Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-08
THE SCHOOL OF GOD.
REV. SAMUEL PARkEs cADMAN,
D. D., DELIVERS INTEREST.
ING SERMON.
First Methodist Episcopal Church Was
Crowded Last Night to Hear the
Eloquent Minister - Audience Man.
Tested Great Interest In Sermon.


Filled with thought and Astounding
In the most eloquent passages, enliv-
ened with occasional flashes OF wit,
embellished with fine rhetoric and de-
livered with force and fire, was the SER
mon of Rev Samuel Parkes Cadman,
d. D., of Brooklyn, N. Y, heard by an
immense audience last night In the
First Methodist church. Dr.. Cadman
lectured on "The School of God"
and the moral earnestness man.
Tested in the Grafton, combined with
the vigor and adequacy of Its delivery
won interest which grew into enthusi-
asm that was maintained to the very
close. At his best, DR.. Cadman is a
strong and peerless orator, with an
amazing width Of knowledge and depth
of insight. He was at his best last
night.
Owing to the absence of DR.. A. E.
Craig, Elder j. w. Lambert
presided. In introducing DR.. Cadman,
Rev. Lambert referred to the recent
Chautauqua program and the contribu-
tons of DR.. Cadman. and said that he
considered it privilege to have the
doctor remain over to speak this even
ing.
In opening DR.. Cadman assured the
congregation that it was an especial
privilege to participate in the Chautau.
qua program and to remain
over to deliver sermon this
evening. With reference to OF,
tumwa he said this city had many
worthy institutions, and some not so
worthy. The Y. M. G.. A. was COM
mendably spoken OF, as were other To-
cal institutions, of which he spoke very
highly. He took for his text the gospel
of ST. Matthew, eleventh chapter,
twenty-ninth verse. In part DR.. Cad
man said:
II will take for my words tonight
the eleventh verse, twenty-ninth chap
ter Of st. Matthew, Take my yoke
upon you and learn of me- feel that
you nave no right to live for yourself
The trouble with the people today Is
that their Christianity is not contag-
ious. And that there are too many pure
ly nominal Christians, and not suffl-
cient active Christians. What makes
one Christian? To be Christian Is
not to join a church; 1t is not to accept
a creed, but to have personal rela-
ton with Jesus. The solemn and JOY
full vows you have made, the precious
beliefs you hold, are aids to this end.
Your Christian nurture and experience
I,are in question. You are a
scholar in the school of
Christ. Every Christian as well as the
centurion band at Eastertide is to be a
a humble, docile pupil In the presence
and love and life of Christ To prac-
| tice the sense of his presence, to share
his love and life And II our ordinances
do not inculcate this spirit; If Jesus
does not become daily more magnetic,
sublime, the chief among 10000 and
the altogether lovely, we have need
| to examine our hearts, our churches
and our systems.
Jesus Is the Gospel.
why did God come to this world
There are differences of view about
Jesus mission. Men say to found a
church. He surely did, but on two oc-
casions only does he mention it.
Even that was very high and blessed
result, but not ALL Others say to
preach the gospel The first account of
his ministry embraces that. We re-
joice that he did. But Jesus did not
SO much come to preach the gospel as
he came that there might be a gospel
to preach. He Is the gospel The COS
pels of st. Matthew, St. Mark, st.
Luke and st. John are all photographs
OF God Every gospel Is an evangel of
Jesus Christ. That men may know this
Jesus must have his school in which
he shall train his disciples and show
them to the end Of time God and his
order in the world. Now at a glance
you see how Jesus discounted mere or.
ganization. His primal truths re.
quired fiuidity, simplicity, trust, the
temper OF the child, but not of child
ishness. He says practically nothing
about institutions. He does not invite
to his school the learned. They could
give it no distinction, nor the great
| give 1t no power. men and women
who had decided all relative truth he
could do nothing with. Pondering their
obtuseness, he said. I thank thee, O
Father, that thou hast revealed these
things unto babes; hidden from the
wise and the prudent, who in all their
| wisdom and policy knew not God Not
that Jesus canonized ignorance; the
ripest culture, the rarest breadth come
with gladness to him as the absolute
The School Of God.
"But the scripture before us is an
imperative requisite. Not an exhor-
/ tation, an entreaty, but scientific ne
cessity. Men who are self-sufficient
and self-complacent are not new In
the world. They are its oldest class,
Proud incipient rebels, tenacious in
what they acquire, slow to accept for
| eign aid, superior folk who miss the
! mark These were the sole aliens, and
they their own act. There are none
excluded from the school of God. The
lowest, the basest, the weakest, when
willing to obey, are gladly welcomed
So nothing has caused so much Of
Tense as this majestic claim of Jesus
He recognized no rank nor genius. nor
ancestry; he said to humanity: Learn
of me- This is the dominating theme
with numberless Developments. What
a school. What a teacher. thirst, !
faint. die to prove the will and love
of the Father to his children. Come
unto me all We that labor and are