The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-05-25
THE PULPIT.
4 BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
REV. DR.. NEHEMIAH BOYNTON.
Subject: The Meaning of Christian Service

REV, DH. NEHEMIAH ~ ~ SNs
Subject: The Meaning of Christian Service
Brooklyn, n. Y.-A large audience
greeted the Rev. DR.. Nehemiah Boyn-
ton, the pastor-elect of the Clinton Ave
nue. Congregationalist Church, Sunday
morning. to hear his first sermon IN
his new pulpit. The subject OF the
sermon was: "Christian Service" The
text was from Mark x:43-44: "Whoso-
ever would become great among you,
shall be your minister; and whosoever
would be first among you, shall be SER
want of ALL" Dr.. Boynton said:
Jesus never questioned the proposi-
ton that it was fine thing to be
great. He had no small iealousies to
nurse. But He continually empha-
sized the declaration that it was a finer
thing to be first, and, to His thinking,
greatness and primacy were not syn
onymous terms.
In our clumsy English it is not easy
to indicate the distinction in the text
between the minister" who aspires
to be great, and the servant of all"
who becomes first; it is the difference
between the mere waiter, who serves
with one eye on your need. the other
on your tip, and the bodyguard. who
has committed himself unreservedly to
your interests and who is happy alike
in life or death if only, like the Japan
ese. he can have the honor of serving
the Emperor.
So Christian service is the first thing
in the world; it is greater than the
great thing.
The outstanding characteristic of our
age has been and is the realization
that the universe is one; it is Coos
world, it is Christ's world; that the
spirit is one; it is Gods spirit, it is
Christ's spirit: that the Christian SER
vice means nothing less or more than
taking Christ's spirit out to Christ's
world and installing it. All that is in
volved in this mighty conception we
do not yet comprehend, for 1.-The new
age stands, AS yet, half built against
the sky" but it is easy enough to see
that the struggle Of the day in pres
ence of the mighty and impressive
changes which are transforming mod
ern life is to match the growing world
and the widening universe. with a gen.
uine. circumferential Christian spirit,
putting the noblest Christian science
in play "far as the course is found"
Beyond this, it is equally evident that
the supreme challenge to the church is
to accept and to appropriate. faithful
" and fearlessly. all revelations and
revisions, which the many sided truth
of the unity Of Gods universe illu-
mines and installs. for the church will
have lost her mission and her influence
when she is content to be camp fol-
lower trailing along in the rear of the
advancing legions Of the Lord of Hosts.
The peril Of small conceptions of the
superiority of Christian service is
many times most imminent where His
presence is least suspected. A brave
and aspiring spirit will pray most ear
nestly for deliverance from this pesti-
lence that walketh in darkness and
destruction that wasteth at MONDAY.
Ones spiritual ability is bounded by
his horizon and his service is init
mately related to his sight. The soul
which has settled into the comfortable
conceit that the faith has once for all
been delivered to the saints. that spirit
ual ministry for to-day is but repro
duction of the type and method OF yes
terday, may indeed be contented with
Its conclusion, but its ability to min
lister effectively to the present day
kingdom of God is shorn Of adequacy.
Little conceptions make little Chris
'tians: large conceptions make large
Christians. DR.. Peabody is voicing q
ringing truth when he declares that
great heresy of modern Christendom
is in residence in the belief that life
is q ship composed Of watertight COM
partments, in one of which we work.
in another study, in another play and
in another worship. The great in
clusion Of life, the permeating power
of the divine spirit, the Wilderness OF
Gods mercy, the depth Of His love.
the breadth of His interest, the newt
ableness Of His will, the absoluteness
of His law, these furnish perspec-
tive for an attentive. spirit, in the Wis
ion Of which the meager and petty are
overlooked and the promised won
drous things of Thy law" gieam and
glisten like the flash of the harbor
light against the blackness Of the
night!
Christian service needs the snap and
stimulus of the great idea Of the unity
OF Gods world to get it in possession
Of its comprehensive chance, so that
while we feel a kindling sympathy
with the wide visioned martyr, pray
Ing as the flames licked his feet, Lord,
open Thou the King Of England's
eyes," it is in order for US to pray for
ourselves the heroic petition, "Con-
slider and hear me. o Lord, my God;
tighten mine eyes,
If, however, the time Of Christian
service is related to small conceptions.
the preregative of Christian service
is certainly to introduce the same to
great and masterful ones, and to teach
it to find its choicer fellowship as 1t
does it's mightier inspirations here.
Pilates question, What is ruth?" is
pertinent to-day. Is it mere cunning
assembling and formulation Of facts?
There it is a cold, inert, useless thing.
Is it q glowing faith, vital. personal,
ebsolute experience? There it. is warm
with a divine fire and instinct with a