The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-08
DR.. H. ]. TALBOT'S
FIRST SERMON
Many Listen to New Superin-
tendent Of Missions.
ATFIRST METHODIST CHURCH
SPIRIT OF MAN THE THEME OF
HIS DISCOURSE.

/ HIS O1SS0O NEE
! The spirit" that is part of every
human being was the theme Of DR.. H.
J. Telbot's discourse at the First Meth
odist church last evening. Yesterday
was the first appearance in the pulpit
in this city Of the new superintendent
of Methodist missions. and large con-
gregation was present at both the
morning and evening services.
DR.. Talbot took the view that the
spirit is the thing that makes man
different from the lower animals BY
! means of it, he declared, we may have
/ communication with God without it
such a thing is impossible. He de-
scribed the spirit" as the point Of
contact with God. As the candle re-
ceives the fire and burns with a steady
fame, SO the spirit OF man is capable
Of receiving God. Spiritless things
can't receive him. The planets swing
/ ing in space feel his touch and obey
his law, but they cannot receive him.
Beasts wild and tame, receive their
food from him and are impressed by
his law in THEN natures, but they are
! not capable Of receiving any cOmmu-
nication from him. The granite is
acted upon by the fire, but has no
power to receive the fire nor kindle
under its touch. And so of all things
upon this earth except man."
DR.. Talbot took his text from Prov
cribs Xxx, %: '"The spirit of man IS the
candle Of the Lord" He began as fol-
lows:
DR.. Talbot's Sermon,
/ Strange as it may seem. some people do
! not think as well of themselves as they
I should, and this chiefly because they take
1 low view of human nature They DO not
! think well Of its aims, its motives. or its
capa bihties, and so they see but little
good in il and expect but little of it. Ia
consequence their own lives are upon q
comparatively low plane and they do not
accord TO themselves the respect which
they deserve.
On the other hand. many think too well
of themselves. They do not take q full
( orbed view of self, but single out some
one QuaEty-It may be mental or moral
or even I'hySical-and measure themselves
I Dy That IhuS they are inflated with
/ pride, and because they have a false view
( Of themselves the whole life is in some
/ regards INSTRUCTED
Christianity in the Wilderness of its
/ teaching gives the true standpoint from
| which one may judge himself. 1t shows
70 what depth one may sink. tearing
away the mask that hides the demon
[ within. But az the same time it shows
( the angel within and opens the ears to
I the music OF heaven, 50 that one may get
some notion of the high distinction TO
which man at his best is destined. / d.
rect attention to two points.
Spirit in Man.
Tirst-There IS a spirit in man. From
the Bible various conclusions are reached
as TO the way in which humans are to
be regarded Some thinR Of man as two
/ fold in nature. They say he has physical
nature and under this they class all that
ne holds in common with brutes. What
ever may not be so classed they speak
Of as attributes of what IS called the soul
including under this term whatever Is
[ ministerial about man.
| Then there IS what may be called the
three-fOid view which is held by some
These hold the same view Of the physical
man as the other class. but they make
distinction as 10 the irnmateriaI part of
man. Under the term soul they include
the appetite. instinct, sensations and
/ whatever else humans hold in common
with bruJes, the body excepted. IN this
view the soul mediates between the body
and something higher now to be named.
Under the term spirit they class a power
/ or nature which mediates between the
Z soul and things unseen and eternal
| BY this man has the consciousness Of
COD, an apprehension OF dependence upon
him and Of obligation to him. Scripture
lends itself TO this view and declares
| There is a spirit in man." But the i'm
pCrtant thing is that the distinction be
tween man and brute is broadly marked
Man has reason; he has q sense of imLnor-
tality- he has a moral nature The
bTuJes have none OF these capabilities
and so here is a distinction between them
and man But IL must be said that the
great distinction is named i'm this that
/ God breathed into man the breath of
lie and he became living soul Man
IS. then. an inbreathfng of Cod. There
/ Is spirit in man..
Mans Unmreasured Superiority.
Seeond-This fact that man is a spirit
constitutes the note of his Unmeasured
SUPERIORITY The spirit in man is the point
of his contact with God. As the candle
/ receives the fire and burns with a steady
I flame. so the spirit of man is capable of
/ receiving God. Spiritless things can't re-
/ ceiVe him The planets, swinging in
space, feel his touch and obey his law
I but they cannot receive him Beasts
/ wild and tame, receive their food from
I him and are impressed by his law in their
natures, but they are net capable of re-
celvlug any communication from him.
( The granite is acted upon by the fire
but has 10 power to receive the fire nor
10 kiit1ie under ats touch. And Of all
4 Things upon this earth except man. lie
alone has power TO be penetrated by and
TO receive God. This involves a most vital
thing IF man can receive God. then he
IS capable OF approaching God in thought
Ieeung. motive and character. Just as
your boy begins at last to understand
YOUR AIMS, motives, plans and the prin-
clpies that guide your life, and that be-
cause he IS Ike YOU in nature. so man
/ In some poor broken way is capable of
/ IhlS looks impossible unless we hold
fast 10 the tact that there is a spirit in
/ man That Is 10 say, there is a spirit
nature I'd nina nature given him of God
! partdklng of Gods own nature. 1t was
I TO the spirit nature he spoke when he
sent Moses to md his enslaVef ones and
/ Moses spirit responded and received the
/ dlNinc one until his character giCWed more
/ than his face shone.
When Christ Spoke.
/ To was to the spirit OF man that Christ
( spoke when he said TO Saul WHY per
/ Secutest thou me:' And it was the spirit
, of the man that responded and turned
/ AID followed the Master. What was Dos
/ siblc TO those men is possible TO us BE
+ very sure 10 is this which exaits men far
I above earthly things Mans achieve
! ments IN mastering nature. unlocking it's
/ mysteries and making its forces his serV-
I ants stamp him with greatness.
The possession Of nature that can
feel the force of obligation is a note of
/ hts superiority over all created things
/ we know But lar beyond this IS the ca
I pacIjy 70 recognize and to receive God
: so that he may become the guest the
/ companion and the friend Of man
Here pause must be made. But I leave
{ with You two thoughts that are worth
/ your attention.
In the first place, being capable OF re-
/ CelFlng God rs the candle receives the
! Tame. lac IS yet under no comDulsiou 70
1 90 so. The candle is helpless TO resist
I Not so with man. we can refuse 10 b.
I lighted by him or TO receive him. Then