The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-05-24
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; SUNDAY SERMON
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A Discourse By tho Rev.
DR.. Nehemiah Boynton.

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 safti:
Jesus never questioned the PROPOSE
ton that it was n fine thing to be
great. He had no small jealousles to
nurse. But He continually empha-
sized the declaration that it was 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 asplres
to be great. and the servant of all"
who becomes first; it is the difference
between the mere waiter, who serves
with one eve 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 1t 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 Gods
world, it is Christs 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 Christs spirit out to Chrlsts
world and installing it. All that is in.
volved in this mighty conception we
do not yet comprehend. for "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 n 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
ly 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 q camp fol-
lower trailing along in the rear of the
advancing leglons 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 inti-
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 a repro
ductio1 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 a
ringing truth when he declares that
great heresy of modern Christendom
is il residence in the belief that life
is a 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
cluson 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
ableneGs of His will. the absoluteness
of His law thaSa furnich nnrspnc.
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" CLEAN 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 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 prerogative of Christian service
is certainly to introduce the same to
great and masterful ones, and to teach
1t to find its choicer fellowship as 1t
does its mightier inspirations here.
Pilates question, what is truth?" is
pertinent to-day. Is it n mere cunning
assembling and formulation of facts?
There 1t is a cold, inert useless thing.
Is 1t glowing faith, vital, personal
obsolute experience? There it is warm
with divine fire and instinct with a
glowing anticipation.
Henry Drummond marked that day
with q red letter when he ceased to
ignore truth as mere propositlonal wis
dom and began to realize it as per-
ceptlve wisdom. He declares that he
had almost finished his college course
before he had any other conception of
Christ than that He was theological
conscience in the interests of the Trim.
ity. But the day came when the eyes
of his understanding We're opened, and
he came to know Christ. Not as alb
stract but as concrete truth. Not as
related to life philoeophically by a
series of dreary propositions, but as
implanted in his own life vitality by a
personal friendship, which deepened
with every trial, widened with every
experience and heightened with every
aspiration. Then he was recognizing
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