Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-04-16
DOING THE WILL OF GOD"
Sunday Sermon By tie Rev. John
Erskine Adams.
Explains the Profound Purpose Which AMI
mated the Life and Labors of our Lord
Dangers OF Spirit of Materialism.

oou was lllc VI lhS
preached Sunday morning by the Rev.
John Erskine Adams, pastor Of the Ross
Street Presbyterian Church. He took as
his text John A: 81. My meat is to do
the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish
His work" Mr.. Adams said
These words express the profound pur..,
pose which animated the life and labors OF
our Lord. lie has been engaged in that
wonderful conversation with the sinful
folded truths which have in part at least,
been kept up to this hour even from, His
faithful followers. Things which had been
hidden from the wise and prudent are re-
vealed unto babes. Some Of the most won-
derful truths that Jesus uttered were to
sinners; some of the most gracious prom
iscs to those who, like Himself, were de-
spised and rejected of men. 70 this out
cast woman whose life was branded with
shame, He not only reveals His willingness
to impart the gift of God, the living water,
springing up into everlasting life" but He,
reveals to her His divine nature and Mes
sianic character. 81 that speak unto thee
am IIe."
The woman has gone from His presence
with new hope in her seart and a new
light upon her face, am. the disciples APP
tor the fast, like the way, has been long,
and they offer Him meat. He replies: 81
have meat to eat that We know not Of; My
meat is to do the will OF Him that sent Me
and to finish His work. Again does our
Lord declare that man shall not live by
bread alone. There is a deeper satisfac-
ton than that which comes from gratfi-
cation of the carnal nature; the satistac-
ton of outreach toward lost souls; men
and women in famine, hayward children
of the Father, and in that outreach doing
the Fathers will, who desires that not
one, of these little ones shall perish. That
philosophy, which proved too profound for
those disciples Is, we fear, Just as incom.
prchensible to the commercial and mater
ialistic spirit Of this latter age The ques.
ton: What shall we eat and what shall we
drink! Is more impcrious to-day than ever.
Epcurus has his disciples still, and Mann
titudes bow. To cat, drink and he merry,
that is the worlds definition of life.
L have said that the words of the text
express the purpose of Christ's life. They
are the motive Of all His dceds the norm
by which His every action is Judged. "Iu
the volume of the book it is written of Me:
10! l come to do Thy will, O, My God"
The will of the Father was the actuatng
power OF Ills incarnation. He knew no
other lmpclling force. 1t was this which
turned His face toward Jerusalem for Iii;
final trial and triumph it was this which
gave to Him the victory in the garden oil
Gethscmane. and enabled Him to put the
cup to His lips and drain it to the drcgs
in its glow all lesser lights palcd; to its an.
thorlty all His powers were brought sub.
Ject, and through Its power all temptations
were beaten down, all personal ambitions
were destroyed. earthly distinctions and
to the Father pressed upon Him when only
a boy of twelve years, and dcepcned in IIii
consciousness till it became the ovcrmas!
tering impulse OF His life Responsibility
to Almighty God was Wcbster's definition
of the proioundcst thought that could
come to man, the Fathers business
was the supreme business OF Jesus life:
lie knew no other mission or message
And we are speaking truly when we say
that it was this supreme purpose which
gave power and dignity to. our Saviour'4
character and work. Without it. His life
however beautiful, would have been at best
an aimlcss one. Without that purpose Of
doing the Fathers viii and manifesting
His glory there would have been no cohcr
cncc to Christ deeds or teachings, but in
the will OF God we find all that He was
will was His meat and His drink
Now what was true of Christ is in lkd
measure true OF every one of u. What
purpose was and gave to the life of our
Lord, 1t must be and give to us We car
no more live lives OF strength without tho
deep impulses of noble purpose stirring
within them, than can the vessel reach
her destined haven without the compass!
or the pole star. Behind all things are the
infinite purposes, Tcnnyson gives us tht
thought:
yet | doubt not thro' the ages one in
creasng purpose runs,
And the thoughts of men are widened
with the process of the suns"
God takes no delight in chaos or confu
sion. His works are ordered according I'd
u divine purpose. Not only His works Of
creation, which move in the harmony OF j
perfect plan, but those OF redemption and
grace. st. Paul asserts that His manifold
wisdom is declared according to the ter
nal purpose which He purposed in Christ
Jesus our Lord" And ii God manife>tl
His glory IN the accomplishment OF IIii
purpose IN nature and IN grace, and il
Christ's lie was lived IN the light OF a no
Bile purpose, how essential is 1t for us to
move onward III accordance with well de-
fined plans, under the inspiration. aye
compuIson OF some aim in life, that shall
give TO life detinitencss and Conference.
Saint Bernard had over his study table
In illuminated letters these words: Der
made, ad Qalid venisti?' Bernard, why are
routine tasks OF his lie. These were de-
termined for him. But it was: What il
the animatlng purpose of your life? What
IL the meaning of your existence Is
every pleasure and every task made sub
servlent to the one purpose; the one SUI
premc motive OF Your being? Amiel in his
journal records, Life is a mass OF begin
nings and endings.' We have all cXpe;
rienced his meaning. We have begun I'd
build, but did not finish. We have laid our
plans and found them broken in upon and
destroyed; We have SKINNED over the sur.
face OF things, but not gotten at their hid
den meaning. And if we ask the reason il
is evident. We have failed because no
presiding purpose has woven the tangled
skein into harmony and beauty. We have
been dallying with purpose, we have been
half willing, we have been hanging forever
in the BALANCE, and so we have been losing
our grip on life.
As a man purposeth in his heart so il
he. The difference between aimlessnes:
and decision is the difference between tho
stagnant pool, lying motionless, thick and
Shiny, breathing malaria and breeding
venom, and the cataract, which ruShes on
ward, living, moving, plunging thing
something destructive in its energy, but
thing of beauty because thing of life
Better an ignoble purpose even" says Dr.
Pierson, than none at ALL" Better to be
a Saul of Tarsus, breathing out threaten
ings and slaughter, but breathing, than
such n man as Robert Dale Owen, who CON
fesses: Il committed one fatal error in my
youth, and dearly have / bewailed it; I
started in life without an object, even
without an ambition. My temperament
disposed me to case, and to the full in
dulged the disposition. l said to myself:
/ have all that see Others contending for
why should | struggle! know not the
curse that lights on those who have never
to struggle for anything. Had l created for
myself definite pursuit--literary, sccn-
tifc, artistic, social, political, no matter
what, so there was something to labor for
and to overcome-I might have been happy.
I feel this now--too late. The power is
gone Habits have become chains Through
all the proftless years gone by. | seek vainf
" for something to remember with pride