The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-09-03
GREAT MORAL FORCE
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON
Vigorous Discourse on the Tremen-
dous Force of Practical Chrlstiani-
ty at the Present Time.

ty at the Present Time.
PARIS. KY.-The Rev. Henry Knott,
rector of St. Peters P. K. Church IN TINS
city, preached a strong sermon on lhe
Moral and Intellectual Power OF Religion;
The text was chosen from Mathew v: AZ:
"Be We therefore perfect even as YOU,
Father, which is in heaven ID perfect.
Mr.. Knott said: -,
The Sermon on the Mount contains the
sum and substance of Christianity. In
other words, we find it to be the very
heart of the Gospel: its divine precepts
transcending in moral grandeur the ioftiest
conceptions ever thought or spoken by
mortal man. Great souls ahame with the
sacred fire of inspiration have but MIR
rored the shadows of the tremendous real
| tiles of the future. and the mind OF genius
searching for truth apart from revelation
| has failed to discover the meaning and the
end of life Here we have command ut
| tered by One who gave to humanity the
key to perfection. The Christ has drawn
| the veil aside and disclosed the way, the
truth the life. BY revealing the character
| of God-a holiness radiant with love-we
are brought face to face with the posslbll-
ity of attainment through the law and the
spirit hid in Calvary's cross. BY initiating
the example of holy self-sacrifce we shall
Father manifested in His only >begotten
| Son.
I do not wish YOU to misunderstood the
inference Just quoted. Man shall never at
tain the absolute perfection OF God. for
there is an impossible gulf between the
| Creator and the created. In being. for
mans Immortality had starting point
while God has even been in an eternity OF
time In space, man subject to localIza'
IL Al - E,f fharN
| nipresent everywhere. In power man
creature of environment circumscribed by
laws whether natural or spiritual. free: vet
not free. a mysterious paradox. his soul the
battle ground 'twixt wills l.uman aud di-
vine: while God is the source of creation,
the Aloha and Omega Of all things in heav-
en- and earth. even holding in His almighty
hand the first link of that wondrous chain
of carsation.
God is perfection: All His love and
mighty attributes blended together in one
harmonious whole. unchangeable in Wis
dom. Justice and truth. Man, fallen, per.
verted, possessing no natural worth. bear
ing alwavs-the curse OF sin, a subtle tend
ency to thwart right. that supreme law OF
spiritual life. BY nature prone to evil. cor
rupted. helpless. his only virtue that which
is derived through grace. No. he can never
be perfect as God is perfect. but through
the intellectual and moral power Of relig-
ion and obedience to its commands be can
relatively climb undreamed heights of spir-
itual manhood, and by the evolution OF his
immortal soul in Christ win that glorious
crown of destiny which the heavenly Faith
er has willed all born Of woman should
through obedience acquire perfection. Thus
we derive the full meaning Of the text;
wonderful in its implication, giving US the
assurance nf success; divine in its COM
mand. disclosing the possibilities OF our
nature that we as Christians have a divin-
ity stirring within us the source Of glor-
ious power to 'press toward the mark for
the prize" a life complete in it's fulhslment
of that end which God intended it to at.
tain. to be perfect in obedience to the SUI
preme law OF its existence, even as its
Creator is perfect.
Without RELIGION man can never real
i7e the possibilities Of his spiritual nature.
With a natural tendency toward the pass
ing. the finite and thn changeable. he needs
an Influence to call hin, to a sense of the
internal and infinite. Many neople take a
superficial view Of Christianity and never
really understand what blessings it CON
fers. Man was not created TO be the play
thing of the Almighty but for a purpose
to he a son. worthy to stand before his
Fathers face and to live with Him in low
inc communion.
You are sl familiar with the story Of
Adams dreadful fall into disobedienne and
sin. Through the marvellous faculties Of
the soul many Christian men have. at one
time or another exDerienced a momentarv
consciousness of what then was lost. To
enable rs to regain much of that pristine
state Christ came into the world. lived.
suffered. died and made it possible for us.
by making known it's glories in His own
perfect life. to once. more herome the sons
and daughters of God RELIGION leads lis
back from worIdliness to self-recoIection
and gives TO souls fevered with sordid de-
sires nnicknning prircip,r of higher and
nohler life: inspiring intellect with trnth::
and the heart with pure and exalted
love. 1t animates conscience with s.l-
preme sense Of dntv and places thought in
juxtaposition with tho will OF God. clothing
every asniratinn with nurifving virtue.
thus leading all the faculties OF onr being
upward and onward toward perfection.
The immortal longines of the soul can
only be satisfied by God. Every faculty |
we possess leads us to His feet. There is
no real hanpiness apart from that which |
comprehends Ills love and finds it's su-
preme good bv stesdfast devotedness to
the preceptl of His law Unfortunately. |
there are men and women who look mon |
religion as means to conciliate the divine |
mower which through sin they have Of |
Tended They IMAGINE IL r,acns then IN |
conciliatorv attitude with Deity. and that |
nv its medium they will obtain in the fu
t,,re Some 'indefnahle reward. forgetting |
that religion is life. state. which calls |
into oneration all the spiritual notentiali- |
ties of their glorious nature and through |
temptation. sorrow and SUFFERING crowns
them IT last with victory over the world |
and self.
Thus we nerceive that Christ came upon
the earth to save sinners. giving them a
power of endless life. Revealing the char
acter Of God He made it possible for men |
to conform TO that perfect original. In
His Gospel TIE laws down code of morals.
40 sublime that il we would absorb them
into thought and action should fulfill |
while here our DESTINY. Religions blessing
is the supreme good for every man 70 at
tain. IT. is not an emotion. or mercy be-
lief. it is a vtalizing energy in the denths
of the human soul. subduing to God all the
powers Of being. incarnating in the heart
a nnnsc;ousnnss Of magnificent future,
nnickenirc the intellect. conscience. af5ec-
tions and will into vigorous and holv ac.
tion insnir;ng the mind with a profound
n IL