The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-04-07
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON ef
BISHOP o. A. cooosElL.
Subject: The Face of Christ.

SUBJECT WAS lue ace VI NhAieN
The text was from III. Corinthians lvo:
The glory OF God in the face OF Jesus
Christ" Bishop Goodset said in the
course Of his sermon:
As you read the Bible both in the
Old and New Testaments you are i'm
pressed with the great number or
times which the word face" is used.
When you travel in Eastern lands you
find that this word is used far more
often and in many different relations
among the Eastern people than we our
selves are accustomed 10 use IL.
This word face is used in reference
10 a mans whole character, i am told,
every where in the East, and we have
q great many traces Of il in the Bible;
and now when we come 10 think or il
isn't il true that we are accustomed
10 recognize each other more by the
face than by any other one thing. Is
il not wonderful that upon the few
elements in the face, the forehead. the
eyes. nose, mouth and chin there
should be such an infinite variety or
expression stamped by the great Gre
ator?
There is a general conviction among
us that the face will work ont the
inner character. so that whatever may
be the beginning OF life when we have
lived with ourselves a long time we
will be pretty apt 10 show upon our
faces what kind of person we have
lived with. 1t is impossible for any
person 10 give way 10 ayarice without
showing il on their face. IL he had an
open face once il will change; and so
the man who gives way 10 the forces
Of passion. whether he gives way To
lust or whether he gives way 10 drink.
or whether he gives way 10 appetite
for food. il will show out on his face.
We write upon our faces what we live
with and no man can wear mask so
completely that those who are wise in
these things are not able 10 read be-
hind the mask.
Now. what one is there among us
that has not desired again and again
TO have lived when the face Of Jesus
Christ could have been seen. i think
there is no devout soul that in his
trouble has not said Oh. that |
could look into my Masters face. Oh,
that | could" live as the little children
did, have rested my head against His
breast and have heard Him say 10 me
as He said 10 them, Suffer them 10
come
You can scarcely go into n Christian
home to-day where Christian education
has presided where there is not at least
one or more representations OF the
face OF Jesus Christ. / have observed
according 10 our experiences, accord
ing 10 our wants, we fasten upon the
representations of Jesus Christ's face
that are most satisfying 10 us. most
fitting. So that If we are under deep
penitence of sin, we are apt to have
the face Of the suffering Christ upon
the Cross, and if the sorrows Of the
world have burdened our hearts. we
will carry there the face Of the thorn
crowned Christ in our homes. II we
have dweit upon Christ in His
strength. in His power. in His resist
ance TO evil. in the calm majesty of
one who knows he is innocent. we
would most likely have the picture Of
Christ before PLATE. From the days
OF the Catacombs up TO the present
time. men have been trying 10 put
CbriSt's face before humanity. and
why? Because all souls in their greater
moments. in their spiritual moments,
and therefore in their religious mo-
ments. would like 10 have Him brought
near by. They would like TO have Him
made more real.
The best thing is 10 so carry Jesus
Christ in our heart that we shah see
Him and behold the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ.
The actual picture must remain the
sane. We may study it, we may un-
derstand its history. 1t is not at all
probable that any one is going 10 see in
moment what il took the artist
years 10 produce, though this may hap
pen. But as we grow spiritually il is
possible for us by spiritual sight to
behold our Lord. TO behold Him more
clearly as the years go on.
When we study this one word. the
word face. we find that ii stands relat-
ed 10 three great facts and to none
other that ] know Of, and these three
facts are, first, revelation. then in
spisatiOn and finally reward. This is
exactly what the Apostle means by
this text that he who studies the face
Of Jesus Christ, he who enlarges his
vision 10y spiritual Imagination. viii
have the revelation of the divine truth
come to him. For do we not know that
Jesus came TO reveal God TO us. 10 re.
veal God 10 a world in which the dim
eye OF sin could but imperfectly see
Him. But the trouble is that our eyes
see as We are educated TO see. j have
often noticed while passing along the
street. that n man is usually inter
ested in the trade he represents If he
was halter, he looked at my hat: If
be was q tailor he looked at my
clothes; II he was a shoemaker be
looked at my shoes; If he was a boot
black he looked TO see whether they
were muddy or not. and 50 our vision
is trained by what we are doing. by
what we are thinking II our eyes
are trained only 10 the things OF time. |
then all the beauty that we see is in |
the things OF time. but by using these |
as stepping stones TO something higher |
and nobler. then we see by the power |
OF Gods revelation that there is n |
God here in this world. and that He is |
ruling the world in the interest OF |
Jesus Christ.
| belieye that you would have |
thought yourself victims OF fate IL you |
had not been taught by Jesus Christ |
the doctrine Of divine fatherhood. You |
would have thought perhaps that this |
world was made by chance IL you
had not seen Him standing I'm the |
stern Of the ship and saying 10 the
troubled waves. Peace. be still" But |
because He has come. because He has
passed through all the phases OF our
life from Infancy to maturity. because
He has been tempted. because he sub
mitted 10 wrong in order that He
might do a great and holy work, be-
cause He has given the most perfect
example OF what humanity ought 10