The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-01-11
MRS. WHEREFORE
At EPISCOPAL SERVICE.


NO nghung, no prizes of conquest, no
visible kingdoml And all this was very
disappointing 10 them.
And knowing their disappointment
and discomfort. the Master goes into
their midst and asks them not 10 be of
tended. Why said He, the body IL
nothing; II is the spirit OF God that giveth
life; and the words which have spoken
10 you. they are spirit and they are life.'
III they would only receive and be-
lieve His words they would have the
spirit or God dwelling I'm them. and thus
become citizens OF the Kingdom OF
Heaven I'm the world. but as He looked In
TO their gloomy faces, He read only disap-
pointment How II must have grieved the
Master 10 know that their life purpose
was still selfish and worldly.~
And turning away from them He spoke
these last words TO his own chosen dis
ciples. AS said unto YOU before He-.
body can come 10 Me unes the Spirit OF
God puts II into him To come And He
left them 10 consider which weighed
more. devotion and loyalty 10 Him or
the hope or money and reward which had
brought them thus far Should they go
on or turn back? They must choose for
themselves which thing to do. Follow
Him or turn away from Him
The Bible story tells us that from
that time many Of His disciples went
back and walked no more with Him.
And so the Saviour watched them dis
perse and go of to their homes and VIII
lagos. some In anger. others glad of an
excuse 10 leave Him. others disgusted
that He should deliberately throw away
such splendid chance OF being power
ful King
And now comes the most intimate and
touching part OF the whole story. In
little group all by themselves, standing
apart from the crowd, were His twelve
disciples. While they were human, and
may have questioned the wisdom of ths
step their Master had taken. they stood
firm, for the Spirit OF God was within
them.
And to this little trembling group.
seemingly then all the friends Jesus had,
He turned and said.
&" will ye also go away"
And then Peter said Lord To whom
shall We go? Thou hast the words of
eternal life. They met their test and re-
maned loyal All but one.
II have told this old familiar story this
morning because | believe IL needs to be
told again and again" said the preacher.
even at the distance OF almost 2ooO years
this experience OF Jesus Christ seems
tragic
fhen he showed that men are now
questioning how the people Of that time
could have treated our Saviour so un-
justly, and went on to say
1T seems TO us well nigh impossible
is the world very different today?
Does Jesus suit the popular demand
today? Do multitudes come close 10 Him
when they learn that His way is the way
OF the cross? Do the members OF His
church always stand loyal 10 Him in
hard places? DO you and never feel His
tended voice saying TO us, wilt thou go
away?'
"oh, this is not an experience that hap
pened I'm Palestine years ago and is not
happening I'm our day"
Then the preacher showed the recent
celebration OF the birth OF Christ. every
body turning towards Bethlehem. and in
st. Johns church they entered into the
spirit OF the season so that IL seemed
impossible for any one to ever be dis
loyal 10 the Master.
And yet perhaps n week had not gone
by when Jesus way seemed hard and we
had our struggle and choice. Was the
choice with Judas or with Peter? Each
heart here this morning knows best its
own experience"
Then II was shown that though we
wander sometimes we long 70 get pack
TO the avlour. 1t is love for Him that
does this.
1T was personally loyalty that keeps
men loyal today
"T am trying to point out this morn
our best moments feel. that moro than ali
creeds and doctrines of the church. mors
than all the discoveries OF science and
theories of. philosophy. the power that
moves our lives and makes us love the
way that Jesus walked. is personal loyal
ty and devotion to Him.
THE multitudes way back there want
ed n doctrinal religion, and later when
the creeds began to be built up we find
similar attempts made TO gain I'm de-
finiteness, and the theological minds were
slowly being satisfied. But was the poor
struggling man or woman helped by
truth systematized and arra nged i'm Logo
cal order? No. the weak and sinful still
needed TO read He That Cometh unto
Me, ] will I'm no wise cast out and find
Ing the guide board pointing 10 Jesus
turn unto Him for comfort. The creeds
have nothing to do w.th character They
are metaphysical. not ethical They are
theologfcAl-not religious! But they con-
tributed toward building up n framework
OF dogma with which the Christian
church fought it's way UP out OF the
heatAenism that surrounded IL. and so
| they are not In vain
"Doctrnal religion was wanted in the
middle ages. and the search in the sans
! line Is still on. Some men seem 10 forget
that the year we write at the head of our
| letters - 1904 instead of 1870 After all OF
these years some men desire hard and
! fast view Of doctrine as ~ doctina re-
| ligion were going 10 save man To be
| Orthodox Is OF more importance than 70
/ be honestly seeking for the Truth
While doctrine Rsnd creed have thelr
| place i'm the life Of the church. I cannot
/ believe we were brought here this morn
I ing because of that alone"
| And 40 the preacher went on showing
/ that doctrine is always secondary. and
/ proving that simple faith IN the Master "a
\ the service for eternal life. and right
/ living here on this earth
! federation thought that kind Of preach.
/ ing would make some of the straigh,
! backs bend enough to do them good, and
/ I rNust say ! greed with him.
This church marks the place where the
/ great Roger Williams used To live. or very
| near the place. as the old spring where he
used To get drinking water for his family
/ is within stones throw OF the front
door
! I don't wonder the folks who are edu.
] Gated I'm the Episcopal mode Of worShin