Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-09-05
POWER OF RELIGION"
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By Rev.
Henry Knott.
Remarkably Strong Deliverauce on the Sub.
jeet Of the Moral and Intellectual
Force Of Christianity.


rector OF -. Peters =. f. Church in this
riiy, prca "hcd stro.g sermon on The
Moral aud Intellectual Power OF Religion.
The tex; was chosen from Matt new Y: IS:
BE We therefore Perfect even as vour
Father. which is in heaven is perfect.
Mr.. Knott said:
The Sermon on the Nloant contains the
sum and substance OF Christianity. In
other words we End il to hc the very
heart Of the Gosne.: its divine precepts
transcerding III mo- \. grandeur the ,ottiest
Concent'cns eve" thought or spoken by
morta. ran. G-caJ soiis aiiams with the
sa"red "rc 81 i">p'rai oI hive but MR.
rarcd H." shadows oi the tremendous real
ties Of the future and the mind of genius
searching for 'rIth apart from revelation
has failed to discover the meaning and the
end nt lie. Her" we have a command ut
tered by One who "avc ~ humanity the
rev to ncrfeeto~ The Christ has drawn
the vci' aside al disclosed the way. the
tru.h 'he Vic Bv rerca'inc the character
ri Cod ho'.re>S radiant with lovc-we
Pre- brought face To lace with he possibi
ity Of attaiaro"t through the law and the
Shirt hid N Ca'~lrv's cross. Rv initiating
the example of hoy self-sacri.ice we sha.
grow into that g.orious periection OF the
Father manifested il His only begotten
Son.
do rot wish vop to r,isurderstand the
tain the absolute perfection ri God. for
there is an imnassab,e gulf between the
Creator and the created. In being. for
mars immortality had a starting pont
while God has even been in an eternity of
time. In space. man subject to locaiZa-
ton. here or therc-the infinite Father ON.
nipresent. everywhere. In power man
creature of environment circumscrihed by
laws whether natural or spiritual. free. yet
not free. mysterious PARADOX. his soul the
battle ground 'twixt wills ,.uman and di
vine: while Cod is the source of creation,
the Anna and OMEGA os all things in heav.
on aud earth. e~er 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. rrcha" geab'e in wis.
dom. justice and truth. Man. fallen, per-
verted. possessing TO 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 to evil. cor
supted. 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 rclig-
son and obedience TO its commands he can
relatively climb undreamed heights of spir-
itual manhood, and by the evolution of his
immortal soul in Christ win that glorious
err has willed all born of woman should
through obedience acquire perfection. Thus
we derive the full reaning of the text:
wonderful in its 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 il ITS fuiiillment
OF that end which God intended it to at.
tain. TO be perfect in obedience to the SILL
preme law of its existence, even as its
Creator is perfect.
Without religion man can never real
ize the possibilities of his spiritual nature
With a natural tendency toward the pass
ing. the finite and the changeable. he needs
an influence to call him to a sense of the
internal and infinite. Many people take a
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 he son, worthy to stand before his
Fathers face and TO live with Him in low
inc communion.
You are all familiar with the story OF
Adams dreadful fall into disobedience and
sin. Through the marvellous faculties oil
the soul many Christian men hare, at one
time or another. exnerienced a momenta"v
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 it possible for w.
by making known its glories in His own
perfect life. to once more hecome the sons
and daughters Of God. Relirion leads III
back from worldliress 10 seif-rccoliertion
and gives to souls fsvered with sor.iid de.
sires n onckenino rrincip,e OF a higher and
nohler life: inspiring intellect with truth.
and the heart with a rure and exalted
nreme sense OF duty and places Thought in
juxtapositior with the will OF Cod. cofhins
every asniration with n purifying virtue.
thus leading ali tn" faculties of our being
upward and onward toward perfection.
The immortal loncirgs OF the soul can
only be satisfied by God. Everv faculty
we possess leads us to His feet. There is
no real happiness apart from tha. which
comprehends His love and fnds its 81
preme good by stead.as. devotehneSS to
the p-ecepts OF His la Unfortunately.
There are men and womea who look mon
religion as a means Ia corci';ate IL" divine
nower. which through sin they have OF
fendca. They IMAGINE i plrccs than ), =
conciii:torv attitude with Deity. and THAT
bv its medium they viii obtain in tho fu-
tire som" irdeinnh.e reward. fo~-ettir:
that religion is lie. a state. which "a'z
into ooeration n. the cpiritual rotcnt;a''
ties OF their glorious nature aud throIGh
temptation. SORROW ana Suntilf" crowns
them AZ las; with victory over the world
and self.
Thus we perceive that Christ came upon
the earth 20 save sinners. giving then
power oi endless life. ReveaIin~ the char
acter OF God. He made it possible fl" men
To CONFORM TO that peTfec: original, In
His Gospel He laws down a code of mora.s
so sublime. that ii We would absorb them
into thought and action we should fulfill
while here orr destiny. Religions Blessing
Is the S;irrcne good for every man 10 at.
tain. II Is rat m emotion. or mercy he
lief. ii is n vitaiizinC energy in I'll" de';'hs
al the hIman soul. Srhhuine tn God al tho
powers nj being, ."carna'irc in tic heart
a consciousness - magnificent future,
ouickening the inte,'ect. conscience. atfcc
iioas and viii into vigorous aud HOY ac
ton i-sniring the mind win a rrofornd
loye al truth and flooding tic eoal with
r"ace which ~" crash OF words could not
disturb Religion. then. is necessity oi
life Without il existence il a dclusinn, a
shaAow. lacking substance and raea"irg.
To grow into the stature and fulr"ss of
Chris: in other words to become Christ.
rran. is the design :or which we are en-
Gowed with certain faculties. Man l. nre-
sm;nerty a moral being. This is his NJ .nre
and the path of his life winds toward the
perfe.rion or those quantities winch consti-