The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1904-07-27
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
A STRONG pIssouRse ENTITLED,
eao,ai" co.'s, Love FOR MANI ,'@,N ~. !

st7fft q .Ail3ft - >---------------
rho Rev. DIR. Robert Rogers ,slivers n
Thoughtfdi and, Convineine Address,
~ Urging Us togAbjure seifshness and
eAni,aaiism-ehrist the Ideal.
, BRooKLYN, NJ Y; Sunday morning the
Rev. DIR. Robert Rogers, rector of the
Church OF the Good Shepherd, preached "a
Sos ove aPS For %an ho sto on
from John iii:l6: God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whose believcth on Him, might not perish,
but have everlasting life" and Mark ix:4:
lief" Or. Rogers said among other things:
a. begin our thought this morning with
the great declaration of the beloved Apos-
Tie JShn who, better than any other of
Chrlsts disciples, understood the vital
meaning underlying the Masters life Jesus
was to, John distinct personality with
whom he was acquainted, a man among
men, but, He was more than this, He was
also at the same time the love of God in
represented the nature of God, and His
feeling and desires and purposes toward
mankind God loved the world. Now, af.
ter beginning with this thought, have
dicate mans attitude of mind toward
Johns declaration, Lord, 1 believe, help
Thou mine unbelief"
Johns statement is q condensed but
very complete outline of what the Chris
tian religion aims to teach men. 1t is the
message. of the Christian Church that Jesus
christ IS the personal demonstration of
Gods love for man. The life and words
OF Jesus are the Illustrations of how God
also what God desires that man shall
think and do toward God and toward his
fellow man.
Now this kind of thinking leads us into
the acknowledgment of the supernatural.
II brings M us to the admission that our Di-
VINE rather loves man, and teaches him,
and guides him by laws and standards
which He reveals to man according to his
needs. In other words, the Christian re.
ilgion, stands for the presence of God in
tins lie we are now living, and that He
make of man.
There. are. countless men and women
who, believe implicitly in this statement of
Gods presence ruling over life, and who
ilVe IN their belief, offering up themselves
TO DIVINE guidance, regretting their sins
ana lmploring pardon in perfect faith that
1T will be granted There are on the other
hand, some perhaps who say they have
no oehei IN the divine and spiritual, and
who would place themselves outside of the
decIarations of the Christian religion, but
! believe this number to be few and grow.
ing smaller every day, as the fuller vision
OF the world and its rich spiritual meaning
aawns upon their intelligence. But there
Il
specially concerned, who believe and vet
90 not believe. They would not deny the
Christian faith, neither are they ready to
give their full allegiance to it, There is a
I uIV@itude @ OF such people among our men
and women, and may we not ask seriously
why is this the case? Is it because Christ's
teaching and His life are so hard to be nm
derstood that spiritual things can make no
dersto0d Are some kinds so constituted
naturally that spiritual things can make
no effective appeal to them?
If we were for n moment to admit This
IL would destroy the greatest power which
we believe inherent in Christ's religion.
namely, that to every man, bond or free,
pack or yellow, barbarian or Scythian
jew or Gentle, learned oI unlcarned rich
or poor, it has the power of entering into
ms heart and transforming his life There
is no respect of persons with God I grant
yon that Christ found that there were Ger.
tain PAGES where even He could not pre.
seht Ills message with conviction, but tho
cause OF His failure was the hardness of
mems hearts and not the difficulty of
comprehendng His gospel, and this same
reason Will be found to hold good in these
days. '''~'e
Atheism is no longer supposed to he
necessary adjunct of the scientist; but on
the contrary, the men who are opening the
WIDEST visions OF new truth to the world in
these days and teaching the profoundest
lessons to mankind are men who are sns
message Gods
presence as revealed by Jesus Christ. or Mt
least are able to say with earnestness
lord, believe, help Thou mine unbelef.'
When we come to consider our own lives
ana those OF the ordinary men and women
around about whom we can understand
what IS it that prevents the message of
Jesus Christ from having the effect unon
US all that it ought to have?
Ihere has been for the past few years a
warning sounded that men are not attend.
oh nl,a.. 4 ~
sons are being given in various ways. CIer.
eymen are unnteresting; churches are cold
unlnsprlng, places; doctrines are anti,
quated and llhbcral and meaningless to
nan nan IN the struggle for life. Perhaps
there Is truth IN all these statements; it
B not llihcult Tor even stupid man to
ma a plausible excuse Tor ANYTHING he
cares to do, or to leave undone. Parents
VINO VINO are bringing up children. teachers
readiness of plausible excuses.
bnt these excuses, whenever given. are
hot lne Tea! reasons why some men do not
attend church Let me say, first. that /
i" ip.,leEe IL Is open to demonstration that q
larger number of men are interested in
the work OF the church and attending its
services and obeying its inspirations Than
AT any Other time in history And what
rs more important they are attending
c9urches willingly without the compulsion
ol ancient times when heaven and hell
were regarded as in the sole power of the
church, and men were afraid to absent
themselves Our Y NJ. c. AS were never
30 prosperous. The religious nature of our
fcGlege students was never more genuine
than in our own days.
But to speak of those who arc NOT ~.
tending our churches. is it not beconso
they have never had true vision of The
vital reality and practicabiiity of Christ's
messages! The great majority of men in
TINS country, at least, are nominal Chris.
.l.o.,. IL 4
school, they like to have their wives and
slstcr5 IN union with the chlrch nnd n