Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-10-05
-: SUNDAY SERMON !!
y = y
= A Scholarly Discourse BY I
: Rev. w. H. Bur6win. !
= Observation-Disclosures

Brooklyn, N. Y.-tor the last ser.
mon in his series OIL "The Substance
Of Christian Doctrine" the Rev. w. II.
Burgwin, pastor of the Eighteenth
! Street Nj. Il. Church, preached Sun
day morning Oh Sowing and Reap
ing" His text was chosen from Gal
latians kits: BE not deceived; God
is not Knocked; for whatsoever Il man
soweth, that shall he also reap. For
he that soweth to the flesh shall Of
the flesh reap corruption; but he that
soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit
reap life everlasting" Mr.. BurSwin
said:
Our statement of the substance of
Christian doctrine in the four proceed
ing discourses has presented the Crea-
tor of all things as merciful and
bountiful Provider for His creatures.
Man, because of unique relationships
to God, is the object of His particu-
lar and peculiar favor. Insisting that
".All have sinned and come short or
the glory of God" the divine love
finds way to satisfy infinite justice
and to redeem for eternity every Sin
ner who will be saved. The nature Of
the sinner, as created, prcciudcs the
idea or the possibility of compusion.
There is, however, a too general ten
dency to discount Scrptural teachings
to feel that God. having done so
much for man, will do more. that. in
some way, Il comfortable and blissful
! future is assured us. even though un-
belief and disobedience mark our con-
duet here. The apostle combats such
conception. Jesus Himself contra
| diets 1t: "Ye cannot serve God and
Mammon." The Scriptures uniformly
oppose Il by precept and example.
1t is my task this morning to OH
force this thought: All men are re-
deemed by Christ; but we are not
saved from our guilt and its fixed
penalty until we are in accord with
| Christ and the divine plan. What the
sowing is the harvest will be. This
Is the truth as taught us.
Our text is Il warning-ali unmistak-
able danger signal. This warning is
! given in view of real dangers appar-
ent to all observers of human nature.
1t assures us that God does not make
spiritual or moral panpers of men.
| Men cannot be redeemed without God;
! but, in the divine economy. God does
| not save the man without the man
himself. The man. in addition TO
Gods work. must work out his own
salvation. For man there is Il sowing
and there is Il reapng. There is good
seed for sowing in moral and spirit
ual soil; there is other seed which de-
velops degraded human character.
Man selects his own seed and Sows it.
The seed proceeds to follow the law
~ l,,,;,, fn,.tl Fan. iE
kind-noisome weeds or golden grain.
1t is an eternal harvest of "corlup'
ton or of "everlasting life Even
/ If man be deceived. God is not Knocked.
This Scripture warns us that every
mortal has freedom 10 direct his own
career within well known fields, for
good or evil. Above the human actor
Is the Divine Governor. who will not
compel human loyalty. but who. rnl'
ing in more extensive fields than the
merely finite and human Invariably
directs the mortal to the future his
own freedom has chosen, to the reap
ing of the harvest his own life has
sown. Thus it is clear that mans
destiny is in his own control.
| 1t becomes apparent that this UNI
yersal governor in administering his
! government is not anarchic. He is the
supreme exponent of order ana law;
! He, the arCh-opponcnt OF confusion
| All disorder tends tn confusion. in
particular as in universal dominion,
! The human sinner is Il begettor OF
confusion in that he interfcrcS with
! law and order He thus Challenges
the divine wisdom. power and will.
| He IL a rebel against the Creator ANA
Ruler of all things. Were all nature
To follow him. the original chaos and
anarchy would prevail in all realms.
! Perfect order in human life would
bring man to the perfect destination
for which he WAS originally designed.
| That perfect ordcr herCm"S = real tact
for man through Jesus Christ, who is
the cxcmplar of that order. "Wh0 His
! own self bare our sins in His own
body on the tree that we. hcinl dead
to sin. should live unto righteousness;
/ by whose stripes We Wer" healed, IL
we encourage sin in our lives. II we
do not pc c>istently resist the dew. we
| are sowing acCurScd seed; we ar" not
dead to sins. we do not live unto right
eousness: consequently, that perfect
order is not anNctuality for us though
it remains Il possibility. because Of th"
divine mercy and our ability TO SOW
the seed of repentance, hy Gods heip,
If we will
Evidently, then. the glorious de>tin-
alton of man as described in scripture,
bringing the creature back to his lost
estate. where he is c0niormed to the
image of Him who is tho express
image of Gods substance, is not an
arbitrary goal TO which every creature
move whether or no. The attainment
I of that destination is matter OF
choice and decision on the part oi the
creature-that decision and choice in.
dicatng his accord with The will ANA
plan of the Creator. Man has goal
great purpose for living, set before
him. the life everlasting" of our text
toward which it is his personal re-
sponsibiity and duty intelligcntly 10
direct his way He is not like the crick-
ct. II you have ever noticed this in
sect N an open space, bound for some
where YOU will remember that he
spring q foot or So into the air, turns
somerSault or two at each jump,
his course being zGzag and uncertain,
rs likely to terminate i'll one place az
another. so far as you can determine
Many mortals do resemble the insect,
with this exception, that the unlntcl-
lgent, Zigzag course cannot possibly
bring them to the right destination.
That this zigzag course exists mdi.
Gates that the truth has been perverted.
Men have been deceived. In thr'r on
fident intellectual self-conceit hey
have proclaimed various notifications
Of the Christian plan as we possess it.
In their reasonlngs and speculatons