Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-10-05
JESUS THE LOWLY
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON
A Brilliant Discourse Full of Human
Love.

Louisville, Ky. - The Rev. W. Fl.
Ramsay on Sunday preached a power
ful sermon entitled ''The Religion of
Jesus" He took for his texts: Her
sins, which are many. are forgiven; for
she loved much.-Luke vii, Al.
Love took up the harp of Life, and
smote on all the chords with
might;
Smote the chord of Self, that, trembling,
passed in music out of sight.
-Tennyson.
In the midst of so much con fusion and
perplexity about questions relating to
religion, nothing is more helpful than
to turn to the words of Jesus and find
what He taught and believed. We
shall find little difficulty in doing this
II we confine ourselves to the first
three Gospels. If we include the
Fourth Gospel, we shall introduce an
element Of difficulty and confusion.
The Fourth Gospel sets a wonderful
philosophy about Jesus and His mis-.
sion, and it relates incidentally some of
the events in the life of Jesus. But for
a simple statement Of the words Of
Jesus Himself, apart from any theo-
logical theory about Jesus, we must
turn to the other Gospels. There is
unquestionably much in these nara
tives besides the words of Jesus, much
that betOkens misapprehensiOn and
miScOnstruction on the part Of those
that heard Him, and an attempt to in
terpret His words and deeds as a con-
frmation Of the materialistic hopes and
expectations of His followers. But the
utterances Of Jesus Himself on the
great and vital questions Of spiritual
religion are so exalted and SO self-evi-
dent that we shall find no difficulty in
discovering them.
What does Jesus teach about God,
about Man, about Sin and Righteous
ness, about Redemption, about the
kingdom of God upon earth? We
might include other questions, such as
the nature of Divine Revelation, the
Church and it's Sacraments and Rites.
etc. But these are minor and subor-
dinate matters.
What does Jesus teach about God ?
Strange to say, Jesus has nothing to
state about God, after the manner of
the theologians and creeds. He en-
tered upon no metaphy steal discussion
about the nature of God. He never
mentions the doctrine Of a Trinity.
''He had unquestioned faith in God
as a living. conscious, intelligent agent.
This faith came to Him by Inheritance,
and was received by Him as the indis-
pensable and indisputable presupposi-
ton of all religion" Jesus took the
highest thought about God in the He.
brew religion, the conception OF COD
as the Eternal Father of men. and ex.
panded and purified it. He interpreted
this idea by His own sublime and spot
less moral consciousness. He saw the
truth of the Divine Fatherhood through
the medium Of His own loving and
righteous soul. The thought of God
as the ever-present Spirit Of righteous
ness and love was a constantly beset
ting thought with Jesus. He lived and
moved and had His being in this con
sciousness of the Fathers presence
He saw the ceaseless operation of the
Fathers love and goodness and care
for all things. The whole universe was
encompassed by the Fathers love. He
loves and pities apd provides for all
Even His wicked and unthankful anC
prOdigal children are provided for. HIS
rain descends and His sun shines fol
the evil and the good alike.
Jesus did not think of the Father az
far-off and inaccessible Deity, but as
near and indwelling Presence. H
did not offer any explanatio of tht
mystery of this wonderful truth; He
simply believed it. and lived ane
wrought and taught with this though
perpetually in His mind, with its in
spiration in His soul. God was llY
ing reality to Jesus.
What did Jesus teach about man
The thought Of Jesus about man ant
human nature might be summarized
i'm the words, MAN is the child o.
God" This truth had been expressed
by others before Jesus. but it hae