The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-05-05
REV. ELMER E. FERRIS
SPEAKS AT oALVARY BAPTIST
 ON SPIRITUAL SINCERITY.
His Closing Sermon of His Series De- Iivered in the Absence of His Broth CT, the Pastor of the Church.


 Wis, preached his concluding sermon in the absence of his brother. the pas tor, at Calvary Baptist church Sunday evening" His topic was Spiritual Sin cerity." Text, Matthew, S-16. MT. Fer ris said substantially as follows:
 The age of John the Baptist was an age of spiritual insincerity. The reli- zion of Judaism had grown technical and unreal. It had once been genuine and vital, but now it's moral power had departed. It had substituted show for reality. It's vital force was gone be- cause it was no longer sincere.
 This decline of ancient Judaism rep resents perennial tendency in man. He is forever offering external ceremo- nies, religious forms and temple wor- ship in place of the inner life and the increase of the one usually marks the decline of the other.
 The public advent of John the Bap- tist is one of the dramatic pictures of the New Testament. That gaunt, grim figure clothed in camel-skin, those flash ing eyes, that earnest voice, that heart searching message, those focking null titudes, the repentance and the bap- tisms-all form most vivid and dra- matic object lesson of the power of spir- itual sincerity.
 There can be no doubt of Johns sin cerity. His utter abandonment of self his wilderness life, his plainness and absolute sincerity.
 There is power in sincerity-any kind of sincerity. Take it in the political world. The public man who is forever weighing his words and deeds with ref erence to their probable effect upon his personal fortunes-or those of his polit- ical party-is there any power in that sort of thing? But now and then man steps into the political arena whose life is guided by principle. He says what ! he means and means what he says The people turn to such a man. Other i things being equal, he Is the man who exerts power. Take District Attorney Jerome in New York as an instance. There have been scores of district attor- neys who were as able lawyers as he. But the people prefer Jerome; they lis- ten to him. they heed him because he is sincere.
 Take 1t in the diplomatic world. Why is it that Secretary Hay Is the most powerful figure in international diplo- macy to-day? :. One reason is because he is sincere, He states the truth and says what he means. Russian diplo- mats complain that they cannot under stand Hay. The reason is obvious. Read the history of Russian diplomacy. They cannot understand man, in di- plomatic encounter, who tells the truth. They suspect an ulterior motive. They search around for a diplomatic torpedo or a submarine mine But they are learning to heed MT Hay. So is the whole diplomatic world. 1 do not un- der-estimate his great abilities or the growing prestige of our country, but there can be little doubt that one strong element in his diplomatic power is his sincerity. It is so in the business and professional world, and in fact in every department of the worlds activities. The world thirsts for reallty-genuine- ness. It is ready to give place to the { sincere man.
 But especially is this true in religious lflS. koPlilbudi SlliNCiAIy ID Ito Oy tlotillN power. It was so with John. Then went out unto him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the regions round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
 But what do we mean by spiritual sincerity? Let us have a definition. We do not mean perfection A man may be spiritually sincere and yet very imperfect. Spiritual sincerity is where one is making an earnest effort, by Gods help, to conform his life to his religious profession. And what is the profession of the Christian man? He professes that he has enthroned Christ in his life-that he has taken Christ as his Saviour and Master. He is spiritu- ally sincere, then, when, In his inmost spirit, he is earnestly trying, with Di- vine help, to put Christ first-to obey His will--to live as Christ would have him live in every department of his life. That is the life of spiritual sincerity. It is also the life of spiritual power. Look back over your own life. Who was it that gave you that distinct im- pulse toward Christ? Was it not that mother, father, friend whose life con- victed you of spiritual sincerity?
 But it costs something to be spiritual ly sincere It is a serious matter to en- throne Christ. It means absolute sur- render of your will to His. That's what lit cost John-absolute self-effacement. Christ was everything. John was sim ply a voice. But says some one, there is something about this princi- pie of self-surrender that smacks of pi- etism and quietism. It is out of har- mony with the spirit of this age.
 tI believe i'll the strenuous life"
 The answer is, Look at John. See him boldly rebuke the ruling classes. See him fearlessly lay down the moral law to the shameless Herod and Her odias, although he is putting his life in hazard. Is that pietism or quietism? As a matter Of fact, the surrendered life is the only truly strenuous life. But some one says again, There is something abnormal and unwholesome about that wilderness life of John-that abandonment of home and friends and society and physical comforts Does the life of spiritual sincerity mean a re- pudiation of this beautiful world?" It meant that for John, but he had a spec ial mission. His mission was to be a voice in the wilderness. That was his place. But we must not confuse enyi- lronment with principle. The principle is ont hr0npmnJ1f If Cbrict Nrl,a,, To1,,,