Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-10-27
"GLoRIFYING THEFATHER"
An Eloquent Sunday Sermon By Rev.
Dr.. Thomas B. Mcleod.
We Cau Make God Real, We Can Make the
Gospel Sublime.

BROOKLYN, n. Upon his return 10
his pulpit from his vacation. inc Key Dr.
Thomas B. Mcleod, pastor of the Clinton
Avenue Congregational Church, preached
an eloquent sermon SUNDAY morning Oh
"Glorfying the Father" The text was
Father gloried that We bear much irnit;
so shall We be My disc pies" DIR. Mcleod
iaid: - ~
How vital, dear friends, are all New
Testament representations OF relglon.
Compare the New Testament with the eth.
ical teaching. or religious teaching oil all
other books in this respect, and you are
simply astonished. There is nothing me-
chanical in them, nothing formal, nothing
nstitutional--cvery process Is a process OF
life. 1t is no use for man. or Tor men, to
claim that they have Abraham for their
father. Religion is not matter OF who
mans ancestors were: it is matter OF
what a man himself is. Jesus has given us
in one pithv sentence His estimate OF the
worth of the claim that is based on de-
scent. on heredity ON social prestige, when
He saws that God could raise up, or make
children, unto Abraham out OF the very
dones of the roadside. The concern mat
interests God, when it comes to the matter
of religion, Is whether a man Is hVlhS
pant or a dead stick. The hedge, though
III
thc stake occurs, does not ma Ike the stake
a living thing The line of descent N
which a man stands, nor the social posi-
ton he occupies, nor the church OF "hlch
he is an attendant, or 4 member, Is noun
ING. The man may after all he nothing
better than dead stake in hedge,
There was a certain fine man, lne man
socially religously, politicaly-one OF the
best of men as men went came 10 Jesus
to make inquiry on the subject OF religion'
lie was reyerent and devout and respect
ful and courteous and cultured and learned.
a leader and teacher of the people, lee
turer on ethics. but when it came to rel'-
giou, Jesus said to that man. 'lc must be
born again" The vitality of the reprcsem'
tation we find in the New Testament rel.
zion is its life 81 have come that We might
have life. and that We might have 1T more
abundantly.'
And 80 of tests Not simply of the rep
reservations or descriptions of religion, but
also of the tests, the New Testament tests
of religion. How are we to know that VIC
are living Christians? How are VIC to
know that others are living, Christians
Why, the New Testament pushes us up TO
the point of urgent belief, and insists on
II that the test il fruit, not leaves, not
flowers, but fruit, and that fruitfuness -
-, w.. IL tost ,IeSus NAV endure barren.
, 49, onts;dn nf the church hut He cannot
o,duro i inside of thp church. A bramble
in the woods is bearablc, but brambie in
the orchard, that is intoIerabIc by their
fruits We shall know them, Men do not
gather figs OF thistles or grapes OF thorns.
'The man OF God Is perfect, fruitful unto
all good works.
How little stress Jesus lays upon those
tLat ara So ,,;versally odonted and
,Io No nd adn;ttod IN no sufficiently adj
"ppneu' n.y. .tIn,oo ,,non rcIi,y;ous nrdin.
e,lna.', i %. to road and statement,
"lio ,t;r aIsor,ianrc If rtesand ceremonies;
iIa', n'a,,no nnth;ne nf all that. and lie
- ~ ~ fr;cnds inst "a He came to
. .Ln fr,;t,oSs le,fv ,g free hy the wavsidc.
sl,e ..ih;,+ for fr,,it not for leaves. not for
S SraaC,,,ms , no, fnr Norescence NOT for cs.
u!o1?o', is;;it s,oroL mns;c NOT for fond.
@ - liz ;,nra,v ado Of religion. not for
oo,, W o omT for we'll dicested and pre-
',oJ tr,,,h INT for fruit3frut and He
seii'." .l"'i'' ""V -, fr;o,ds than any.
III, ol,an ,an come-.than orr dearest and
uo"s tie y, ~" Cor aTter ali these can
a't ia orno,ronro. He sees real.
;,' "''' ;rho,. GOO tb;nrs That mass for GOOD
,.n,,,s n Ne horn + NAV be. of wicked
o n"in - or ~ selfcouceit He secs right
J dnm'n ;nto Tho centre Of the soul and lie is
lookinr Cor fruit What shall lie ind IN
,.,n ,nJ mo- Fru;t ar leaves, or lust bare
branches
The test is fruitiulncss. Now that ought
to be an easy test to apply. and it surely,
friends IA A safe test to apply--for YOU and
me 10 applv TO our own selves. But then,
Some one NAV say. "Well, what constitutes
frnitfulneasp ] am ready now TO lay bar"
nv soul beforc God. | am ready now to 90
down On my lace before God and apply the
tost. am ready now for heart searching.
and 10 measure myself by this STANDARD.
hui want to know what constitutes
fru,tfulness." "What arc the fruits that
Jesus nxnccts and that am to look for
and nv which I am to measure myself"
Whv, the Bible il simply full OF that. it
has act the whole thing so plain. and so
fn,lv and 81 yariousy that a wayfaring
man thouoh a fool need not mistake az to
What fru;tfulnrss IN the Christian life is.
Josrs saw "Rlrssed are the poor in spirit.
Cove nov. we ore examining ourselves
oLnnt tbo f,r;ts "RIessrd are the poor in
s,,;r,i. hln,.el nre the meek: blessed arc
,hn mnrr,l,I ihc GOOD heartrd,: blessed
,',s tha nn,a ~ hs,rt. blessed are the
,,'',,.a',', i.a,s, hia..nI arc they who have
p '',t s;n,,J,' rnl,sh nnw and then. bar a
i,"r "'n'p pnd th;rst ,f,ar Righteousness
n",,t.i '"" T r. a' Nv, tha fm,;t. that the
tE a,n.ctal tn r,o,y in lis
y nrlsI1'n man i 'Ni'''''' w S''
'ha'"''e' IT, r.., .,o s,,;t
An apostle says the fruits, or ,nF Ii'a'
OF the spirit Is love Joy, long SuAeF III
patience, meckncss, iaith' temperance IL.
fruit that the Christian - to develop Una,
will be developed, that Jesus W.T.! expect II
there be life loye--the heart OF all G9,3Th,
mes, love to God and love to man no
loyeth not his brother whom he hatn seem
how shall he love God-howy,, can he love
God whom he hath not seen; frn't; love
Joy. Joy IN fellowship with GOD; Joy III
fellowship with believers; Joy IN service
aud ministry. Love-loy-pcace. Content
ment Of mind under all circumstances; the
harmony OF conviction, of thought and al
lection. Long suffering - patient. cndur-
ancc not only in affection, but patient en-.
durance OF wrong and provocation; and
meekncss and temperance and all the rest
What does fruit(ulncSs mean? 1t means
II I La, aIl,, ar