritual. free. vet
not free a mysterious para .oN, his soul the
battle ground 'twixt wills ..uman and dl'
vine; while God Is the source OF creation,
| the Alpha aud Omega of all things IN hsav-
en- and earth even holding in His almighty
| hand the first link of that wondrous cham
OF causation.
God is perfection: All His love and
| mighty attributes blended together IN one
| harmonious whole. Interchangeable in WIS
| dom. justice and truth. Man, faller, per-
verted. possessing no natural worth, bear
! ing always the curse OF sin, a subtle tend.
ency to thwart right. that supreme law of
! spiritual life BY nature prone 10 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 rehg-
! ION and obedience 10 its commands he cap
! relatively climb undreamed heights OF spir-
itual manhood and by the evolution OF hls
immortal soul in Christ win that glorious
| crown of destiny which the heavenly Faith.
| er has willed all born OF woman should
! through obedience acquire perfection. Thus
we derive the full meaning OF the text;
wonderful in it's Implication, giving us the
| assurance of success; divine in its COM
| mand. disclosing the possibilities OF our
| nature that we as Christians have divin-
! ity stirring within US the source OF glor-
| ious power to press toward the mark for
! the prize" life complete in its fulhllment
| of that end which God intended 1t to at
| tain, to be perfect IN obedience to the SUI
preme law of its existence, even as Its
/ Creator is perfect.
| Without religion a man can never real
| izc the possibilities OF his spiritual nature.
! With a natural tendency toward the pass
| ing, the finite and the changeab!e, he needs
| an influence 10 call him to a sense OF the
! internal and infinite Many people take
superficial view OF Christianity and never
| really understand what blessings it con-
( fers. Man was not created to be the play
= thing of the Almighty, but for purpose
TO be son, worthy to stand before his
Fathers face and to live with Him IN low
1 ing communion.
You arc all familiar with the story OF
| Adams dreadful fall into dsobedience 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. 10
enable us TO regain much OF that pristine
! state Christ came into the world, lived,
suffered, died and made 1t possible for rs,
. by making known its glorles IN HIS own
perfect lie, to once more become the sons
and daughters of God. Religion leads us
back from worldliness TO self-recollection
and gives to souls feyered with sordid de.
sires a quickenlng principe OF higher and
! nobler life; inspiring intellect with truth;
and the heart with a pure and exalted
3 love. 1t anlmates conscience with SUI
preme sense OF duty and places thought IN
luXtaposition with the will OF COD, clothing
every aspiration with purifying virtue,
thus leading all the faculties OF our being
upward and onward toward perfection.
I The immortal longings OF the soul can
only be satisfied by God. Every faculty
we possess leads US to His feet. There Is
no real happiness apart from that which
comprehends His love and finds its su-
preme good by steadfast devotedness to
the precepts OF His law. Unfortunately,
} there are men and women who look upon
religion as a means to concliate the divine
power, which through SIN they have OF
Tended They imagine 1t places them IN a
: conciliatory attitude with Deity, and that
! bv its medium they will obtain IN the tu-
ture some indetnable reward, forgetting
I that religion IL a life. state, which calls
into operation all the spiritual potentIah-
ties OF their glorious nature and through
| temptation, sorrow and suffering crowns
them at last with victory over the world
! and self
Thus we perceive that Christ came upon
. the earth to save sinners, giving them a
acter Of God, He made 1t possible for men
to conform to that perfect original. In
/ His Gospel He lays town code OF morals,
so sublime. tnat ii We would absorb them
! into thought and action we should fulhll
I while here oIA destiny. Religions blessing
is the supreme good for every man TO at
| tain. IL Is not an emotion, or mercy be-
I lief it IL a vltazng energy IN the depths
/ OF the human soul subduing 10 God all the
| powers OF being incarnatIng IN the heart
/ a consciousness of a magnificent future,
/ quickening the intellect, conscience, atec-
/ tions and viii into vigorous and holy ac.
tion. inspiring the mind with profound
love OF truth and flooding the soul with
! peace which the crash OF worlds could not
I disturb Religion, then, IL a necessity oi
lite Without Il existence u delusiOn,
shadow, lacking substance and meaning.
TO grow into the stature and fulness OF
! Christ in other words, TO become a Christ
| man u the design for which We are en-
dowed with certain faculties. Man - pre-
eminentiy a moral being. Tins - his nature
/ and the path OF bis lite winds toward the
. perfection OF ,nose qualities which constr
tute the essence Of his spiritual life. HIS
true happiness consists IN bringing himself
into relation, into union with God. God
. - holy. the source OF all perfection IN
the heart OF man He has placed a deep and
I abiding consciousness OF right and wrong.
/ ~ every turn duty conironts MN; on one
/ side lies goodness. on the other evil, with
an inward voice ever commanding with d.
| vine authority 10 discriminate between
! them. urging the choice OF that which -
I lawful and protesting against sin, every
/ though. and action being approved or -oh-
demne1 by this inward monitor. There u
49,. a