Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1904-09-24
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE sv THE
REV C cAmp5ElL MORGAN. o. o.
subject The Attraefsvcnes- and Exeiu-
sivenees cf Jesus--Listcn 20 the Call
Of Christ-He WIN Brook No Division
OF Your Lsyaity-


here on a recent Sunday by the Rev. L.
Campbell Morgan. ID. ID. He took for his
text: Then said jesus unto lbs disciples,
IT any man viii come after Me let him
deny himself and take Up has cross and
follow Me.-St. Matthew 1924
There were two facts about Jesus Christ /
which no one can read the Gospel re 4
cords without recognizing; facts which /
appear to be contradictory. but which as 4
matter OF fact, are Complementary, and I
the understanding OF which reveals for ,
all time the method of the Master IN 4
dealing with men. refer % facts OF !
the attractivcness and exclusiveness OF
Jesus
There can be no question about the
former; there can equally be no question
about the latter 60 those who have care
fully read the records and have seen the
methods % Jesus while he was here
among men. He was constantly drawing
people 10 Him. and He was perpctuaiiy
holding them aloof. By the very win
SowcnCSs OF his person, He was drawing
men and women OF all sorts and conai-
ticns. ~ al times and in an places to
Himself. and vet by the uttcring Of wo~ls
50 severe. so searching. 50 drastic. making
US tremb'e even to-day, He held men
back from HIM.
L venture TO saw that the words 7 read
70 yon tins morning from the Gospel Of
Luke come To- those who arc most familiar
with them brlnElng sense o. surprise
We never reed them without icchuE more
OF less startled ny them -- &C. u.c,- You
hate father and mother. husband ard wife.
parent and child. YOU cannot be Ny dis
CiD.c. We have attempted 20 account for
these words bus 1 10 not hesitate Go SOY
that IN some senses they have STAGGERED
the faith OF many, and yet there they
stand.
And not there only but through all
Ills teaching there is evident the same
method of Christ. that OF holding men
back just As they were approaching Him;
drawing them 20 Himself by mulUtudcs
and then holding the crowd as they
pressed upcn Him, and sitting them with
such surprising words as these. Now there
must be reason Tor this. and ~ Is FOR
that reason that ] want 10 look, with you,
q little this morning.
But first allow me 20 say a few words on
tins iact OF the attrlctivcness Of Jesus.
because the more clearly we recognize and
understand that, the more clearly SHAH
we understand. as ] think. the other truth
OF His perpetual method Of holding men
back and excluding certain persons from
close companiouship with Himself.
axe urst. then, TINS great fact III His
attractivcncSs. the most fas- mating sub
lec- on which 70 speak. Remember.
pray YOU. that II the Gospel records re-
veal one thing more clearly than another
they reveal that Jesus was. somehow or
other, a Person that drew men 10 Him
rrcsistibiy.
] go back 60 those silent years at Naza-
rctl concerning which we know so very
Little. y ou VIII remember that on those
Gays Luke opens for as just q little WON
dow through which we look when be says.
lie was subject 20 His parents. and glcw
In favor ,sltb God and with man.' i do
not stop one moment 20 dwell on the
statement that Lc grew In favor with
God, although DO is very interesting
statement, but just ior a moment, Tor the
sake OF our argument. listen 20 the other
+. q / rr.f d ma u
Take that as lt - simply stated. and YOU
at once see a p.cturc Cl the bow growing
up 20 0c youth, and passing from youth
into young manhood until He became the
tarpeutcr o. Nazareth. known % al tlc
htt.e town shat nestled among che lils
just removed from the highways OK hfe
This ls aI tlc truth that is revealed. II
may rlNlreuty put 10. Jesus was favorlt,
IA Nazareth. / am not sure that tnat l0csn
almost start.c you, because somehow Oi
other wc have come 90 think that hoEnes.
% almost always accompanied by angular
lty, and there 81 popular llca that ll
man is good hc never can hc q favoritc. i
- great mistake. II l- hy the measuu
IN which a man lacks holiness that na.
d. ~ not in favor.
Here S. a man living ia Nazcreth. ant
lie d iavoritc. / do not want % lif
. tnat lnto slrerrpirltual realm, tut D.
P you nave no IMAGINATION 1uu can just go Or
+ sleep FOR two minutes while 4 Imagine
4 look into that window and / see the Car
pcuicr at His work. and i tell you what
+ see. He is flvoritc. j see children TAX
. ing their toys 90 HIM 10 be meDdcd, and
E am quite sure He mendcd them. i set
+ young men gong az clentlde 20 take thcl
! problems with them because they know
4 lie is sane, honest and pure. / think I SCI
+ Old men, upon whose brow already 'Sl
light that never was on land or sea- talk
+ ing 10 Him because lie has such a wonder
ful way OF talking about NV Father
.ff
ate. sane and strong. and pure. aud attract
/ I've as 20 personality.
I know fun well that = little later OF
these same men took Him 10 q hil ant
tried 10 murder Him. but that was the re
suit OF something else 90 be dlscOvcrcl
later. The pure, human. simple life O
Jesus was. n itself, attractive, and LUX
saws, lie grew IN favor
Leave those hidden years and look q
HIM Just Tor one rapid moment as h
! trcads the pathway upon whlch fierce
light falls than ever fen upon throne
the pathway Of the public teacher, and
you read these Gospel stories the one thin
that strikes You Is the fact Of the multi
tudes around about Jesus Christ. WheI
| ever lie went they followed Him. ii III
went out into the city the country peopl
| crowded the streets to be near Him; If III
went out into the country place the cit
men and women hocked after Him, follow
ing HIM SO far that at times there was n
! chance Tor them 10 provide themscivc
with food, and He had to feed them; 70
! IA their eagerncss to follow they had fol
gotten food and had forgotten distanc,
And wherever He went they came afte
Him.
i am rot saying that these multitude
crowned Him; that IL not my point. bu
lie drew the people after HIM. The on
thing they could not do with Jesus was (
let H.fa alone; they came. whether to cri
lclse HIra or crown Him Is not now IN
question; the point IL, that He drew me
and women after Him in all those days {
HIS earthly HE They came after Him. a
sorts and conditions of men, the scholar
and the iihterate, the learned and the igns