The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-11-06


known, the greatest preacher of the cross
since the Apostle Peter There never WIS
a man fuller Of love for the Master. fuller
of inspiration than John Wesley How be
10 with Methodam today We will make
the question bigger. How Is It with the
church of Christ to-day? What "a our am
swer 10 bey To-day / notice, or seem 90
notice, two tendencies az work In the
world. by the world ! mean the world
az you and / 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. n
disposition to question the Gospel Of Jesus
and suggest that even lie Himself might
have been wrong
On this side Of the water is a wclrhnown
writer, DR.. Sheldon. who has given Ms a
book which has been sold on my size OF
the water. entitled "Whut >. ould Jesus
Dor / have known many men 10 Lon
don who would OF enter n church nor
read a religious book, but were drawn to
this work not because It was cleyeriy
written, but on account of the words on
the title page What Would Jesus Dog"
/ have heard Christ cheered in a working
mems meeting because He was referred
to as the first great Socialist, also re-
ferrcd to as an example in economies.
In our literature of to-day there is visit
full emphasis laid unon the meaning Of
Christ. But admiration for Jesus stands
higher than mere alteration. ut admra-
ton is not alteration. Men might say all
these about the Christ and yet misjudge
what the Christ meant 10 bring to the
hearts of men. Men are questioning the
assurance of the love OF God. Where shall
we look for certantr if not to Jesus:
There is an optimism in Alerlcan char
acter which tends toward contentment
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, a holi-
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 life, and
who have no part in this general cntimsm.
The world as God has made it is one OF
| beauty. This morning, for example, the
sun Is shining around us everywhere we
are glad 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 real
I
| 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 if you
! had the power that is in the hands Of
| God?
ooh, love, could you and I with Him con-
! spire.
To grasp this sorry scheme Of things en-
tire;
Would not we shatter it to bits-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, IF you
were master of the community, | think
could trust you. | 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 Christi"
Now, brethren. listen to me; first of all,
clear the ground by this reflection, that
| the only real cOmmunlOT 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 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. it
would be his soul that had gone to make
perfect the union with Christ.
Brethren, take the Christ out of my
spiritual armament and TIE world would
} be dark and cold to me. There never was
a time when the worlds people were in
such demand of Christ as today. No
never! If you could take the Christ out
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
ing love would be craved for by them
| even if they did not know it,
Now, brethren, let us 60 back to the
Christ by all means, but let it be the
Christ of experience, not simply the Christ
of history. Christ went away to come
: nearer. He went to His own and He never
, left them.
, 1t is by no means Gods purpose that any
f man should remain in the house of mourn
{ ing. On the throne of the universe sits
one with the heart of a child No stran
ger cries but whose voice is heard by The
One whom Paul preached whom Johr
, loved the same. who in the far off DAYS o
, GaGlee walked upon the hillsides doin.
r good He is on the throne now.
Mr.. Moody once told storv in England
a concerning the first evangelical mission
there. He was asked to call upon 200
e man in Dundee who had been bedriddeI
e for long time. Mr.. Moody went to tax,
69Iesfsing but inst instead 5 got one. The, The MAJ
e Calvary; it was no shock to him 70 be tolt