Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-07-27
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: SUNDAY SERMON :
II +
9 A Scholarly Discourse By =!
. Rev. Robert H, Carson. .
as ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

and Judgment to come, Felix trembled
and answered, Go thy way for this
time; when / have a convenient sea-
son 1 will call for thee" Mr.. Carson
said:
This book of apostolic labors gives
us glimpse Of Paul in many atti.
tudes. We have him pictured before
his conversion and after, and whether
we see him at his manual occupation
of tent-making, or in his frequent per-
lis by land and sea, or addressing cul-
tured audiences in splendid cities, or
individuals in palaces or in prisons
everywhere we see Il man whom we
instinctively know to be one of earth's
choicest and noblest souls.
Just now he is standing before a
wicked king and his no less wicked
wife, and there is that in his demeanor
and his action which makes us proud
of Christianity and its power.
Too frequently weakness, with ?
false gentleness and charity, are con
sidered the proper attendants of P
Christian spirit, and ofttimes a Chris
tian is slow Of speech, or altogether
silent in the presence of evil lest he
should show boldness unbecoming ir
one who proposes himself to be fol
| lower of Him who was meek and low
ly. But there is no warrant for any
such conduct in the example of Christ
or in the teaching of His apostles. In
deed, what strikes reader most ir
this book of apostolic acts is the bold
ness Of spirit which the first preachers
Of the gospel exhibited. We see Peter
standing in the presence of his own
enemies as we'll rs in tho presence OF
the enemies of the Christ, and boldly
accusing them of the murder of the
Lord. And what said Christ Himself
Il came not to send peace on earth,
but a sword" He was ChriStanity's
| founder, and what He was, so should
| His followers be. The Christian is to
| speak the truth in love, but in the pres.
cnce of evil he must never be silent
through fear, nor mince his words TO
suit mems ears, nor pander to their
| likings, nor dread their criticism.
Apostolic holiness, then, is the first
point that we would note in the words
which We have chosen as our text
Paul is in the presence of 4 man who
is master of his life. He speaks to a
ruler whose word is law, whose nod is
enough to seal his doom. and yet he
speaks so as to make that monarch
tremble. ALL friends, man who
knows his cause to be right can al
ways afford to be courageous and bold.
Truth at all times is wondrous fearless
| and breads no sacrifice, whether of
ease or fame or even of life itself, if
| only God be honorcd and righteous
ness crowned. Look back on that sa-
| cred line of fearless witnesses for God
and see how strongly this element of
courage predominated. OF such was
Moses i'll the presence of Pharaoh, of
| such was Nathan in the presence of
| David of such was Elijah before
Ahab, of such was John the Baptist
! before Herod, of such We're the apps.
| ties and martyrs and glorious company
| or the reformers. Luther would 90 to
| the Diet of Worms and vindicate his
faith, though as many devils hindered
| him as there were states on the house
| tops of Erfurt When they laid John
Knox. the man who made Scotland,
in his grave they said: There lies one
who never feared the face of man"
And this fearlCSSneSs. this couraCo
need not be confined to the leaders
alone, The humblcSu Christian may
share, and should share, in this prec.
iouS heritage. 70 this line of chosen
souIS-thc very chivalry of the saints
belong every man and woman who. like
Nehemiah. dareS to say: so will not
!, because of the fear of the Lord: who
is willing in obedience to the dictates
OF an enlightened conscience to brave
public opinion and even the loss of
friendship in standing by what they
consider right. Such are the salt of
the earth. Such is the leaven that is
yet going to leaven the whole mass.
such are the men whom God and man
can trust and such men are the hope
OF the world. Herein. indeed. is the
holiness Of Christianity seen. and.
thank God. in all the ages of Christen-
dom and in all the ranks of life men
ana women with their fearless cour-
age have been found
1t is comparatively easy to bear wit.
ness to truth when Il large public SYM
pathi2cS with You. When on all sides
You are surrounded by those who en-.
courage YOU with cheering words:
when You have nothing to lose and
everything to gain: when the "oifenSe
of the cross" as Paul puts il. has
ceased" But when the public is UNI
sympathetic, when friends are lacking.
when there is everything to lose and
nothing earthly to gain, then it is a
very different matter.
Oh, beloved, by our own strength
and relying on our own arm we can
not stand. 1t is easy to say resist
and stand fast, but we can do neither
the one nor the other unless we are
Stcadfast in the faith. In the midst
OF this wicked and untoward genera
ton. when evils both social and poll
tical. are eating out the very life of
our nation, how shall we be coura gerus
and bold, how shall we do our part
to stem the torrent? Surrounded by
sin both in high places and in low,
how shall we as followers of Jesus
Christ get strength to do our duty?
Confronted by temptation at every
turn in the pathway of life, where
snail we get courage to face the tempt.
er and to say with boldness and with
majesty, ''get thee behind me, Satan?'
In our own strength we cannot do it.
TO be power for good to be a factor
in the upbuilding of righteousness, to
overcome in the conflict with tempta.
ton, we must know God and trust God
and love God as He is revealed in the
face of Jesus Christ and then we will
be able to stand fast in the evil day.
Such knowledge is the knowledge that
we want, and it alone will make us
bold and courageous as this poor pris-
oner who makes the monarch tremble.
So, in the words Of our text we
have, in the first place, sample of
apostolic boldness, and in the second
place We have sample of apostolic
preaching.
The wife of Felix was Jewess
whom ne had persuaded 10 leave her
lawful husband She. Doubtless. WAS
anxious to learn of this Jesus WHO
bad cnuSed sucl a cnmm0iion amnnm