The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-10-30

L
! OF Inspiration than John Wesley. How s
! IL with Methodiam to-day We win make
the question bigger How Is 10 with the
church of Christ to-day! What is our an.
swer 90 bcf To-day I notice. or seem 20
notice, two tendencies at work IN the
world By the world / mean the world
as you and ! know 1.-THE English speak
ing world One tendency the new, eager
| and ever wistlul doubt IN Jesus Christ,
the Christ that was; on the other hand.
disposition TO question the Gospel of Jesus
and suggest that even He Himself nigh.
have been wrong.
On this side of the water IS q well-Huown
writer, DR.. Sheldon, who has Giyeu MS IA
book which has been sold on my -ue on
the water, entitled. "What " ould Jesus
! DoW / have known many men in Lon
don who would OF enter a church nor
read a religious hook but were drawn TO
this work. not because it was ceyeriy
written, but on account of the words on
the title page, What Would Jesus DoF'
/ have heard Christ cheered In q working
mems meeting because He was referred
TO as the first great Socialist also re-
| terred TO az an example in economies.
In our literature of to-day there is visit
/ fail emphasis laid uron the meaning Of
1 Christ. But admiration for Jesus stands
/ higher than mere alteration. ut admira-
ton is not alteration Men might say all
/ these about the Christ and yet misjudge
/ what the Christ meant to bring to the
/ hearts OF men. Men are questioning the
/ assurance of the love OF God. Where shall
/ we look for certaint' ii not to Jesus?
] There is An optimism in ALeric1n char
acter which tends toward contentmeus
! with this present world. / have re-
/ marked it in my travels from east to west
/ A readiness to take things as they come
and be satisfied with them.
In this assembly as large IS it is, n holt
/ day assembly, too, there are undoubtedly
men who have some great sorrow and
there are times when MANY of us have felt
some great sorrow. / have found here and
! there we come across silent men, who
! have been beaten in the battle Of lie, and
who have no part in this general optimism.
The world as God has made it is one of
beauty. This morning, for example, the
sun is shining around US everywhere; we
are clad to meet its beams; the very
| brightness affects our spirit, and helps us
| to look forward with hope into the future.
But do you realize that there is a tragedy
under every green leaf? Hear the waves
breaking upon the seashore Do you reat
ize that the smiling sea surrounding US
yesterday stranged some mothers son?
Here are we meeting in brightness and
gladness Do you realize that the same
sun shining upon us is taking the life Of
some one in some part Of this continent
to-day?
Have you never felt, brethren, some
time that you could improve on life if you
had the power that is in tho hands Of
God?
ooh, love could you and with Him con-
sprc.
To grasp this sorry scheme Of things en-
tire;
Would not we shatter it to bts-and then
Re-mold it nearer to the hearts desire"
1t is because Of this mood that | have
found in America and England that people
have asked the question, How shall we be
sure of God? Where is spiritual certain
? ty? One man once said to me, III you
were master of the community, l think
} wish me harm. Can't you make me sure
= of the love of God. Oh, make me sure of
, the victory of Christi
, Now, brethren. listen to me: first of all,
= clear the ground by this reflection, that
the only real communion. the only spirit
ual experience that is worth having is not
! that which can be set forth in terms of
mind: it is not that which can he demon
strated by figures, and you will have to
begin where they dd-in the upper room
f A man must find Christ for himself. Your
2 soul should be the reflection of the mind
: of the Master The only real communion,
l even here, is that which cannot be demon
: strated.
For example, suppose the bishop, here
r was called to his reward, and while ] am
: speaking to you some one should say, He
D is gone" But all that you can now see
e his venerable body, would still be here, and
= yet you would say, He is gone Yes, il
e would be his soul that had gone to make
t perfect the union with Christ
Brethren, take the Christ out OF nv
e spiritual armament and TIE world would
o be dark and cold to me. There never was
e a time when the worlds people were in
g such demand of Christ as today. No
!. never! II you could take the Christ out
c OF history, if you could suppose the WORLD
/ to be as it is men would still be asking fol-
some one to save them, and the conquer
8 ing love would be cravede for by them
n even if they did not know it.
S Now, brethren, let us 60 back to the
0 Christ by all means, but let it be tht
|. Christ of experience, not simply the Chris
= OF history. Christ went away to come
= nearer. He went to His own and He never
?, left them.
y 1t is by no means Gods purpose that an!
II man should remain in the house Of mourn
4 ing. On the throne Of the universe sit
It one with the heart of a child. No strau
e ger cries but whose voice is heard by thu
e One whom Paul preached. whom Johf
o loved the same who in the far off DAYS o
', Galilee walked upon the hillsides doin
T good. He is on the throne now
u Mr.. Moody once told storv in ENGLAND
n concerning the first evangelical mission
N there. He was asked to call upon 200
'e man in Dundee who had been bedridder
'e for a long time. Mr. Moody went to talk
II blessing but instead got one. The mai
d had been standing under me blessing 0
'ee Calvary; it was no shock to him to be toll
u that the world seemed to he upside down
O. and the man. would have he'd poor tim
IS Of it if thew had spoken TO him Of his sui
$, ferings When Mr. Moody left the cham