Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-10-08
NEW SERIES--VOL. XXI. No ~

Ihee:~ tn Tie The 'ist time, gr;svsd because OF
ton a ne on1 d tIs Th deep
Thou knowest that love Thee When
was given=to this fisherman the grand
promise. "Ye are of Christ" And the an
swer OF Christ was, If I will that We
strive and achieve and he stand and wait
what is that to thee, follow thou Ne"
These two men, not long since rivals, came
together to witness for the Master. Peter
does the talking and John is silent Both
ri are prepared to suffer in the name of Jesus
Christ OF .azareth.
The grand certainty in the heart of
every one of these men was that thev had
| passed from death unto life. through being
| made capable of loving. And they were
capable of loving because they loved the
| brethren; Now, brethren, in every age.
same thing has held true. The ground Of
J Christian certainty has been-throueh the
love OF God. There is no other ground Of
certainty to-day.
And the witness of the spirit is seen in
! nothing more than this: that those who
are the sons OF God show it in their de-
meanor.
The love of Jesus, what it is, none but
His loved ones know, and your American
Whittier, writing yesterday, as it were,
says for US this morning: Immortal love
forever: full forever, flowing free.''
:, But, brethren, John Wesley was one of
the greatest preachers the world has ever
known; the greatest preacher Of the cross
man fuller of love for the Master. fuller
of inspiration than John Wesley. How is
it with Methodism to-day? We will make
the question bigger. How is it with the
church Of Christ to-day? What is our an
swer to be: To-day l notice, or seem to
world. By the world mean the world
as you and I know 1.-THE English speak
ing, world. One tendency the new. eager
and ever wistful doubt in Jesus Christ,
the Christ that was: on the other hand,
and suggest that even He Himself might
have been wrong.
On this side of the water is weli-known
writer, DR.. Sheldon, who has given us a
book which has been sold on my size Of
the water, entitled. "What :. ould Jesus
Do?" 1 have known many men Ii Lon
don who would lot enter a church nor
| read a religious book, but were drawn to
| this work, not because it was cleveriy
| written, but on account of the words on
| the title page, ''What Would Jesus Do:"
| have heard Christ cheered in working.
mems meeting because He was referred
| to as the first great Socialist, also re-
In our literature OF to-day there Is visit
| full emphasis laid upon the meaning Of
| 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 Il e
| hearts of men. Men are questioning the
assurance of the love Of God. Where shall
we look for certainty if not to Jesus?
| There is an aptimism in Al.ericap chr.
with. this present world. I 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, holi-
: day assembly, too, there are undoubtedly
there are times when many of us have felt
some great sorrow. I have found here and
| there we come across silent men. who
have been beaten in the battle of life, 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 a,ad to meet it's 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
breaking upon the seashore! Do you real
ize that the smiling sea surrounding US
yesterday strangled 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 it you
had the power that. is in the hands oi
God?
ooh, love. could you and with Him con.
spire,
tire;
Would not we shatter it to bits-and then
Re-mold it nearer to the hearts desire"
It is because of this mood that [ have
found in America and England that people
have asked the question, How shall we be
ty? One man once said to me, eff you
were master Of the community, think !
could trust you. I don't think you could
wish me harm. Can't you make me sure
of the love of God. Oh, make me sure OF
the victory Of Christ"
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 be demon
strated by figures, and You will have to
begin where they did-in the upper room
A man must ind Christ for himself Your
soul should be the reflection of the mind
of the Master. The only real communion,
even here, is that which cannot be demon
strated
\ For example, suppose the bishop, here
was called to his reward, and while am
speaking to you some one should say, "He
is gone" But all that you can now see
his venerable body, would still be here, and
yet YOU would say. "He- is gone" Yes. ii