The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-04-23
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
t"DOINc THE WILL OF GOD"
The Rev. John Erskine Adams Explains
the Profound Purpose Which Animal
ed the Life and Labors of Our Lord
Dangers of the Spirit of Materialism.


tho Profound Purpose Which Animal
ed the Life and Labors of Our Lord
Dangers of the Spirit of Materialism.
New York C1TY.-"Doing the Will of
God" was the subject of the sermon
John Erskine Adams, pastor of the Ross
Street Presbyterian Church. He took as
his text John 4: 81 my meat is to do
the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish
His work" Mr.. Adams said:
..hese words express the profound pur-
pose which animated the life. and labors of
our Lord. He has been engaged in that
woman of Samaria, and to her He has un-
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
lses to those who, like Himself, were de-
splsed and rejected of men. To 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
slanlc character. 81 that speak unto thee
am He"
with new hope in her heart and new
hight upon her face, and the disciples APP
proach their Master He must be hungry.
for the fast, like the way, has been long
and they offer Him meat. He replies: II
have meat to eat that we know not of; Ny
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 deeper satisfac-
ton than that which comes from gratif-
cation OF the carnal nature; the satisfac-
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-
prehensible to the commercial and mater
iallstic spirit of this latter age The ques-
tlon; What shall we eat and what shall we
drink! is more lmperious to-day than ever.
Eplcurus has his disciples still, and Nam
mon It's shrine before which countless null
tltudes bow. To eat, drink and be 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 deeds; the norm
by which His every action is judged 'In
the volume of the book it is written of Me:
Lo! | come to do Thy will, O. Ny God"
The will of the Father was the actuating
power OF His incarnation. He knew no
other lmpelllng forces 1t was this which
turned His face toward Jerusalem for His
final trial and triumph; it was this which
gave to Him the victory in the garden of
Gethsemane. ind enabled Him to put the
cup TO His lips and drain it to the dregs.
In its glow all lesser lights paled; to its au-
thorlty all His powers were brought sub
1ect, and through It's power all temptations
were beaten down, all personal ambitions
were destroyed, earthly distinctions and
emoluments rejected. His responsibility
| to Che Father pressed upon Him when only
boy of twelve years, and deepened in His
| consciousness til it became the overmas-
terlng impulse of His life. Responsibility
70 Almighty God was Webster's definition
or the profoundest thought that could
come to man; the Fathers business
was the supreme business of Jesus life.
He knew no other mission or message.
And we are speaking truly when we saw
that 1t was this supreme purpose which
gave power and dignity to our Saviour's
character. and work. Without it, His life.
however beautiful, would have been at best
an almiess one; Without that purpose of
q dong the Fathers will and manifesting
HIS glory there would have been no coher-
ence to Christ's deeds or teachings, but in
the, will of God we find all that He was
and did brought to the focus; to do that
will was His meat and His drink.
Now what was true of Christ is in like
measure true OF every one of us. What
| purpose was and gave to the life of our
Lord, 1T must mus be and give to us: We can
no more live lives of strength without the
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, Tennyson gives us the
thought
Yet l doubt not thro' the ages one in
creaslng purpose runs,
And the thoughts of men are wideaed
with the process of the suns"
God takes no delight in chaos or confu-
slon His works are ordered according to
divine purpose. Not only His works OF
creation, which move in the harmony OF q
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 if God manifests
His glory IN the accomplishment of His
purpose IN nature and in grace, and il
Chrlsts life was lived in the light of a no
bic purpose, how essential is it for us &c
move onward In accordance with we'll de-
lined plans, under the inspiration, aye
compuision of some aim in life, that shall
give to life defniteness and Conference
DalnC bernard naQ over his study able
in Illuminated letters these words: s'Ber
made, ad guild venisti?" Bernard, why are
you here?" The reference was not to the
routine tasks OF his life. These were de-
termined for him. But it was: What is
the animating purpose of your life? What
is the meaning of your existence? Il
every pleasure and every task made sub
servfent to the one purpose; the one SUI
preme motive of your being? Amiel in his
journal records, Life is a mass of begin
nings and endings." We have all expe
rienced his meaning. We have begun tc
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 nc
/ 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 is
he. The difference between aimlessness
and decision is the difference between the
stagnant pool, lying motionless, thick and
Shiny, breathing malaria and breeding
venom, and the cataract, which rushes on
ward, a living, moving, plunging thing
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