The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1903-03-05
A Sermon.

Delivered in the First Presbyterian Church.
March /, 19o3 by the Rev. Will Stuart Wilson,
q Pastor, from 1st Corinthians 9:16.
Probably in no character was there COM
bined loyalty to his master and q perfectly
consistent independency of characta ar that we
find exampled in the Apostle Paul. Paul was
| absolutely fearless where Paul was concerned
and as absolutely subservient in his relation to
| the Christ Paul was at once the free man.
in Jesus Christ and the 'slave" of Jesus
Christ. Fidelity marked his life and fidelity
crowned his death.
Paul's orthodoxy had been called in questio n
Nay, his very apostalate challenged by them
that did ''examine" him. Heterodoxy has ever
been upon the lips of an alarmed, entrenched
bigotry since the world began. A cheap cry
hurled against Paul's Master when the naughty
Pharsee accused him Of blasphemey as he ran
counter to the prevalent theologic dictum of
his day. The best men OF all time since have
met it in their Christian work, induced by the
petty envyngS Of confessedly smaller mind
''LittlenesS'' has ever been jealous of great
ness and has not lacked the barbed arrow OF
medaclOuS malice to wound.
There have been theologieS without number;
confessions lad nfnitum''; articles and creeds
innumerable; modes of baptism many; Shbo-
leths galore. These have their place and day
but as they emanate from man they partake
too often OF his humanity rather than Gods
ulVHlly. lney nave Lnelr place, DQt It Is well
TO remember ever that though diverted as
they supposedly are, from Holy Writ. yet the
"deriver in each case is very human ndvid-
ual and from his humanity liable to err. Never
should the confessng OF man receive greater
emphasis than the revealed word of Cod never
should humanity cloud Divinity. y
Man grows in knowledge and in grace, or
man stands STILL What yesterday held invlol-
| ate today may possibly reject and tomorrow
materially mat y alter The nth century could not
bind the 18th: neither could the 18th bind the
generations that followed it enthusiastically or
otherwise.
Politically we deem it most unwise that one
generation should cucumber succeeding ones
with the debris of their waste. Within the
| lgOus realm this axiom is of equal weight.
| Education and scientific research.with seven
! league" boots encaSed, are advancing with
giant strides Scholarship was never more
| assiduous or more universal in its scope and
| following. Both are flooding revelations story
with the brilliance Of their new found light.
Through both is God revealing himself as never
| in the past. 1.-The heaveus declare His glory,
and the tirmiment showeth His handiwork,
| yet never was God writ so large and legibly in
nature IS wide domain as now and in the pres
| ent seen. We would be blind indeed if we
reject so great and GOd-given Illumination. = *
Tradition is possessed Of many valued things
| and it possesses the valuelesS as well. what
was good enough for the Fathers is the cry OF
| the reactionlst and the demagOgue. At times
| The Fathers have indulged in sour grapes
and the childrens teeth have been set on
| edge Custom has sometimes raised q barring
| hand against the message OF an heaven sent
The Ephesian had his custom and great was
| Dianna Of the Ephesians" within the Ephesian
mind. The 10th century differs not in this from
| that OF the 1st. If seeming difference there is
| it is one OF degree and not one OF kind The
| cOlOred brother on the plantation in the pamy
days before the war Is case in point. Ills
master hearing of his fame as spiritual leader
of his kind, sought him out and besought him
earnestly, in his eXhOrtatiOns to remember and
bear down with especial weight upon the sin
| Of stealing. Zebulon hemmed and Zebuon
| hawed and Zebulon hung his woody head Fin
nj " 10 Cai | ms n
wampth in that subject" .
Messages are indivdualstic rather than full
orbed The old time prophets had their ind-
vidual message. Amos came toa guilty nation,
| Isiah to a captive one. John preached repent
ance for the kingdom of heaven was at hand.
The Christ offered salvation as only the Son of
God could and the Savior of the world. Paul
carried that Masters message against which
neither the gates of hell "could avail nor power
Today this message is as powerful and as
i needed as in any past age. Woe to any
man who has been honored with il if he preach
| not that message in all its purity and grace.
| Men eagerly desire it and are earnestly seek
| ing it. They come to the house of God, cray-
ing its healing power, and Woe to the anbas-
| sador of Him who fails them in their need.
A seeks relief within the sanctuary from
the temptations and stings of sin, incident to n
busy and care- filled life. Too often instead of
pure religion and undefled, he is fed ironically
with some theological treatise upon Higher
Criticism y or "Deutero Isaiah. or particu
lar mode of Baptism or Sectarian pedigree.
He comes simply asking for bread and is given
these stones in reply. He wants help and re-
ceives 'hot air. A fra woman comes, wear
led with household cares and work that runs
from ''Sun to sun monotoniouS in continuity
She sinks wearly into her seat and sighs for
rest. She too, is nauseated with this doubt
engendering bullion fare. young mar
comes deiled with sin, yet loathing its hideous
incipiency. in the full blush of adherence ere
he has learned to endure or to embrace Dhe
loathed thing The ''huSkS'' have turned his
stomach and with longing he turns to the
Fathers home. In his isolation and durance
vile, he has turned with yearnng unutterable
for the Fathers love and care. oh for the
purity and shelter OF childhood's hour is the
cry of his breaking heart Some where he has
read that "casting all your care upon Him yot
may in the absolute assurance that He Garrett
for you He comes and woe be to tina
elder brother who in this fatuttous manner
stands between the ''prodigal' and his Lord.
Better for him in truth that milestone were
hanged about his neck and that he were cas-
into the deepest sea- AS well, some fine morn
ing when we seek the breakfast board, nigh
the wives OF our bosom. regale US with SOME
beautifully theoretic discourse upon hygenie
instead OF the rolls and fragrant coffee whicf
the 'Old Adam is demanding and in no uuccr
tain tone of voice. The theory may be per
fectly charming, and the wise a wise the
same, yet the rolls and coffee are apt to re
ceve the preference. TO have u sane mint
one OF old has held that "a necessary concom
mitant is a sane body. !" " Y
Nav God grant that amid the ''Temptation
dire, mid wreck and wrath, we may be true Il
the banner of christian faith"
May this message of Pauls and this spirit o
Paul's animate both the message and the mes
senger of today. Woe to him if he preac
T. not the gospel of Jesus Christ for 1t Is th
power of God unto salvation in the goth cen
tury as well as in the lst.