The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1904-01-28
My Faith and NV Message.

By Rv Harrs w. Ktnball, g.. H. f,e
well discourse H. pastor u tn Cosgr
gationai church, uuday tte Il h H.
slant. We publish i. Ia fe-po.se
quests II number 81 tho.e n heard
IT,
Aoreorer brethren, / lecture geig goq
tie gospet rhich preached qn'2 gou
rhicb aiso ye hare receised and cLerela
ye stand" ! Cor. y5.I
After these words Paul goes On t. sum up
the gospel which he had preached Ia caflntl.
lie gathers into a few sentences tn tf4tAs
which had been the burden 4 ms message
during the months he had spent in tn a.ty
He wants that these truths shall stand out
clear and distinct, in the minds Il those, 4t5#
heard him and were Influenced by his prea h.
ing. For Paul had his own gospel that is.
his preaching was the divine truth, seen AMI
felt through the medium Of his own pers9n-
alty. The same gospel came - iaul as laue
to John and James, but it took very different
forms as each gave II forth to the world. As
you read the gospel Of Iohn you are con-
sciaus that You are moving in the realm Of
the mystical and deeply spiritual, but as you
turn to the letter Of James you find the most
practical sort Of common sense applied t. the
duties If everyday life. And Paul's gospel,
with It's logical method, phil5sophie depth,
and broad outlook IS y,ry unlike that # the
other two. Let US recognize that truth al
ways comes to US colored and shared Us the
personality Of the man who gives It forth
lie who follows me in tins pulpit Will no,
preach like me, 1t Will be the same glorious
gospel OF our Lord and Savior but It vii be
seen and felt through the personality oi an
other.
Now have thought that | could do no
better in tins last sermon than to sum W in
simple language the gospel truth which,
through all the years have been with YOU
have tried to preach. ! would like II crystal
lie the divine truths as they have come to
me; 10 put into the golden setting Of this
hour Of worship, my faith. And this, my
faith, is also the gospel which in large meas
use has commended itself to your heart and
reason, which many Of you have received as
your faith, finding in it the JOY and satisfac-
ton Of your life. Init you are established and
for II you are willing to witness both by word
and deed.
Stronger than any human love and deeper
than any human knowledge is my faith in
God. That he made the world, and his chi
dren OF many lands and chimes | have no
doubt. He holds US all in the hollow Of his
mighty hand, and his own increasing purpose
runs through the ages. And this God, whose
we are, S personal being. And by that
mean that the forces whose influence we see
in nature and history are not blind, unreason
ing cold and mechanical God is will and
love, and infinite personality, and no name
SO well belts him as thai Of Father. And
this loving father is near to us all. He still
walks the green earth, and men may talk
with him under the trees. True there is
much that cannot be understood, dark cav
ems Of experience where there is no light,
highways of reason that lead only to aby sses
of mystery, vaies upon which are the
shadows Of eternal death, yet God is in them
all, and the trusting soul can feel his mystic
presence and be unafraid. 1t IS this conf
dence in God, this trust in his guidance
which is fundamental in all religion.
Believing in loving God, ind in Jesus
Christ an adequate expression Of that love to
men. To me it seems most natural that
loving Father should want in some striking
way to convince his children of his unseen
care. And how better could he do il than by
filling one human life full to overlooking with
his own spirit? What Jesus said and did is
evidence enough of the unique place he holds
among men. But if that were not sufficient
his continued and increasing influence upon
the hearts of all would be conclusive. And
so when | want to know what God is like,
and how he cares and what he loves, | turn
to Jesus, and find in him the answer. But
Jesus does something more to reveal God.
In his matchless and triumphant life he sets
before me the possibilities hidden in my own.
lie shows me vision of the kind of man
that, through the long years under the loving
training OF God | may become; and SO, not
yet having attained, press on until IN some
far off day | shall reach unto that perfect
manhood which is in Jesus. And more,
Iesus by his sympathy or the sinner, and by
his willingness TO forgive all sin assures me
that God will blot out our transgressions and
remember them against us no more forever.
Believing in God and Jesus cannot help
having confidence in man. He IS not child
OF the devil but an undeveloped son Of God.
The evil passions which master him, and the
weakness of will which SO often leads him
astray are both proof Of his immaturity.
Man is often ignorant and willful, stubborn
and ungrateful but all this Is unable to quench
the divine spark. Ever in the worst of men
will you find something good to which appeal
may be made, some trace OF love that may be
famed to flame. So man is to be helped not
so much by telling him he is bad as by per-
suadng him that it is better TO be good.
The heart of man is like a violin. Sin
strikes the strings only TO give forth tangled
and discordant notes. What encouragement
is it to inform the man that he is out OF tune ?
Either he knows that already or else he will
not believe your word. Better far to make
the music of the Christ-lile sound sweet and
beautiful until the man shall long to repeat
the melody in his own soul.
Probably the most wonderful Of all spirit
ual truths is that fellowship is possible be-
tween God and man. "Draw near to God
and he will draw near to you We can
know him whom to know anght IS life
eternal 1t is not impossible to feel his
presence with you, to have his arm around
you, and to be filed with his spirit. We are
not alone the great companion, although IN
invisible, is by our side. SO the Christian
life becomes growing appropriation on eur
part of the good things that are in God. So
we may come to understand more and more
OF Gods ways with men, to see farther and
farther into his truth and to be more like HIM
day 10y day. This power OF fellowship be-
tween God and man gives the faith that God
has a plan for every mans life. 1t Is not
part OF the divine plan that We should drift
upon the sea. There is a course marked cut,
and if the Fathers hand is upon the helm,
safe through storm and tempest he will pilot
until we are safe in port. For there IS a
final harbor into which we are to put when
life's troubled days are over. There Is a life
eternal This tenement OF clay crumbles into