The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-10-07
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE BY THE
REV. C. CAMPBELL MORGAN, q. o.
Subject: The Attractivepess and Bxclu-
siveness of Jesus--Listen to the Call
of Christ--He win Brook No Division
of Your Loyalty,

LONDON. ENGLAND. - The following
sermon, entitled The Attractiveness and
Eyc.gsiycness of Jcsus," was preached
here on recent Sunday by the, Rev T.
Campbell Morgan, ID. d. He took ior bus
text: Then said Jesus unto His disciples,
deny himself and take up his cross and
follow Me-St Matthew 1924.
There were two tae,5 SCOUT Jesus Christ
which no one can read the Gospel re-
cords without recognizing; facts which
appear to be contradictory, but which, as
a matter of fact, are Complementary, and
the understanding of which reveals for
dealing with men. refer to facts OF
the attractiveness and exclusiveness OF
Jesus.
There can be no question about the
former; there can equally be no question
about the latter to those who have care
fully read the records and have seen the
methods of Jesus while He was here
people to Him, and He was perpetually
holding them aloof. BY the very win
someness Of His person, He was drawing
men and women of all sorts and condi-
tons, at all times and in all places to
Himself, and yet by the uttering of words
So severe, so searching so drastic, making
us trembe even to-day, He held men
back from Him.
/ venture to say that the words I read
to you this morning from the Gospel of
Luke come to those who are most familiar
with them bringing a sense OF surprise.
We never read them without feeling more
or less startled by them - UNLESS you
hate father and mother, husband and wife,
parent and child, you cannot be My dis
ciple." We have attempted to account for
these words but / do not hesitate to say
that in some senses they have staggered
the faith of many, and yet there they
stand.
And not there only, but through all
His teaching there is evident the same
method of Christ, that of holding men
back just as they were approaching Him;
drawing them to Himself by multitudes
and then holding the crowd as they
pressed upon Him, and sitting them with
such surprising words as these. Now there
must be a reason for this. and it is for
that reason that l want to look, with you,
little this morning.
But first allow me to say few words on
this fact Of the attractiveness of Jesus,
because the more clearly we recognize and
understand that, the more clearly shall
we understand as I think, the other truth
of His perpetual method of holding men
back and excluding certain persons from
close companionship with Himself.
Take first, then, this great fact of His
attractiveness, the most fascinating sub
jeet on which to speak. Remember, l
pray you, that if the Gospel records re-
veal one thing more clearly than another
they reveal that Jesus was, somehow or
other, Person that drew men to Him
irresistibly.
/ go back to those silent years at Naza'
rath concerning which we know SO very
little. You will remember that on those
days Luke opens for us just little won.
dow through which we look when he says,
HE was subject to His parents, and grew
in favor with God and with man." do
not stop one moment to dwell on the
statement that He grew in favor with
God, although it is a very interesting
statement, but just for moment, for the
sake of our argument listen to the other
| part of it: s'He grew in favor with man."
! Take that as it is simply stated, and you
at once see picture of the boy growing
up to be youth, and passing from youth
into young manhood until He became the
Carpenter Of Nazareth, known to all the
! little town that nestled among the hills,
| just removed froEl the highways OF life.
! This is all the truth that is revealed. If !
may reverently put it, Jesus was favonte
in Nazareth. lam not sure that that doesn't
almost startle you, because somehow or
| other we have come to think that holiness
is almost always accompanied by angular
lty, anu tHere Is popular iuSd tLat "A q
man is good he never can be favorite. 1t
10 great mistake. 1t is by the measure
in which a man lacks holiness that a man
| IS not in favor
Here is a man living in Nazareth, and
He is a favorite. | do not want to lift
that into a super-spirltual realm, but II
you have no Imagination you can just go tc
sleep for two minutes while l imagine ]
look into that window and | see the Car
penter at His work, and / tell you what J
see. He is q favorite. / see children tax
ing their toys to Him to be mended, and
am quite sure He mended them. see
young men going at eventide to take thel
problems with them because they know
He is sane, honest and pure. l think l see
old men, upon whose brow already, sat
light that never was on land or sea, talk
ing to Him because He has such wonder
full way of talking about my Father
house" and "the many mansions;" favor
tie, sane and strong, and pure, and attract
i've as to personality.
[ know full well that a little later on
these same men took Him to bill ana
tried to murder Him, but that was the re
suit of something else to be discovered
later. The prre, human, simple life Of
Jesus was, in Itself, attractive, and Luke
says, "He grew in favor"
Leave those hidden years and look al
Him just for one rapid moment as HI
treads the pathway upon which a mercer
light falls than. ever fell upon throne
the pathway of the public teacher, and i
YOU read these Gospel stories the one thing
that strikes you is the fact of the multi
tudes around about Jesus Christ. Wher
ever He went they followed Him. If HI
went out into the city the country people
crowded the streets to be near Hin; ii HI
went out into the country place the city
men and women locked after Him, follow
ing Him so far that at times there was m
shance for them to provide themselve
with food, and He had to feed them; TO
In their eagerness to follow they had Tor
| xottor, foad and had fnrnot ten DISTANCE