The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-12-28
"INTEREST In CHRIST"
An Eloquent Sunday Sermon By Rev.
DR.. G. B. McAfee.
Jesus Own Character With Its Striking Sym
netry ID Completely Convincing.

therefore, knew that lie was there: and
they came not for Jesus sake only, but
that they might see Lazarus also, whom He
had raised from the dead" DIR. McAfee
said
This is at least candid There was no
magic magnetism about Jesus. He drew
men to Him in no subtle, ndefnabe way.
He drew them by what they saw Him do,
by what they saw Him to be. Here was
crowd drawn to Jesus by the effect He had
had on man. That is the sermon OF the
morning in a sentence. The best argu
ment for Jesus is the effect He has on
men. ] call it best, not as most Thilo.
sophical or profound. and not as bearing
logical tests better than others. 1t is
best because we can all see it and feel the
force of it.
asked wise man once what he count.
ed the best argument in behalf Of Christ.
He replied, christian" And what is the
best argument against Christ? Instantly
he replied again. Christian" Broaden it
What is the best argument for Christ and
His gospel? The Christendom of to-day
Sci Christendom over against heathenism
and see what Christ can do with men. Set
it over against the Christendom that
should be and see what Christ has still tc
do
Now all that is very simple, and it is at
such simple points in our lives that Christ
comes into closest contact with us. The
only claim He makes TO Kingship is based
on the fact that He is one who can
He can bring things to pass. He can ac'
complish. He can achieve. You remem-
Der how constant His fame ran ahead OF
Him in His journeying. He healed some
and they told it. He taught others and
they announced it. He fed multitude
and they clung to Him. ] am not suppos.
ing that the crowd really believed in Jesus
for what He claimed to be, but the crowd
was drawn to Him by the effect He had
I,.al q IL .l...
His spell. And no man will ever believe
in Jesus on the mere evidence of lives
about Him. He must accept Him for Him.
self. But the effect He has on lives will
have its part to-day as then in turning
men to Him. The unchanged life does not
draw. The thoroughly changed life is His
best argument.
You remember have already said that
there are better arguments for Christ than
the lives of His followers-better phlo-
sophically and logically. He is Himself
His best argument. just careful, candid
study Of His own character with its pc.
culiar balance of traits, with its striking
ing For my part / enjoy the so-called
metaphysical arguments, even some which
are not popular in the philosophical facul-
ties nowadays. There are very profound
books written which men might read with
profit.
very little profound thinking. almost no
abstract thinking, and we are reached
sooner and most effectively by the argu-
ment of results. There are men, of course,
not SO bright as ourselves, who would be
hard pressed just to read the books which
present these obstrnse arguments. In my
reading, the other day, ran across a sen.
tenee from one of these profound writers
which will interest you, Just by way OF
illustration. 1t is definition of religion
and runs this way: Religion is the ulti.
mate and vital apprehension by the indi.
vidual OF what is conceived to ''e reality in
its fullest sense the inner truth of things;
whether such reality be regarded as co.
extensive with, as included in, or as dis.
tinet from the world OF natural phenom.
ena, it always, however, being regarded as
in some way related to the individual him.
SELF any such apprehension embracing be-
bet, emotional response and the determin.
alton Of conduct, in so far as conduct Is
supposed to have a bearing on the con.
ncction Of the individual with such real.
ity." Now that is not very bad way of
stating certain facts about religion, and
yet l doubt if some OF us would care to
go far in books worded that way. Some OF
you have been under the influence of he.
ligon q good many years, but have never
worded it just that way.
There are easier ways or wording the
profound truth of Christianity. | wish ii
seemed possible, for example, to get
wide reading for the two.year-old book by
Principal Fairbarn of Oxford, Mansfield
College. He has called it "1he Philosophy
OF the Christian Religion" The bool:
grew out OF Principal Fairbanks appoint.
mcnt as Haskell lecturer in India. He had
the sacred books of Hinduism and felt that
lie knew how to meet its positions with
sympathetic understanding. When he
reached India. however, he found Hindu.
th,p.. IN, Tl,o,
turned him back upon a candid study of
his own faith, to see whether and wherein
II might differ in present practice from its
original form. Such study was certain
to result profoundly. and it is profound
book ] wish all OF us Christians might
sentences as these 'The Son of God holds
il His pierced hands the keys of all re-
gons, explains all the factors OF their
being and all the persons through whom
they have been realized" "The Incarna.
lion is the very truth which turns nature
and man, history and religion into the
luminous dwelling place OF God" think
shall not forget that phrase that the In
rainatlon turned the world into the lum-
nous dwelling place OF God that Jesus.
)nce born into manhood, has never died
out Of manhood. and shall instead draw
manhood into His own fellowship and
likeness,
We shall be able TO feel the personal
meaning of all this when we stop TO name
over some OF the traits W lch mark the
changed life. 1t is life of faith--of quiet
confidence in God. There is no idleness
nor lazy trusting that things will come
put right by some mysterious method. 1t
u the liie OF belief that We are in a Fa-
lher's world, making our way to a Fa.
Iher's house. That faith stands over
against the doubt and fear and anxiety of
The unchanged life. And because it is
Iaith in God it accomplishes fathfulness
20 men and our duties. And this is what
The world Sees IL cannot see faith in God
II can ace only the faithiulness in the life
we live. From gross dishonesty on up to
2nreliabillty, at whatever stage it appears,
anfathfulness prevents an argument for
christ
This is the argument OF the changed
life. And , cannot mistake that 1t is
such argument which Christ Himself most
prizes and which the world most needs
needs not in these larg y ways and places
alone, there 50 much as in the men with
whom i must deal most closely. NJ
brethren, i Is the argument OF ur own
changed, Christianzed lives that is most
needed. The books are str0ng--and an
read The uncommon, marked CT ses are
many--and unobserved )ur lives are
daily before our fellows, closely read, con,
stantly observed. These are the worlds
arguments. And what Is cought is not
some impossible perfection. Many Of our
fellows are not unreasonable No, but
there - wanted an alignment rctwcen our
professions and our actions that shall indi-
cate that something higher and better has
ACTUALLY taken hold of us We CLAIM, 10 he